troops from New York, to join General Burgoyne at Albany,
and by establishing a line of British posts on the Hudson,
to intercept the intercourse between the New England and
Southern States. While General Burgoyne was attempting to
advance towards Albany, General Clinton with a force of
three thousand men took possession of Fort Montgomery, after
severe loss. General Vaughan, with a body of troops, on
board of armed ships, sailed up the Hudson, as far as
Livingston's manor, where he landed a party, burnt a large
house belonging to one of the family; then sent a party to
the opposite shore and laid in ashes the town of Kingston.
But General Burgoyne, despairing of the junction between his
army and the division from New York, surrounded by a
superior army, and unable to retreat, consented to
capitulate, and the 17th of October, surrendered to the
American General. The detachment under General Vaughan
returned to New York and the plan of the British commanders
was totally frustrated.
I appeal to all my brother prisoners, who have been with the British in
the southern Department, for a confirmation of what I have advanced on
this subject. The surgeon of the Solebay, whose name was North, was a
very humane, obliging man, and took the best care of the prisoners who
were sick.
The third day of May we cast anchor in the harbor of Cape Fear, in North
Carolina, as did Sir Peter Parker's ship, of 50 guns, a little back
of the bar; for there was not depth of water for him to come into
the harbor. These two men of war, and fourteen sail of transports and
others, came after, so that most of the fleet rendezvoused at Cape Fear,
for three weeks. The soldiers on board the transports were sickly, in
consequence of so long a passage; add to this the small-pox carried
off many of them. They landed on the main, and formed a camp; but the
riflemen annoyed them, and caused them to move to an island in the
harbor; but such cursing of riflemen I never heard.
A detachment of regulars was sent up Brunswick river; as they landed,
they were fired on by those marksmen, and they came back next day
damning the rebels for their unmanly way of fighting, and swearing that
they would give no quarter, for they took sight at them, and were behind
timber skulking about. One of the detachments said they lost one man;
but a negro man who was with them, and heard what was said, soon after
told me that he helped to bury thirty-one of them; this did me some
good to find my countrymen giving them battle; for I never heard such
swaggering as among Gen. Clinton's little army who commanded at that
time; and I am apt to think there were four thousand men, though not two
thirds of them fit for duty. I heard numbers of them say, that the trees
in America should hang well with fruit that campaign for they would
give no quarter. This was in the mouths of most who I heard speak on the
subject, officer as well as soldier. I wished at that time my countrymen
knew, as well as I did, what a murdering and cruel enemy they had to
deal with; but experience has since taught this country, what they are
to expect at the hands of Britons when in their power.
The prisoners, who had been sent on board different men of war at the
cove of Cork, were collected together, and the whole of them put on
board the Mercury frigate, Capt. James Montague, except one of the
Canadians, who died on the passage from Ireland, and Peter Noble, who
made his escape from the Sphynx man-of-war in this harbour, and,
by extraordinary swimming, got safe home to New England, and gave
intelligence of the usage of his brother prisoners. The Mercury set sail
from this port for Halifax, about the 20th of May, and Sir Peter Parker
was about to sail with the land forces, under the command of Gen.
Clinton, for the reduction of Charleston, the capitol of South Carolina,
and when I heard of his defeat in Halifax, it gave me inexpressible
satisfaction.
I now found myself under a worse captain than Symonds! for Montague was
loaded with prejudices against every body, and every thing that was not
stamped with royalty; and being by nature underwitted, his wrath was
heavier than the others, or at least his mind was in no instance liable
to be diverted by good sense, humor or bravery, of which Symonds was by
turns susceptible. A Capt. Francis Proctor was added to our number of
prisoners when we were first put on board this ship. This gentleman had
formerly belonged to the English service. The Captain, and in fine, all
the gentlemen of the ship, were very much incensed, against him, and put
him in irons without the least provocation, and he was continued in this
miserable situation about three months. In this passage the prisoners
were infected with the scurvy, some more and some less, but most of them
severely. The ship's crew was to a great degree troubled with it, and
I concluded that it was catching. Several of the crew died with it on
their passage. I was weak and feeble in consequence of so long and cruel
captivity, yet had but little of the scurvy.
The purser was again expressly forbid by the captain to let me have
any thing out of his store; upon which I went upon deck, and in the
handsomest manner requested the favor of purchasing a few necessaries
of the purser, which was denied me; he further told me, that I should
be hanged as soon as I arrived at Halifax. I tried to reason the matter
with him, but found him proof against reason; I also held up his honor
to view, and his behavior to me and the prisoners in general, as being
derogatory to it, but found his honor impenetrable. I then endeavored
to touch his humanity, but found he had none; for his prepossession
of bigotry to his own party, had confirmed him in an opinion, that no
humanity was due to unroyalists, but seemed to think that heaven and
earth were made merely to gratify the King and his creatures; he uttered
considerable unintelligible and grovelling ideas, a little tinctured
with monarchy, but stood well to his text of hanging me. He afterwards
forbade his surgeon to administer any help to the sick prisoners. I was
every night shut down in the cable tier, with the rest of the prisoners,
and we all lived miserable while under his power. But I received some
generosity from several of the midshipmen, who in a degree alleviated my
misery; one of their names was Putrass, the names of the others I do
not recollect; but they were obliged to be private in the bestowment
of their favor, which was sometimes good wine bitters, and at others a
generous drink of grog.
Sometime in the first week of June, we came to anchor at the Hook off
New York, where we remained but three days; in which time governor
Tryon, Mr. Kemp, the old attorney general of New York, and several other
perfidious and over grown tories and land-jobbers, came on board. Tryon
viewed me with a stern countenance, as I was walking on the leeward side
the deck with the midshipmen; and he and his companions were walking
with the captain and lieutenant, on the windward side of the same, but
never spoke to me though it is altogether probable that he thought of
the old quarrel between him, the old government of New York, and the
Green Mountain Boys. Then they went with the captain into the cabin, and
the same afternoon returned on board a vessel, where at that time they
took sanctuary from the resentment of their injured country. What passed
between the officers of the ship and these visitors I know not; but this
I know that my treatment from the officers was more severe afterwards.
We arrived at Halifax not far from the middle of June, where the ship's
crew, which was infested with the scurvy, were taken on shore, and
shallow trenches dug, into which they were put, and partly covered
with earth. Indeed every proper measure was taken for their relief. The
prisoners were not permitted any sort of medicine, but were put on board
a sloop which lay in the harbor, near the town of Halifax, surrounded
with several men of war and their tenders, and a guard constantly set
over them, night and day. The sloop we had wholly to ourselves except
the guard who occupied the forecastle; here we were cruelly pinched
with hunger; it seemed to me that we had not more than one third of the
common allowance. We were all seized with violent hunger and faintness;
we divided our scanty allowance as exact as possible. I shared the same
fate with the rest, and though they offered me more than an even share,
I refused to accept it, as it was a time of substantial distress, which
in my opinion I ought to partake equally with the rest, and set an
example of virtue and fortitude to our little commonwealth.
I sent letter after letter to captain Montague, who still had the care
of us, and also to his lieutenant, whose name I cannot call to mind, but
could obtain no answer, much less a redress of grievances; and to add to
the calamity, near a dozen of the prisoners were dangerously ill of the
scurvy. I wrote private letters to the doctors, to procure, if possible,
some remedy for the sick, but in vain. The chief physician came by in
a boat, so close that the oars touched the sloop that we were in, and
I uttered my complaint in the genteelest manner to him, but he never
so much as turned his head, or made me any answer, though I continued
speaking till he got out of hearing. Our cause then became deplorable.
Still I kept writing to the captain, till he ordered the guards, as they
told me, not to bring any more letters from me to him. In the meantime
an event happened worth relating. One of the men almost dead with the
scurvy, lay by the side of the sloop, and a canoe of Indians coming by,
he purchased two quarts of strawberries, and ate them at once, and it
almost cured him. The money he gave for them was all the money he had in
the world. After that we tried every way to procure more of that fruit,
reasoning from analogy that they might have the same effect on others
infested with the same disease, but could obtain none.
Meanwhile the doctor's mate of the Mercury came privately on board the
prison sloop and presented me with a large vial of smart drops, which
proved to be good for the scurvy, though vegetables and some other
ingredients were requisite for a cure; but the drops gave at least a
check to the disease. This was a well-timed exertion of humanity, but
the doctor's name has slipped my mind, and in my opinion, it was the
means of saving the lives of several men.
The guard, which was set over us, was by this time touched with the
feelings of compassion; and I finally trusted one of them with a letter
of complaint to governor Arbuthnot, of Halifax, which he found means to
communicate, and which had the desired effect; for the governor sent an
officer and surgeon on board the prison sloop, to know the truth of
the complaint. The officer's name was Russell who held the rank of
lieutenant, and treated me in a friendly and polite manner, and was
really angry at the cruel and unmanly usage the prisoners met with; and
with the surgeon made a true report of matters to governor Arbuthnot,
who, either by his order or influence, took us next day from the prison
sloop to Halifax jail, where I first became acquainted with the now
Hon. James Lovel, one of the members of Congress for the state of
Massachusetts. The sick were taken to the hospital, and the Canadians,
who were effective, were employed in the King's works; and when their
countrymen were recovered from the scurvy and joined them, they all
deserted the king's employ, and were not heard of at Halifax, as long as
the remainder of the prisoners continued there, which was till near the
middle of October. We were on board the prison sloop about six weeks,
and were landed at Halifax near the middle of August. Several of
our English-American prisoners, who were cured of the scurvy at the
hospital, made their escape from thence, and after a long time reached
their old habitations.
I had now but thirteen with me, of those who were taken in Canada, and
remained in jail with me in Halifax, who, in addition to those that
were imprisoned before, made our number about thirty-four, who were all
locked up in one common large room, without regard to rank, education
or any other accomplishment, where we continued from the setting to the
rising sun, and, as sundry of them were infected with the jail and other
distempers, the furniture of this spacious room consisted principally
of excrement tubs. We petitioned for a removal of the sick into the
hospitals, but were denied. We remonstrated against the ungenerous usage
of being confined with the privates, as being contrary to the laws and
customs of nations, and particularly ungrateful in them in consequence
of the gentleman-like usage which the British imprisoned officers
met with in America; and thus we wearied ourselves, petitioning and
remonstrating, but to no purpose at all; for general Massey, who
commanded at Halifax, was as inflexible as the devil himself, a fine
preparative this for Mr. Lovel, member of the Continental Congress.
Lieutenant Russell, whom I have mentioned before, came to visit me in
prison, and assured me that he had done his utmost to procure my parole
for enlargement; at which a British captain, who was then town-major,
expressed compassion for the gentlemen confined in the filthy place, and
assured me that he had used his influence to procure their enlargement;
his name was near like Ramsey. Among the prisoners there were five
in number, who had a legal claim to a parole, viz. James Lovel, Esq.,
captain Francis Proctor, a Mr. Howland, master of a continental armed
vessel, a Mr. Taylor, his mate, and myself.
As to the article of provision, we were well served, much better than in
any part of my captivity; and since it was Mr. Lovel's misfortunes and
mine to be prisoners, and in so wretched circumstances, I was happy
that we were together as a mutual support to each other, and to the
unfortunate prisoners with us. Our first attention was the preservation
of ourselves and injured little republic; the rest of our time we
devoted interchangeably to politics and philosophy, as patience was
a needful exercise in so evil a situation, but contentment mean and
impracticable.
I had not been in this jail many days, before a worthy and charitable
woman, by the name of Mrs. Blacden, supplied me with a good dinner of
fresh meats every day, with garden fruit, and sometimes with a bottle of
wine: notwithstanding which I had not been more than three weeks in this
place before I lost all appetite to the most delicious food, by the jail
distemper, as also did sundry of the prisoners, particularly a sergeant
Moore, a man of courage and fidelity. I have several times seen him hold
the boatswain of the Solebay frigate, when he attempted to strike him,
and laughed him out of conceit of using him as a slave.
A doctor visited the sick, and did the best, as I suppose, he could for
them, to no apparent purpose. I grew weaker and weaker, as did the rest.
Several of them could not help themselves. At last I reasoned in my
own mind, that raw onion would be good. I made use of it, and found
immediate relief by it, as did the sick in general, particularly
sergeant Moore, whom it recovered almost from the shades; though I had
met with a little revival, still I found the malignant hand of Britain
had greatly reduced my constitution with stroke upon stroke. Esquire
Lovel and myself used every argument and entreaty that could be well
conceived of in order to obtain gentleman-like usage, to no purpose. I
then wrote Gen. Massey as severe a letter as I possibly could with my
friend Lovel's assistance. The contents of it was to give the British,
as a nation, and him as an individual, their true character. This roused
the rascal, for he could not bear to see his and the nation's deformity
in that transparent letter, which I sent him; he therefore put himself
in a great rage about it, and showed, the letter to a number of British
officers, particularly to captain Smith of the Lark frigate, who,
instead of joining with him in disapprobation, commended the spirit
of it; upon which general Massey said to him do you take the part of
a rebel against me? Captain Smith answered that he rather spoke his
sentiments, and there was a dissention in opinion between them. Some
officers took the part of the general, and others of the captain. This I
was informed of by a gentleman who had it from captain Smith.
In a few days after this, the prisoners were ordered to go on board of a
man of war, which was bound for New York; but two of them were not
able to go on board, and were left at Halifax; one died; and the other
recovered. This was about the 12th of October, and soon after we had got
on board, the captain sent for me in particular to come on the quarter
deck. I went, not knowing that it was captain Smith, or his ship, at
that time, and expected to meet the same rigorous usage I had commonly
met with, and prepared my mind accordingly; but when I came on deck,
the captain met me with his hand, welcomed me to his ship, invited me
to dine with him that day, and assured me that I should be treated as a
gentleman, and that he had given orders, that I should be treated
with respect by the ship's crew. This was so unexpected and sudden a
transition, that it drew tears from my eyes, which all the ill usage I
had before met with, was not able to produce nor could I at first hardly
speak, but soon recovered myself and expressed my gratitude for so
unexpected a favor; and let him know that I felt anxiety of mind
in reflecting that his situation and mine was such, that it was not
probable that it would ever be in my power to return the favor. Captain
Smith replied, that he had no reward in view, but only treated me as a
gentleman ought to be treated; he said this is a mutable world, and one
gentleman never knows but it may be in his power to help another. Soon
after I found this to be the same captain Smith who took my part against
general Massey; but he never mentioned anything of it to me, and I
thought it impolite in me to interrogate him as to any disputes which
might have arisen between him and the general on my account, as I was
a prisoner, and that it was at his option to make free with me on that
subject, if he pleased; and if he did not, I might take it for granted
that it would be unpleasing for me to query about it, though I had a
strong propensity to converse with him on that subject.
I dined with the captain agreeable to his invitation, and oftentimes
with the lieutenant, in the gun-room, but in general ate and drank with
my friend Lovel and the other gentlemen who were prisoners with me,
where I also slept.
We had a little berth enclosed with canvass, between decks, where we
enjoyed ourselves very well, in hopes of an exchange; besides, our
friends at Halifax had a little notice of our departure, and supplied
us with spirituous liquor, and many articles of provision for the cost.
Captain Burk, having been taken prisoner, was added to our company, (he
had commanded an American armed vessel) and was generously treated by
the captain and all the offices of the ship, as well as myself. We now
had in all near thirty prisoners on board, and as we were sailing along
the coast, if I recollect right, off Rhode Island, captain Burk, with
an under officer of the ship, whose name I do not recollect, came to our
little berth, proposed to kill captain Smith and the principal officers
of the frigate and take it; adding that there were thirty-five thousand
pounds sterling in the same. Captain Burk likewise averred that a strong
party out of the ship's crew was in the conspiracy, and urged me, and
the gentleman that was with me, to use our influence with the private
prisoners, to execute the design, and take the ship with the cash into
one of our own ports.
Upon which I replied, that we had been too well used on board to murder
the officers; that I could by no means reconcile it to my conscience,
and that, in fact, it should not be done; and while I was yet speaking,
my friend Lovel confirmed what I had said, and farther pointed out the
ungratefulness of such an act; that it did not fall short of murder,
and in fine all the gentlemen in the berth opposed captain Burk and his
colleague.
But they strenuously urged that the conspiracy would be found out, and
that it would cost them their lives, provided they did not execute their
design. I then interposed spiritedly, and put an end to further argument
on the subject, and told them that they might depend upon it, upon
my honor, that I would faithfully guard captain Smith's life. If they
should attempt the assault, I would assist him, for they desired me
to remain neuter, and that the same honor that guarded captain Smith's
life, would also guard theirs and it was agreed by those present not to
reveal the conspiracy, to the intent that no man should be put to death,
in consequence of what had been projected; and captain Burk and his
colleague went to stifle the matter among their associates. I could not
help calling to mind what captain Smith said to me, when I first came on
board; "This is a mutable world, and one gentleman never knows but that
it may be in his power to help another." Captain Smith and his officers
still behaved with their usual courtesy, and I never heard any more of
the conspiracy.
We arrived before New York, and cast anchor the latter part of October,
where we remained several days, and where captain Smith informed me,
that he had recommended me to admiral Howe and general Sir Wm. Howe, as
a gentleman of honor and veracity, and desired that I might be treated
as such. Captain Burk was then ordered on board a prison-ship in the
harbor. I took my leave of captain Smith, and with the other prisoners,
was sent on board a transport ship, which lay in the harbor, commanded
by captain Craige who took me into the cabin with him and his
lieutenant. I fared as they did, and was in every respect well treated,
in consequence of directions from captain Smith. In a few weeks after
this I had the happiness to part with my friend Lovel, for his sake,
whom the enemy affected to treat as a private; he was a gentleman of
merit, and liberally educated, but had no commission; they maligned him
on account of his unshaken attachment to the cause of his country.
He was exchanged for a governor Phillip Skene of the British. I was
continued in this ship till the latter part of November, where I
contracted an acquaintance with the captain of the British; his name has
slipped my memory. He was what we may call a genteel, hearty fellow.
I remember an expression of his over a bottle of wine, to this import:
"That there is a greatness of soul for personal friendship to subsist
between you and me, as we are upon opposite sides, and may at another
day be obliged to face each other in the field." I am confident that he
was as faithful as any officer in the British army. At another sitting
he offered to bet a dozen of wine, that fort Washington would be in the
hands of the British in three days. I stood the bet, and would, had I
known, that that would have been the case; and the third day afterwards
we heard a heavy cannonade, and that day the fort was taken sure enough.
Some months after, when I was on parole, he called upon me with his
usual humor, and mentioned the bet. I acknowledged I had lost it, but he
said he did not mean to take it then, as I was a prisoner; that he would
another day call on me, when their army came to Bennington. I replied,
that he was quite too generous, as I had fairly lost it; besides, the
Green-Mountain-Boys would not suffer them to come to Bennington. This
was all in good humor. I should have been glad to have seen him after
the defeat at Bennington, but did not. It was customary for a guard
to attend the prisoners, which was often changed. One was composed of
tories from Connecticut, in the vicinity of Fairfield and Green Farms.
The sergeant's name was Holt. They were very full of their invectives
against the country, swaggered of their loyalty to the king, and
exclaimed bitterly against the "cow'ardly yankees," as they were pleased
to term them, but finally contented themselves with saying, that when
the country was overcome, they should be well rewarded for their loyalty
out of the estates of the whigs, which would be confiscated.