MHS Collections Online

Westville Jan 4th 1841

Dear Friend Mr Adams

I want to write a letter to you because
you love Mendi people & & you talk to the
Great Court we want to you tell you
are things Jose Ruiz say we born in havanna
he tell lie we stay in havanna ten days
and ten nights we stay no more we
all born in Mendi we no understand
Spanish language Mendi people been
in American 17 moons we talk
America language a little not very
Good. we write every day we write
plenty letters. we read must all time
we read all Matthew Mark Luke
and plenty of little books. we love books
very much. we want you to ask the court
what we have done wrong what for Americans
keep us in prison. Some people say Mendi people
crazy dolts because we no talk American language
Americans no talk Mendi. Americans people Crazy
dolts? They tell bad things about Mendi people and
we no understand. Some men Say Mendi people
happy because they laugh and have plenty to
eat. Mr Pendleton come and Mendi people
all look Sorry because they think about Mendi

land and friends we no See now. Mr
Pendleton Say we feel anger and white
men afraid of us then we no look Sorry again.
that's why we laugh. but Mendi feel bad
O we cant tell how bad. Every day and
night we think about our Country. Bad
men say ing Mendi people no have Souls.
Why we feel bad we no have no Souls. we
want to be free very much. Dear friend Mr
Adams you have children and friends you
love them you feel very Sorry if Mendi
people come and take all to Africa. we feel
bad for our friends and our friends feel
very bad for us. Americans not take us in
Ship we were on Shore and Americans
tell us Slave Ship catch us. They Say we
make you free if they make us free they
tell truth if they not make us free they tell
lie. If America Give us free we Glad -- if they
no Give us free we Sorry -- we Sorry for
Mendi people little -- we Sorry for America
people Great deal because God punish
liars. we want you to tell court that.
Mendi people no want to Go back to
Havanna we no want to be killed.
Dear friend we want you to know
how we feel. Mendi people think think
think nobody know. Teacher he know
we tell him So we
Mendi people have got Souls. we think
we know God punish if we tell lie we never
tell lie we Speak truth. what for Mendi
people afraid. because they have Got Souls.
Cook say he kill ed he eat Mendi people we
afraid we kill Cook then Captain kill one
man with knife and cut Mendi people
plenty we never kill Captain & if You
he no kill us, if Court ask who bring Mendi
people we bring ourselves CiCi hold the
rudder. all we want is make us free
not Send us to Havanna Send us home
Give us Missionary we tell Mendi people
Americans Spoke truth we Give them Good
tidings we tell them there is one God You
u must worship him. make us free and
we will bless ed you and all Mendi
people will bless you Dear friend
Mr Adams

[Address]

[Endorsement]