Edwin W. Moore to George W. Hockley, July 27, 1842 - Page 3
der in the last paragraph of the above letter “to
report the condition, time of sailing etc.” and on the
voyage she encountered a heavy gale of wind and
was totally lost on “Dernier Island” west of Louisi-
ana, where she was run to prevent sinking and
to save the lives of those on board, several of whom
were drowned[.] [S]he went to pieces and nothing
was saved from her.
No charge is made for the fuel consumed,
and the other expenses of the Steamer, all of which
were paid by the undersigned.
Washington & Moore have paid the parties
from whom the “Steam Ship Merchant” was
purchased the sum of Ten thousand dollars,
[the following is an inserted line] with several years interest on eight thousand of it
which
sum with interest at the rate of 8 per ct per annum
from the first day of August 1842, they claim
from the late Republic of Texas; in the service
of which the Steamer Merchant was lost—and in
fact while carrying out a positive order from
the Department of War & Marine. In accordance
with which I present the following account, under
an act of the Legislature of the State[.]
E.W. Moore for himself
and for N. Washington
Do [ditto]
$ cts
10,000.00
Republic of Texas
To N. Washington & E.W. Moore
For Steam Ship Merchant lost in the
service of Govt under orders dated July 24, 1842
Interest from Augt 1st 1842 until ______ [?] for it.
Edwin W. Moore to George W. Hockley, July 27, 1842. Texas Navy Papers, Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.