for the prisoners, and for me among the rest. I should imagine that it
was not more than twenty feet one way, and twenty-two the other.
Into this place we were all, to the number of thirty-four, thrust and
hand-cuffed, two prisoners more being added to our number, and were
provided with two excrement tubs; in this circumference we were obliged
to eat and perform the offices of evacuation, during the voyage to
England; and were insulted by every black-guard sailor and tory on
board, in the crudest manner; but what is the most surprising is, that
not one of us died in the passage. When t was first ordered to go
into the filthy inclosure, through a small sort of door, I positively
refused, and endeavored to reason the before named Brook Watson out of a
conduct so derogatory to every sentiment of honor and humanity, but all
to no purpose, my men being forced in the den already; and the rascal
who had the charge of the prisoners commanded me to go immediately in
among the rest. He further added that the place was good enough for a
rebel; that it was impertinent for a capital offender to talk of honor
or humanity; that any thing short of a halter was to good for me; and
that that would be my portion soon after I landed in England; for which
purpose only I was sent thither. About the same time a lieutenant among
the tories, insulted me in a grievous manner, saying that I ought to
have been executed for my rebellion against New York, and spit in my
face; upon which, though I was hand-cuffed, I sprang at him with both
hands, and knocked him partly down, but he scrambled along into the
cabin, and I after him; there he got under the protection of some men
with fixed bayonets, who were ordered to make ready to drive me into
the place aforementioned. I challenged him to fight, notwithstanding the
impediments that were on my hands, and had the exalted pleasure to see
the rascal tremble for fear; his name I have forgot, but Watson ordered
his guard to get me into the place with the other prisoners, dead or
alive; and I had almost as lieve die as do it, standing it out until
they environed me round with bayonets; and brutish, prejudiced,
abandoned wretches they were, from whom I could expect nothing but death
or wounds; however I told them, that they were good honest fellows;
that I could not blame them; that I was only in dispute with a calico
merchant, who knew not how to behave towards a gentleman of the military
establishment. This was spoken rather to appease them for my own
preservation, as well as to treat Watson with contempt; but still I
found they were determined to force me into the wretched circumstances,
which their prejudiced and depraved minds had prepared for me;
therefore, rather than die, I submitted to their indignities, being
drove with bayonets into the filthy dungeon with the other prisoners,
where we were denied fresh water, except a small allowance, which was
very inadequate to our wants; and in consequence of the stench of the
place, each of us was soon followed with a diarrhoea and fever, which
occasioned an intolerable thirst. When we asked for water, we were, most
commonly, instead of obtaining it, insulted and derided; and to add to
all the horrors of the place, it was so dark that we could not see each
other, and were overspread with body lice. We had, notwithstanding these
severities, full allowance of salt provisions, and a gill of rum per
day; the latter of which was of the utmost service to us, and, probably,
was the means of saving several of our lives. About forty days we
existed in this manner, when the land's end of England was discovered
from the mast head; soon after which, the prisoners were taken from
their gloomy abode, being permitted to see the light of the sun, and
breathe fresh air, which to us was very refreshing. The day following we
landed at Falmouth.
A few days before I was taken prisoner, I shifted my clothes, by which I
happened to be taken in a Canadian dress, viz, a short fawn-skin
jacket, double-breasted, an undervest and breeches of sagathy, worsted
stockings, a decent pair of shoes, two plain shirts, and a red worsted
cap; this was all the clothing I had, in which I made my appearance in
England.
When the prisoners were landed, multitudes of the citizens of Falmouth,
excited by curiosity, crowded to see us, which was equally gratifying to
us. I saw numbers on the tops of houses, and the rising adjacent grounds
were covered with them, of both sexes. The throng was so great, that the
king's officers were obliged to draw their swords, and force a passage
to Pendennis castle, which was near a mile from the town, where we were
closely confined, in consequence of orders from General Carleton, who
then commanded in Canada.
The rascally Brook Watson then set out for London in great haste,
expecting the reward of his zeal; but the ministry received him, as
I have been since informed, rather coolly; for the the minority in
parliament took advantage, arguing that the opposition of America to
Great Britain, was not a rebellion: If it is, say they, why do you not
execute Col. Allen according to law? But the majority argued that I
ought to be executed, and that the opposition was really a rebellion,
but that policy obliged them not to do it, inasmuch as the Congress had
then most prisoners in their power; so that my being sent to England,
for the purpose of being executed, and necessity restraining them,
was rather a foil on their laws and authority, and they consequently
disapproved of my being sent thither. But I had never heard the least
hint of those debates, in parliament, or of the working of their policy,
until sometime after I left England.
Consequently the reader will readily conceive I was anxious about my
preservation, knowing that I was in the power of a haughty and cruel
nation, considered as such. Therefore, the first proposition which I
determined in my own mind was, that humanity and moral suasion would not
be consulted in the determining of my fate; and those that daily came
in great numbers out of curiosity, to see me, both gentle and simple,
united in this, that I would be hanged. A gentleman from America, by
the name of Temple, and who was friendly to me, just whispered me in
the ear, and told me that bets were laid in London, that I would be
executed; he likewise privately gave me a guinea, but durst say but
little to me.
However, agreeably to my first negative proposition, that moral virtue
would not influence my destiny, I had recourse to stratagem, which I was
in hopes would move in the circle of their policy. I requested of the
commander of the castle the privilege of writing to Congress, who,
after consulting with an officer that lived in town, of a superior rank,
permitted me to write. I wrote, in the fore part of the letter, a short
narrative of my ill-treatment; but withal let them know that, though I
was treated as a criminal in England, and continued in irons, together
with those taken with me, yet it was in consequence of the orders
which the commander of the castle received from General Carleton; and
therefore desired Congress to desist from matters of retaliation, until
they should know the result of the government in England, respecting
their treatment towards me, and the prisoners with me, and govern
themselves accordingly, with a particular request, that if retaliation
should be found necessary, it might be exercised not according to
the smallness of my character in America, but in proportion to the
importance of the cause for which I suffered. This is, according to my
present recollection, the substance of the letter, inscribed,--"_To the
illustrious Continental Congress_." This letter was written with a
view that it should be sent to the ministry at London, rather than to
Congress, with a design to intimidate the haughty English government,
and screen my neck from the halter.
The next day the officer, from whom I obtained license to write, came to
see me and frowned on me on account of the impudence of the letter, as
he phrased it, and further added, 'Do you think that we are fools in
England, and would send your letter to Congress, with instructions to
retaliate on our own people? I have sent your letter to Lord North.'
This gave me inward satisfaction, though I carefully concealed it with
a pretended resentment, for I found I had come Yankee him, and that
the letter had gone to the identical person I designed it for. Nor do I
know, to this day, but that it had the desired effect, though I have not
heard any thing of the letter since.
My personal treatment by Lieutenant Hamilton, who commanded the castle,
was very generous. He sent me every day a fine breakfast and dinner from
his own table, and a bottle of good wine. Another aged gentleman,
whose name I cannot recollect, sent me a good supper. But there was no
distinction in public support between me and the privates; we all lodged
on a sort of Dutch bunks, in one common apartment, and were allowed
straw. The privates were well supplied with fresh provisions, and with
me took effectual measures to rid ourselves of lice.
I could not but feel, inwardly extremely anxious for my fate. This, I
however, concealed from the prisoners, as well as from the enemy, who
were perpetually shaking the halter at me. I nevertheless treated them
with scorn and contempt; and having sent my letter to the ministry,
could conceive of nothing more in my power but to keep up my spirits,
behave in a daring, soldier-like manner, that I might exhibit a good
sample of American fortitude.* Such a conduct, I judged would have a
more probable tendency to my preservation than concession and timidity.
This therefore, was my deportment; and I had lastly determined, in my
mind, that if a cruel death must inevitably be my portion, I would
face it undaunted; and, though I greatly rejoice that I returned to my
country and friends, and to see the power and pride of Great Britain
humbled; yet I am confident I could then have died without the least
appearance of dismay.
* The British must doubtless have had a high idea of the
personal prowess of Mr. Allen; and however superior their
regular discipline might have appeared in their own eyes,
yet they could not but respect his courage. To this intrepid
spirit, and the esteem it must have excited, the Colonel
probably owes his complimentary meals and his daily bottle
of wine.
I now clearly recollect that my mind was so resolved, that I would not
have trembled or shewn the least fear, as I was sensible it could not
alter my fate, nor do more than reproach my memory, make my last act
despicable to my enemies, and eclipse the other actions of my life. For
I reasoned thus, that nothing was more common than for men to die with
their friends around them, weeping and lamenting over them, but not able
to help them, which was in reality not different in the consequence of
it from such a death as I was apprehensive of; and, as death was the
natural consequence of animal life to which the laws of nature subject
mankind, to be timorous and uneasy as to the event and manner of it, was
inconsistent with the character of a philosopher and soldier. The cause
I was engaged in, I ever viewed worthy hazarding my life for, nor was
I, in the most critical moments of trouble, sorry that I engaged in it;
and, as to the world of spirits, though I knew nothing of the mode or
manner of it, I expected nevertheless, when I should arrive at such a
world, that I should be as well treated as other gentlemen of my merit.
Among the great numbers of people, who came to the castle to see the
prisoners, some gentlemen told me that they had come fifty miles on
purpose to see me, and desired to ask me a number of questions, and
to make free with me in conversation. I gave for answer that I chose
freedom in every sense of the word. Then one of them asked me what my
occupation in life had been? I answered him, that in my younger days I
had studied divinity, but I was a conjuror by profession. He replied,
that I conjured wrong at the time I was taken; and I was obliged to own,
that I mistook a figure at that time, but that I had conjured them out
of Ticonderoga. This was a place of great notoriety in England, so that
the joke seemed to go in my favor.
It was a common thing for me to be taken out of close confinement,
into a spacious green in the castle, or rather parade, where numbers of
gentlemen and ladies were ready to see and hear me. I often entertained
such audiences with harangues on the impracticability of Great Britain's
conquering the then colonies of America. At one of these times I asked
a gentleman for a bowl of punch, and he ordered his servant to bring it,
which he did, and offered it to me, but I refused to take it from the
hand of his servant; he then gave it to me with his own hand, refusing
to drink with me in consequence of my being a state criminal: However,
I took the punch and drank it all down at one draught, and handed the
gentleman the bowl: this made the spectators as well as myself merry.
I expatiated on American freedom. This gained the resentment of a young,
beardless gentleman of the company, who gave himself very great airs,
and replied that he 'knew the Americans very well, and was certain that
they could not bear the smell of powder.' I replied, that I accepted
it as a challenge, and was ready to convince him on the spot, that an
American could bear the smell of powder; at which he answered that he
should not put himself on a par with me. I then demanded of him to treat
the character of the Americans with due respect. He answered that I was
an Irishman; but I assured him that I was a full blooded Yankee, and in
fine bantered him so much, that he left me in possession of the ground,
and the laugh went against him. Two clergymen came to see me, and,
inasmuch as they behaved with civility, I returned them the same. We
discoursed on several parts of moral philosophy and Christianity;
and they seemed to be surprised that I should be acquainted with such
topics, or that I should understand a syllogism, or regular mode of
argumentation. I am apprehensive my Canadian dress contributed not a
little to the surprise, and excitement of curiosity; to see a gentleman
in England regularly dressed and well behaved would be no sight at all;
but such a rebel as they were pleased to call me, it is probable, was
never before seen in England.
The prisoners were landed at Falmouth a few days before Christmas, and
ordered on board of the Solebay frigate, Capt. Symonds, on the eighth
day of January, 1776, when our hand irons were taken off. This remove
was in consequence, as I have been since informed, of a writ of habeas
corpus, which had been procured by some gentlemen in England, in order
to obtain me my liberty.
The Solebay, with sundry other men-of-war, and about forty transports,
rendezvoused at the cove of Cork in Ireland, to take in provisions and
water.
When we were first brought on board, captain Symonds ordered all the
prisoners, and most of the hands on board to go on the deck, and caused
to be read in their hearing, a certain code of laws or rules, for the
regulation and ordering of their behavior; and then in a sovereign |
manner, ordered the prisoners me in particular, off the deck, and never
to come on it again; for, said he, this is a place for gentlemen to
walk.
So I went off, an officer following me, who told me that he would show
me the place allotted for me, and took me down to the cable tier, saying
to me this is your place.
Prior to this I had taken cold, by which I was in an ill state of
health, and did not say much to the officer; but stayed there that
night, consulted my policy, and I found I was in an evil case; that a
captain of a man-of-war was more arbitrary than a king, as he could
view his territory with a look of his eye, and a movement of his finger
commanded obedience. I felt myself more desponding than I had done at
any time before; for I concluded it to be a government scheme, to do
that clandestinely which policy forbid to be done under sanction of any
public justice and law.
However, two days after, I shaved and cleansed myself as well as I
could, and went on deck. The captain spoke to me in a great rage, and
said: 'did I not order you not to come on deck?' I answered him, that
at the same time he said, 'that it was the place for gentlemen to walk;
that I was Colonel Allen, but had not been properly introduced to him.'
He replied, G--d damn you, sir, be careful not to walk the same side of
the deck that I do. This gave me encouragement, and ever after that I
walked in the manner he had directed, except when he, at certain times
afterwards, had ordered me off in a passion, and I then would directly
afterwards go on again, telling him to command his slaves; that I was
a gentleman and had a right to walk the deck; yet when he expressly
ordered me off, I obeyed, not out of obedience to him, but to set an
example to the ship's crew, who ought to obey him.
To walk to the windward side of the deck is, according to custom, the
prerogative of the captain of the man-of-war, though he, sometimes, nay
commonly, walks with his lieutenants, when no strangers are by. When a
captain from some other man-of-war, comes on board, the captains walk to
the windward side, and the other gentleman to the leeward.
It was but a few nights I lodged in the cable tier, before I gained
an acquaintance with the master of arms, his name was Gillegan, an
Irishman, who was a generous, and well disposed man, and in a friendly
manner made me an offer, of living with him in a little birth, which was
allotted him between decks, and enclosed with canvass; his preferment
on board was about equal to that of a sergeant in a regiment. I was
comparatively happy in the acceptance of his clemency, and lived with
him in friendship till the frigate anchored in the harbor of Cape Fear,
North Carolina, in America.
Nothing of material consequence happened till the fleet rendezvoused at
the cove of Cork, except a violent storm which brought old hardy sailors
to their prayers. It was soon rumored in Cork that I was on board the
Solebay, with a number of prisoners from America; upon which Messrs.
Clark & Hays, merchants in company, and a number of other benevolently
disposed gentlemen, contributed largely to the relief and support of
the prisoners, who were thirty-four in number, and in very needy
circumstances. A suit of clothes from head to foot, including an
overcoat or surtout, and two shirts were bestowed upon each of them. My
suit I received in superfine broadcloths, sufficient for two jackets and
two pair of breeches, overplus of a suit throughout, eight fine Holland
shirts and stocks ready made, with a number of pairs of silk and worsted
hose, two pair of shoes, two beaver hats, one of which was sent
me richly laced with gold, by James Bonwell. The Irish gentlemen
furthermore made a large gratuity of wines of the best sort, spirits,
gin, loaf and brown sugar, tea and chocolate, with a large round of
pickled beef, and a number of fat turkies, with many other articles,
for my sea stores, too tedious to mention here. To the privates they
bestowed on each man two pounds of tea, and six pounds of brown sugar.
These articles were received on board at a time when the captain and
first lieutenant were gone on shore, by the permission of the second
lieutenant, a handsome young gentleman, who was then under twenty years
of age; his name was Douglass, son of the admiral Douglass, as I was
informed.
As this munificence was so unexpected and plentiful, I may add needful,
it impressed on my mind the highest sense of gratitude towards my
benefactors; for I was not only supplied with the necessaries and
conveniences of life, but with the grandeurs and superfluities of it. Mr
Hays, one of the donators before-mentioned, came on board, and behaved
in the most obliging manner, telling me he hoped my troubles were past;
for that the gentlemen of Cork determined to make my sea stores equal to
those of the captain of the Solebay; he made an offer of live stock and
wherewith to support them; but I knew this would be denied. And to
crown all, did send me by another person, fifty guineas, but I could not
reconcile receiving the whole to my own feelings, as it might have the
appearance of avarice; and therefore received but seven guineas only,
and am confident, not only from the exercise of the present well timed
generosity, but from a large acquaintance with gentleman of this nation,
that as a people they excel in liberality and bravery.
Two days after the receipt of the aforesaid donations, captain Symonds
came on board, full of envy towards the prisoners, and swore by all that
is good, that the damned American rebels should not be feasted at this
rate, by the damned rebels of Ireland; he therefore took away all my
liquors before-mentioned, except some of the wine which was secreted,
and a two gallon jug of old spirits which was reserved for me per favor
of lieutenant Douglass. The taking of my liquors was abominable in his
sight; he therefore spoke in my behalf, till the captain was angry with
him; and in consequence, proceeded and took away all the tea and sugar,
which had been given to the prisoners, and confiscated it to the use of
the ship's crew. Our clothing was not taken away, but the privates were
forced to do duty on board. Soon after this there came a boat to the
side of the ship, and captain Symonds asked a gentleman in it, in my
hearing, what his business was? who answered that he was sent to deliver
some sea stores to Col. Allen, which if I remember right, he said were
sent from Dublin; but the captain damned him heartily, ordering him away
from the ship, and would not suffer him to deliver the stores. I was
furthermore informed that the gentlemen in Cork, requested of Captain
Symonds, that I might be allowed to come into the city, and that they
would be responsible I should return to the frigate at a given time,
which was denied them.
We sailed from England the 8th day of January, and from the cove of Cork
the 12th day of Feb'y. Just before we sailed, the prisoners with me were
divided, and put on board three different ships of war. This gave me
some uneasiness, for they were to a man zealous in the cause of liberty,
and behaved with a becoming fortitude in the various scenes of their
captivity; but those, who were distributed on board other ships of
war were much better used than those who tarried with me, as appeared
afterwards. When the fleet, consisting of about forty-five sail,
including five men of war, sailed, from the cove with a fresh breeze,
the appearance was beautiful, abstracted from the unjust and bloody
designs they had in view. We had not sailed many days, before a mighty
storm arose, which lasted near twenty-four hours without intermission.
The wind blew with relentless fury, and no man could remain on deck,
except he was lashed fast, for the waves rolled over the deck by turns,
with a forcible rapidity and every soul on board was anxious for
the preservation of the ship, alias, their lives. In this storm the
Thunder-bomb man of war, sprang a leak, and was afterwards floated to
some part to the coast of England, and the crew saved. We were then
said to be in the Bay of Biscay. After the storm abated, I could plainly
discern the prisoners were better used for some considerable time.
Nothing of consequence happened after this, till we had sailed to the
island of Maderia, except a certain favor I had received of captain
Symonds, in consequence of an application I made to him for the
privilege of his tailor to make me a suit of clothes of the cloth
bestowed on me in Ireland, which he generously granted. I could then
walk the deck with a seeming better grace. When we had reached Maderia,
and anchored, sundry gentlemen with the captain went on shore, who I
conclude, gave the rumor that I was in the frigate; upon which I soon
after found that Irish generosity was again excited; for a gentleman of
that nation sent his clerk on board, to know of me if I would accept a
sea store from him, particularly wine. This matter I made known to the
generous lieutenant Douglass, who readily granted me the favor, provided
the articles could be brought on board, during the time of his command;
adding that it would be a pleasure to him to serve me, notwithstanding
the opposition he met with before. So I directed the gentleman's clerk
to inform him that I was greatly in need of so signal a charity and
desired the young gentleman to make the utmost despatch, which he did;
but in the meantime, captain Symonds and his officers came on board,
and immediately made ready for sailing; the wind at the same time being
fair, set sail when the young gentleman was in fair sight with the
aforesaid store.
The reader will doubtless recollect the seven guineas I received at the
cove of Cork. These enabled me to purchase of the purser what I
wanted, had not the Captain strictly forbidden it, though I made sundry
applications to him for that purpose; but his answer to me, when I was
sick, was, that it was no matter how soon I was dead, and that he was no
ways anxious to preserve the lives of rebels, but wished them all
dead; and indeed that was the language of most of the ship's crew. I
expostulated not only with the captain, but with other gentlemen on
board, on the unreasonableness of such usage; inferring that, inasmuch
as the government in England did not proceed against me as a capital
offender, they should not; for that they were by no means empowered
by any authority, either civil or military, to do so; for the English
government had acquitted me by sending me back a prisoner of war to
America, and that they should treat me as such. I further drew an
inference of impolicy on them, provided they should by hard usage,
destroy my life; inasmuch as I might, if living, redeem one of their
officers; but the captain replied, that he needed no directions of
mine how to treat a rebel; that the British would conquer the American
rebels, hang the Congress, and such as promoted the rebellion, me in
particular, and retake their own prisoners; so that my life was of no
consequence in the scale of their policy. I gave him for answer that
if they stayed till they conquered America, before they hanged me, _I
should die of old age_, and desired that till such an event took place,
he would at least allow me to purchase of the purser, from my own money,
such articles as I greatly needed; but he would not permit it, and when
I reminded him of the generous and civil usage that their prisoners in
captivity in America met with, he said that it was not owing to their
goodness but their timidity; for, said he, they expect to be conquered,
and therefore dare not misuse our prisoners; and in fact this was the
language of the British officers, till Burgoyne was taken;* a happy
event! and not only of the officers but the whole British army.