Mary Carver Affair
Encyclopedia
The Mary Carver Affair occurred in April of 1842 when the American
merchant ship Mary Carver was attacked by Bereby warrior
s in canoe
s near the kraal
of Little Bereby on the Ivory Coast. After the crew was massacred the natives plundered the ship, provoking a response by warships of the United States Navy
's African Slave Trade Patrol
.
Eben Farwell commanded the small schooner
Mary Carver and he was at the port of Little Bereby to pick up a 600 pound load of camwood
from a Bereby trader named Young Crack-O. However, Captain Farwell discovered that his wood was not ready for shipment so he demanded that Cracow give him a canoe as payment. The trader reluctantly agreed and when the shipment was ready for transportation, it was taken to the Mary Carver by canoe. The ship's mate did not suspect danger so he allowed the some of the canoemen to board the schooner and held with stowing the cargo. But instead of helping load the camwood, the Africans attacked with concealed weapons. The mate and the ship's cook were killed and one seaman was thrown overboard and drowned. A second seaman climbed the rigging to escape the massacre and when he finally came down he was "butchered" by the Bereby. Captain Farwell did not know his ship was under attack until the natives came for him, he asked the Africans to allow him to say one last prayer but his request was denied..
Women were among the attackers, one of them hit Farwell in the face with and broke the bone above his right eye socket, making his eye bulge out. After that Farwell was tied up and thrown overboard, in the water he was able to free himself of the ropes and he made it to the surface only to be clubbed in the head again and killed. The Mary Carver was then plundered, some pieces of the vessel were taken along with her American flag which ended up in the home of Chief
Ben Crack-O in Little Bereby. The Episcopal
missionary
E. L. Minor was working in the town of Taboo
, thirty miles from Little Bereby, and he informed the United States Secretary of the Navy Abel P. Upshur
of the affair in a letter. Minor's letter also suggested that military action take place in order to prevent the Africans from attacking American and Europe
an shipping. After the Edward Barley Incident, later that year, the United States Congress
approved a punitive expedition
to the area under Commodore Matthew C. Perry, which destroyed Little Bereby.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
merchant ship Mary Carver was attacked by Bereby warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
s in canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s near the kraal
Kraal
Kraal is an Afrikaans and Dutch word for an enclosure for cattle or other livestock, located within an African settlement or village surrounded by a palisade, mud wall, or other fencing, roughly circular in form.In the Dutch language a kraal is a term derived from the Portuguese word , cognate...
of Little Bereby on the Ivory Coast. After the crew was massacred the natives plundered the ship, provoking a response by warships of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
's African Slave Trade Patrol
African Slave Trade Patrol
African Slave Trade Patrol was part of the Suppression of the Slave Trade between 1819 and the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861. Due to the abolitionist movement in the United States, a squadron of American navy warships was assigned to catch slave traders in and around Africa...
.
Affair
It was April 24 when the affair unfolded. CaptainCaptain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
Eben Farwell commanded the small schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Mary Carver and he was at the port of Little Bereby to pick up a 600 pound load of camwood
Camwood
Camwood , also known as African sandalwood, is a shrubby, hard-wooded African tree. Its wood is commonly used to make a red dye. The earliest dye wood was from West Africa...
from a Bereby trader named Young Crack-O. However, Captain Farwell discovered that his wood was not ready for shipment so he demanded that Cracow give him a canoe as payment. The trader reluctantly agreed and when the shipment was ready for transportation, it was taken to the Mary Carver by canoe. The ship's mate did not suspect danger so he allowed the some of the canoemen to board the schooner and held with stowing the cargo. But instead of helping load the camwood, the Africans attacked with concealed weapons. The mate and the ship's cook were killed and one seaman was thrown overboard and drowned. A second seaman climbed the rigging to escape the massacre and when he finally came down he was "butchered" by the Bereby. Captain Farwell did not know his ship was under attack until the natives came for him, he asked the Africans to allow him to say one last prayer but his request was denied..
Women were among the attackers, one of them hit Farwell in the face with and broke the bone above his right eye socket, making his eye bulge out. After that Farwell was tied up and thrown overboard, in the water he was able to free himself of the ropes and he made it to the surface only to be clubbed in the head again and killed. The Mary Carver was then plundered, some pieces of the vessel were taken along with her American flag which ended up in the home of Chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
Ben Crack-O in Little Bereby. The Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
E. L. Minor was working in the town of Taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
, thirty miles from Little Bereby, and he informed the United States Secretary of the Navy Abel P. Upshur
Abel P. Upshur
Abel Parker Upshur was an American lawyer, judge and politician from Virginia. Upshur was active in Virginia state politics and later served as Secretary of the Navy and Secretary of State during the Whig administration of President John Tyler...
of the affair in a letter. Minor's letter also suggested that military action take place in order to prevent the Africans from attacking American and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an shipping. After the Edward Barley Incident, later that year, the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
approved a punitive expedition
Ivory Coast Expedition
The Ivory Coast Expedition, or the Liberia Expedition, was a naval operation in 1842, launched by the United States against the West African Bereby people. After the attacks on the merchant ships Mary Carver and Edward Barley, the American Congress approved a punitive expedition to the area and...
to the area under Commodore Matthew C. Perry, which destroyed Little Bereby.
See Also
- Blockade of AfricaBlockade of AfricaThe Blockade of Africa began in 1807 when Britain outlawed the Atlantic slave trade, making it illegal for British ships to transport slaves. The Royal Navy immediately established a presence off Africa in order to enforce the ban, called the West Africa Squadron...
- Santo Domingo AffairSanto Domingo AffairThe Santo Domingo Affair, or the Santo Domingo Crisis, refers to an incident in 1904 involving the United States and insurgent forces of Carlos F. Morales in the present day Dominican Republic...
- General Sherman IncidentGeneral Sherman IncidentThe General Sherman Incident was the destruction of an armed merchant marine side-wheel steamer that visited Korea in 1866. It was an important catalyst to the end of Korean isolationism in the 19th century...
- Rover Incident
- Rio de Janeiro AffairRio de Janeiro AffairThe Rio de Janeiro Affair refers to a series of incidents during the Brazilian Naval Revolt in January 1894. Following three attacks on American merchant ships in the harbour of Rio de Janeiro, a bloodless naval engagement occurred between a United States Navy warship and an ironclad of Rear...