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B A R B A R I T I E S

OP THS

,;'5is;.

E NE MY,

EXPOSED IN A

REPORT

^f the CommiUe« of the House of Re^resentativies of the
Ucited StatS. appointed to enquire into the spirit and
manAer in which the Ifar has been waged by the eamji

AN0 THE

DOCUMENTS,

**ii

ACCOMPANTlNa SAID REFOBf;

. ' _ TROY,

PRINTED BT

FRANCIS ADANC01TRT>

CONOrlRESS STREET, DIRECTLY NORTH OP T|lf P4JIK:.

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1813.

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Barbarities of the Enemy! } ;

A cdmmlttee having beea raised on tliis BubjecC in the vA*
House of Representatives of the United States early ii» >^<.;
the session of May, 1813, Mr. Macon, the chairman, at ' '
the close of the session made tlie following Report : ^

The comniittee, to whom was referred that pari ,
^ the PresidenVs Message " which relates
to the spirit and manner in which the war
has been washed by the enemy,** ^ ^

REPORT : ■ . ...■ -r-v,, ,:,A:^.-.v-' - ■ :'-''^- ■: >^^

Thut they have cottected and arranged all * J
the testimony on this subject* which could at ^
this time be procured. This testimony is •^/^;
submitted to the consideration of the House, -^'^
arrano^d under th^fbllowing heads : £ ^

First. Bad treatment of American pri»- r- ,,^
oners : ■ ■ ;;•?*=;;;

Second. Detention of American prison- "
ers as British subjects, on the plea of nativity! ,^'
in the dominions of Britain, or of naturaliz-^ *
taion : ; 5 f

Third. Detention of mariners as prison-, .■
ers of war, who were in jEngland when the !
war was declared :

Fourth. Compulsory service of impressed
American seamen on board British ships of ■<
war : 'i-'"^;^-^^^ v-^- :■'■•. ■

Fifth. Violation of flags of truce : ^^

Sixth. Ransom of American prisoners
from Indians iu tlie British service : v f * ^V

■'■f.

REPORT.

Seventh^ Pillage and destruction of pri-^
vate property on the Chesapeake bay, and
in the neighboring country : y j /? ^f*

Eighth. Massacre and burning of Ameri-
can prisoners surrendered to officers of Great
Britain, by Indians in the British service.
Abandonment of the remains of Americans
killed in battle or murdered after the surren-
der to the British. The pillage and shooting of
American citizens, and the burning of theii*
houses after surrender to the British undqr
the guarantee of protection : i-?

Punth. Outrages at Hampton, in Vii>
ginia.

'i'^^'t:^-

:.:^,:^A,

The evidence under the first bead demoiv
strates that the Briti ih government hasadoptr
cd a rigor of reguls^tion unfriendly to tne
comfort and apparently unnecessary to th^
safe-keeping of American*prisoners gencS-al^
ly. It shews also instances of a departui^
from the customary rules of war by the s©^
lection and confinement in close prisons of
particular persons, and the transportation of
them for undefined causes from the port« of
the British colonies to the island of Great
Britain.

The evidence under the second head estab-
lishes the fact, that however the practice of
detaining American citizein^ as British sub-
jects may be regarded as to the principle it
involves, that such detentions continue to oo-
«ur, through the agency of the naval and
©ther commanders of that government. It
proves, too, tiiat however unwilling to allow

^'J

REPORT.

f prin
, and

meri-
Great
rvice.
•icans
irren-
ngof
tneii'
undqr

emoiv
adoptr
to the
to th^

arture
he s^
ions of
ion of

iTi& of

Great

:.;«

other nations to naturalize her subjects, Great
Britain is disposed to enforce the obligation
entered into by their citizens when naturaliz-
ed under her own laws. This practice, even
supposing the release of every person thus
detained, obviously subjects our captured
citizens, upon mere suspicion, ta hardships
and perils from which they ought to be ex-
empt according to the established rules in
relation to prisoners of war.

The evidence under the third head shews,
that while all other American citizens were
permitted to depart within a reasonable time
after the declaration of war, all mariners who
were in the dominions of Great Britain,
whether they resorted to her ports in time of
peace for lawful purposes^ or were forced in-
to them under pretence of illegal coriimerce,
are considered prisoners of war. The injus-
tice of this exception is not more apparent
than the jealousy it discloses towards that
useful class of our fellow citizens. But the
committee cannot but remark, that if the
practice of hiring American seamen to navir
gate Britisli vessels is generally adopted and
authorised, and that it is suffered appears
from the advertisement of George Maude,
the British agent at Port Royal, which is to be
found with the testimony collected under the
first head, tliat the naval strength of that em-
pire will be increased in proportion to the
number of our seamen in bondage. The
present war having changed the relation of the
two countries, the pretended right of impress-

'?£-■.»«

REPORT.

ment can no longer be exercia^, but the same
end may be accoinplished by the substitution
of this mode. Every seaman thus em-
ployed (the terms of whose engagement havQ
not been ascertained) increases the navat
atrenffth of the enemv, not only by depriving
the Urated States of his active services, but
by enabling Great firitaia to carry on and
even extend her commerce without diminish-
ing the number of sailors employed in her
ressek of war.

The testimony collected under the fourth
head proves, that it is the ordinary practice of
the oincers of British armed vessels to force
impressed Americans to serve against their
country by threats, by corporal punishment,
and'^even by tl^ ftar of inmiediaie execution
r^^n instructing comnlentary upon the pro-
hfemjo^ of the government, of its readinessi
to release impressed American seamen found
on board siiips of war.

On the evidence collected under tne fifth
liead, ills only necessary to observe, that in
l^ne ease, the case of Br. M'Keehan, the en-
ormity is inoneased by the circumstance of
the flag being^^ivested of every tiling of a
hostile c^iarafSjer, having solely for its object
the relief of the wounoed and suffering pris-
oners who were taken at the River Raisin on
the 22d of January, 1813. The treatoient
of Jh, M'Keehan, i^ot by the allks of Brit-
ain, but by the officers of her army, can only
be rationally accounted for by the supposir
t^n, thai it wtts considered good poltby to

REPORT. 1

deter American surgeons from going to tbe
relief of their countrymen, as the Indian
suf geons had a more ^edy and effectual
mode of relieving their suffeiings.

The evidence respecting the ransom of A-
merican prisoners from Indians, collected un-
der the sixth head deserves attention, {»incip«l-
ly fi om the policy it indicates, and it is con-
nected with Indian cruelties. Considering the
savages as an auxiliary military force in the
pay of Great Britain, the amount of ransom
may be regarded as part of their st^idated
compensation for military services ; and as
ransoms would be increased and their value
enhanced by the terror inspired l^ the most
shocking barbarities, it may be safely con*
eluded, whatever may be the intention of
the British gorernment, that the practice of
redeeming captives by pecuniary means will
be occasionally quickened by the butchery
of our fellow citizens, and by indignities offer-
ed to their remains ; as long as the Indiana
are employed b^ tlie enemy. The justice of
this conclusion is confirmed by the testiniony
c^ those witnjesses who were retained after^
ransoming prisonens of war. i>

The testimony coHected under ^4iie seventh
head shews, that the property crif iinaruied
citizens has been pillaged by ibe officers^Bgd
crews of the British vessels of war on air
coast, theh: houses burnt, and {ibices of pub-
lic worship mutilated and defiled. It appears
that officers, animated by the presence of ad-
nodral Cockburii/ particularly distinguished

9 REPORT.

themselved in these explQits. Tliis evidence
proYes, that they were governed by tlie com-
bined motives of avarice and revenge ; not
satisfied with bearing off, for their own con«^
Tenience,tbe valuable articles found, tlie oth-«
ers which furnished no allurements to thekr
cupidity, were wantonly defaced and destroy-
ed. It has been ailedged, in palliation of
these acts of wanton cruelty, that a flag Bent
on shore by the admiral was fired upon by
the American militia,-:-The eTidence proves
this not to have been the fact, — ^This pretence
has been resorted to only to excuse conduct
which no circumstance can justify.

The committee forbear to make any ob-
servations upon the testimony collected
under the eighth head from a perfect convic-*
tion that no person of this or any other nation
can read the simple narrative of the different
witnesiiies of the grossest violation of honor,
justice and iiumanity> without the strongest
emotions of indignation and horror. That^
these outrides were perpetrated by Indians, is
neither psdfiiation nor excuse. Every civiliz-
ed nation is answerable for the conduct of tlie
allies under their command, and whDe they
partake of the advantages of their success,
thev are equaUv partakers oi the odium of
then: criitles. — ^The British forces concerned
in the affair of the 22dr at the River Raisin,
are more deeply implicated in th^ infamy of
these transactions than by this mode of i^a*
soiling, iowever correct. The massacre ©f
the 23d January, after the capitulation, wm

REPORT. 9

peqpetmted without any exertton on their
part to preiFent it ; indeed, it is apparent,
froni all the curcttmstances, that if uie Brit-
ish ofBcers did not connire at their destruc*
tion, they were criminally iild^erent about
the fate of tlte wounded prisonerB. But what
marks niore stron^y tlie degradation of the
British soldiers, is the refusal of ibe last ofli«
ces of humanity to the bodies of the dead.
The {)odie8 of our countrymen ware exposed
to every indignity and became food Ibr orutet
in the sitfht of men who afiect a sacred re'*-
gard to uie dictates of honor and religion^
Low indeed is tiie chariMJler of thi^ aonj
which is reduced to the oonfessioii, that theur
savage aux^ries will not pemut them to
perform the rites c^ sepulture to ^e dain«
llie coimmttee have not been able to discor*^
er eyen the expressiou of thai detestation
which such conduct must inspire from the
military or civil authority on the Caaadiai^
frontier, unl^s such detestation is to be pre*
eumed from the choice of an fndiaii trophy
as an ornanient for the I^egislative Hau of
Upper Canada.

The committee have considered it their
duty to submit the evidence collected under
the ninth head of the attrociiies committed at
Hampton, although these enoimities hare
been committed since their appointment.
These barbarities may be rationally consid-
ered as the consequence of the example set
by the officers of the naval force (m our
t^o^st, Human turpitude is always progress

^,*v

REPORT.

sive, and soldiers ai'e prepared for the per-
petration of the most dreadful crimes by the
commission of minor offences with impunity^
That troops who had been instigated by the^
example of their officers, to plunder the
property and bum the house of unarmed
citizens, should proceed to rape and murder,
need not excite surprize, however it may in-
spire horror. For every detestable violation
of humanity an excuse is fabricated or found.
The wounded prisoners on the northern fron-
tier were massacreed by the Indians ; the
sick murdered and the women violated at
Hampton by foreign troops in the pay of
Great Britain. These pretexts, admitting
them to be true, are as disgraceful as the
conduct which made a resort to them neces^
sary. Honor and magnanimity not only ibr-
Iwd the soldier to perpeti-ate crimes, but re-
quire exertion on his part to prevent them.
If, in defiance of discipline, acts of violence
are committed upon ony individual entitled
to protection, the exemplary punii^hment of
the offender can alone vindicate the reputa-r
tion of the nation by whom he is employed.
Whether such exertions were ma<Je by the
British soldiers, or the character of the Brit-^
ish nation thus vindicated, the evidence will
fihetv.

The shrieks of innocent victims of infernal
lust at Hampton were heard by the Ameri-
can prisoners, but were too weak to reach the
ears or disturb the repose of the British offi^
cers, Whose duty, asiiien rc?^ Ved them to

HEPORT.

protect every female whom the fortune of
war had thrown into their power. The com-
mittee will not dwell on this hateful subject.
Human language affords no terms strong
enough to express the emotions which the ei^-
amination of the evidence has awakened ;
they rejoice that these acts have appeared so
incredible to the American people. And for
the honor of human nature tliey deeply re-
gret that the evidence so clearly establishes
their truth. In the correspondence between
the commanders of the American and British
forces will be found what is equivalent to an
admission of the facts by the British com-
mander. The committee have yet to learn
that the punishment of the officers has fol-
lowed the conviction of their guilt. The
power of retaliation being vested by law in
the executive magistrate, no measure is con-
sidered necessary to be proposed, but the re-
solution annexed to this report.

As such enormities, instead of inspiring
terror as wal^robably intended, are in the
opinion of the committee, calculated to pro-
duce a contrary effect, they submit for the
consideration of the House the following re*
solution :

Resolvedy That the President of the Jnit-
ed States be requested to have collected and
presented to this house, during the continu-
ance of the present war, evidence of every
departure by the enemy from the ordinary
modes of conducting war ainong civilized
^aticpn. -

•"'^fmmrim'immmmm

DOCUMENT No. 1

SAD TREATMENT OF AMERICAN PRISON-
ERS BY THE BRITISH,

Washingtany May 2Hh, 1813.

SIR, I have received your favor of the 22d instant,
and hasten to reply to thft questions therein, respecting
the cHse of captaip Jeduthun Upton, late commander of
the privateer brig Hunter, of Salem. Captain Upton,
Avas taken in the month, I believe of November last, off
the western Islands, by the British frigate Phoebe, cap'
tain Hilliard. In chase, captain Upton, as is usual ia>
such cases, threw his guns overboard to ease his vessel,
in hopes by that means to facilitate his escape from the
enemy : but this not availip», he was, as above stated,
taken and carried into Plymouth, in England, where, on
his arrival, he was immediately, with his first iieutetian1«.
Mr. Wayne, put into Mill prison and refused his parole
on the plea that he had not on board, when captured,
fourteen mounted carriage guns above the calibre of four
pounders. After having been thus closely confined for
three or four months in a filthy jail, they were in the
month of March taken out and sent on, board the prison
4Niip at Chatham, where, when I left England in April
last, they still were, in a worte situation, if possible^ than
in Mill prison. The allowance, sir, to American prison*
ers in England, you are acquainted with ; it is, therefore,
not necessary for me to mention it here. It is but jus-
tice to state, that the captain of the Phcebe petitioned the
transport board and ueed every exertion in his power td
obtain the paroles of captain Upton and Mr. Wayne, biit
all would not do; they were deaf to his petition, lost as
they are to every sentiment of honor, and every principle
of humanity.

* B

; H

r'.

-4

.Z'

BARBARITIES OF

Except captain Upton an.l his first lieutenwt, all the
rest of his oiticers and crew were sent on board the pri-
son ship on their first arrival at Flynimi(h ; amongst thetn
■was the doctor of the Hunter, Mr. Carter^ who came
home in the cartel RoUdsoii Potter. What I have stated
respecting the treatment of captain Upton and Mr.
Wayne, I know to be facts, as I had the honor of spend-
ing 24 hours in Mill prison with them, and heard those
facts related by themselves.

Very respectfully, »fec.

ALEXANDER CO FFIN, JudFc
J. Mason, Esq.

Commissary General of Prisoners.

Navy Yard, Charlestonm^
^ June 3(1, 1813.

SIR, I have the honor to enclose you a -deposition res-
pecting inhuman treatment, Avhich Mr. Nichol?, late com-
mander of the private armed ship Decatur, belonging to
JS"e\vburyport, has received from Ihe British government
at Barbadoes. I have been credibly informed that capt.
jVichols is a veiy rerpectable and corxect man, therefore
a f'lir presumption, that he has not committed himself in
«uch a manner as ought to deprive him of the established
rights of a prisoner of war. Any measure which the
governmcut of our country may see proper to adopt in
consequence of this communication, I shall readily attend
to.

I have the honor to be, &:c. ">

Wm. BAmSRIDGEi
Hon. Wm. Jones, Secretary of the *

JNavy, City of Washington.

■ ''ii

I, James Foot, of Newburyport, in the county of Essex*
, and commonwcalih of Mai-sac husetts, mariner, testify and
depose, that I was a prize-master on board the private
armed brigantine Decatur, of Ne<»vburyport, in her last
cruite, William Nichols commander: That on the 18th
day of January, new last past, the said brigantine was
captured, by his Britannic Majesty's frigate Surprise, com-
manded by captain Cochran, and carried iulo Bar-

THE "NEMY.

biidoes. Aftet our arrival at Baibadoes, captain
Nichols, -with the other officers of the Decatur, were
paroled. About two months aftev our arrival, his Britau-
uic Majesty's frigate Vesta arrived in Barbadoes, and
through the influence of the comtnaDdcj: of the Vesta,
capt. Nichols, without any known or pretended cause, was
arrested and held in close confinement, without liberty to
speak to any of his officers or any other American. The
place where captain Nichols was confined was about four
feet in width and about seven feet in length, on board a
prison ship, where he remained for thirty-four days, as
nearly as I can recollect, and was then taken on board
his Majesty's ship Tribune and carried to England. — —
What the cause of the unwarrantable and unjustifiable
conduct of the enemy towards capt. Nichols was^ I am
unable to state : there were several reports in circulation ;
on? was that he- was to be carried to England, and held
a prisoner until the release of certain men in France, from
whom capt Nichols recaptured his vessel, whitli had beeu
taken by the Biitish before the commencement of the pre-
sent war between the two countries : another report was,
that he was to be held until the close of ^le war on ac-
count of his having been active against the enemy since
the commencement- of hostilities, and having been fortu-
nate in a former cruize'. JAMES FOOT.

Commonmealth (^ MassachuactiSt -> ':
Essex, ss.

On this thirty-first day of May, in the year of our
Lord 1813, personally appeared James Foot, the sub-
scriber to the foregoing deposition and made solemn oath
that the same is true. Before me

JACOB GERRISH, Justice of the Peace,

Extract of a letter from the Commissary General of pri-
sonerSi to Alexander Stewart, Esq. United Slates* agent
for prisonerx^ at Jatnaica, dated.

May Ist, 1813.

" I enclose you a copy of an advertisement, said to have

been taken from a Jamaica newspaper, apparently put

forth by the Britirh agent for prisoners, proposing to hire

out American prisoners : you will enquire into this roat<^'

;. :1

'i Bl.-'C

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BARBARITIES OP

■ ■'^:,i.-

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ter, and if it be, as has been staged, you will remonstraOg
stropgly against such a practice and iaibrni me of the pra€^
lice aud tlie result."

[Referred to in the preceding extract.]

Port Royal, 2Sth November, 1813.
Masters of veesfls about to proceed to England witlt
convoy, are informed that they may be supplied with ft
limited number of American seamen (prisoners of war) t^
assist in navigating their veas^U) on the usual terms, by
applying to

GEORGE MAUDE, flg-orf.

Bxtreyd from a memorial addressed to the Secretary of
State by James Orm, Joseph B* Cooky Thomas liufn-
phries and others, masters of American vessels, who
were prisoners of war in England, and returned to the
United States in the cartel skip Robinson-Potter.
♦' We shall now proceed to give as correct a statement
as we can of the treatment of our countrymen (prisoners
of war) by the British in England. On the arrival at
Plymouth of the masters, first mates, supercargoes und
passengers, they are sent to Mill prison for one day and
night ; they have an iron bedstead to sleep on, with a
small matrass which might easily be put into a country-
man's wallet»^nd a small coarse blanket. The allowance
for twenty-four hours is three small salt herrings or about
the same weight of salted cod fish, or half a pound of
beef, one and a half pounds of black bread, a little salt,
&c. The second day tiiey are parolled and sent to Ash-
burton, twenty-four miles from rlj month ; they must pay
their own expenses to get liiere. While they are there*
(hey are allowed Is 3(1. per diem, or Qs Od. sterling per
week, Beef is lOi per pound, bread in proportion, and
every other necessary equally dear. 7 he mates, who
have nothing but their pay to live upon, join together 8
or 1 in a mess, hire, a room and do their own cooking,
washing, &c. and in this way make out to keep from
starving. Masters, supercargoes and passengers general-
ly have other resources, through their correspondents io
England, and make out to live, by great economy, at froin
30 to 35*. sterling per week ; the second mates' 9nd oth*

'■J.. '^J:

r'fs

^ THE ENEMY*

er officers are sent on board the diflfereat piison ships. —
On boar'' some of tliem they are treated by the command-
ing oflicer a£ well as the nature of the situation >vill ad-
roit; oil board of some others they are very badly treat-
ed. This, it will naturajly occur to you, sir, is owing to
the dilTercnt commanders. Their allowance is 10 l-2lb.
brown bread, 2 l-2lb. beef, 2lb. bad fish, 21b. potatoes, and
10 ounces barley per week for each man, and five
ounces of salt per week for ten men. The prison
ghips are kept very filthy, and the prisoners are confined
bilow at four P. M. and are kept in that situation until 7
or 8 A. M. At Portsmouth particularly, they are very
sickly, and we are informed die very fast, some days from
8 to 1 ; in fact, ihey are very sickly on board all of
them ; several of this description came home with us in
the Robirj'son-Potter cartel, and b^d, when they came on
board, the appearance of having made their escape from h
churchyard. It is not, perhaps, amiss that we should
state what we firmly believe; that is, it is the policy of
the British government to select the sickly to be first sent
in cartels, and keep the hale and hardy seamen until they
become sickly, thus rendering the whole of tliose gallant
sous of JNTeptune who escape death, when they return to
their homes, at least for some time, perfectly useless to
themselves and quite so to their country, from, their debili-
tated state } and, in fact, the probability is,*hat many of
thf m will carry to their graves the indelible stamp upon
their constitutions of the treatment which they received on
board Britit^h prison ships ; for that nation seems to
have lost its boasted humanity, ami if we did not find the
word in their vocabulary we should suppose jj^ had never
(oimA a place there. Many of the seamen, prisoners on
bo Hj\l those prison-ships, are impressed Americans who
have given tliemselves up, refusing to fight against their
country. Four hundred on board the fleet in the Medit-
erranean, a short tiine before we left England, surrender-
ed themselves and were sent to Gibraltar & England ; —
several of them were most severely flogged for refiising to
do their duty, were put in ivons, and most of them to their
immortal credit, submitted to the severest punishment in
pr.efereoce to assist the enemies of ^leir country. Some

n-.

■li. ''.

. . ■ r : ■

' ■ *' V,

'. M

■.'1..1

^^^:

'^'::C:

•:;■*■ ■

^■stf

>:^

BARBxVRITIES OF

5 >

«f US, whose signatures are annexed, were witoesses fbthe
cruel fact. A tablet of gold is not rich enough to inscribe
the names of such men upon, and when a country can boast
of such seamen, she has nothing to fear from the enemy ou
the ocean on an equal footing. Captain Judathan Upton,
late master of the private armed brig Hunter, of Salem
of 1 4 guns, because he thi ' them overboard in chase,
was not allowed his parole, tut kept in close confinement
for along time in Mill prii^oD, and lately has been sent on
board a prison-ship at Chatham. We mention these facts
in hopes that government will retaliate exactly in the same
way. Capt, Samuel Turner, late master of the Purse
schooner, of New- York, was taken on his passage to-
France in October, 1811, prior to the war, and in re-tak-
ing his vessel, the prize master, a British Midshipman, was
killed ; he arrived safely in France, and on his return to
America was again taken, in June, 1812, and sent to Eng-^
land, when being recognized, he was immediately arrest-
ed and sent on board the Sr. Salvador, admiral Calder's
flag shiii, at Plymouth, where he remained a close pri'
soney until about January or February last, when he was
sent on board the prison-ship at Chatham, where we fear
he will remain until death relieves him : he has been veiy
ill treated, niueli abused, put in irons, and afterwards
threatened to^be hanged. These fa«ts, some of us who
sign this, were witness to. We pray, in the name of jus-
tice, tliai government will take without delay, the case of
captain Turner into their serious consideration f it is a
ea&e which we think demands it, and the only way to pre-
vent that nation from committing further outrages so de-
grading to human nature. We find in Roman histdry,
that an injury or an insult oflfered to a Roman citizen by
a foreign power was considered as an insult offered to the
whole Komaji nation, and hope this will also be the Amer-
ican creed, because we believe it will be the surest way
of putting a stop to those indignities which Americans^
have so often been obliijed to suffer.. W^e are, however,
no advocates for cruelty, but on the contrary, for lenity;:
-yet we will still believe, that in certain cases retaliation,
is not only necessary but becomes a duty (o prevent fjn:-*-
ther cruelties on the part of an enemy."

.",'jV(/r::i'p\:^;.,***.'

'v'ii-'-':'^.:: r, <i'- •■'»^:' ■'»•*■

c-i^-?,.

in:!-!

THE ENEMY.

Nassau, November 21^ \B12.
Dbar Brother — I embrace this, the earliest opportu-
nity of commuQicating to you, thitt on the 9lh instant,
lifteen days out, we fell in with and captured the fine cop-
per bottomed ship Venus, vessel and cargo worth at least
25,000 dollars.— 'On the 12th pursuing our course and
witliin five days run of your place, we were captured
by bis majesty*s sloop Moselle, George Moubray, com-
mander, and brought into this place. — We remained on
board the sloop two or three days, and on the 19th were
transferred from thence to the prison ship where v^e are
now imprisoned, with an allowance of 6 oz. of bread, S
gills of rice, 8 02. of the Morst of beef, including bone,
which is as much as meat, with as much brackish Abater as
we can use ; guarded day and night by 10 or 15 savage
Africans, who are total strangers to humanity, and confin-
ed every evening at sun down not to be released until
next morning sunrise, abufcd to the lowest degrecby the
guard, and compelled to find salt for and cook our own
victuals with green mangoes. ISToae of us are ever per-
mitted, under any conditions whatever, to visit the shores,
with many other barbarous acts, which are too numerous
to describe. This will be conveyed by the cartel sloop,
captain Cooper, being the secoml cartel which ha& sailed
since our arrival here. A schconer from Baltimore was only
allowed 8 men, and Cooper who brougiit *C4 prisoners, is
only allov/ed 18 in retunm, while we, 18 in number, are
detaibed in this miserable place $ for wMch we cannot as-
sign any reason, except to punish us as privateeremen, or
as hostages for those 12 lately detained in Charleston ; ihis
last is the general belief, and as such, I deem a ccmmuni-
cation of the circumstance essential to commodore Dent,
commander of the southern station, that he may look to it
and enquire the cause why Americans are to be detained
here two or three months, while more prisoners have been
received here, by a great many, than what have been sent*
to the United States* Men who have arrivtd here since
we, have been sent off ; they proceed with no degree of
regularity in the exchange of prisoners, and act in opeu
contradiction to every thing right, and I really believe,
ijiat except you make knovtO the circumstance and use

iflj.

"■^•«»Nlflf.l?W ■ f^fP^"^^

2tf

BARBARITIES OF

•U,"

fome favorable exertions, that some of us will be intentioa'
ally detained until the end of our present content with
Great Britain. Aa I wisii your exertions for our ex»
change, I have subjoined a list of those who are thus mifl-
erably treated, that we may be demanded in a proper way.
The Rapid's crew have been imprisoned here near three
months, and have now no prospect of getting away, while
the crews of itto other privateers have been released.

Crew of the Lovely Lass. -■

Lieut. Autine Lambert, John Gamache,

John Hynes,
Darius Swain^
John M'Kenzie,

Wm. L. Robeson,

Wra. Thomas,

John Crandel,

David Ashton, i

Rapid's Crew,

Captain Lameson, James T. Miller,

Peter La Vella, Francis Martin,

r i George Alexander, Gaugion BigulowSr

Other Prisoners,

ShnonWest, Mathew Bridge.

I wrote Mr. Peck and requested him to forward me i
letter of introduction to some one here, and also a protec*
tion shewing that I am au American; As it is possible
that he may not get my letter, you will notice my request
and pay that attention which it deserves. I mentioned iif
my letter to Mr. Peck, that any funds which I received
here would be returned on application, as my expendi-
tures will, through an ecooonucal principle, be aa small as
possible. I indulge the hope that you will conform ta
my wishes in this particular, and also inform Mr. Kelly
of our imprisonment here, and request his influence iii
facilitating our exchange, with any other service.

We have no chance of gaining infoi'matieu here. Ev-
ery person uses every exertion to keep us in ignorance /
however, we are enable<j to say, that the English priKon-
■ crs have generally combined in speaking of the treatment
U»ey received in the United States, /.-; •; v" ^ .

I am your affectionate brother,

Wm. L. ROBESOisf^

f!apt, Thomas J. Rf^e^on,

■a*M«|ISS»*"«,«^,

.»Mu piii iWl. ^i. j0fr4»r^

.^—V..,*!.'^"

ir^*^-

.-t »*v

$.1''^

THE ENEMY.

t :|

* ■'

1^. B. Tlie Moselle, Rliodian and VariaWe, three men
of war, have just convoyed 5 or 6 vcgyt-la over the bar bound
(o Home part of England, it h supposed they will return to
cruize oil' Charleston. In case you addresfl or send any
thing for nre at tliis place, you Mill direct to the care of
Meijsrs. Bain, Dnnshe, &^ Co. nierchautB here.

I am your3, &c. W. L. R. ^"^ '

Hartford, Mny 0, \S}:i.
Sir — Annexed ia captain Samuel Chew*8 deposition tak-

, en before judge El wards, at New-Haven. We expected
it in season to have forwarded it by Mr. Dodd,but receiv-
ed it last evening by Mr. Huntington, the United Statea
attorney for Coqaecticut district, and now forward it to
you per mail.

Yours respectfully, ■^

LUTHER SAVAGE, & Co.
How. James Monroe.
Connecticut District, ss.

On this. day, the 7th of May, in the year of our Lord
eighteen hundred and thirteen, personally came before me,
Pierpont Edwards, judge of the district court of the Unit-
ed States, for the district aforesaid, Samuel Chew, of the
city of New-Haven, in the said district, and being duly
sworn, deposeth, that he was at Bridgetown in the island
of Barbodoes, in the West Indies, in the month of Febru- '
ary now last past ; that on board a British prison ship, at
Barbadoes, there were confined about 523 American pris-
oners of the crews of private armed vessels of the United
States and merchantmen, captured since tlie war. At the
time the deponent was at Barbadoes the American prison-
ers were supplied wiih bread, and soYne meat ; as to vege-
tables, the deponent was not informed. The regulations
on board the sai^l prison ship compellpd the prisoners to

'go below decks, where they were confined at evening and
until morning ; as many as could, were suspended in ham-
mocks, and still there was not sufficient room below them
for all to lie down. In this respect the situation of the
prisoners was not only extremely uncomfortable, but haz^
ardous, and more especially, should there be, as was ap-
preheoikd, a scarcity of provisions, during the approac|b

'-4
I]

'•.;?■-.

v*\ :■<

BARBARITIES OF

ing hot months. The deponent was not permitted to ^ oq
board said prison ship, but derived his informntion from
masters of vessels, prisoners at said island, wlio were al-
lowed occasiopally to go en l)oard said prison ship, with
whom the deponent is personally arquainte<l, and in whose
representations he has the most perfect confindence, and
entertains no doubt of the facts by them stated ; and this
statement is given at the request of the friends of some of
the prisoners at Barbadoe?, particularly of the crew of
the privateer Blockade, of Hartford.

PIERPONT EDWARDS,

District Judge of Connecticut district*
I, PiERPONT Edwards, judge of the district court of
the United States for the Connecticut district, do hereby
certify and make known to all whom it may concern, that
captain Samuel Chew, the within nan>ed deponent, is a
gentleman to me well known, having known him for many
years ; he is the son of captain Samuel Chew, late ot the
city of New-Haven, deceased, and who fell by a cannon
ball on board an American vessel, during the revolutiona-
ry war : that the said deponent is a man of strict integrity,
and attached to the constitution and goremment of the Unit-
ed States, and the most perfect confKJence is due to \n%.
6aid representations so as aforesaid sworn to.

PIERPONT EDWARDS,

District judge of Connecticut districtt .".^

■».;.

MILLVILLE PRISON,

" . August, 30, 1812. 4::l-

Sir — We, the subscribers, for ourselves and our coun-f
trymen now confined as prisoners of war in Millville pris-
on, Halifax, Nova-Scotia, beg leave to represent to tha
American government — That most of us have for
years past, made commerce our sole employment and
hope, in which, for seven years or more, we have often
been wantonly robbed by the English of what we had ac-
quired by industry and danger, and while they stripl us of
our property, they often treated us with the greatest in-
dignity and even barbarity. ^

We have seen and known that they have often violated
tiie sacred privilege of individual liberty aod the law of ,^

■<'r

THE EJ^EMY.

uattons ; Wc arc ron^cioua of the long forbearance of
our govcrnmrnt, ami their repented culls upon tlie honor
antl jiiHtice of (lie Biithh iiRtion, which, insU ad of rc-
drcFs, added other injuries ; and when the hope of am-
icable remuneration had failed, and for retaliation our
government was forced to the last resort, an appeal to
arms, we felt tlie justness of our cause and iioped for llie
blessings of heaven for success. To serve our country
and malce up the losses which we had sustained, we, iiii«
der commifgiona from the president of the United States, .
entered on board of private armed vessels, and have un*
fortunately been captured by the Blntifch. We Avould
state, that in many instances after we had struck our coU
ours, we were fired upon by cannon and muskets, board-
sides and volleys, and some of our men killed, and after
our captors had come on board some of us have been
struck and severely wounded with cutlasses, without the
least provocation for such inhumanity. Our American
protections have been forced from us and destroyed, and
some native American citizens have been taken out of our
privateers and put on board British ships, and there oblig-
v(\ to serve. Most of us have been robbed of every
thing, even of necessary clothing. When we M'ere going
from the ships to prison the officers would not permit us to
lake our clothing and baggage with us, but pledged them-
selves that they should be sent- to prison ; but disregard-
ing their honor, we have lost all. Soiye of us have been
inarched thirty, and some sixty, and some one hundred
and sixty miles over a miserable country, forced along be-
> yond our strength, half starved and some in irons. Our
allowance, each man per day, one and a half pounds of
bread, half pound poor beef, well proportioned with bone,
one gill of peas, one third oz. of salt. We are without
wearing apparel and without money, or any means of
procuring them. A cold winter in this wretched country
fast approaches, and in our destitute situation we must en-
dure every thing, and many of us must perish. There
are now of us in prison upwards of twelve hundred. Eve-
ry art has been practised by the English officers to excite
disalFection in our men to the American government, and
t6 iaduce them to eater iuto the English eeryiice* JS^eces-

:i1'.

■'-/

'^1

ii*...5- -•;■:>■

BARBARI TIES Ql^

fiity may oblige some to desert us and enter into British
servitude but we trust that tpeedy relief from our gov-
ernment will save tiiem from that wretched alternative of
perishing with want or joining our enemies. For our-
selves and the rest of the prisoners, we must say, we have
no fortune to devote to the service of our country, but we
have hearts which yet feel warmly the general impulse,
and which we pledge, if opportunity ever again presents,
to devote in the ir*ercst and service of our country, We
are now suflferers, but will cheerfully suffer every hard-
ship of war rather than sue for dishonorable peace.

We respectfully, request an exchange or some provisi-
on for relief. We feel the fullest confidence in our gov-
ernment, and that we need only to apprize them of our
situation to infure their assistance and protection. 7 •
,..., Yours, A:c.

Joseph Starr, Boston,
Frederick Johnson, New-York, ?/
' .] Robert M*Kearney, New-York^ '
r -^ , Uichard Rhea, New-Jersey,

George Batterman, Boston, , ^ :.
.Tohn HazeUon, Boston,
William Dyer, Boston,
Solomon Norton, Boston,
James Ti ask, Boston,
Alexander B. Latham, N. London^
Darius Denison, New- York, '
Easi wick Pray, Portsmouth, -
William Temold, Portsmouth, '
„ Fobes Dala Portland,

Charles Thompson, jun. N. York*

lion. James Monroe, Secretary of State.

No. II. • ■ ■•^---

DETENTION OF AMERICAN PRISONERS
BRITISH SUBJECTS.
Office if Commissarif General of Prisoncfs^
Washington^ June \Qy \^\2.
Sir — I have th6 honor to transmit the copy of a letter

T-**" ■■

THE ENEIV^. i ,,

frow captain Stewart, commauding the United States na-
val forces at Norfolk, dated the 20tli of May, to admiral
Warren, and that of a letter from rear admiral Cockburn, '
dated 2l8t of May, in reply, relative t(y a most unjustifia-
ble act dT commodore Berresford, as to part of the offi- ■
cers anocrew of the late United States brig Vixen at ihe
mouth of the Delaware. Leaving the general questioo '
of the interference of commodore Beresford with tliese
-prisoners of war returning on parole, and the ejtaction
made by him in consequence of the irregular power thiiB.
asnimed, on the ground on which captain Stewr«rt has
very properly placed it, I will remark, that captain Stew
art was certainly misapprehended by admiral Cockburn-
in attributing to him the intention of conveying a threat,
as to the finsd detention of two of the American prisoners,
on the contrary, the expression used by captain Stewar;
communicates in very plain terms the decision of thit
government then already made ; that four of his Britaos
Lie majesty's subjects should be immediately selected ancV
held in durance, subject to the same treatment in all re-
spects, &c/^^:;>v^^;;.^^--^;--,>T V-r •, .^^'••,Mi>' ^.v, ;. •■

And I hate now to inform yoU, sir, that in virtue of this
decision, and by an order from this office, the marshal of T
Massachusetts has designated and placed in close confine-
ment William Kitto, carpenter, and Thomas Bcddingfielc',
boatswain, of the late British packet Swallow ; and John
Squirrell and Jas. Ilussell, seamen of the Dragon, 74, '
subjects of his Bnttaniiic majesty, to be held responsi-
ble for the safety of J ohn Stevens, carpenter, and Thom-
as King, seaman, part of the crew of the United States
brig Vixen. * •

I flatter myself, sir, that this subject will command your
early attention, jmd that you will cause the officers
and feamen cf the Vii:en to be immediately released and
veturned to this country, according to their destination
when t»ken from the cartel.

Very respectfully, &c. "

- (Signed) J.MASON.

Coi. Thomas Barclay, &c. &c; . -

■ I' . I

Hi!

' I

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■ -, ■ . '' ■

N';*- *e!. > ,

■■>'\ ■ ■;■

. r<.„

,)-. ;^;».j';'

.Ir y

•>- ■ -

H. M. S, Porctiers, May^ ^, UlSI*
Sir — I fllm sony I am under the neceBsity of detainiD^
J. Stevens and T. King, late of the Vixen, in conse^
^uence of iheir being British subjects. I atn, sir, &Ci.

J. P. BERESFORD...^
f To Lieiit< Draytou^

The original is in the possession of the commissar;^
general of prisoners. ^ W. JOKES.

Navy Department, May 17, 1813.

Sir— You are hereby authorised tnd instructed to ad-
dress a letter to admiral sir JohnBorlase Warren, represent*
iug the following facts and determination, vi:^.— -That a part
of the officers and crew of the late tJj States brig Vixen
"urere returning from Jamaica on parole^ as prisoners of
war, and entering the Delaware, when commodore Beres-
ford caused them ii be brought on board the Poictier.s
and detained until a part of the crfew of that ship, whoiri
f]e demahdee in exchange, were sent down jrom Phila-
delphia ; that ultimately, he detained John Stephens, car-
penter, and Thomas King,seatnan,two of the aforesaid crew
of the Vixen, on the plea of their being British subjects,
as appears by a letter from coir.Tnodore Beresford to
lieut. Drayton, late Ist of the bi g Vixen \ and that yoa
are commanded explicitly to declare, that in retaliation for
the violent and unji^st detention of the said John Stephens
and Thomas King, the goveriment of the United States
will ilnmediately cause four British subjects to be select-
ed and held in duress, subject to the same treatment in all
respects that the said John Stevens and Thoma3 Kingmal"
receive during their detention.

On the receipt of the admiral's answer, you will com-
municate the same to me without dfelay. ■^^

- H am, respectfully, &C. , . .^

.,....; -v^':-""^' w. JONES.

Charles Stcwarty Esq.

Commanding naval cfficer, Norfolky (Va,)

■ : ; * United States^ frigate Constellation,

Of Norfolk, May 20, 1 8 1 3.
Sm-*ihaVe the hotjor lo represent to yolir excelleacy

..t

■■^-'

* .■,.

- V

THE ENEMY.

tijiat a part of the officers and crew of the late IJnited
States' prig Vb^en, returoiDg from Jamaica on parole as
prisoners of war, were, on entering the Delaware, taken
out of the flag of truce by commodore Beresford, com-
mandii^ on that station, and detained until a part of the
crew of the Poictiers, then prisoners '^.t Philadelphia, were
demanded by him and sent down in exchange ; that ultif
matelj he detained on board the Poictiers, John Stephens,
carpenter, and Thomas King, ^araan, late of the United
States' brig Vixen, on plea of their being subjects of his
Britannic Majesty.

This violation of the rights of prisoners on parole, is so
contrary to the- usage of all civilized nations, that I trust
jour excellency wUl give such instructions upon that
head as will prevent a similar violation in future.

I have it in command from my government to state to
your excellency, that in retaliation for so violent and un-
just a procedure on the part of commodore Berresford in
detaining the above Mr. John Stephens and Thomas King,
that four subjects of his Britannic majesty will be imme-
diately. selected and held in durance, subject to the same
treatment in all respects, which may be shown towards the
aforesaid two persons during their detention. I liopo
your exceH'ency will give this subject your earliest atten-
tion and direct the release of Mr. Stephens and Thomas
|Cing/ who have been so improperly detained on board
the Poictiers.

I have the honor to be, &c. - '

(Signed) CHARLES STEWART,

Commanding officer of the United States^ naval

forces at Norfolk.

f;.4

' */■ :" f

To his excellency the right honorable sir John B. War--
-^ ren, admiral of the blue, and commander in chief of
his Britannic majesty's naval forces on the American
■' station.

His Britannic majesty's ship Marlboroughf

In Lynhaven Bay, 2\st May, 1813.

Sir — In the absence of Sir John B, Warren, I have

t*je honor to acknowledge tUe receipt of your letter under

fiate qf the 20th current, complaining of the conduct of

.' n

.'1

' vi

.«.. ' r.*j>k4t'.¥. .1*^.,. .lf....^,* iVw.r-M»Mr.v^^'«.Kj.n3il^^ M.*>-;«tA*^I^%

A^ ■• ■■ • ■

28 '.\ 'j ■.',.' .(■■

• m,. :.

Y''

'''^\: ''

■■,'■■■■ ' ' . .'■-.

■ i. ' .

BARBARITIES OF

commodore Beresford, towards some AmericaD prisooer^
of war returuing to Philadelphia on parole, and of hig
having detained on boaxd the Poictiers Mr. John Stephens
and Thomas King.

Ko report of these circumstances have yet reached sir
John Warren or myself from commodore Beresford, bujt
I have no hesitation in assuring you, sir, tiiat every en-
quiry would have been made into them, and every satis-
faetion and explanation tliereon, which the case might have
required, would have been offered to your government
and yourself with the least possible delay, had it not been
for the threat with which your representation on this sub-
ject is accompanied, the tenor of which being likely to
produce an entire change in the aspect of our communi-
cations, and particularly in what relates to the individual^
which the fate of war has placed within the power of
our respective nations; it totally precludes the possibility
of my now entering further into the subject than to assure
you, your letter shall be transmitted to the right honora-
ble the commander in chief by the earliest opportunity,
and whenever his answer arrives it shall be forwarded tQ
you without delay,
T : I have the honor to be,

Sir, with high consideration, " #??^^i >

„ . , Your most obedi«*nt humble servant, ^v

'^ G. COCKBURN, Rear Adnarat

Captain Stewart^ comtnanding the naval forces
V of the 17. JtateSf at Norfolk.

'■■- f

i*.<:#is

V.I . -

Sharki Port Royal, (Jamaica)
March 29, 1813.
Smi — Captain Moubray, of his majesty's sloop Moselle^
has just sent to me the copy of a letter from you to him,
and another to Mr. Cook, of his majesty's late sloop
Riiodian, dated the 25th ult. respecting six men,'^ men-
tioned in the margin, who were sent here from the Ba'i''-
:«as, as having been taken in the American privateer Sa-
rah Ann, and supposed to be subjects of his majesty ; but

* Edward Dick, Thomas Rogers, Adam Taylor ^ John
Gaul, Mike Pluck, Gorge G. Roberts,

•■^r<

f .

)■/;..

- . h'-l*

THE ENEMY.

as no proof to vhat country the}/ belong has been adVluc-'
c(1, it has never been my intention to bring them to trial,
and they are at present on board of the prison ships wait-*
ing an exchange of prisoners.

I am, sir, your most obedient bumble servant,
(Signed) CHARLES STIRLING, Vice Admiral.
Charles R. Simpson, Esq. ^^ vv ..^

•s-,«-r'

'\^'a,'t'Wt!>>4

'jKl- } .y.

Harlem, June 1, 1813.

Sir -I beg leave to refer you to a commuoicatiofi
which took place some time in the autdmn or winter pre-
ceding, between Mr. Baker, his majesty's late agent for
prisoners of war, and Mr. Monroe, secretary of state^ res<
pectiog six of the crew of the late American privateer
Sarah Ann, Richard Moor, master, captured by his ma-
jesty's sloop Rhodian, John Geo. Ross, Esq. commander,^
whose names^ are inserted in the margin, and who it ap- >
pears were sent to Jamaica,to which station the Rhodian be-
tongedf on suspicion of their being subjects of his majes-
ty : And I further request your attention to a letter from
maj. gen. Pinckney to the secretary at war« dated head
quarters, Charleston, 4th of November, 1812, from which
it appears that twelve of his majesty's subjects, then pris-
oners of war at Charleston, were held in prison to an-
swer in their persons for the fate of the six men, of the Sa-
rah Ann privateer, sent to Jamaica.

I have the honor to enclose you the copy of a let-
ter from vice admiral Stirling, commanding his majesty's
ships of war on the Jamaica station, to Mr. Simpson, late
sub-agent for prisoners of war at Charleston,: from which
you will perceive, that the six men of the Sarah Ann are
considered by the admiral as American prisoners gener-
ally, and are now on board a prisonship, in common with
other American prisoners.

Having given ydu this information with respect to the
six men of the Sarah Ann privateer I have to request you
will take the necessary measures to have the contingent
responsibility which it was thought propeAo attach to the

* Edrvard Dicky Thomas Rogers, Adam Taylor . John
Qaulf Mike Phick, George G. Roberts:, v . ,.,*. v

■fi

'%\

w 'S

J ' ;|

.V ■.

'^r<t

'^■■.■..

• I'" -f. '

BARBARITIES OF

perabns ^twelve British seamen, now id prison in Chariei^
ton, taken off, and that tl^ey may be inforoieu thereof.

I understand that John Gaul, one of the tix men, was
paroled and arrived at Georgetown, South Carolina, in the
brig Cyprus, and that he has reported himself to the mar-
shal, who infiurmed Mr. Simpson " that he iiad sent on to
. the department of state his parole.*'
^ I have the honor to be, &c.

^^* (Signed THOMAS BARCLAY.

Genercd Mason. -^

'.t^'\W>~^'-

-f^'

•-^'

^.^iifr .;- (^fUe »f commissary gemrai of prisoners,-

Washington, June 9, Jfil3.

' Sir?— I learn with pleasure by the letter you did me
the honor to address me on the Ist inst. and the letter from
admiral Stirling you have enclosed, that the six men be-
longing to the American privateer Sarah Ann, detained in
October last and sent to Jamaica to be tried as Britisb
subjects, have been restored to the ordinary state of pris-
oners of war to wait ai» exchange ^ and that there is now
fio intention to bring them to trial.

I very cheerfully comply with your request, sir, andi
liave this day directed the marshal of South Carolina to
I'estore in tike manner to the ordinary state of prisoners
of war, the 12 British seamen confined under the orders
of this government by him, and to inform them, that the
responsibiHty attached to their persons for the safety jdC
(he mfn of the Sarah Ann Jias' been taken oft,

■ '^-^ •''^'■:?^s:^ Very respectfully, &ci£^*^'c*^''-^*^'*: ^'^^ • "/

(Signed)
oL Thorn

;*A,*K

CoL Thomas Barclay,

J. MASON,

^- 4<mm^^y:4^^^;,^^j^^:u.cm^^ ChiUicotke, June d, 1813.
Sir — I feel it my duty to lay before you the case bf
William McDowell Scott, late of Detroit, ao unfortunate
fellow-citizen, who has been seized and apprehended bj
51 the British commanding officer at Detroit and sent to
f^uebec, wher#he is now confined under pretence of be-
ing a British subject, and one found in arms in behalf of
^le United States against that gorvemment.
WUUam M'Do weU Scott^ is aaative of If ektn^ mn^

'-■' ■\-7

THE EWEMy.?f

eaiigrated to the Uoited States about eighteea years since. '
He resided for some /ears in the state of New- York, aod
in the Bummer of 1800, he came to Detroit, established
himself as ,a physician, and has ever since resided there.
He has been naturalized agreeably to the ilaws aI" the IT-
nited States, and this fact is well known to the British got«
erument ; and both in the territory of Indiana, befove that,
territory was divided, and subsecj^ently in the territory
of Michigan, he has held and filled, with respeot and fi-
delity, some of the first offices in those two territories.

Such, for example, as a justice of the peace aod a judge
of the common pleas in the Indiana territory { and subf
sequently marshal of the tarritory of Michigan.

In all these oii&ces, sir, and in every other situation in
which doctor Scott*s puUic aod political character b^a.'
been or can be viewed, he has unifiarmly waoiilested i^*
undeviaUng attachment to the principles of our con8titUi#
tion, and the administration of thia goveiaunent.

His support in the present cause, during the time that
General Hull lay at Sandwich and Detroit, was not out-
done by any person whatever. In fact, it was his unwea-
ried exertions rhat have provoked and spirited up the
British to that line of conduct and persecution they are
sow pursuing towards him.

Proctor, who seat him from Detroit, and Sir George
Provost, who received him at Fort George and forwarded
bim to QMebec, threatened to treat him wkh all the sever-
ities authorised by the laws of nations, aod the usages of
war, in cases of an actual bona fide Britbh lukject found
inarms against that aovernment. ^ t^-: ;^.y,<c: '^'-^^^

I do not for myselihowever entetridln a 1be1ic# that they
will dare to put their threats in execution to tlteir full ex-
tent. — But, sir, with(mt the interference of the governmeBt
they will detain him during the war, and they will make
his life so wretched and miserable that death would be it
welcome messenger.

I hope, sir, the occasion will be a sufficient appology
for obtruding this communication upon you. I am amoi^
the number of those who have not the honor of a per-
ponal acquaintance with you. But ger.sfal Taylor, who
I lo^ to «s the bearer of it, is a gentleman to whom I

,1* ''

;|^'; !

<':!

U m

.1 ■■M

I -

!};

'" ., -./ ;.v:>

T V.

BARBARITIES OF

am personally known, and who has likewise a pretty cor«
vedL knowledge of the character of doctor Scott. 4:s'^ '^JfT

^ I have the honor to be, &c.

> E. BRUSH.

-The Hon, James Monroe^ Esq, . si

Extract of a letter from John Mitchell^ Esq. agent for
«^ American prisoners of mar at Halifax^ to the Secretanf
of State, dated

«* May 28th, 1813. "
,.; « I ijaye j^gt been informed by the agent for prisoners,
that Mr. John Light, of the Julian Smith, a privateer
commanded by captain Henry Cooper, will be defined
here in consequence of his having, previous to the war,
taken the oath of allegiance in this province, (Nova Sco-
tijpi) and commanded a vessel out of this place (Halifax)
Mr. Light was lieutenant of the privateer when captured
by the Nymph, the l?th May, 1813."

•A .' .•'/ '

'Aif

Col. W, Sci^t to the Secretary of War, ^^

;i^,%*vi»£ Washington, January 30, 1813w >
** SIR— I think it my duty to lay before the Depart-
ment, that on the arrival at Quebec of the American pri-
soners of war surrendered at Q,ueenstown, they were mus«
tered and examined by British ofilcers appointed to that
duty, and every native born of the> united kingdom of
Oreat Britain iind Ireland, sequestered and sent on board
a ship of war then in that harbor. The vessel in a few
days thereafter sailed for England with those persons on
board.

-/Between li'teenand twenty persons were thus taken
from us, principally natives of Ireland, several of whom
were known by their platoon officers to be naturalized cit<
izens of the United States, and others to have been . long
resident within the same. One in particular^ whose name
has escaped me, besides having complied witli all the con-
ditions of our naturalization laws, was represented by his
ofB^rs to have left a wife and five children, all of them
were born within the state of New- York.
«? I distinctly understood, as well from the officers who
xame on board the prison ship for the above ^uf^oses m

'^*

THE ENEMY.

aio

■■>f

fVom others, T^ifh whom I remonstrated on this subject,
that it was the determination of the British government, as
expressed through sir OeorgQ Prevost, to punish eveiy
man whom it might subject to its power, found in arms a-
galnst the British king, contrary to his native allegiance.,
I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed) W. SCOTT,

Lieut, col. U. S. 2d artiUeij,

, ^ Mr. BeasUy to ih^ S£cretary of State.

London, March 1, 1813.
Sir— ^Annexed you have a copy of a letter from Hen-
ry Kelly, in behalf of himself and twenty-two persons.
He states, that they are all citizens of the United States,
and have wives and families there ; that they were taken
last October in Upper Canada, and that they were sent to
this country because they were bora within the British
dominions.

^ I am, respectfully, &;c. ^ *

^: (Signed) R. O. BEASLEY. 5

uy^.

^ft--p .^:,

On board H. M. skip Namur, lying at
.,.-^1; the Norct February 6, 18^3. -'

Sir — This is to inform you of the undernamed 23 A-
merican sddiers, belonging to the 13 th, 6th and 1st regi-
ments of the United States armies. We were taken on
the 13th of October in Upper Canada. The reason of
their sending us 23 here is, we were born in the British
dominions, though^we are all citizens of the United States*
and have our wives and children there. We are in a very
miserable situation for clothing, having dr;uvn no winter
clothes before we were taken. We thereftire hope you,
will seud us some relief to shelter us froitttlie inclemency
of the weather.
. Sir, I remain your obedient servant,

(Signed) , ,^ HENRY KELLY.

■*

'?••.

Sir, these are the names of my fellow FufTerers! ¥

Matthew Mooney-jf; |
Patrick Karns ' t

Henry Blaney
George M'Cammon

H'iJ

Jol\pI)oltoa

John Fitzgerald

'.'..•(

}■•

.j'j.i

i...

, 1,.

■^

BARBARITIES OF

" .^< ....".• '■ ,

John Wiley

John Donnely ;^

John Curry

Nathan Shaley

£<1ward M'Oariga^

John Oinnue

John Willianw

George Johnson

Michael Condin
^ohn Clark
Peter Burr
Andrew Doyl^
John M'Oowao
James Qill
John Fuisum
Patrick M'Braharty
Mr, R, Q. Becisleyt

Extract of a Utter from 4dmral sir John Borlase Wavr
ren to me secretary of states dated \

l^RMCDA, March 8, 1813.
" I must refer you to my letter of the 30th of Septem«
ber, 1812, in which I state^d tlie circumstance ' f twelve
men belonging to the Guerrier«, taken out of a cartel by
commodore Rodgers, and illegally detained, upon the
•pretext of six others, who were supposed (q be British
subjects, having been sent to the united kingdom for ex-
amination; since that event, five of these people, named
in the enclosed list, have been received at Halifax with
orders for their discharge. I therefore request you will
communfcate these particiUars to the President, in order
that further directions may be given respecting the Ouer>
riete^s tnen, so long confined at Boston, and to obviate
the other inconveniencies which must inevitably arise froni
such practices^"

T%e Secretary of State to Admiral Warren, 4 ,
, Extract, dated, April 16, 1813. >■

" " It appears by your letter (of the 8th of March, fron^
Bermuda) thalifive only of the seamen that were taken
on board the N^i^lus and sent to England, in confioementt
have been returned. No account is given of the sixth.
Orders have been issued for the release of ten of the twelve
men, who, on a principle of retaliation, were confined by
comodore Rodgers at Boston. Tou will be sensible that
it will be impossible, on that principle, to discharge thi^
other two men until the sixth American seaman is return"
,ed, or such an explanation given of the cause of hisdeteo- j'
lion^ as, accorc^iig to the circun^stanc^softhccase^regar^--

■• * f

' '1

tTHE EKEMt.

'ing the conduct of the British goTernment towards Amer-
ican seamen under similar circumstances, ought to be sat.
iafactory."

Extract of n letter from lieut. Pi H. Babbit to master
commandant fVm, M. Crane of ike United States navy
(late cf the Ui S. brig Nautilus,) daUd

Boston, Mass. 13th Sept. 1812.
Enclosed I send 70U a description of the proportion of
our little crew, who have been so debased and traitorous
as to enter the serVice of otir enemy. Also, a list^ of
ihose gallant fellows, whose glorj it would have been to
have lost their lives in the service of their cotintry, and
whose misfortune it has been tp cross the Atlantic on sus-
picion of tlieir being British subjects^four of them native
born Americans, and two naturalized citizens^ On their
parting with me, and removal from the Africa of 64 guns
to the Thetis frigate (the latter with a conVby from Eng-
land, then in 43, 30, 17. and 46, 30, W.) their last request
and desire was, that I would particularly acquaint you
Witli their situation, with their determination never to prove
traitors to that country whose flag .they were proud to
serve under, and whose welfare and prosperity they equal-
ly hoped and anticipatied to realise.

(Signed) t'.H. BABBIT.

A list (f m£n said to have entered on board his B. M. frig-
ate Sliahnon^ com. Broke. Their description as Jar a$
knorvn.

JfeSBE Bates, seaman, about 5 feet inches high,
dark hair and complexion, dark snapping eyes, has an im-
pediment in his speech, and at times aifects lunacy ; has a
Wife and family in Boston, Mass.
, SamxjeI' La kg, marine, born in Kentucky, 5 feet 8
inches high, or thiereaboiits, and is supposed to be with
. captain Hall of C* S; marines, New- York.

John Toung, marine, 5 feet 5 inches high, large mouth,
enlisted with taptain Hall, navy-yard. New- York ; whea
addressed, or iis addressing an ofiicer, casts down his eyeft.

^ This list not reG«ived.

if ,

I'll]

■'!,"',

il ^ :. ? -:

"^ 1

~ lE

' ^1

;»

BARBARITIES OF

For his particular description, as well as that of John Roto^
murine, about 5 feet 8 Inches high, brown hair, fiill face,
tiiick Bet,and a scowl in his countenance, refer to captain
John Hall.

John O'Neal, seaman, about 25 years of age, 5 feet 5
inches high,, dark hair, sharp face, dark tyes, thick se^
and was shipped a^ Norfolk, /Y a. previous to jour taking
command of the Nautilus.

William JovrB8,ord. seaman, about 5 feet 8 inches high,
light hair, 24 years of age, full face, thick set, down cast
look, and is a veiy alert man j entered at New- York April
last.

(Signed) , ^< F. H.B.

Sir John BorUtse Warren to Mr. Mmroe.

Malifax, 30th Sept. 1812.
Sir— 'Having received information that a most unau-
thorized act has been committed by commodore Rogers, in
, forcibly seizing twelve British seamen, prisoners oi war,
late belonging to the Guerriere, and taking them out of the
English cartel brig Endeavor, on her passage down the
harbor cf B(»too, after they had been regularly eml;>af ked
on board of her for an exchange agreetible to the arrange-
ments settled between the two coutitries, and that the said
British seamen, so seized, are now detained on board the
United States* frigate President, as hostages { I feel my-
self called upon to request, sir, your most serious attention
to a measure so fraught with mischief and inconvenience,
destructive of the go6d faith of a Ong of truce and the sac-
red protection of a cartel. I Biiouid be extremely sorry
that the imprudent act of an ofiic er should involve codse-
quences so particularly severe as the pnsent instance must
naturally produce if repeated : and although it is very
much my wish, during the. continuance of the differences
existing between the two countries, to adopt every meas-
ure that might render the effect of war legs rigorous, yet,
in another point of v^ew, the conviction of the duty I owe
my country would, in the event of such grievances as I
have already stated, b^ing continued, not admit of any
hesitation in retaliatory decisions ; bift as I am strongly
persuaded of the high liberality of your sentiments, and

THE ENEMY.

Ihiit the act complained of has originated entirely with the
oflicer who commitled it, and tliat it will be as censnrablc
in your consideration as it deserves, I rely upon yoiir tuk-
ino" such steps as will prevent a recurrance of conduct so
extremely reprehensible in eveiy shape.

t have the- honor to be, &c. ^

(Signed) JOHN BDllLASE WAEREN,

Admiral of the blue^ and lommandir in ckitj\ k'V.
His excellency Janies Monroe, esq.
Secretary of State.

,i 'i -'!.»

Mr. Monroe to Sir John Borlase Warren. . .

Department of Stale^ October 28, 1 81 2,
Sir — I have had the honor to receive your letter of the
30th September, complaining that commodore Rodgers,
commanding a squadron of the United States navy at the
port of Boston, had taken twelve British seamen, lately
belonging to his Britannic Majesty's ship the Guerriere,
from a cartel in the harbor of Boston, and that he detain-
ed them on board the President, a frigate of the United
States, ap hostages. .. v , W^ ;•',

I am instructed to inform you th|t enquiry shall be made
into the circumstances attending and the causes which pro-
duced the acts)f which you complain, and t'la' such meas-
ures will be taken on a knowledge of them, as may com-
port with the rights of both nations, and may be proper in
the case to which they relate^

I beg you, sir, to be assured that it is the sincere desire
of the President tb see (and to promote, so far as depends
on the United States) that the Avar which exists between
our countries be conducted with the utmost regard to hu-
manity.

I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed) ';; . JAMES MONROE. ,
Sir John Borlase Warren, admiral of the bluCy
.J. ; commander in chief &Cy ^ . ,^j^

-t,

«'' !

.^*^

- Washington, Decembev' 17, 1812.

^ Sir- — I have the honor to annex a list of twelve of the
ctew of the late United States' sloop of vmr Wasp, detain-

^'^\'^^

♦ ]

1 ;i

>' t.

!■ f;I

si&: M

:i-i

^ '1

,;I:,t1|

1' '!>

BARBARITIES OF

ed by captain John Beresford, of the British ship Pole-

tiers, under the pretence of their being British subjects.
I have the honor to be, &:c.

GEORGE S. WISE, pitrser.

The hon. Paul Hamilton^ secretary ff the navy.
List referred to in the preceding note.

John M' Cloud, boatswain, has been in the service since
1 804. Married in Norfolk in 1 804 or 5, and has a wife
and 4 children there. '.'s'^' - »^^-

John Stephens, boatsw\in*8 mate, has been in t!ie service
6 or 6 years.

George M. D. Read, quarter master haf5 a protection, and
i.as sailed ou. of New- York and Philadelphia for sev-

, eral years. '■■"'■, » " \' Z'*"" '

(William Mitchell, scahian, James Gothright, do. John
Wright, do. Thomas Phillips, do. Peter Barron, do*
John Connor ord.seaman, John Rose,do. George Brooks,
do. Dennis Lougherty, marine, the greater number, if
not all, had protections at tlie time of entering and being
taken. Tavo others Mere detained— John Wade and
Thongs Hutching J but were given up, the former on
capt. Jone.«' assuring capt. Beresford he knew him to
be a native citizen : tHe latter on a like assurance from
D. Rogers.

WilUam Mitchell was in the service during 1805 and 6,
in the Mediterranean,

GEORGE S. WISE, purser.
IVasiungton City, Dec. 17, 1812.

tlxtract of a letter from Major General Pinckney to the
Secretary at War, dated

Headquarters, • ■
Charleston, November 4, 1812.
*[ Information having hp«-n given upon oath to lieutenant
Oraiidison, who at present commands in the naval df part-
tHent here, that six American seamen, who had been tak-
oi prisoners on board our privateers, liad beeu I'cnt to Ja-
flaicd to be tried as Britith subjects for treason, he called
sjpon the marshal to i-etaia double that number of British
Bpsmen as hostages. The L.^rJial in consequence of in-
stfWiCtioos fioni the department of state, asked my advice

> (

THE EKEMT.

on the subject, and I have given my opinion that they
ought to be detained until tlie pleasure of the president
shall be known. The testimony of captiain Moon is here-
with.. I hope, sir, you m ill have the goodness to have this
business put in the proper triiin to have the president's
pleasure on this subject communicated to the marshal.'*

Copy of a Idtcrfrom captain Moon, of the privateer S'a-

rah Ann. .
Nassau, Ncw-Prcvidcmx Octolir 14, 1812.

Six of my crew, claimed as Biilisii subjets, were this
day taken out of jail and put ou board his majesty's bri^
the Sappho, and sailed for Jamaica, where 'tis said they
are to be tried for their lives ; consequently I quest* cned
each respectively as to the place of their nativity, and ti-
tle to protection by tha American government, when they
stated as follows, to wit : •

David Dick, seaman, that he was born in the north of
Ireland, but has resided in the United States ever since
the year 1793; has served ten years in the United States'
navy, viz. on board the frigates Chesapeake, PregidenL
Constitution, John Adams, and schooner Enterprize, ana
gun boat No. 2. David Dick, shoemL er, in Alexandria,
is his unclv Dick is about five foet sbc and a half incites
'ligh, dark liair, has a scar on his left elbow, and one on
each wrist; he entered on board the Sarah Ann in Balti-
more.

John Gaul, seaman, says he war born in Marblchead,
state of Massachusetts, wherohis parents, brothers and sis-
ters now reside ; is married in J>few-York, and his wife
(Mary Gaul) Hves m Roosevelt street, No. 37 has
a regular discliarge from the navy of the United
States by capt. Hugh G. Campbell, dated at St Mary's,
Georgia, 14th August, 1812; says he has served on board
the United States' brig Yixeg, g' , boats No. 10 and 15u,
from the laol of which he was discharged. Gaul is 27
years of age, about five feet seven inches high, brown hair, ^
light complexion ; he eutenid on board the Sarah Ann in
Baltimore.

Michael Pluck, ordinary seaman, says he was born in
JSaltimore ; iiis parents aie dead, but he is known by

1..' i!

BARBARITIES OF

William Doulan, Thomas Tamer and M'Donald, of Bal-
timore ; has a sister in some part of Pennsylvania, whose
name is Ann Welsh, was never at sea before ; never had
a protection, Pluck is twenty-six years ol^, five feet six
and a half inches high, and has a scar on his left cheek
bone ; entered on board the Sarah \.nn at Baltimore.

Thomas Rogers, seaman, »ays he was boro in Waterford,
Ireland, but has i^esided many years in tlie United States,
and has been duly naturalized, a copy of which natu-
ralizatiau is filed in the custom-house at Baltimore ;. jis
known by Joseph Carey and Tom Rogers, cork cirtter,
both of Baltimore; has a wife and three children in BaJii-
more ; has lost his protection, but requests Joseph Carey
to do all he can to effect his discharge from the Brit^sji.
Rogers entered on board the Sarah Ann in Baltimore.

George Roberts, a colored man and seaman. This man
I had not an opportunity of questioning ; but J know him
to be a native bom citizen of the United States, of which
feet he had every sufficient document, together with free
papers. Roberts entered on board the Sarah Ann in Bal-
timore, where he is married.

Sonty Taylor, boy, says he was born in Hackensack;
New-Jersey, but has neither friends, relations, nor ac-
quaintance tJiere ; says Jane Snowden of Savannah, Geor-
gia, is his mother ; never had a protection. Taylor is fif^
teen years old, has brown hair and light complexion ; he
eatered on board the Sarah Ann in Savannah.

■^ ^^ RICHARD MOON.
,;. ;. Late commander of the privateer Sarah AnUy

Copy of a letter from Admiral Warren to Mr. Mitch el,
' a^cnt for the exchange of American priso7irrs of ivar,

dated, «-• v Halifax, 21st October, 1812.

Sir — I had the honor to receive your letter and its en-
closures relating to Thomas Dunn,* and beg leave to in-
form you, that it appears the said man is married in Eng-
land, has been eight years in his majesty's service, and
received a pension from government : under these cir--

• Note. The applicaiion was made at the requeft of his fathcv
John I)acn, of Boston vho tranemiUttl a drpositioo of his birtb.

*,»

THE ENEMY.

ciimstancefe', and the man never having made any appli-
cation for his discharge from prison, he continues on board
the Statira. ,^ . .,

I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed) JOHN BORLi^E WARREN.

-*.S<''>

J^??#(^

\:'^im.i

Extract of a letter ft cm William H. Saveige, late agent

for American seamen and commerce at Jamaica, ta the

Secretary cf StcUe, dated

■■':■•-■ -r^t!) Washington, December 1, 1812.

" I take the liberty to enclose you copies of a corres-
pondence which took place between vice admiral Sterling
(commanding on the Jamaica station) and myself since the
declaration of war. I should hi ve furnished it you at an
earlier period, but an accident prevented, which I Avas not
aware of, until my arrival at this city." y^-.ii^^':''^'

Copy of my letter to vice Admiral Stirling, ccmmanding
on (lie Jamaica station on the subject of American sea-
men after the didaratic. .f war. iuVM.;^^^'^,; ^^t-y
Kingston, Jamaica, 6th August, 1812.
Sir — Enclosed is a copy of a letter received by me
yesterday from on board his majestyV ship Sappho, pur- .
porting to have been written by four American seamen on
board ihni ship, with a view to solicit my aid towards ef-
fecting their discharge, in consequence of the declaration
of war by th.e government of the United States against
Gre.nBriUiu.

In making this application I am fully aware th?it my
I'viii'-s ceased as agent for the commerce and seamen of
I'lp J ared States, on the laiowledge of such declaration
b ■;'. r ade known here : but, sir, I am led to beljeve that
at il'v p.rioiUt will not be deemed inadmissible on jTur
part to leceive, nor improper on mine to make the requect,
that you will be pleased to grant ,an ordir for the c ia-
charge of these seamen, feeling conscious (should they even
not be protected with the usual documents afforded to cit-
izens of the United States) that an Englibh seaman w^ould
not declare himself otherwise than such under exifctin^cir*-
cwmstances. ^ic -^i^' y'..*."*^^,.?- v-;. ..^.a^-;"^.- /^:.'/>.

'I !if

' <i

Nr k

■>.,.

,^'

'\,

BARBARITIES OF

I seize the present opportunity also to forward to you
twenty-one (lo^cumeuts, as proof of the citizenship of that
number of seamen, said to have been impressed by ship&
of war on this station ; the greatest number of which have
been heretofore unsuccessfully claimed by me, on behalf
of the United States, and which may still comprise at this
time some part of the crews of his majesty*s ships on thia
station.

. I beg farther to state to you, that I have received nu-
merous applications from ou board various of his majesty '^
ships OB this station, for the relief of seamen, who I doubt
not are entitled to the protection of the American govern-
ment, many of them having with them the proofs of their
citizenship, as 1 yn Wl to believe from the assertions con-
tained in their k.'. ■ '^ications. Applications have also
been made for the i\ J of many without success : the
latter amount in number to foTty-six, as per list of names
enclosed, several of whom I understand have been shifted
{since their impressment) on board of other vessels than
those they were at first taken on board of. All of which
I beg to'oiTer for your consideration, feeling as I do anxi-
ous to extend my last efforts in behalf of those seamen
who are entitled to them, and at the same time being im-
pressed with the idea that it would be foreign to you, sir,
to retain any Americans in the service of the n»vy of G.
Britain contrary to their disposition during the present
conflict. I theref55>re tnke the liberty of adding to my for-
mer request, that you will be pleased to grant orders that
such seamen may be discharged from duty on board hi»
majesty's ships on this station. > , . «

With sentiments of the highest respect, &c.
/ (Signed) WM.H. SAVAGE.

•p. <i y

Copy of Vice Admiral Stirling's Secretary's ktter, in an-
S7wr to mine to the Vice Admiral, of the Qth August,

^^ - ■ AdmiraVs Pcnn^Aug. 7, 1812.

^ Sin— I am desired by vice admiral Stirling to ac-
knowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday's date,
^nd to acquaint you that directions were given some days
ago» that all the m^n in the squadron cuid^ his commain),

'fn*

•->vv..

THE ENEMY.

who can prove themselves to be American born subjects,
should be sent to the prison ship until an exchange of pris-
oners is established between the two countries, in conse-
quence of the late declaration of war by the United States
against Great Britain.

I return herewith the papers which accompanied tout
letter, And am' sir, &c.-k -?"■", ^ ■■:■li>^^^M^^Jm^ Vi")

r ^ CHARLES STIRLmO, JuNR. i

,;.v.' s-'-.^ivf,!.-. ■'-:'^::'^''.- ,^_ .-^, Secretary,

'' ■:.:'-'% ■*' -_»„ ■ ■^•■"'

Extract of a letter frt, m Wm. H. Savage, Esq^ late agent
for American seamen and commerce at Jamaica, ta
Charles Stirling^ JunnEsq. dated

Kingston, Sept. \%, \%^2.
" In answer to my letter of the 6th ult. you were pleas-
ed to inform me that directions had been given by the
vice admiral, some days prior to the date of my letter, for
the removal of all native Americans (who could prove
themselves 8uch)from on board his majesty's shiph to that of
the prison ship ; but as some time has now elapsed since you
were pleased to give me this information, and learning that
some instances of detention at present exist on board his
majesty's schooner Decouverte, I am led to embrace the
subject again, as in one instance I shall hope to satisfy
vice admiral Stirling of the roan's being entitled to his re-
moval from duty on board his majesty's schooner of war.
The person alluded to is Elijah Stirling, an American sea«
man, who was impressed from on board the ^British mer-
chant ship Brilliant, at the bay of Honduras, in the early
part of the year 1810, by his majesty's schooner Flordel
Mar, and has since been detained on board of various of
his majesty's ships on this station, although provided with
a regular protection, which instrument this man got con-
veyed to me about the 20th of Sept. following, and which
was by me forwarded to admiral Rowley, accompanied
(as usual in like cases) with a request that the man might
be discharged. On the receipt of my letter, the admiral
answered through his secretary, that the nature of Stir-
ling's impressment was such that he could not comply
wiUi my request ; but which answer was unaccompanied

»»<'. .

iill

"Pi

-to:

■'I

' n

A'
I. ■

z:h

.Ku.j^..-a*.V,^,i —r-

'**':

ai*..*uii

'«•.

BARBARITIES OF

,^k^.

in return with the protection in question, and what has be*
come of it I am unable to say. • ■ .^.ii 2'

" About this period I was led to understand frofn ad
miral Rowley, that all American seamen who should be
impressed from on board any Britieh merchant vessel,
would be retained in the service of his majesty, but that
all American seamen who should be impressed from on
board of American vesssels, would on application, accom-
panied by proofs, be discharged. As this iufoimation was.
received about the period of my application for the dis-
charge of Stirling, I was led to conclude it stampt the na-
ture of his impressment, and wl.at confirmed it in my mind
was that I received similar assurances to various applica-
tions made for American seamen who had under various
circumstances, shipped on board of British ships, and were
from thence impressed, on board of his majesty's ships of
war, all of which I hope the admiral will be pleased to
take into consideratioiy; for to insist on the service of this
man, 1 think will-be a dereliction to the marked manner of
bis amiable endeavors to distinguish and relieve Ameri-
can sea^nen from duty on board the squadron under his
command. I beg to enclose a note from Mr. Meek (the
late secretary^ relative to my application for this man's
discharge, ana to observe, that if it is possible the protec-
tion may yet be found among the papers of the late secre-
tary, as it has not been usual to reiurn me the protections
of those men whose applications for discharge were not
complied with.

** I beg furthermore to observe that there appears also
to be on board his majesty's schooner Decouverte, two
other American seamen, viz : John Euglefitld and Rich-
ard Lauderkin ; the former of whom asserts, that he serv-
ed his apprenticeship to the irade of a cooper at Boston,
but Itas lost his protection ; the latter declares himself to
be a native of Rhode Islam!, and that his protection hias
been destroyed by Mr. Oliver, commander of Jiis majes-
ty's schooner Decouverte. I shall not now animadvert
on the impropriety of such a circumstance; but request,
should the instance here cited be found correct, that they
may meet the attefltion of the vice admiral.'* rs^-'^m- * t

'>'. v.-i

*.- 0~.Jt^.m,~^ ^""^

..flf *^ ,

itll

'%^^

i-fl

H-

,%.,■•

'/»

THE ENEMY.

MxlrAct of a letter ftom vice admiral Stirling's sccrdan^,
to W. H. Savage Esq. in answer to his of the lOth
Spt,Ul2. ., _, ii/ V - V ,

AdmiraVs Pcnn, Wth Sept. 1812i
" I have just received your letter of the 16th inst.
Avhich I have laW before vice admiral Stirling, and I am
directed to acquaint j-ou, that Elijah Stirling and other
persons on board of his majesty's schooner Decouverte,
said to be American seamen, have not, when called upon,
produced proof of being subjects of the United States. —
They do not fall under the description of persons which
I informed you in my letter of the 7th ult. were intended
to be discharged from the king's service, and to be de- .
tained on board the prison ship until an exchange of pris- ^
oners takes place with America.

" The note from Mr. Meek, dated the 21st Sept. 1810,
is returned herewith, and as it pppears thereby that ad-
miral Rowley thought that the circumstances under which
Elijah Stirling was impressed, did not permit him to be i.
discharged, vice admiral Stirling does not feel himself jus- ,
tided in attending to the man's wishes on a bare assertion.
The protection you allude to is not to be found artiong ad«
miral Rowley's papers left at this office." ^^ ^ . ,^ v^/i^?

No. III. '^

JPETENTION OF MARINERS AS PRISONERS
WERE IN ENGLAND AT THE TIME THE
GLARED, .- ■^--i-iiv:'-i»' fad-'- ^ ^

;^^i-

OF WAR, WHO
WAR WAS DE''

■J. W. Crokcrto Mr. Beaslcy. --'^"^ ' f^|^^
'^W? Admiralty Office, 5th Avgust. 1812.*

Sir — Having communicated to my lords commissioners
of the admiralty your letter of the 31st ultimo, transmitt-
ing a list of men, said to be Americans, who have been
impressed and detained on board his majesty's ships, and
requesting their discharge, I have their lordships, com-
mands to acquaint you, that under present circuuctanceSj
they will defer the consideration of tliis request.

I am, &c.

'^■' * ' (Signed) J. W. CROKEJl.. ■

/?. G. Bcasky, Esq. ' ^" • • » '

ill

JBARBARITIES OF

,* '

Extract of a letter from Mr. Beasley to the Secretary of

StatCy dated.
^ •' London, October 23, 1812.

. >' I have informed you that I had addressed lord Cas-
4lereagh on the subject of our citiz'-os who have been im-
pressed, and are now held in the British naval service,
I demanded their release, and complained of the treatment
which some had received on offering to give themselves
lip as prisoners, or refusing to serve when they heard of
tlie war. In reply, I have received a short note fron\
Mr. Cooke, one of the under secretaries, stating, that he
was instructed to require of me the names of the men who
had received the treatment complained of, and the vessels
in which they were, which I immediately furnished, and
urged a reply to the other part of my letter. In an in<f
terview I have since had with Mr. Cooke, I took occa-
sion to remind him of it, when he intimated that the gov-
ernment did not intend to answer me on that point ; adding
that England was fighting the battles of the world ; we
bad ciiosen to go to war and so aid the great enemy, and
that England bad as much right to recruit her army aa4
oavy, in every possible manner, as France,"

Mr, JBeasley to lard Castlereagh.

Wimpole Street, October 1 2th, 1812.

My LoRb'-^In consequence of the war unhappily ex-
isting between the United States and Great Britain, it has
become my duty to call your lordBhip's attention to tlie
situation of the f^reat number of American seamen who
"have been impressed, and are no\v held in the ships of war
of his Britannic majesty. In addition to the wrong which is
done to the United States by this detention of their sea-
men, I regret to state, that some of these unfortunate per-
sons, having heard of the war and oliered to give them-
selves up as prisoners, have, for so doing, or for refusing
to do service, been punished.

To put an end to a proceeding and a state of things so
revolting to humanity, and so contrary to the law and us-
age of civilized nations, I persuade myself it is only ne-
cessary to present them to the view of the Bvitis^h gov-
ernment I and I therefore trust that effectual mcasjiven

^THE ENEMY.

5*^

vfiW be immediately taken to restore) these injured men
to liberty and to their country.
z' s; I:';. . "• I have the honor to be, &c.
; (Signed) . R. G. BEASLEf.

]S> Cooke to R. O. Beasl^» '-"

•" , ^ " Foreign Office, }Qth^Octobery ISU.
"" In consequence of your letter to lord Castlereagb of
the 12thtb inst. I am directed by his lordship to d<;8ire
you will furnish me with the names of the American sail*
ors who have b^o so punished, aod of the ^p they are
onboard." , V :..* -.r .tr. | 7

, .; ■ , - Mr. Bcasley to E. Cooke*

Whnpole Street, 2\si October, 1812.

Sirt — Agreeably to the request contained in your letter
of the 19th inst. I now transmit to you a list of improised
American seamen on board British ships of war, who,
having heard of the war, offered to give themselves up as
prisoners, and for so doing or for refusing to do service,
have been punished.

I beg you to remind lord Castlereagh that the other
part of my letter of the 12th instant, requesting the release
of the American seamen detained in the British service is
still unanswered.

,.' ■^- i am, sir, &c.. ^ --. "-v ': '^^^'■- 1^^^'"^. :"
(Signed) -, K. G. BEASLEY:

The list referred to in the preceding letter, states the cases

of the following persons,
John Ballard, on hoard the Zenobia, ofTered himself
a prisoner, refused, and was put in irons for one night. "^

John Davis, on board the Thistle, gave himself up as a
prisoner and refused further servic'e, for which he was
flogged.

Ephraim Covell, on board La Hogue, gave himself up
as a prisoner and refused further service,- in consequence
of which be was kept seven days io irons. •-

John Hosman, on beard La Hogue, gave himself up as
3 prisoner and refused fuftfaer service.; was put in irons,
still kept therein, and waa ^ireatesed b|r the commander
with further puaishmeat. '^ '^ ^: : ^ ;

t }

f . -i

.-:/■■.: .•'S-:<-r,ik-i- i;.-./ ",;-,

-■^-l

BARBARITIES OF

Rusgel Brainard, on board La Hogue, gave himself up
as a prisoner, was put in irons and stili kept therein.

Thomas W. Marshal, Peter Lazettee, Edward Whittle
Banks and Levi Younger, on board the Royal William,
gave themselves up as prisoners^ and were in consequence
tliereof put into close confinement for eight days.

^ :& ■* October, 12, 1812.

Mr. Beasley requests lord Castlereagh to cause the ne-
cessar) passports to be furnished for the American ship
William and Eliza, Captain Rowland, to proceed to the
United States with American citizens.

vt October 21, 1812.

Mr. Cooke afcqUaitits Mr. Beasley that there will be no
obiection to granting a licence to a cartel for carrying to
the United States such American citizens, non combatants,
as msy with to return to their country. He requests Mr.
Bensky to infcM-in him of the situation of the American
'ship W'^ilUam and Eliza.

'-yfiM,.n'^^r-,'*^iV/^'*^

>vr ')ij'

^:>

^-; .'

iU>

Mr. Beasley to E. Cooke.
M^« WimpoU Street, October 23, 1812.
Sir-*— T have now thr honor to repeat to you what 1
stated in convers-atioi! this morning, that the persons for
whose return to the Unitf d States I requested the neces-
sary pasFporls. are for the most part American masters
ami nJAriners; that some of them in coiisequence of the
loss of Iheir vessels abroad, have come here on their way
to America; that others of them having been emyloyed in
British ships, are noAv desirous of returning home ; that
others, through the detention or condemnation of their ves-
sels under Biitish orders in council, and others, through
all the CftsuaUies to which this class of men is always ex-
posed, are left without the means of conveyance. None
of these persons have tjeen in any way engaged in hostili-
ties against Great Britain. They are almost' wholly des-
titute and for some time, have been chiefly supported at
the expense of the United States. There are albo I be-
lieve, some AmericaD merchants and supercai^oeg who

aic|

\wt
lull

^im|

(['.HI

the]

...x^..

^ipr^o

*x-

tllE ENEMr,

•<0

■it

^•

are anxious of fiTaili»g tliemselves of the same opporhioi-
iy of returnin;; to llicir countr)'.

You arc, I ()ic3iimc, aware that t]»e American govern-
ment hiB nlTorded every facility to the departure of those
IJritush subjects in the United States, mJio were undei*
similar circuipfitances with the pergons incmded in my re-
(|ue8t.

With regard to tlic ship William and Eliza, in which
these persons are to embark, 1 beg to observe, that I am
well assured by those who hf»Te eliarge of her, that there
is ijo impediment to her departure.

I am, &c.

R. G. BEASLEY. ;i

(Signed)

•'-».'(i~tla:*^^V;

.'*• rf^'M ,^'>t JE, Gockc to li. G. Bcasilcy. - '

. • -tfii ^{-^J. p^.. Foreign Office, October 28, 1812.

S'liz — Having laid before lord Castlercagh your IcKer
rcqucsfing that ymi may be allowed to send a cartel to
America, with citizens of the United Stales wlto v.ish to
return to their country, I am directed by his lordship lb
cxprfiss his consent to this proposition, and am to deeiRe
you will confer with the commissioners for prisoners of
war, with regard to tlie account you are to give for such
parts of the crew as shall appear to be combatants, and on
4hat principle must be ex«liangod.

, v' (Signed) y^;*iijjj\,._^^^ E. COOKE.^

■>* V... -■., ,,;,;, . r";,4>^ ;i{ » "< i Wili; :t:^K.^^ .4^

' < ' " ' ■* Oclober 29, 1812;- '

Mr. Beaf:l«»y states to 3. W. Croker of the admiralty
Office, that lord Castlereagh had referred him to llre^,
commissioners for prisoners of war ; that he iiad accord-*
ingly applied to them and learnt that the, iustructious which
that board had received from tiie lords of the admiraltyf;-
were not sufficiently explicit to enable them to proceed
in the matter. Mr. Beaeley reauests that their lojftl&hipg
would be pleased to give such further directions to tile
fransport board as might be found necessary^

^ , V-' _^ • : October 30, 1812v

John Barrow, of the admiralty office, informs RTrt

•\

,:...^/'

£.,

''tit.

n 1;

/,'

BARBARITIES 01-

IJeHslcy, tltat his ItUter of the 2fllh Octoho- had bccolRiil
beloie the lords coinmirsioDers of the achiinaUy, and that
t)ic bitsincss Imd beeo referred to the transport board.

October 2Q, 1812.
]VIu. Beasley hifotrriB Akxander M'Leay of the trans-
pert office, that he had re(iue9ted the lords of the admi-
raUy would be pleased to give the further instructions
necessary, aiKi presuming tliat tiiese instructioDs would be
immediately ji;iven, requests Mr. M'L y to inform liiai
at uiiat finie it will be convenient for the commission-
ers that he should confer with them on the subject. .

"^.•»"

October 30, 1812.
Alexander M'Leay informs Mr. Beasley that he is dfi-
vet'ted lO dt&jre that Mr. B. would transmit to tlie traiis-
pcrt ofike a list of all the i>erfons wlicm Mr. Beasley pro-
poted to send to America, stating their several qualities,
and when and how they respectively came into Great
Britain.

1^ November 2, 1812.

'^'•'Mr. Beasley transmits to Alexander M'Leay, of tl.e
transport eiffice, a list of American citizens whem itisprc-
poted to send to the United States in the Eirip "Williara
:;j(l Eliza, stating their several qualities, and when and
liow they respectively came into Ci'eat Biitain. This
list contains one hundred and ten names. To these
•are added a list of six perrons, being other paftenjiers in
the same vesiel. Mr. Beasley remarks to Mr. M'-Leay,
*^I am well informed that many persons of the doscinp-
f m and under the ciicnmstances of those mentioned in
iht first -of Uiese lints (being seamen) who were awaiting
the r^ttU of my late application to lord Castlereagh for
« cartel for their corveyance to Anr.enca, hSTe within a
fr.'w dsys past been f-eized by the in)preFs offieei-s and tak-
«£ on hoard the tender ci the tower ; and 1 beg to know
whai are tl»e -intentions of the Biitish fiovciLmcnt respectr
ins; them?" .. ...^.;- ^ .

:''34*N^lV*: -' ' r-'i^wv, . ^^-"'"^y-

pjKiS^- ^,««S.i' iJS,.«fc_ ■"*•.>• •■■■ >>■

, vJ*

_C ■

^."^fv-

.'Sli;

>.* ^

"ik

■^

THE ENEMY. ^

'■%

November 0, 1812.

' Alexander M'Leay informs Mr. Beafilty that he had
receive and laid before the commiseionei'g for the trans-
port service the list of personu proposed to he i int to llic
United States in the William aud Eliza cartel, ai-.d adib»
'' In return I am directed to re(|iie5t that you will iuform
tlie board whether you will enji;age that the above men-
tioned persons on their arrival in ihe United States elnd I
l«e exchanged for an equivalent number of Briiic^h sui>'
jects, who may have fallen into the bauds of tha Ameii-
eans. I am at the same time to acquaint you, that th<s,
prisoners above allu<led to must sigti engAgements not ton
Herve against this country or its alUes until regularly ex«n

»t

vt,.

M«

November 7, iai2^

Mr. Beasl'y writes to Alexander ]\tl'rntt, ^ <> v> ^
I have to inform the board tlwt I am w .dug to en*
gage that the American citizens whom I propose to send
to the United States on board the William and Eliza car-
tel, shall, on their arrivnl there, be exclianfjed for an
equivalent juumber of Briti^li subjects of the same dtttiapn*?
4ion, who may have fallen into the hands of the United
States under fimilar circumstances; and that the men
themselves shall ^i;;n engagements for the pcfrformance of
any conditions eimilar to those which may have been cx-
jiciedofsuch liicUsIji subjects in the Uidted States; itbe**^
ing unders ood, that if it be found that British subjects, under
any such circumstances, have been suflTcred frtely to depart
from the United Staler, then ihetie engagements, so far as re-
gards the corresponding class of American citizens, shall he
void. If, liowever, it be more satisfactory to the boord, that
the return or exchange of these men should be regulated by :
the principles recognized by the two governments in the
cartel, which I am informed, has been lately concluded at
Washington, I am ready to enter into an engagement to

that effect."' '^^^^nr" 1H'-<>:: t:im*-^'i^i:i:}'i-':?'-hf^'i^ . ,-T^^^^

. .V Novemher 13^1^1% -<■

<■:' Alcxamler M'^Leatf rvi^iics to Mr. Beaslev.
** I am dhecled to acquaint yott that tlie prisoners ni€n-

»»i

,fi»

I*'"''

^ BARBAKITIES OF

tiooed in the list transmilttd by jou will be released, up.
oa your entering iulo an wncondilional engagement tlial
they shall be exchanged for British priscBeis now in Amci^
ica or who may be hereafter taken." xv ; • ;

^.^^vL:^ ...... Novcnef^r 1Q, nU'. ,^

n-M ]Ur. Beasky writes U Alexander M'Leai/.
** For those American citizens who ccmpoeed ihecrelvs
«f ships taken m war, 1 am at all times ready to enter in-
to any engagement which the law and usage of nations re-
quire. But from those whom ycur laws have iuvi(i;«1, or
whom misfortune has thrown into your country ; whora
^1^ ' accident, and not the fortune of war, has placed within

your power, I must still urge my reqneet, tkat they be zY-
lowed to depart the kingdom oj the condi'ions propcred
in my letter of the 7th inst." But " if the board will cu-
ter into an unconditional engaoement, ihat all British &ub-
jectG who have been permitted to kavs ifie United States
since the declaration of w?./, or w ho may be pernlit^ed {o ;
depart therefrom, shall be exiiianged for Ani< rican prii,'-
oners of war, I will in like maimer engage for thosfe Amrr-
ican citizens agreeably to your letter." Mr. Beasley
adds — " This arrangement, however, I would make wjh*
great reluctance; becaupe it would oot be in unison wi'lx
that spirit of liberal w arlare entritairif.d by the govf i r-
Dient of the United Stales, and became it would biing
within the influence of the war those who might, witiuj;!
detriment to either paity, be exempt Ircm its Opr. ratios'.'

Novctnher 23, i812.
Beaslcy writes to Mr. HanAUojf, of the Foreign Office.
" I must beg leave to state, that tiiat part of my note of
the 12th tiltimo, addressed to lord Ca&tlereajih, relative to
American 'jitizens who have been impressed and arc now
held in hir* majesty's naval service, remains unanswered. To
the reasons already urged for the discharge of those men,
may be added that of compelling them to fight against their
co^iutry ; snd I need scarcply add, ihat as tlxy were for-
cibly detained before the con mcncfmeiit cf hcstilitics it
wouid be very unjust to discharge them merely to n.ake
tiiem prisoners. Of the minber of these unfoi tuLate f r r

■ .'■.''"i: V ■

THE EITESrr.

'■si '

> :l

sons, rii:iQ7 mast be in veEsels on foreign statimis at
great distance. It is a subject of much public interest in
the United States, and one which involves the domestic
comlort and liappiue&s 6i many familiei .'*

Nmmher 24,1812.
Alexander M*Leay writes to Mr, Beasley^ and after stnntp^
preliminary reasonings says ; r.;, v^c

" The commissioners (of the transport office) are in^t
structed (by the lords commissioners of the ridroiralty) to^^
continue to require from you an unconditional receipt, as
prisoners of war, for all persons of this description, previ*v»r
ous to their being permitted to retui>o to America."

*^ December 22, \^\2, ^

Alexander M^Leay writes to Mr. Beasley,
**I have received and laid before the commissioners for
the transport service, &c. your let^u- of the 1 5th inst. and
in return am directed to acquaiiU you, that at present tb'jy
are only autbotized to deMver up to you the Americans
mentioned io the list transmitted by you on the 3d of
November." >

•fi Decw*«-24, 1812. vV

•^' Mr. BeasUy writes i^ Alexander M^Jjeay. -^

*< After 80 long a time spent in diboi^sing the principles
and conditions «/ an exchange of prisonem between the
United States and ti. Britain, I perceive with some sur*
prise, by your letter of yesterday, that the only persons
whom tl e board are authorized to delrver up to me, are
those mentioned in the list transmitted to you on the 3d
November, who, though so long known to th^. board as
being at lai^ in this t\tj, have never beei> detained as
piisoners ; and '^ho have, ever since their arrival, been
maintained at the <:harge of the Unitied States. During
this interval, those persons have been partially dispersed $•:
some have been taken up as prisoners ; some have been
impressed ; and ^ ome have othexwise disappeared. Others,
horweVer, under similar circumstances, have tince been
adilcd ; and there cow remain about otte hundred persons*
Of tiiese mou, as I understand the tenor of cur correg-

'f •■

it '

fvjf-.

BARBARITIES OF

'•V5^'

:^f!.

poDdence, those who belonged to vessels detained or tak-
en in var, are to be suikred to proceed to the U. States,
on 017 enteribg into the engagement nvhlch accompanied
your letter of the 1 4th inst. but that for the others no en-
gagement is required. In order to avoid any further mis-
understanding, I beg to know whether this recapitulatioQ
is correct.'* _

Alexander H/tLeay to R. Q. BeaeUy.

Transport Office, 2Qth Dec, 1812.
Sib — I have received and laid before the commission-
ers for the transport service^ &c. your letter of the 24th
inst. and in return, I am directed to acquaint you that it is
the intention of his majesty's government that such of the
Americans, named in the list which accompanied your
letter of the 3d of last month, as belonged to vessels
detained or taken, and as are consequently prison-
ers of war, shall be suffered, to proceed to the United
States upon your entering into the engagement which ac-
companied my letter of the 14th inst. but that for Ameri-
cans who were resident or travelling in this cctuntry, or
resorting hither for commercial purposes, not ati mariners,
no such engagement will be required. * =.*

I am, &c.
(Signed) ALEX. M'LEAY.

December 28, 1812,
Mr, Beaaleif writes to Alexander M'-Leay,
" Cn referring to that iist (which accompanied my letter
ef the 3d ult.) you will perceive another class of persons,
Bamely, mariners who did not belong to vessels detained
or taken ; and as your omitting to notice the ie men in your
letter might leave room for some doubt respecting them,
I lose no time in requesting to be ihforroed on what terms
the be understand that they are to be suffered to i%*
turn to tl:.^ U. States." -

Deotmber 29, 1812.
Alexander M*L^^ mites to Mr. BeaaUy :
*• By a reference to nrty letter of the 26th' instant, you
•will observe that mariners are expressly excepted frcm
tli€ <!escri^tiva of persooB who are iO/^ rckft&ed uucofi-

,■ f)' ■'■

''''"''■ "■'■* '"^IfS^THlf 'enemy.'

•!*'-i*:':

f ditlonally, und consequently it is necessary you should
igive a receipt for all the maiiners named in ths list trans*
mitted by you.'*

' Fehruary 17, 1813.

Mr, Bcasl^ to Alexander Tn^^Leay.
" In reply to your letter of the 0th inst. communicating
the result of enquiiies made by order of the lords com-
missioners of thp »dn:iralty, relative to the alledged ill treat-
ment of certain seamen claiming to be Americans, in the
British service, in consequence of their having requested
to be considered as prisoners of w:ar, as represented in my
letter to lord Castlere^gh of the 12th. Oct. I have to ob-
serve that although the statement of those persons and that
contained in your letter difler greatly as tothe degree of
this ill treatment, it does appear that some severity was
exercised towards them on that occasion, and without any
proper investigation of their claim of American citizenship,
which, if establised, should have exempted them, not only
from punishment but from service. As it may be inferr-
ed, however, from your letter, that if proof be produced
to support their claim their request will yet be complied
with, I have to inform you that evidepre to that effect
was long since tram mitted to the lordE (he admiralty in
behalf of several of these persons.** [Here follo'^ s the
names of persons and a recitation of the proof of citizen-
ship, &c.] Mr. Beasley proceeds, " I cannot avoid ex-
pressing my disappointment and regret that no notice has
been taken uf the request hiade to lord Castlereagh in my
letter of the 12th of Oct. for the general release of Ihe
American seamen detpined in the British service.'*

•A-

Alexander M^Leay to R. 6. Beasley,
.(j-- ' Transport Office, 2Qth February ^ 1813.

*^ Sib — I have received and laid before the commission^
ers for the transport service, &c. your letter of the 1 7ih
of this month, with its enclosure, relative to the alledged
ill treatment of certain seamen claiming to be Americans,
in the British service, in consequence of their having re-
quested to be considered as prisoners of war ; and the
same hftviDg been referred to the right honorable the lords

■-;%.(

■•,/

:a0:

BARBARITIES OF

coromisstoriers of the admiralty, I am directed bj the
tward to transmit to you the enclosed copy of a letter
which they have received from their lordships* secratary
in aoswer thereto. .

I am, &c.

(Signed)

ALEX. M'LEAY.

John Barrow to the Tranmort Board,

JdminUt^ Ofice, 25th February, 1813.

Genllemeo---haviDg laid before my lords commissioners
of the admiralty your letter of the 18th lost, ioclosiog the
copy of a letter, together Mith the documeots thk'eui
referred to, from Mr. Beasley, ^ American a^nt for
prisoners of war in this couatry, on the subject of certain
alleged citizens of the United States detained in his ma-
jesty's service, I have it in command to signify their loord-
fthips' directions to you to aoquaiot Mr. iteasley, that nci*
tiber now in war, nor before, during peace, is, or was, the
i3ritisb government desirous of having Americas sea-
oen ife its service, and that their lordships will now dis-
chai^ as prisomrs of war, as they formerly did as neiti^
trals, those persons wlio can adduce any suiicient pi>oof
of their being Americans.

You wiU further inlbrm Mr. Beasley, that all the cases
stated by him have received or are under accurate exam-
ination, and that. Mch persons who may appear to be
Americans wiU be immeiiiatdy sent to prison, as many
iave bees already.

I am, &c.
(Si^EKd) Jt)HN BARROW, v

Jlexamkr M^Lee^ to Mr. Beasley,

Transport OJice, %tk March, 1813.
SiR-^I ttm directed by the commhisioners for the trans-
•port service, &g. to infcHrro you, that upon the re<%ipt of
the printed letters which were transmittf d by you to this
oliice.; for the purpose of Ir-^vg forwarded to certain eea-
meo <m board of his majet » 's ships of war, tl y consid-
er it their duty to submit ttie same (o the consideration of
the r%ht honorable the lords commissioners c' the admi-
ralty, and to request tlieir lovdshipK' direc^ug w thesttl>-

'■A\

THE ENEMY.

5-7

^ct ; ami the bor.r<l having, this day, a letter frcm (heir
onlbhips' gecielary, cf which the eiicloecd is a crpy, I
have their <li recti on to acquaint you accordingly, that the
letters in quetstion will not be Ibnvarded, and that you
cannot be permitted to njaintain any corrtf pondtiice vilh
(he eeamiju on board of his msjestys fle€4. *:; v'^ vx
■ c. ■■■ ■ I am, &c. :"^"* ^""■" ' "'^

jgigned) ;,/;-^f;f^'^-'^' ALEX. M'LEAY.

John Barrow to the Transpcrt Beard, ^^-f^^
> \ Admiralty Office, 5lh March, 1^12. '']
Gentlemen--In reply to your letter of the 16th of
last montli enclosing a letter addressed by Mr. Beasley t«
a seaman on board his nnnjf sJy's ship Porcupine, and rei»
questing to be informed if letters of a similar description
should be forwarded to Ihe persons to whom they are ad-
diessed, I am commanded by my lords ccmniiEsicners of
the admiralty, to signify their direcicn to you net to foR-
ward iany such letters, and to acquaint Mr. Beasley that
he cannot be permitted to maintain any correspondence
with the seamen ta board \\h majcsiy's fiect ; observing to
him, at the same time, that \he printed letter in questictt
contains a statement unfounded in fact, for thst neither
since the war, with Amerki?, nor before, have their lord-
ships declined to release American seamen, admitted Or
proved to be sucfc, thoi!»l> tljey have and still do refuse to
release persons aftuniirg, without any proof or document,
that character.

. ■'■;•-;•>?•■, 5-v:,v., ^ ' -r :'*'-■ I am, (fee. ^^^^'^-^^
■ (Signed) ; *y-^ f- ^v ...^ JNO. BARROW. ;

Copy of the printrd circular Utter addressed to American

seamen in British i.hips of war. #%h*t,*a;t

'■- '•'■■^ If' .;^ :r^n:n^.r'^'*"f^'^^'^ London, ^^'-*'^-.'>" 1813. ' 'y
In answer io your letter of the I have to inform

you, that the lord* ccirmusionersof the admiralty havii;g-,
inconsequence of the Avar between tie United Stales and
Great Britain, declined to release thcFe American citizens
who have been impressed and are held in the British ser-
vice, there appears to be no o'l;rr crurse fcr yru to prx-

li'ii

)

)„

.*■-

0: , BARBAIIITIE€' or

eue than to give youi'feelf up as a prisocer of ivar lo iht
commander of the &hip in which you are detained.

J Agent of the United States for prLscncrs

fni# >• :di"'"^ of war in Great nriiain.

Extracts of a letter frcm Mr. Bcasley to Jlcxandi^r

M'l^eM^i tlated 13th March, 1B}3.
Af'. " lu the letter of their lojrdships' eecretary of the 5th.
instant, the board are directed to obfe«'vc tq ipe, that the
printed letter which I addressed to certain American E£a-
iiien detained in the British navy, " contains a statement
unfovnded in fact : for that neither since the -war with^
America, nor before, have their lordships dec^ned to rc-
kase American seamen admitted or pr«vcd to be such/'
It is not neccssaiy to my present purpcte to enter upon
Bu examination of their lorJEhips' ctmiuct en. tljSs matt^'
before the war ; although my own official observ ation, in
Bumerous cases, when I held the office of consul, would
authorize mc to dispute even that part of their secretary's
assertion. But with refTerencc to their lordships' conduct
since the war, I beg to remind them of their tetter of the
.' 5tli August, soon after the commencement of the war, in
answer to a request made on the 31st July for the release
of certain impressed American seamen, in which their lorcl-
slnps, going beyond the mere declining to release the nier»»
stated, '* that under the present circumstances, they wiU
"defer the consideration of the request for their release ;'*
or, in other words, that they will not at present, w ar be-
ins: commenced, even think on the subject of their release.
If further proof be necessary of their lordships' having, a-s
I stated in my printed letter, declined the release of such
seamen in consequence of the w ar, I will call to their re-
collection a letter written by their secretary, on the 25th
" August, in answer to an application for the release of Willl-
"^ 'am Wilson, an impressed American detained on board the
"' Cordelia, in which they state that this man being an ali-
'" en enemy must continue to serve or go to prison. Should
other corroboration be wanted, it may be found in the long
■■ and marked silence of the Britsh government to my nu-
merous applications, pgain and again repeated, for the re-

fk.

■» THE ENEMY.

hasu oi' these tnea; seeing that it was not until the 25th
of Febniaiy, nearly seven months after their lordships had
informed me of their having deferred the consideration of
the subject, and nearly five months after my formal de-
mand made to lord Castlereagh, that they directed the
board to inform me of their intention to treat them as pris«
oiicrs of war — and even this was not done until eight days
after my printed letter in question appears to have been
on their table. Surely it was in utter forgetfulness of all
t)iiose circumstances that their lordships declared my state-
!neut unfounded in fact ; for it appears inpossiUe that they
oaif, in the mind of any person, bear a different interpret
tnilcn from that which I have given them. But Iiow do
these facts bear on their lordshi}}8' statement ? How, I ask,
docs tlicir determination, that Wilson, /^ot^ef/an</ admitted
to be an American^ tmtst continue to serve or go to prisott,
support tlie assertion that their lordships have not declined
ta release American seatnen admitted or proved to be such ?
But perhaps in their lordships' view, to send them from ser-
vice and detention in ships of war to confinement in pris-
ons, is to release them. If so, it is unnecessary to pursue
the subject further, and I will content myself with havii^
Yindicflted the correctness of my own statement."

' " I come now to the consideration of their lordships* pur-
pose, as <)xpressed in their secretary's letter of the 25;ii
ultimo, to treat as pnsoners of war the American seamea
who have been impressed and are held in the British serviee.
'i'nkiiig into viefr the nmnjier in which these unfortunate per^
fcons came into the power of the British government,that their
own rl,s;hts and inclinations, the rightsoftbdr Countiy, the

law of nations, and every principle of justice were violal^
in the very act by which each of theae men was bfon^
within its power, and that this wrong accumulates ao lebg
as any of them remain in its power, I do mainlain thtt
they are on cveiy ground entitled to, and the British gov-
ermneut is bound, to grant their immediate and complete
release. It acquired them only as the spoils of unlawful
violence ; hoAv then can it retain them as the fruits of law-
ful wnr ? Its right of cootroul over them can onily ariae
i'roni the lawfulness of their detention ; but tliat whici» w«8
unlawfully takcQ cauoot be rightfully h.eid,.«nd.toft^

ARBARITIES OK

kaou'lcdgethn pretension to such coiitroul as their lorilbhipti*
purpose implies, avouM be to legitimatize thfi act by v.hich
they came into.tiieir power. The Britit;li govcnjmcnt dis-
claims all rig}it and ail intention to take them, and this di^'
avowal \b an acknowledgement ^f its obligation to restore
fheDi to the same coTiditioii, and to the sanie IVecdoty from
which they were taken. Upon what ground is it, then,
that they are to be treated as prisoners of war ? Not ma-
ny years have elapse! since aii Eurvipe resounded with the
complaints of Oic'it Britain against France for dct)».jnii5g
as prisoners of war certain British Bubjectswho, having
entered tbe French territories in time of peace, were foufid
there at the breaking out of the Avar. But if that were rc-
j^arded iu England as an outrage, Vthat will be thought of
this detention, as prisoners of war, of American seamen,
■who, having been wron,'2:fully taken on the high seas and
dforcibly carried into the Briiitni serA ice iu time cf peace,
are found therein at the breaking cut of a war doing her
service and fighting her battles ? The conduct of France
■was attempted to be-justilied by certain acts of England,
■which "Were alleged to be equally contrary to the law of
DatiOBS. But what justification, what excuse, can beset up
for this conduct of Great Britain towards the impreesea
American seamen ? What infraction of the law of nations,
what violence or injustice exercised towards British sub-
jects, or what outrage is this cruel act to retaliate ? It
«annot be the free and ?pontaneous [)ermiEsion given by
(he United States, at the commencement of the war, for
every British subject, of every class and description, found
■within tlieir territories or iu their power to return to his
country, that this imprisonment of American seamen is to
^tieUUite. And surely this cannot be the indemnification
'll^ich Gi-eat Britain offers these unfortunate men for the
^rroDgs which she has inflicted on them, or the reward
•which she bestows for the service she has received at their
hands.

" To the unqualified proiiibitien ©f all corrc£poiid( nee
ibetween myself and the impressed American seamen in his
Britannic majestjv's fleet, so unreservedly stated in the let-
ter of their lordsnips* secretary of the 6th instant, I must
tiWfor^mwbftteyef may be my sentimente and feelings res-

tn» ENE»fr.

Reeling It. llie Bitaation ia which these unfortunate men
and myself stood towards each other, appeared not only
to invite, but to authorize a communication between us.
On their part the object of this correspondence was to
t)btain information and counsel as'^to the proper manner of
conducting themselves under circumstances the most dif-
ficult, and on an occasion the most important and solemn,
namely, how to act while forcibly held to seiVice in ships
of war belonging to a state engaged in actual hostilities a-
gainst their country ; a situation which their own good
sense and proper feelings taueht them was alike iucompat^
ible with their rights and their duties My part has been,
after having waited five months in vaiji for a communica-
tion of their lordships^ intentions^ to recommend them, since
there appeared no means of obtaining their release, to give
themselves up as prisoners of war ; an evil comparative-
ly light to t^at which they suflfer. In other instances their
letters have related the rejection of their offer and the
threats of punishment, and all contain complaints of the
unexampled hardship of their situation.'^

Extract of a {etter from Robert Montgomery^ consul rf
the United States at Alieant, dated the Ath qf Novem-
bery 1912, to the Secretary of State, j

" Herewith is a copy of a letter to Admiral Hallowell
with his reply. The man in question has declared under
oath that he never signed any article or agreement what-
ever to serve 6n board the Indefatigable, nor any other
British vessel, and he has ooVr left her, losing what wages
was due hiiih'*

: I

'i '

M^l

4' '

Alkant, 2Qd Octobefi 'i^^2* '■
Sm-^PUlips, a mariner and citizen of the ITnited States,
as appeari by a regular protectiou Irom the collector of
New- York, informs me that some time since he engaged
himself on board the transport Indefatigable for six months
at certain wages agreed for ; that he has now beeu eight
months in said vessel, and demands his discharge and wa-
ges, but the master having refused both, obliges me te
I'^est yott win infoim yourself of the fkct, and if, as the

-•1 :.'.'• ;

•■• .»■./•,■

■K f■:'■

f '. .t

i i

■ ><■

V -

,•- :i.' .i

BARBARITIES OF

mariner states, order him to be paid of and dibcliatgedk

Permit me to assure you, &c.
(Signed) ROBT. MONTGOMERY*

Benjamin Hallowell, esq. Admiral, royal navy of Great
Britain^

Admiral Hallowell, to Mr. Montgomery,

His majisty^s ship Malta in Alicant Bay^

2Qtk October, 1812.
Sir — I' find upon enquiry that there is on board the In- ;
defatigable transport the man mentioned in your letter ot :
the 23d. As there is no objection to a foreigner going in .*
the station of mariner on board a vessel of that descriptioni
and as he has signed articles of agreement to serve oq .
board the Indefatigable, I shaH not molest him while he ,'
continues in her $ but the moment he gets his i^ischarge I
shall deem it my duty to take hold of him, and put him ia ,
wnfinement as a prisoner of war.

I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed) Bn. HALLOWELL.

'<«

No. IV.

;.f,«

COMPULSORY SERVICE OF IMPRESSED AMERICANS 9V
BOARD BRITISH SHIPS OF WAR. ;. J :>

I, Beekman V'er Plank Hoflfman, of the town of Pougli-
keepsie, do certify, that I am a lieutenant in the United
States* navy ; that I was a lieutenant on board of the Con-
stitution frigate in the action and capture of the Guerri*
ere ; that after her surrender I was sent on board, and af-
ter taking out the crew fired and blew up the ship ; that
eight impressed American seamen were among the crew
of the Guerriere who were liberated at Boston. I was
also on board the Constitution in the action and caphire
of the Java, and was sent on board that vessel, and after
the crew were removed, set her on fire and blew her up.
Amongst the crew of the Java thirteen impressed Ameri-
ciJki seamen were found, three of whom had entered the

■;,'•■;".' .■ -'f^.'^] 'V

/ ■

. <". • ■<

... I >

•f^'.-

/' (.

THE ENEMY.

British service aod were left, ttie other ten were Uberatr
ed a8 Americaos,

B. V. HOFFMAN*
. Dated Poughkeepsie, April 16, 1813.

DUTCHESS COUNTY, S8.

Richard Thompson, being sworn, saith that he is a na-
tive of New Palta;, opposite Poughkeepsie, that he sailed
from WiimingtoQ about the 281h of April, 1810, on board
brig Warren, William Killy japtain, for Cork. On the
homeward passage in Sept^jiiber following, he was impress-
ed and taken on board th<i P:eacock, 9. British sloop ot war,
and compelled to do d' .ty. That while on board that ves-
sel he made manjr unf jccessful attempts to write t6 his
friends, to inform then of his situation. U6 further saith
that after be had heard of the war, hiiii^elf and two other
impressed American seamen who were on board the Pea- ■
cock went aft to the captain and claimed to be considered
as American prisoners of war, and refused to do duty any
longer. They were ordered off the quarter deck, aod*^
the captaia called for the master at arms, and ordered us
to be put in irons ; we were then kept in irqns about 24 ■■■
hours, when we were takcd out, brought to the gang-way, *=
stripped of our clothes, tkd and nhippcd^ each one dozen
and a half lashes, and put to duty.

He fuilher saith that he was kept on board the Pea-
cock, and did duty till the action with the Hornet ; after
the Hornet hoisted American colors he and the other im- .
pressed Americans again went to the captain of the Pea-
cock, asked to be sent below, said it was aa American ship
and that they did not wish to liglit against their country, .
The captain ordered us to our quarters; called midship-
man Stone to do his duty ; and if we^did not do our du«
ty, to blow our brains out ; « aye, aye !" was answered
by Stone, who then held a pistol at my head, and ordered
US to our places. We then contin^ed at our pieces and wert

"v<

■ ;9

l^v,- ->'»v- -'

■■■-•"'. ■^i^■^^■^

*ri-;

/ . • ■

>. -^

. ■<. VC"

/hl!JJ-. t''^i^^^!'*'Aifrii't'^'^Mt*>'^ \ir^**t {i^u 'fi^*f>ii-^ii*i^>J^'fi\\^»x*U'*s*n-^M\*th:f'^~nh-i''-.^ ■ "

BARBABITlfiS OF

compelled to fij;ht till the Peacock strnck ; and we iceiKj
liberated after aa kuprewmant of about two yeara and
eieht mooths. his

' BICHARD X THOMPSON,

mark
PoughkeepBie, April 17, 1818.
Bead over aad sieoed iu presence of

JOSEPH HABRl^
JOHNS. FREAA.

B17TCHI8 0OI71ITT, 18.

James Tompkioe, bdng aworn, saith, that h« is a ii9>
tire of Ulster county, opposite Pouglikeepsie f that he sail^
ed out of New-Tork in the m^onth of April,! 8 1 2,in theshlyi
Minenra, bound to Ireland ; that on her homeward bound
passage, in Juty nfter, this deponent, with three other
American seamen, Samuel Da^, Wm. Toung, and John
Brown, were impressed and taken on board of tlie British
ship Acteon, David Smith, captain. We were taken onr
Saturday evening; on Monday morning we were brought
to the gai^way,and informed we must enter on board the ship
and live as other seamen, or we should live on oatmeal
and water and receive five dozen lashes. This deponent
aays, himself and ik^ other three impressed with him, did
recuse to enter, and each of them were then whipped five
dozen lashes. On Wednesday following, we were again
all brought up and had the same offer made to us to enter
which we refused, and we were again whipped four dozr
en lashes each> Oo Saturday after, the like offer Ws^
made to us, and on our refusal we were again whipped
three dozen lashes eaci^. On Monday followiog, still re«<
fueiiig to enter, we were again whipped two dos^n each»y
On Wedce&day following we were again whipped one doz-
en each, and ordered to be taken below and put in irons
till we did enter; and the captain said he would punish
iiie damned Yankee rascals till they did enter. We were
then put in irons ; and laid in irons three months. Dur<«»
ing the time of our impressment the ship had an action
and captured a French ship. Before this action we were
taken out of irons and asked to fight, but we refused ; and
after the action we were a^ain )r(Hied, where we re^

'■-if-.:

"(■■t

•' •^;.iMmw'«ci««-M[- Mt-

•^♦-*-^*-ni

: ■'^.■■"^'':*.\' ..-,,■■

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prtffa

kw^S.<^%A-^»t..l>.^i m*, ^ (..♦•v fct*.fuJK'>V*^!'^

■-''

TllE ENEMY.

mained till the ship arrived at London. After arriving
there we lirBt heard of the war with America, and thht the
Guerriere was taken. Tiiis deponent took Ids shirt, Sam-
uel Davis and William Youog took their handkerchiefs,
made stripes and stars for the American colors, and hung

it over a gun, and gave three cheers for the victory.

The next morning at o'clock we were brought up and
whipped two dozen lashes each for huzzaing for the Yan-
kee flag. Shortly after this we were all released by the
assistance of the American consul apd captain Hall, who
knevr us.

. This deponent further 8ath,that all had protections^ and
showed them, and claimed to be Americans at the time
they were impressed. .,.

JAMES TOMPKINS.
Sworn before me this 17lh day of April, ] 813, at which
time the said James Tompkins showed me his wrists
-which at his request I examined, and there appeared to
be marks on both of them, occasioned, ^s I suppose, fronj
his having been in iron^.

WM. W. BOGARDUS, **

**r

Justice of the Peace,,

No. y.

'W'*'

-yf^

,I-I^t4':?i»i

i^*i./ ■ ■■«?' t4s!ii'f^*r!tl(j;iif*-.'

i^iti^-^^-'jy^'

^'%|^ «^^> VIOLATION OP FLAGS OE TBI7CE. »

Montreal Prison, Qth May J 1^13,
Sir — I am an unfortunate American who was taken by'
the Indians on my way to Maiden, with a flag of truce
from gen. Harrison, on the night of the 31st January and .
after a variety of indignities, too tedious to mention, I watt
brought her€ and put into the dungeon for 33 days, and
have been up on the centre floor a week. I wish to see
you, if possible, and have your advice, &c. Ac*" ' ■
'■'yi^i^'-.. In haste, your\ &c.

^ m SAMUEL M'KEEHAN,

SttrgeorCs mate 2dregt, 2d brig, Ohio Militic^
Weutenant Dudley.

'k'

' s

4. •

•i, • ,

.-I

*'. '■■■

Xi'.

n,\.

BARBARITIES OF

■-;T,

.# Montreal Prison, OfR May, 1813,

'Sir — Yest'^rday sir George'ii aitl came and informed
me ihat the nature of my confme-inent had been cootrary
to his orders, and Colonel Lethbridge va» required to
restore nie ray liberty. I was also inforrci^ that you and
my self would probably in a 'ew days be sent to the U.
States, Col. Lethbridge icKI me he troidd send ior rae
at 3 o'clock, and take my parole. In less than one War,
major Shackleton called and said, the goTcrnor, after ma-
ture consideration, had concluded he could not let ifiC
have ray liberty until he would hear from gen. Proctor.

Two or three days after my imprisonment, major Shack-
Ictoa told me that gen. Proctor had promised, with the
next despatches, to send on all the papers relating to my
i;ase, and that then I svould have a hearing.

So you may see r^nishment by torture is not yet abol-
ished. If they had drove a dajrger through my heart my
punishment would have been much less and their compas-
sion much greater. ■ '■■■i>?.^.^f'^^:']if^-Si-X:^:^'M^'^\;-.-'

- Tour's, &c.
^^ , SAMUEL M'KEEHAN.

* "MajorShacklflon alsjtoldme that colonel Baynes^as
unauthcrized to tell (oe what he did.

^- :. ■^^;;- ■ r>:' ;^; . .•:.;• -^--^ ^^^y^-j^. g. M'KEEHAN.
Itileiiti^ni^nt I)Hdley.'''i'^',''^'''';*'"'''^'^'->^ .

«'y;i

^S.-"^''

Montreal Qaoly May 1 2, ) e 15.
9!H— -If am requested by Dr. M'Keehan to inform yon
pf his present unpleasant situation. He is at this time 90
moweU as to be confined to his bed, and has no chance of
getting any thing to make him comfortable. JSo person
attends here to examine our situation, neither have we a
chaucc to send out after any necessaries that we want.

I am coDjfident the Doctor's case requires some very
i^peedy aid, particularly as it respects his confined situa-
tion, lodji^ing, «fec.

Tour's, respectftilly, ^"^ ^' cv ;• ^jk" J'.
- ^ ^ :. r-^ rr> ^-y GEORGE H. RODGERS,

' -' :■ .- ¥>';;: f. States Armm
liauucpant Dudley. • ' - ^ ' , V^

H
*'.•

. ':T'' ■ \./-. ■'. :.'■

•.4fr

:j<^^\V.

THE ENEMY,

''^.■■^'ei ■;■;•.

.,»»**''

Dr. M^Keehan^B iSfarralive,

On the 31st of January last, I was ordered by general
Harrisoo to proceed to the river Raisin, Tvith a flag of
trace, and from thence te Maiden, ifnot stepped by the In-
dians. We arrived -at th« foot of the Rapidi of the Mi-
ami at darli, and not finding a company of rangers as ex-
pected, we encamped in a cave, tl^e horse and cariole be-
fore the door, and the flag standing by them. Abotit mid-
night Uie Indians fired in upon us, killed Mr. Lamont,
^rounded myself in tlie foot, and madt us prisoners. Af>
icr dispatching Mr. Lamont with the tomakawk, scalping
and stripping him, they seized my horse, harness, great-
coat, blankets and other clothing, and one hundred dollars
in gold, which the general had sent to procure necessaries
for the wounded c^ general Winchester's army.

Tliat night I was made to walk more than 20 miles, to
where capt. Elliot was stationed with a party of Indians.
The captain treated me politely, and sent me to colonel
Proctor. I was scarcely seated before the cokmel began
to exclaim against gen. Harrison, said he had been used
to fight Indians and not British ; found fault with my in-
Htructions, and said the flag was only, a pretext to cover a
bad design. I rebutted his insinuations with indignation,
which I believe has been the cause of all my troubles
since. I was not recognized in my official character un-
til the 5th February, when I was informed by Proctor's
aid, that I should attend on the wounded with Dr. Bower,
and that I would be sent to the U. States, but by a diflTer-
ent route from that which I came. Dr. Bower io a few
days was sent home and I detained.

On the 2d of March I was arrested by order of colonel
Proctor, and accused of carrying on a private correspon-
dence. On the 81h, without having any trial, ordered te
Montreal, and hurried on from Fort George, night and
day, although thinly clothed, and the weather very cold,
from Kingston to Prescott, I was made to eat with the of-
ficers* servants. This course of torture being finished on
the 28th, when I arrived at Montreal, and without being
asked an> questions or suiTered to ask any myself, I was
put into the dungeon, eight or ten feet below the surface
of the grouod, vhere I had neither bed nor bedding, chair.

ii:

,■■«■•(-

BARBARITIES OF

f: ,r 'T J. '. I^*_

bedch or stool ; denied pen, ink or paper, or even tlie usa
of a booJr. for two weeks. The only current of air that pass-
ed throLv^h my apartment, came through the bowels of the
privy t Her® I was kept 33 days, when I was to my great
joy put up with the Aoiericao prisoners, and with them
permitted to remain till last Monday, when I was liberat-
ed by the inter^essiou of lieutenant Dudley, of the navy.
Col. Baynes, aid to the governor, told me the outrage
which had been committed on ray person was contrai^
lo his orders.

I left fourteen American prisoners in jail, viz. George
H, Rodgers, United States' army; Wm. HoUenbeck,
Onis Hooker, Philaster Jones, Harry a ones, Lewis Mi-
nor, 2iebina Conkey, Phiney Conkey, Canton; Seth Barnes,
Camden; Jared Witherit, John Campbell, Schoharie ;
major Watson, Ogdensburg ; Alexander M'Gregor, Bals-
ton; who were kept in close confinement, notwithstand-
ing col. Lethbridge and major Shackleton had pledged
their words to captain Conkey before he left Montreal for
Quebec, that they should have the liberty of the toM n
during the day. But the captain was scarcely g'^ne, when
the pledge was either forgotten or disregarded. The pris-
oners now are not permitted to procure such things as their
small stock of money would provide. Sometimes they
,are half a day without water, and two or three days mih-
out wood ; and if they complain they are cursed and : bus-
ed by the jailor, and told they are only allowed a quart of
water in the day. I am requested to represent their situ-
ation to gen. Dearl^orn, which I intend to do as soon as I
arrive at Sacket'6 Harbor.

This is a sketch of the indignities I have had to put up
^ith since the Iftst of January. I^am yours, <&:c,
. :.T, ...jv, ,..^.,. I SAMUEL M'KEEHAW,

SurgeorCs mate 2dregbnent Ohio militia*

Albany, May 24tb, 1813.

To his Excellency Major-Gcmral Dearborn. /;«

Sir — Without introduction er apology, I beg leave to

state to your excellency, that on the 31st of January last

I was ordered by general Harrison to proceed to the rivr

kv Rj^isin with ^ flag of truce. I was required id my ia*

'■'.,.>'. ■:^ ir.-~. . ■ ''V*' ' * ■

THE EFEMY. ■

«9

stmctioM, if I met no Rritish officer at that place, to
proceed to Maiden (if too great dauger did not appear
from the savages.) The same evening, thirty three
miles from the river Raisia, the Indians fired upon us an<l
killed Mr. Lamont, (one of my attendants) wounded my-
self in the foot, then conveyed one to captain Elliot,
who took me to the river Raisin, and from thence sent
me to general Proctor, at head-quarters io Sandwich,
who swore, by God, that the flag and papers which I
gave him waa only a pretence to cover a dtshonorablft
service, I rebutted bis insinuations as moderately a?
my indignant feelings would permit. General Proctor
made several observations on general Harrison's abilitiea
as a commander ; said be was used to fight Indians, but
not British troops, &c. lie kept my instructions; did
not even inform the senior officer, ensign Baker, of the
American prisoners, that he had a letter for him. I was
ordered to a tavern under the care of a French sexgeant.
I waited till the 4th of February before I wrote to gene-
ral Proctor, demanding in what character I was condd^
ered; how long I would be -detained, «iid the cause of b^
detention. - '':^"'-^'^?"::.:i'-' ''.:..:;. t^

The ne:i(t day the general's aid informed me I was re^
cognized a? surgeon's mate, and would attend with Dr.
Brown on the American wounded prisoners. On the
12th I received a letter from General Proctor, in answer
(o one I had written to him the day before, of which the
fallowing is a copy : ;.

Sandwich, Uth Feb. 1813. •

Sir — In a..swer to your letter of the 11th instant, I
am directed by colonel Proctor, commanding, to observe,
tha'. you were sent in for the purpose of attending on
the sick and wounded of general Winchester's army, for
which purpose you are now detained ; and beg leave far-
ther to observe, that in the execution of your duty you
wiil render a most important service to your country.

V .» ^, I iiQYQ the honor to be, &c. vr -

A. W. M'LEAIN, A. D. C.

I continued to attend the wounded until the 2d of
March, when A. D. C. M'Leain informed me that I was
accivBeiof carrying on a private correspondence^ an^

I:-

■•>tfl

■■■

•Jl^::?tW':

;*.,,,

BARBARITIES OF

{

that be was ordered to take me into custody and secure
my papers: Trbich was accordingly doue in the most un-
ciTil manner. On the 8th of March I was taken by
a guard to fort George, without trial or hearing, although
I had written to general Proctor repeatedly requesting
an investigation, to which I received no answer of any
kind. From fort George I was sent to Montreal and hur-
ried on night and day, although thinly clothed (having
been robbed apd stripped by the Indians) and the weath-
er very cold. On my arrival at Montreal, I was, with-
out being asked any questions or permitted to ask any
myself, put into a dungeon eight or ten feet below the
surface of the ground, in dark and solitary confinement^
sod there kept thirty three days, after which time I was
put up with the American prisoners. A few days after
my elevation, lieutenant Dudly became acquainted with
my situation, and made such representations to governor
Frevost as induced his excellency to send his aid, col.
Bayoes, who said he was directed by the governor to inform
me that the outrage which had been commiltied on my person
"was contrary to bis orders, and told colonel Lethbridge to
take my parole and liberate me immediately. The colo-
nel not having materials for writing at hand, said he would
send for me at three o'clock. In Jess than one hour, the
town-major came and informed me, that the governor, on
more mature consideration, thought he could not liberate
me until he got dispatches from general Proctor. On
" the 1 7th of May, eight or ten days after, I was taken
from prison, and, in company with lieutenant Dudley,
se'nt to the United States. I ma/ here observe, that the
apartment in whidh I was confined did not coutainr'eithef
chair, bench or stool, or bedding whatever, for the space
of two weeks. Fresh beef was furnished, but no salt. —
I was denied pen, ink and paper, and treated uniformly
with the utmost contempt by the sei^eant, whom I had
the honor of seeing every day for a f«w minutes. By
the request of fourteen Americ&n prisoners, now in Mont-
real jail, .rbose names are hereunto annexed, I beg leave
to state to your excellency, that they arc kept in close
confinement, sometimes half a day without water, and
ij^Queatly two or thyee <^ays without wood to cook witln

•.iJh-LfA. X-

*t\.U''*^-^'' *I..U^it«*sUK».w 'i'^t*-iiV-4-i.L'*il:ft'>. .y»«tl'<,«i)»l»J\iiJtfj-

Ab.?\>*A ,K M > . |1 V? U'i''^^

■^»-f"pr

>■ •- ' '

:..;--;^;-..; Tim enemy. ^'""' }:, v '../v

t^A when they complained the jailor^s etirses were fteely
lavished upon them. They have not the privilege of pro-
curing some little R€cc5«aries, which the benevolence of
some humane persons enabled them to do by giving them
a little moneys Sir George Prevost has told them that
their confinement is owing to the bad faith of their own
government, &€* i'^);^%.

1 would have stated to your excellency the knowledge
I had, through the report of others, of the outrages and
cruelties exercised on the American prisoners taken at
general Winchester's defeat, but must refer your excel-
lency to Mr. Ruland, who had a command in the Michi-
gan militia last summer, and who wag, after having been
dispossessed <^ all his property, sent to Fort George with
me, who no doubt had many opportunities of hearing
such things triumphantly spoken of among British ofil'-
cers and subjects.

I have ttie honor to be, &c. ^ ^g.
.,u (Signed) SAMUiSL JrKEEHAN. -

Surgeon's mate 3d regt. O. M.
Niagara Coffee House, June 4, IdlSw^^-^^.^-.^:^^^ ^^i^^-ij^

'i%

List ^persons left in Montreal jail
Geo. H. iiogers Major Watson

•fi U. S. army, . Alexr. M'Gregor

Wm. HoUenback i?i/-^M*^vt Lewis Mioor

..,vr^l*s-.

Seth Baras ^.,

Gains Hooker &
Phiiaster Jones >;;
Danny Jones
Jared WitheralK-T

Htki^

■'i^r^'x''

J , John Campbell
^ , Zebina Conkey ,-
;. Pliny Conkey .
David Johnston >v

i'^%

':^i -

r,i«>3^-^-tt:V^':iv,^.-^4'.v^^.'^i,.

0',:^...

TIANSOM Off AMERICAN PRISONERS FROM INDIANS IN %
THE BRITISH SERVICB.

"J;'V«-Sf'.<^*-:#«'

'-■t :!,;-;^';:"":;,wW n

ExtraaafalHter/rom Mr. Woodward to the Secretary of "

otatet .1 u

• Slit-*.- W,- f , ■j'V'"''->:r.'

•'■I. ,^f ji&V^ i 'i'i- '■ ■ -S'lf? '' V i:^>

Albany, March 22, nu

** A few dayrpretiou* to the tturty-fintof January*

[» t

i 1

I! .'■

BARBARITIES 01?

1813, 1 transmitted some letters addressed to the friends
and families of a few of the prisoners whom we had been
ri>le to ransom out of the hands of the savages.
; •♦ On the thiHy^first of January I addressed yon a let-
ter coferiog sin^lar infbrAatiOn for twelve other fami-
Itesw*

ifo. VII.

.- ■' it'

? { -

H-

riL&AGS ANi) BESTSVCTTON OF PRIVATC fROPERTT ON
■■-f.-' TH£ CHESAPSAXE BAT, AND IN THE NEIOHBORINa
« COrKVRY.

William SearB, of T9%ot county, in Maryland, states,
that about the day of April last, whilst the British

squadron, commanded, as he understood, by Admiral
Warren^ lay about Sharp's Island, in the Chesapeake
Bay, he being on the island, called Poplar Island, his
{^ceof residence, Observed some tenders & barges coming
off from the squadron in a direction towards the said isl-
and. The relator was then in the act of removing his
furniture and other property from the island, and hasten-
ed therein from seeing the apparent approach of the ene-
my ; but the said tenders and barges whilst this relator
was crossing to the main with his scows and batteaux la-
den with his property, and in tow of his two schooners,
appeared suddenly to put back to their ships. The rela-
tor afterwards, in the afternoon and evening of the same
day made two other trips to the island and succeeded in
getting off all his bacon. On the succeeding day, as this re-
lator thinks it was, he again went on the i^and and got off
forty or fifty barrels or his com and some other articles,
without any interruption from the enemy. The relator
^having, In his first trip, got off his family and slaves, he
now watched the movements of the enemy frqpi his farm
on the main. On Sunday morning the he saw

two tenders come to at Poplar Ilsand and go ashore in
barges, and after some length of time he saw them depart
from the island. The relator in the afternoon of t^e
hut mentioned day, in cowpaoir with sereral <^ his

THE ENftMY.

iieighbois, went to see what the enemy had done on the
island, and found that tliey had injiiied nothing, nor tak-
rn any thing away except some cydev from the cellar. —
Tire relator then, took off with him as many of his hogs
and other articles as he could, and was hurried off hy see-
ing the enemy put off from the squadron with several bar-
ji^es in tow of their tenders. The enemy, on that evening,
took posscBsion of the island, and remained that night and
a part of the next day, as well as this relator recol-
lects ; and, on the last mentioned day, left the inland and
followed the squadron, which in the mean time had mov-
ed up the bay. The relator seeing this, on the next or
the second day after, again went on the island, and there
found that the enemy had taken and killed about thirty
head of black cattle, eighty-six head of old sheep and be
tween twenty and thirty lambs, that they had killed three*
hundred breeding sows in their beds, whose pigs were
found dead ; and that they had taken off almost all his
poultry, all he supposed they could catch. From his
house (where he had left some of his worst furniture) tliey
took off an old looking gla»s worth about four dollars, and
some newspapers in a file. They broke several locks
and one door, and threw many things about the house.—
In a liouee pn the island which had been occupied by
James Sears, they broke his desk to pieces and threw a-
bout his furniture artd otlier thJngs ; bui the relator does
not now recollect that any thing was taken away.

In testimony whereof, the said William Sears has here-
unto set his hand tliis 22d day of June, 1813.

WILLIAM SEARS.
MariflmuU ^ ^ ' *^"''- '■ " '*'"" '■:: :'-T- "■'"'. ■^'.["Jy' " '■'-. _
Talbot county^ 5

Beit remembered, ttiat on tliis 22d day of June, 1813,
William Sears, Esq. of Talbot county, pmonally ap-
pears before me, the subscriber, one of the justices of x\\l^
peace of the state of Maryland, in and for Talbot county,
duly commissioned and qualified, and made oath on the
holy evangelxBtS) that the statement of facts henin con-

.(^r. : -■^,v:r^.1V..v<_3,

,..->:..,

'\ ;

'/4

J5ARBARITIES OF

taiiied is substautially true, to the best of his knowiedj^,
recollection and belief.
Sworo before me,

■■m

mi^i^if^

-.'. *■•-

PETER DEJ^NY.;

State of Maryland^ > .^ -. . *j<;^

Talbot County, ^to rvit .

I hereby certify, that Peter Denny, Esq. before ^vhom
the above aAidavit jippeai-s to have been made, and who
has thereto subscribed his name was at the tinje of taking
and signing the same, and />till is, one of the state of Ma-
ryland's justices of the peace, in and for the county afore-
said, duly commissioned and qualified.

In testimony Avhertof, I have thereto set my hand and
aflixed the seal of nvy office, this t\7enty-fourth
dayof June, Ano Domini, 1813.
, (l. s.) . ., -JACOB LOOCKEEMAI^,
,. "' Clerk of Talbot county court,

Corcil county^ state ofMaryland, ; I*. "V .■,..,:.'.'..

Personally appeared before me, the subscriber, one of»
t'?ie juFiices of tl»e peace for the couuty and state aforesaid,
Fri&by Henderson, and made oath on the Holy Evangel-
ists of Almighty God, that on the 29th day of April, 181 3^
about seven o'clock a. m. a considerable British force,
distributed into thirteen barges eomm^nced a hostile at-
tack on a landing called Frenchtown, the property of this,
deponent, in the county aforesaid ; that some days previ-
ous thereto, a battery for five guns had been commenced
on the wharf, but was in an unfinished state ; that on the
approach of the B^-itibh force eight or ten men collected
and commenced firing from the batteiy, and stopped tlie
advance of the barges for son»e time. The ammunition
being expended, the barges then came on and a firing
fiiom them commenced ^f cannon shot at the battery and
aift) at the dwelling houses in Froiiqhtown. The British
■tTicn landed on the M'harf and immediately set fire to a
new store house on the wharf, which at that time contain-
ed nothing but a large quantity of oats, the property of
thii^ deponent, and also a fisheiy adjoining the wharf was
sot on fire at Uie same time ; after burning the said store-
liiOii3Q aud fishery, a force of about two hundred a*id fifty

'. /

• -. 1

THE ENEMY. '

marines was marche*! from the wharf iLrough Frenchtown
aod up the river shore to the cl\rciUng house of this (lepo-
nent, aod demanded the way to tlie town of Elkton ; that
finding the river must be crossed on thtit direction to get
to Blkton, (he whole force returned to Frenchtown, brok<^
open tlie upper store house, which was at that time full of
goods, part of which was the property of the United
States, and (he remainder for different merchanis of Bal-
timore, to the amtunt, probahly, of fifty or siity thousand
doU<Hi*s^ and plundered and carried off part of the goodf,
ond set fine to the house and burnt it ivith the remainder
of tlie goods. This depaoent saith that the two store hou-
ses and Miery, togethel* with theoals and other property
he had in the Upper store hou-ae bnrfted by the British ns
aforesaid, he has suetaiaed a loss of about three thousand
dollars^

Sworn before me the subscribe, on this 12th day Oi
Juae, 1813.

ALEXR. EliTKEAtn

.f4-'

..to.

Ccecil countj/j state of Maryland. -i:., ,-

f ersonaliy appealed before me, the subscriber, one of
tb« justices of the peace for the county aforesaid, Cor-
delia P^enington^ llVin^ in Frenehtown, and made oath
en the ftoly Evangelists of Almiglity God, that she saw
the British onllie 2^h <yf At^ri), 1613^ land on the wharf
ftf Ft'enehtoWQ and imm<&diately set fire to and burnt the
store hoiiee and fishery ; that on the British breaking
open the upper store house^ this deponent went down to
the store house and /solicited the commanding officer not
to burn the hmise ; ho replied that he caone for the pur-
pose of biirt^g the store houses, that they Were public
property ; that this deponent replied, the store houses
were prirate property and belonged to her brother ; the
officer said thete was public property in it and should l3lr
burnt, and ordeiied the house set on fire and burnt it with
«ll the goods th6y did not earry away.

Sworr* before me, the subscriber, the 12thday of Jure,
1813.

!»■«

'> ■• ! i

.'M

%^u

AJ^EXR. KIJ^KEAD.

• 1
7^ \

•> ♦

:l'i?>'|

■f*"*

.>'H

'id

' >

BVftBARrTIES OF

\ (u

Ccecil County ^ state of Maryland.

P-^rsonally appeared befor« me, the subscriber, one ol
the justices of the peace for the county aforesaid, Delia
PcQJngton, and made oath on the Holy Evangelists of Al-
mighty God, that she saw the Britisli, on (lie 29th of
Apnl, 1813, land on the M'harf at freuchtown and immr-
diately set fire toaqdburn down the store house and Ash
ery, that after the store liouse was on fire the marines
were marched up from the wharf, and at the lime of ptun-
dering and hurniog the upper store house the marines
were formed in the road opposite her mother's .house : the
olficers commanding the marines, who informed this depo^
uent lus name was Wyboiirne, said their orders were to
burn the s^age stable a(id destroy the stage coaches ; that
on this deponent's soliciting of him not to burn the sta-
bles and stages, the officer replied, the question they geiv
erally asked when they went tr y place was, how they
voted at the electSour, and enqui i of this deponeM if her
uncle meaning Mr. Henderson voted for the war.

Sworn before mo, the subscriber, this 12thday of Juji£»

1813. ..: ^ ..

•;''.i<*^. i'v^i^'

ALEXR. KIIfKEAD.

(■'""■' I do hereby cerl'V, that on the moriiing of the 6th of
May last, I was impressed at my bouse at Turner's creek,
by the British forces as they passed up the river Sassa-
fras to Frederick and George towns, and was forced' to
Accompany them to the above places. Op our way up
we were met by two malatto men in a batteau. Capt.
ByiDg (tlie name, I believe of the officer) in whose boat
I was, took a white hankerchief, fastened it on his espon*
toon, and was abont to enter the batteau with tlie negroes,
in order to proceed up the river to infonn the officer
commanding there, that if be %Fould not fire upon their
barges they would not destroy tlie town, when he was or-
dered by the admiral not to do so, who observed, '< that
he would only 'send the negroes with the message, that as
they were known to the people in the fort above he ex-
pected that tliey would believe what tliey told them." —
We were then opposite to Mr. Wicke's farm, which I
think must be about a mile below the fort, The batteau

i -H

'£

/THE ENEMTX if

With the negroes went tq i\w fort as directed and the Brit-
ish forces soon after followed. I was in the foremost boat
and continued in said boat until their return down the
liver after burning the towns, when I was landed on Mr.
Withered's shore and most positively declare that there
was no white flag ever hoisted in her or any of the other
boats to my knowledge, nor did I ever hear any of the
British officers or privates say they had ever hoisted a
flag, or that one ever had been fired on.

The Captain, on his return down the river* declared,
that-** if iie could catch Col. Yeazey, who commanded at
the fort above, he Would quarter him and give me part of
his quarter for steaks, for that the fire h*" had received
was one of Washington's rounds.**

I canH say positively what number of men they lost,
as they would only acknowledge five wounded, but think
they have sustained greater injury.

Given under my hand this Otb day of June, 1813.
^k JOHN STAVELY.

Subscribed and sworn to before,

SAMUEL BOTER..

I certify, that I waa at the battery on Penrce's Point
on the 6th of May, when a squadron of British barges vi-
sited Georgetown ; that I had a full view of all the bar-^
g^s until they got possession of the battery on the Coecil
Kiiore, and that I s&w no ^liite flag displayed iripm. eit|^r
of the barges. -i^-^^Wi -^t^-

..>.;.. .*^;. W. SPENCER.

JuncQlhy 1813.

!■•>.

■#.,-

We, the undersigned, certify, that on the Otb of May
iabt, at the time Admiral Cockburn with i considerable
armed force attacked and destroyed Frederick and
George towns, on Sassafras river, in the state of Mary-
land, were in or near the breast work below Fredericki
town, under the command of Col. Thomas W. Veazey.
From our position, we had a full and perfect view of[ the
enemy's hostile armament, and saw nothing with it, oc
preceded or followed it, that indicated or had tJbe ftp*

J V

BAli&ARlTI£S OF

pearance «f ^fiag eftnice, secording to tlie established'
U0B(!;e of civilised nations.

We understand a (Vag of truce to be amisaienfor « paci-
fic purpose, accompBi^ed by men without arma, and nn-
protected by a naval or military force.

The bar^s mored ap .the river in cloae and compact
order ; the leading boat, a few yards atiead of the rest,
said to be adtnfral Coclcbucn^, earrtad a edouftd flag,
and was escorted by not kss tfiao fifteen armed baigev
and fuH of armed men immediately ill Its rear, and evi-
dently kpiM'oaching in a menaehagp manner and wkh bos*
<ile intentioDS.
(liven under our hands tliis lOtli day of June, 1813.

Joshua Ward
J (Am W. Etherington
Oela F. Heath
John V. Price
Henry E. Coahnan
Samuel Dixon
Joshua Gvceuwoed
Ttobert H. Ma?nrell

.!«<

•'\'.

John Dufiby
John KtlieiingiMm
Moses N. Carson

His
Hezekiafa XDowlin

mark
cVames S. Friee
Elias See
Geoi^e Besstor

ijjfjfe-

Tw.-',

William Etherington
Joint lioltts.

We saw no fl^ of any description.

^..■f:

■;*>.C-

! fi.>

V Joseph Davis
' J William Rofeerts, Nicholas H T. Fnmife

* I)9nner Orks

t ^efihuk X Keudiick
..^ marK <■»•.?' • -

r ws

John >*i Goniy ^^v":':'^-i-:^ •':««?

. mark
State of Maryland,
Ccecil County,

On the loth day of June, Ano Domini 1813, persmi^
ally appeared each and every person whose osmes ar^
subscribed to th» foregoing certificate, befofe tlie «ubserl-
ber, a justice of the p«ace for the aounty ani state afore«
;»aid, and made oath m the Holy Evangelists of AlsifglR

his
Nicholas HT.

mark
Joshua- HolTnigtotft

his fi

Kathan X Fariowv

.. mark

'*-', > • 'A

■■-• V- ■■^f'-.

ss.

. I

THE ENEMY.

ty God, that the facts detailed in tlie fortgoin^ certlft€at«
are thie, to tlit? bcHt of their knowledge and belief.
. Sworn before H. B. ^ENINGTOK.

^^ I do hereby certify, that I was at the breast-werk nen
Fredericktown on the 0th ultimo, when the British came
lip the river kt theik* bari^rs, and iksA I did not see a flag
of tnice, OOP d» I believe titat (he commaiuiiiig oflicer at
the brcaat-werk knew or Eupposed there wae any atich
thing in or amoi^ the barges. As M^tRoe^ B>y hand this
hvelftbday of June, 1813.

JAMES SCANLAN.
Sworn to before the subBcribcr, a justice of the pence
forCoecil county, and atate of Mai^landi, liie day and
year above mentioDed.
i^' H. B. PENINGTON.

The depo^tion of Bichard Barnaby, of Frederick-
town, in CcDcil county, Maryland, aged about forty-eight
years, being duly sweqm^ depoeeth ami saitl^, that on the
inoming of the 6tb of May, after th« eogageracot took
piace at the fori below thiif town, that lie went a short
(liBtance out c^ town to sfe seme females to a place of
safety, and oji IrU return he met about twen^ of the Brit-
ish troops armed, commoBdied by an officer who observed
on meeting of htm, here is one of the damned rascals from
the fort, and then encjuired where the damned rascals
which were at the fort had run to, and ordered him to go
Mith him and shew tUtm to him ; the deponent olMervioiG;
he did not know where they were, thcx officer swore h«
was a liar, and drew his sword and ttu'eatene^ to kill
liim, one of the men presented a hfiyonot and another
drew a dii-k and swore if lie cfid not go lie would run if
through him ; he afterwards went with them ae far aa
captain Francis B. Chandler^s house, at which time Fran-
cis B. Chandler was going towards hia house, and on their
hearing some person call him captaibi» the oiffieer ordered
his men to take him ; the admiral coming np at the tinier
enqinred the reason (hat the he«se was not or fire. At- *
terwards this deponent returned to his owb house wi^ the
itdQiiral and requested of him not to have it set oq fire f

.■f'

BARBARITIES OF

the admiral promised it should not be burnt if he would
furmsh him wit'i thirty fowls, which he promised he,
irould do; he furnished them with about thirteen fowls ;
they then took away and destroyed nearly Cie whole of
his furniture which was in the house, and his provisions,
and left him.

Given under my hand this 12th June, 1813. ^

RICHARD B ARNABY. I

Sworn to aiid subscribed before me, a justice of the
peace for Coecil county, the day and year above written,

H. B. PEJ>fINGTOJNr.

'>.-«-.^ ■

The deposition of Francis B. Chandlear, of Freder-
ricktown, Coecil county, Maryland, aged about thirty-
^Au€ years, being duly sworn, deposes and saith, that on
the mornin^g of the 6th of ]\Iay last, just as he had re-
turned from the fort, he was standing near his house and.
saw a British party consisting of about ilfty person^, armed
and headed by an oiiicer, said to be a post-captain, running
up to bis house ; that he, this deponent, stepped upon the
steps of the house and requested the officer not to enter ;
that he caught him by the breast and called tiim a dam-
ned rascal and pulled him fiom oflf the steps, and ihca en-
tered the house with the whole of the party and gave
Ijiree cheers, and ordered the men to go to work and cal-
led for fire ; that they immediately commenced cutting;
the stair-case, window^ash and breaking the glass, and
set the house on fire in three places ; that at this time ad-
miral Cockburn arrived, and he, this deponent, begged
him to have the fire put out, until he would reason the
case with him, and the adanral asked him v.iiat he could
do ; if he could furnish thirty bullocks in half an hour ;
that if he could not the house shorJId be burnt, and ask-
ed him if he would try to get them — and upon this depon-
ent replying in the affirmative, ordered Ihe fire to be put
out for the pieseoi ; that he, this deponent, got upon hiu
horse and rode about half a mile, wh^n he fell in with
colonel Veazey and informed him what he was after, and
that the colonel told him to go back and iuforui the ad-
miral that he should not have them ; that he returned
9Qd informed the admiral of it, who then agreed liim what

THE E^^EiViy.

<A&e he couUl do, and if he had a good deal of poultry,
and upon replying yes, told him he must have it, and or-
i^e\'ei\ his men to catch i*. which was done and carried
off; Ihat then by the -great persuasion and entreaty of
ihis deponent's wife and sister, the house was ordered
not to be burnt ; but the sister of this deponent was much
abused by nne of their inferior ofljcers, for her exertions
in endeavoring to save the property; that this deponent
kad his ware-house burnt by them with a considerable
quantity of gcods in itj and that ?ir Iiiniself was a jpris-
oncr with them for ajp(/ut three houia. ^^ *^'i-»?

Given under my hand this 12th June, 1813.

FRANCIS B. CHANDLEAIl.

Swovn to ftnd eubscribed before me, a justice of the
peace for Ccecii county, the day and year above written.
f - ^ H. B, PENINGTON,

On this 12th day of June, ISIS, peffionaffy appeared
/Tonathan Greenwood, aged thirty years, and being first
sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, did d*!-
elare and say, that on the morning of the 6Ui of May Lst,
upon the landing of the British forces at Fredericktown,
where this deponent resides, an officer and two sailors
came to said deponent's house, and swore that if they had
not found him without arms, they would have thrust hira
through with their bayonets ; they then retired, fell in
with some other forces, which soon aft^jr came to depo-
nent's house, broke itQpen, took whntei'ei they conve-
niently could carry away, and destroyed the rest with
their cutlasses and dlrkf.. and burned it, with his dwell*
inf ^'ouse, store-house and kitchen. The officers appear-
ed lu be the most active in the destruction of hie proper-
ty. The houses in the town were soon after generally
set on fire and destroyed.

JONATHAN GREENWOOD.

Sworn to and subscribed before me, a justice of the
peace for Coecil county, on the day and year abme writ-
ten. H. B. PENNINvOTON.

The deposition of captain John Allen, of Frederick-
town, Coecil county, Maryland, aged about fift^-one

S;;

BARBARITIES OF

years, being duly sworn, deposetli and sajth, that on lli€
morning of the 6th • of May last, when the British forces
landed on the beach of Fredericktown and marched up
through the streets, they feli in with this deponent at liis
brother James Allen's house* The troops were headed
by tlie commanding officer, (admiral Cockburn, as this
deponent was informed by one of the men) and observed,
who the damnation are these thnt kept such a firing up-
on us ? are they regulars ? This deponent answdred no
— ^they are militia. He then asked where they were
gone, and was told he did not know f he then asked,
where are all the men of the town, and was- informed
they were moved out ; he saifl he had sent word to t!ie
shore, that if he Avas not fired upon he woulti not destroy
any property, and turned round and observed to a black
bay standing by, you black son of a bitch was one of the
persons I sent word by, which the boy denied. He then
ordered the men to go on and burn and destroy, which
they executed with fidelity, this deponent then beggc'i
the admiral to spare his Iwuse (meaninsc tte house of James
Allen) as his brother's wife was confined up stairs, in a
very delicate situation, with an infant only two days old.
He then ordered her to be cleared out; Mrs. M'Don-
n«h, his wife's mother, ran out clappHn^ her hands, and
begged for Coil's sake to ^pare her child, for if she
was removed her life would be lost. He then otdei^ed^
epare this house. He now marched oflf, aft<^r the men
bad been gone for some little time, and shortly after r«j
turned on horse-back. Tliis deponent then reqivested the
admiral to spare him one house ihat he might collf ct his
6aimily together in after it should pica^c Providence to re-
store peace between the two nations, He then directed
this deponent to get him some fowls, who infoi-med him
he had none ; he damnrd hiig, and asked if he could not
get them, and wss told no ; immediately aftorwanls a fire
was made in the store- house and consumed. Winlc
G«orge and Frederick towns were in flames, the admiral
in the presence of this deponent observed to his officers
— well, my lads, this looks w^ll — to which no reply was
made, and he cwdercd all hands on board the boats. That
tW? deponeftt s?w the British two ajad a half miles oflf,

THE ENEMY.

eftming vip, and saw no flag of tnice or any thing like it ;
that this deponent is of opinion the defence made by col-
onel Veazey and the men under his command was such
as to entitle them to much credit, and justified by every
circumstance within his knowledge, though JjimBelf and
brother are suffereri to nearly one half of the property
in Fredericktown- • :

JOHN ALLEN.
Sworn to and subscribed before me,- thi« 12th day of
Juae, 1833, a justice of the peace for Ccrcil county

X H. B. PENNINGTON.

The deposition of Joshua Ward, living aboul one mile
from Fredericktown in Cojcil county, aged forty-tour,
being duly sM'orn, deposeth and saith, that from the best
informatfon he could obtain from tliose persons that were
left at his house, that a party of British consisting of be-
tv, ei n ^nrty and forty men, commanded by an olTicar, said
to be a post-captain, on tlie 6th of May last, went to his
house and immediately plnced a guard round it, enquired
pavtirularly for him, and searched every part of the house,
swe.^ring they would sacrifice him; being disappointed in
finding me, ihfy then began to destroy the tables, chairs,
lookjug-glasses, Ac. wlien they had completed the de-
struction of sucii furniture as they couIg not take olF
with them, the eflficer himself took dowu a pair of hand-
some looking-glaBfes, others of the party took as much of
tile bedding, clothing, plate, window-curtains, &-c. as they
coidd conveniently carry with them ; my little boy's
clothes they carried off on the point of their bayonets ;
before they left the house they put powder in every room,
below stairs, an officer got fire himself from the kitchen,
and had it kimlled in the different rooms, and a bed put
in thecellar with a part of the broken chairs, tables, &c.
and a tire kindled : they then left the house, but contin-
««d in the jard until the fire was bursting from the win-
dows, and swore that if there waa an attempt to extinguish
iho fire they would put tlie person to death, that they in-
tended to reSurii and turn eyety thing on (be farm ; thejp

l'-

•J

>£.Mi

!>,.

BARBARITIES OF

fired at one of my sons not twelve years of age, as he was
driving off a flock of sheep.

JOSHUA WARD. 4^

Sworn to and subscribed before me, a justice of the

peace for Coecil ijountyv Maryland, this 14th JtiDC, 1813.

H. B. PENINGTON.

The deposition of Toilus Robetson, aged about thirty
har years, who did live Avithin about one mile from
Fredericktown in Coecil county, Maryland : This depo-
nent states that on the morniog of the 6th of May, he was
at the breastwork near Fredericktown, at the time the
British armament came up the Sassafras^ river ; that he
saw no flag of tnice; f^ at after the militia were obliged
to retreat he returned home, and in a very short time saw
a party of the British coming towards his house, and he
and his family left their house, except two black women
and a black man, who state that the British took the de-
ponent's household furniture, and piled it up in the yard
before the house door, and set them on fire, which com-
municated to the house and consumed it also ; the barn
which stood about one hundred yards from the house was
set on five and consumed. TWs deponent lost all his
household goods and provisions. He saw Fredericktown
in flames prrvious to his leaving his house, which alarmed
himself and family to that degree (hat he abandoned his
house for their safety. ■ i . ; •' .:•) •

Witness my hand.

TOILUS ROBETSOJV.

SMorn and subscribed to befoie the subj^criber, a jus
iUe of the peace for Coecil county, Marylari<l, this 14th
day of June, 1813.

H. B. PENINGTON.

The deposition of Moses N. Cannon, aged about thir-
ty-two, who liv?8 within about one half niiir ot F<;edM
icktown in Cflecil county, Maryland : Tldu deponent
stntrs that he was Bt thebreast-worknear Frederick town
on the Hth of May last, when the British armament came
up tlu' Sassafras river, that he saw no flag of truce ; that
allvf the militia were obliged to retYvat, he returned

THE ENElVh".

home, and was occupied in turning horses out of his wlieat
field, when a party of the British came to his house, he
rode up to them, and they informed Jiim Ihat he Avas their
prisoner ; and on his observing tliat he was in their pow-
er, they inquired of him if he had any thing io drink, and
he ansvrcring in the negative, they toidhim they had got
something to eat, and asked him if he wanted liis house
burnt, and he answering inllienegalive, thej"^ told him to
go tiK'n to the captain, that he was in the house and
would set lire to it ; and on his going towards the house
he met the person Avhom they called the captain with an-
other person with him, loaded with his, this deponent's^
bedclothes, a pair boots, and a number of other articles,
carrying them towards his men, who were formed outside
the yard, at the time an officer on horseback rode up and
inquired of the deponent where the damred militia were ;
he observed to him they had reti-eated, pointing at the
ai.mt time towards a vrood, he observed he must burn the
deponent's house, and op the deponent expostulating
with him, and st:\ting the di*advantygc he would labor
under in case his house was burnt, he then inquired of
him tlie roatl to the mouth of Elk river, and if he, the
officer, could march his men theie, and the deponent ob-
served that his government would not ptrniit him to give
him aiy instructions ; and the officer observed he knew
that as well as the deponent, but that he raiglit trust a Brit-
ish officer, and smiled, and turned his liorse and order'^d
his men to march, anddiey Aveut ofT without burnh)g the
house or asking any more quesstious. The deponent tisen
went to a neighboring house to see about a part of his
family, and on his return back towards his house, he was
lived on by a party of the British stationed in the public
road, about one hundrxjd and fifty yards from t!ie depo-
nent's house ; he llni? retreated across the field, and
Bhiiidoiled his house ; he saw after riding from tht par-
iy u||o /iM'd (m him, a party going towards his house,
who, %A he ►uppoijps, drstroyedor took awny the residue
(A' h& household goods, tttvi broke the \>indow glass, sa^h,
doors^ and did coasid(u«W ; <Uf»(»^»'' to Iiis house. J'>ea

■^

-I ■' (1

^»^n

BARBARITIES OF

IP .<

(.'licktowD was on fire about tlie time the fiist pdrty -of
the British came to the deponeot's house.

'f^: Witness my hand,

.^: ^ MOSES N. CANNON.

Sworn to an d subsciibed before me, a justice of the
peace for Ccecil count/, Maryland, this fourteenth day of
.June, 1813. ■>^u-v^.^iS- j?s\ -^^ . ■ , .,

" ^igM' H, B. PENNINGTON. .,

I do hereby certify, that being in the fort at Fredrkk-
town Oil Sassafras river, on tlie morning of the sixth of
May last, when a battle took place with the British and
the militia under the command of colonel Thoniae W.
Veazy, I distinctly saw the enemy from Wv. time they
first came in view, and discerned no (lag of truce or any
thing resembling one. The enenay after some, resistance
landed, burned Frederick and GeorgctoAyns, and destroy-
ed a great deal of other private property. My house
about eight miles on the river from the fort, was plunder-
ed by tlitm on their way dowd the river.

JNO. T. VEAZY.

Sassafras neck, Ciiecil cmmty, June 28</t, 1813.
Sworn before H.B.PENNINGTON.

[Here follows, in the printed volume of documents, a
statement of tlie g[>ecics, quantity and valuation of pro-
perty, burnt or otherwise destroyed or taken away, by
ilieeiRiny at Fredtricktowu and Georgetown, the amount
of ^vlilch is —

At Fiedericktown Do/i. 15,871 07

AtCw^ttpwa 19,755 81

Total burnt and destroyed or taken off 35,626 88
[This- statenjent is signed nud authenticated by Messrs.
^fohn J. Cox, John Maxuill and James Black is»ton.]

Easttrnshore, Maryland.
SIR — Multiplied rngnjfc mints and forgetfulr.ets euc-
ctedir.g each other, Imve prevented my forwai;fling to
you tliis Etalenif nt of the depredations committed on my
propf riy at bhaip's Island, by thi; enemy while in the
Cijfi-.njKHke. On the 12th of April, while I Aras in the
visi of rfsiiining \wy stock, &;c. they lauded upwalds of au

'^■tfc^tJf"

THE EJNTEMY.

Iiuudrctl men and preventied my removing nny thm«r. They
detained me on tiie island until tlie 17tb, in vliicli time
they were principally engaged in getting water. Dech-
ratioDB were made by admiral Warren and the other offi-
cers, (hat every thing of the stock or grain kind, taken,
away should be paid for, at a fair price. Adnsiral Cock^
burn was, I was informed, at this time sent up the bay
with the advance detachriient of the fleet. Admiral War-
ren's ship and a few tenders only remained, about the isl-
and. At that time they took twenty-eight hogs, four sheep,
twelve cattle, thirteen bushels of Indian corn, and info.ini-
cd me that they should allow the folio wing prices fcr tiieni :
hogs, two dolars and fifty cents ; theep, two dollars and
fifty cents; cattle, thirteen dollars a piece ; corn, one dol-
lar per bushel. On my return to the island sense weeks
afterwards, the accounts were made out, to the amount
of two hundred and forty-seven dollars, bills on their go-
vernment taken for the anaount, except about lift} -four dol-
lars in specie. Before I returned to tlie island, the flcrt had
all gone down the bay. I understood fr«m the inhabi-
tantSj living in sight of the island, that the enemy had paid
the island another visit and had made a general sweep of
the stock. On my arrival at the island 1 fcund it too trur .
They had taken all my sheep, in number cinety-one; six-
ty-live of Avhich were one-half and three-fourtl»6 blood me-
rinos, and one full blood ram, which cost me niiicty-five
dollars, eighteen head of cattle and about twenty feogfc'.
They left a bill on llieir p;ovcrnment for cnc hundred and
thirty-three «!oliars and caih to the cmcimt of forty. TL( y
took all the poultry, shot in a wanton manner one of the
finest boars which this countrr could produce, and which
was much admired by admiral Wairen fdr his unccmmoTn
beauty Pjid breed, and who forbid, as a favour to jne, that
he should be disturbed. They bayoneted others', which
they left wounded, and which wouhl have been k:t, had
np' overseer not saved a part by killing them. They left
nothing for the sheep only a promfee of two dc^llars per
head. I have estimated my loss, arising pruicipall) from
this last visit, at twelve hundred and three doUarSj as will
appear by -the following statement :

BARBARITIES OF

[Here follows a, detailed statement of the value of ttic
irticles taken.]

I will give ttiose prices to any person who will reinstall
the same number of stock and Icioe, at the close of the
■war, or deliver them at any of my farms, the ram exceptp
ed, as I have raised ©thers of the same kind. The injury
done me by breaking up the flock of shetp is far beyond
Uie piices stated, as they cannot be reinstated for several
years. The destruction of the ram was a wanton outrage,
as he was not fit to be eaten. He was bayoneted, and I
believe left on the islaad. This I prcstime was aimed at
our manuiactures.

There will be a loss of at least 20 per cent, upon the

bills if sold here, an«l probably a total loss if I wait for

the British government to pay them. Add this to the a-

inoUQt above given, makes the total loss 1,203 dollars.—-

Vour friend and servant,

, ^ ^ - ^ ^; V JACOB GIBSON.

; MarengOf Idth Juli/i 1312^ .
James Nabbt esq, near Easton.

Talbot county, set
On the 20th July, 1813, came Jacob Gibson, esq. before
me, one of the justices of the peace for the state of Mary-
laod, and for Talbot county aforesaid and made oath
on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, that what
is contained in tlie within instrument of writing, is just
and trite, as stated, as near as he can ascertain.
•"•^■'"/:.-? ■>^.^:-^.l>>.L:V-^^i^^^'; Wm. HARRISON.
(Cepy.)

U. States^ frigate Adams, July 24, 1813.
Sir — 'I have the honor to enclose the copy of a letter
from lieutenant Read, giving the particulars of the loss cf
the schooner Asp, and the inhuman conduct of thp enemy
to her commander, Mr. Segourney. Another letter from
lieutenant Read of the same date, mentions that no part of
tlie enemy's force were then above Blackstone's isLinf).
He farther states, that in their attempts to land on the
Virginia shore, they have been invariably repulsed.
Very respectfully, &c.

C. MORRIS.
Hon. Wm. J ones ^ secretary of the navy^ Washington*
(Copy.) " '

THE ENEMY.

20-

/ ^i ^, • .1:^ .United Stale's cutler Scorpion. ;^
1.1 : 5 r-. X, Potomac^ July 23(1, 'iBl3, ^

Sir — it is with much pain I have to inform you of the
death of poor Segourney, who was killed a few days ago
(I cannot say when) gallantly defending his vessel. He
was attacked whilst lying in Kinsale creek, by three
launches, and after a sharp contest beat them off. They
liowevert on gaining the mouth of the creek were reinforc-
ed by two uiore, and again renewed the conflict. About
this time Mr. Segoumey got wounded through the body.
The crew on seeing him fall, having no officer capable of
leading them, jumped overboard and gained the shore ;
when the enemy, who by this time succeeded in getting
on board finding the colors still flying and Segourney sit-
ting up, barbarously knocked his brains put with the but
end of a musket.

At the commencement of the action, Mr, Segourney
thinking them too strong for him, had ran the schooner on
shore, in which situation the enemy found her, and not be-
ing able to get her off, set her on fire. The militia, how-
ever, (who must have been slow in collecting) by this time
got down and beat them off, retook the schoener and ex-
tinguished the flames.

They have since buried Mr, Segouraey with the hon-
ors of war.

I have not heard any thing of the crew.
I am, sir, very respectfully,

GEORGE C. READ.
Captain Charles Morris, U, States^ frigate Adams.

. P. S. All this I have from authority which cannot be
doubted. .■ > .

Extract of a letter from midshipman II. M. M'-ClhUock,
dated Kinsale, July 1 9(/(y 1 8 1 3, to the secretary of the
navy department.

We were attacked by five boats ; we continued do-
ing the same as before, but having so few men we were
unable to repel the enemy ; when they boarded us they
refused giving any quarters ; there were upwards of
fifty men on our decks, which compelled us to leave

BARBARITIES OF

the vessel, as the enemy had poesession p they put her en
fire and retreated."

Extract vf a lettit frcm John Tubtrvillf, majer of the 2d

brisra(i\ ^^\^h regiment of the Virginia milHia, dated

Kinsa^e, July 20th, 1813.

" I arrived myself at the place of capture before the
colors were lowered, and am confident that, even at that
time, their numbers amounting to between sixty and sev-
enty, might have been reduced one half, before they could
make their escape, could I have commanded twenty dec
termined men. The gallant commandant fell before the
enemy boarded him, by a bnll which parsed through his
body, but continued to fight till the last ey.treroity. "When
there were forty or fifty of the enemy on deck, one of the
schooner's crew a&ked for quarters, nhich was denied
hiff). At this instant, the few men remaining made their
escape by swimming to the eliore, and Mr. Sc^ourhey
was instantly shot through the head. The vessel yas
shortly set on fire and the barges rowed off. Jhe offi-
cers fonght bravely, and Mr. M'Clintock defended the
vessel with much credit to himself, afler the command-
ing officer was wounded."

Hoti. JVm. Jqucs, secretary of the nai'j/, Washington.

'(Copy)

• ■ ''' ' ■ Ntnhern, July 19, 1813.
Sir — On Sunday night tTie llih instant, an Euglibh
fleet consisting of one seventy-four, three frigatrs, one
Brig and three schooners, anchdred about one rfiilte fiom
Ocracoke bar ; about day-break we were informed of it
on Portsmouth, by persons froni Ocracoke. I imme-
diately got up. and ordered the cutter to get und^B way,
and run up to Newbern aod give the alarm, which she
did, but made a very narrow escape from the barges, as
fche was obliged to beat over the swash against wind and
tide, while they could ro*w a straight course. 1 believe
admiral Cockburn intended to have visited Newbern for
the pni'pose of robbing the bankis, but was prevented by
the cutter making her escape to give the alarm : indeed
he said such was his iutentiou, and was much exasperat-
etl because the barges did not take h.er. I believe there

THE ENEMY.

was as mnny as twenty-five bai^^ee that crossed the bar,
and I think there ctmld not have been less than three
thousand rejE^ulars, marines and sailors, in thrm : they
captured the privateer brig Anaconda, of New- York, and
the letter of marque schooner Athens, of rhiladelphi?,
both fast sailing vessels; ihey then landed on Portsmouth
and Ocracoke, and such a cmel, wanton destruction of
properly was scarcely ever witnessed ; they broke in pie-
ces almost evey species of furniture, cut open beds, and
scattered the feathers, and even cait-ied their villainy to
such a length as to rob many women of their children's
clothes without leaving them a second suit to their back?.
The officers pretended there should be no depredations
committed, and when complaints were made to them they
would say, '* point out the fellow and he shall be correct-
ed,'* well knowing it was impossible to identify any one of
them, among such a number of strangers. They took off
the two places two hundred cattle, four hundred sheep,
aud sixteen hun<lred fowls, for which they pretended to
pay the inhabitants, some of whom I believe received
more thad compensation, and others received nothing : in
siiort they have ruinrd atmobt all on the places. 1 had.
time to send my trunk with what bonds and money there
are Ijelonjring to the 'ited States, on board the cutter
whi^ h escaped ; I also md time fo bring a few of the most
valuable papers belonging to the ofllee ; it is well I did, for
they destroyed my office entirely, tverj paper in it, both
public and private ; they destroyed' my library and all oth-
»r property of mint they could find, about' eight hundred,
dollars worth ; and tii^'n sent me on: board the seventy-
four where they detained me two days, until they bad
embarked and were ready to sail. I was on shore twa
days before they discovered 1 was a public officer; T
presume they sent me on board to prevent observation..
After thi y > i kept me until they were ready to start,
they turnrij <\ie adrift in the oc^an inr a smalt boat with
four Spai • .^3, not one of whom waH-acqnainted with the
bar more than myself, in consequence of which we got in-
to the breakers and very narrowly eiscapcd being lost ; all
these things were transacted under the direction of the
humaoe admiral Cockbura. I believe, firom the touytti-

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0 Ifiai

I.I

2.5

■^ 1^ 1 2.2

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1.8

IL25 IIIIII.4 III 1.6

Phol

Sciances
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, r4.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

1^^

• •;v-'%v

BARBARITIES OF

sation I overheard, that thej intend to visit Beaufort, then
Wilmington, and so on to the southward..
• My returns shall be made as soon as I can get what re-
mains in some kind of order.

Very respectfully, -,,

THOS. S. SINGLETON, Co^ ;;
Han. Wm. Jonesy acting secretary (^ the treasury, ^
■' — ^— . ^ ^^,

On the morning of the 3d May, the day the British un-
der command of admiral Cockbum made the attack on
the town of Havre-de-Grace, on my return from the com-
mons where I had deposited some ammunition, I observ-
ed an o0icer on the horse of Mr. James Wood of this
place, a few paces in a S. W. direction of the church. At
fii'st sight I was of opinion it was one of our officers, which
I thought to be adjutant MKuma, having heard but afe«/
moments before the voice of John O'Neill crying out in
words to this effect, " nieu return, we can beat the rascals
off." I was however deceived, as this officer was the per-
son who took O'Neill prisoner while in the act of entreat--
ing the militia to return. Not knowing at what time
O'Neill was taken by him, I advanced in a direction to-
wards the church on my way to the magazine, to assist
in carrying off more ammunition, when I discovered in
the front of the church a file of marines. To the best of
my recollection I was then at a distance of from 100 to
150 yards from the officer on horse-back, and I think a-
foout the same from three militia-men, when this officer
(said to be a lieutenant Westfall) with a drawn sword in
his band, it being the only fiag he carried, cried cut two
or three ttmes, " will you surrender ?" one of the militia-
men made answer, but what it was I could not distinctly
hear, and immediately fired on him, and it is said wound-
ed him in the hand. Finding it impossible to reach the
magazine, the marines then being round the church, which
was contiguous to it, I bent my course towards Mr. Sears^
tavern in hopes of finding some of the British officers there,
and by intreaty to save some of the private property,
which I was fearful would be destroyed. On reaching
Mr. Sears' sign-post« \ found the first division of boats had
just reached the wharf, and two large gtins were fired^

THE E]srEM%

4>oe of M'lich threw a ball ok the roof and knocked oil
some shingles ; the firing then ceased, when two other gen-
tlemen \>Ah nijself advanced on the whatf ami asked fol|
the commander of that division of boats. Aperson whom.
I supposed to be a midshipman from his appearance, an**
swcred " captdn Lawrence will be here directly ;'* he
then asked a number of questions, such as, have you any
news-papers, how many militia have you and where are
they stationed, where is your.post-ofEce, &c. &c, to all of
which we carefully avoided giving any direct anwer.
Some of the barges tiicn warped up along side of the wharf,
when i thought it most prudent to leave them, being
fearful that I should be made a prisoner. I then walk-
ed up towards the ferry-house, followed by ihe two gen-*
tlemen who went with me on the wharf ; we were met by
an officer who imediately ordered us back. After reacht
ing the lower end uf the w^iarf the midsipmau before meo-
tioced said — sir, this is captain Lawrence, pointing to the
officer. Lawrence then addressed us in words to this a-
roount, " what have you got to say for yourselves ; where
IS your mayor or chief magistrate ?" He was told we had
no mayor, and there was no magistrate in the place. He
then asked, " are you prepared to ransom the town ?" I
asked him what sum he demanded; he said about 20,000
dollars. We told him no such sum could be raised. " Why
then," he replied, *' did you fire on us ? had you not done
that, and hung out a flag we would have treated you bet-
ter." I then asked him what was their intention in comp
ing, and in what manner they would have acted had a flag
been hung out on their approach. To the first question
he ga^ve no answer but after a short pause observed, '^about
cne half the sum now demanded would have been taken."
He was then told, small as that might appear to him U
could not have been raised. Then, says he turning hast-
ily round, " in three quarters of an hcur y cur town shall
be in flames; you shall now feel the effects of war." The
said captain Lawrence then went into the tavern of Mrs.
Sears and with two or three men brought out a bale or
box of goods (which was said to have boen lodged there
the night before, belonging to a lady in Georgetown) and
placed it A few paces in frcut of the houee ; another oiEcer

!*';. 'I

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f 7 1

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§4

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BAEBARITIES OF

out

(name unlctiowo) entered aftenraivis and' brought out 8
second box, and placed it near the ilr^t. Captain Law-
rence then turned to him and said, " sir, I have placed
a guard here, we must now attend to other business ; we
will see to this,*^ pointing to the goods, '^ to-night." The
erder to fire the houses was then given, and captun Law-
rence walked down street and entered the store of S. Hogg
and Co. the door of which had been previously broken
open, and a few men were in the act of taking off wear-
ing apparel, &c. others had got to the countlug-room desk
in search of money, scattering the papers, &e. en the fijcer.
The shameful act of pilfering the goods was however re-
served for the redoubtable captain La^vreoce; he it was
who first began the shameful scene, so disgraceful to an
officer, by taking down knives, forks, &c. saying, " ha !
Hie very things we want," and turning rcuud called in a
l^sfa set of plunderers and said, " boys, here, is fine plun-
der :" the men did not wait a second irivitation ; tut set
in with their worthy leader, and in a Ebort time emptied
the store, excepting some articles which were of little
value.

Wra. T. KILLPATRICK.

; , P. S. When I found that capiain Lawrence ordered
his m^n in the store and gave the order of plunder, I re-
monstrated with him on tne impropriety of such proceed-
in/^, and observed that with civilized nations at war priv-
ate property had always been respected. He replied in
a hasty manner, *' you ought to be more particular in your
choice of representatives ; you wanted war and you shall
now feel the eflTects." W. T.*K.

Sworn to, this twenty-fifth day of June, 1813, before""*

ELI.TAH DAVIS.

Personally came James Wood of Ha vre-de- Grace, be-
fore me the subscriber, one of the justices of the peace for
Harford county, and made oath accorduig to law ; tha
on Monday morning the 3d of May, 1813, between day-
light and sunrise, as he was riding in the town of Havre-
de-(jrace he discovered some men in the act of hauling
up the shore a piece of artillery that had been mounted
on the battery, and from their dress and the dullness of

' ; •■'■ '

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.i^5,>?^;'-.

, THE ENEMY,

J9$

;tv:

the morning he took them to be Amencans, nor did h& dis-
cover his mistake until he was made prisoner and compell-
ed to dismount ; upon which the officer commanding the
l^ritish immediately mounted his horse. A short period
after, he was ordered on board of a barge in company with
some other prisoners, which barge was moved up to Mrs.
Sear-8 wharf in company with other baizes. Some short
time after lie discovered a house at some distance from the
water to be on fire, which excited some surprise (the house
belonged t# Mr. John Tucker) he observed to the cock-
swain of the boat, there was a house on fire, asked if he did
not suppose it to be set on fire by a rocket ; he replied,
" perhaps it might ;" directly after, I saw the Britbh
kindling a fire in the yard of Mrs. Sears, and asked them
for what that was intended ; the cockswain answered to
set that house on fire ; I then asked them, why you are
not going to burn tlie building ! The repJy from an offi-
cer on board the same barge (and who I believe had Qgt
been on shore) was " yen, sir, we shall lay your town in
ashes :" and in a few minutes I saw a general conflagra-
tion of the greater part of the best buildings, during Uie
time I remained on board, which was until a very short
time before they left the place. I «aw the officers as well
as the men in small squads bringing on board^the barges as
they lay at the yshBiI pbtmkred property of almost every
description, and jiepositing it ; during the time an officer ^
brought on board a large trunk or box, and calling to on^
of the men said" I will give you two dollars to take tare of
this for me ; this is my own plunder ; this was a stage
passenger's property, and therefore i» mine.** He further
declares that he has no knowledge of any flag of truce be-
ing held out by the British, nor does he believe there was
any.
I JAMES WOOD.

Sworn to, this twenty-fifth day of June, 1813, before*
"l^,: ELISHADAVIS.

-U-

i '!

Personally came Koxana Moore, before me the subscri- '■
; ber, one of the justices of Harford county, of Maryland,

and made oath according to Jaw ; thait on Monday morn- -
[^ Ing the 3d of May, in consequence of firing of the Bptipb '

■.■.•).5.::'.'t!

,.\

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s ■■'-,•- ■

BARBARITIES OF

-r:ti^:-

l-.»

into the town of Havre-de-Grace I fled for safety (my
Imsbind being from home) -into the cellar of the house in
which I lived ; that upon the ftring having stopt, I came
tip, and meeting an officer on horseback, and who was
wounded in the hand, I applied to him for protection, fear-
ing injury from some of the men. He replied, " I will not
-hurt you nor shall my men, butl will burn your house."
; I answered hira I could n;>t get out of it with my little
4?hildren. He replied " tji^u I will burnyou|' house Avith
, you and your children in it.'* They procHded a little
further, and after having set fire to my neighbor Richard
Mansfield's tavern house, a number of them returned and
^feegan to pillage and plunder. They took the whole
■of my bed clothes, ray own clothes, and all ray
children's, even tt. my youngest child's, a baby not two
V Months old, together with my cradle fumiture. Upon
; my soliciting tlrera to spare me some few things, one re-
'i>lied^ I will take every thing I can, its what we came
i'lbr," and immediately seized a shawl from around my
,' neck, and which was at that time nearly all the covering
'my little baby, whom I held in ray arms had, and carried
it away ; they more than once put fire to the house, but
'from the exertions of some of my neighbovs it was as often
yut out.

She further declares that she never saw any flag of truce
held out by the British, rior docs she believe there was
' any.

ROXANA MOORE.
Swornio this twenty-fifth day of June, 1613, before
* ELIJAH DAVIS.

Personally came Rfchard Mansfield, a citizen of Ilav*

' te-de-Orace, before the subscriber, one of the justices of

the peace for Harford county, Maryland, and made ORth

-according to law ; that on Monday morning, the third of

May, ldl3, being in his own house about sunrise and

viewing the British barges as they came up the river,

'they keeping up a continual firing into the town until

* they reached Mrs. Sears' wharf, bein» about two hundred

^* yards below this deponent's, #hcn the firing ceased ; they

' IheDlafided^-aad as well a^ he could discover) at the dis^

,■(■

THE ENEMY.

i)7

tftnce from i\hich he stoofl, iTamecUateljr launched a twen-
ty-four pounder on board a ferry boat, which bilged her,
as she began to 8ett4e in the water as soon as they moved
her out, and in a few minutes went dcwn ; during this
time, two of the barges kept moring slowly up towards
this deponent's, and as soon as (hey iiad landed, a petty
©ITicer ran to this deponent's ferry boat end called out--^
" there is nothing in her ;" " cast lier off," was the reply,
^hich was instantly done. This deponent and his son
being at this time on the wharf, discovered a British offi-
cer on horseback with several men at his heels, making to
his house," upon which he returned and met them a few
yards in front of his house. This ofTroer whose name this
<Ieponent since learned was Lieutenant Westfall, and who
was wounded through the hand, immediately ordered the
house to be set on fire. This depbnent remonstrated a-
gainst such procedure, urging its being unprecedented
among civilised nations at Mar, to burn and destroy pri-
vate property : that when nations were at war all public
property became fair objects of destruction, but that pri-
vate property had heretofore been respected, except such
as might unfortunately be injured by the usual and cus-
tomary mode ofwarfai-e, or tliat might be taken as provi-
sions. His reply wa« " by G — d it should be burnt."—
This depoitcnt and a Mr. King who came with the offi-
cer, solicited for the moveable property that wa^ in the
house, it being furniture, «tating to him that thai was tht;
deponent's only dependence, and was all he had. He re-
plied generally, by ordering ills men to burn. Durii^
this conversation the men were in t^e house, breaking
and destroying every thing Ijcfore him. Mr. King then
begged the officer for one hour, saying that . whatei^er,
could not be saved in that time might go. The officer's '
reply was, " one hour, no by G — 4, not five minutes ;
hum that house." Immediately they commenced, and
had the dwelling house on fire in four different places in
a few minutes. The deponent, with Mr. King, continued
to solicit for permission to save some furniture ; after
some time, Lieut Westfall observed " you may save
wliat you car^, snd what you can save shall npl be di?-

I *''

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^ BAIIBAIIITIES OF

turbed." Exertions vrere then mad6 by Ihis depone ut,
his son, and Mr. King, to save from the devouring flames
ivhich proved successful for a short time ; but a few min-
utes convinced us-what liltle dependence was to be placed
on the word of a British officer, as the men, aided by offi-
cers, carried off what iiad been by great exertions and
considerable risk saved from the flames. The enemy
had been busily employed breaking, def troy inp, and car-
rying away, until the flames got to such a height as to
reader it unsafe to go witiiin the walls. They tnen com-
menced upon such property as this deponent had saved,
carrying oft' every portable article, until their barges
were stowed ; ripping up beds, throwing t!ie feathers to
the air, cutting up chairs, breaking opien desks, <fec. &c.
The officer who made the attack 091 a Walnut desk, refus-
ed to have it unlocked, but after breaking open the lid
discovered the inner door, exuHingly exclaimed, ah ! I
am used to such things, tiri, t am acquainted with opening
d|%ks — or some espression to that dtnount ; and immedi-
ately broke open and continued his search as if for mc-
aeyk— After having destroyed and carried off nearly the
whole of this deponent's property, and seeing the build*
inds burnt down, they moved down to Mrs. Scare' wharf,
and joined the other barges. This deponent was then adv'ed
by Eome of his friends to apply to some of the officers, and
endeavour to get some of his property back ; which he
did, but foiund such obstacles in the way that, after getting
s looking glass and some two or]|three articles of small val-
ue, be gave it up. But npon meeting the admiral in person
he renewed his application, and after some time was di-
rected to go on board and get what he could. This de-
ponent then stated the impossibility of succeeding without
an officer to accumpany him. — An officer i^as sent — but
after repeated attemptB to get some of his property he was
from the abuse and threats of being' run through with
ai sword from an tofficer of maiinrs, for claiming h's
property. Compelled to decline any further exertions af-
ter getting another looking glass, and a fcfW more very
trifling articles.

This deponent's observations being confined to his
own house arid its immediate neighborhood, which was

:ir;;

'^•

THE ENEMl.

<-^

Vi'

<it the upper end of the village, he was not an eyo»Avit-
ness to their stvage like conduct generally. In one
dwelliog house and grocery store, the property of Mr»
George Bartoll, which stood a few rods below, ^nd in
front of this depouenCs, he saw the enemy plundering, and
breaking every thing to pieces, and indeed by setting i
on fire and burning it down. A number of houses wa
set on fire that were not consumed. A number they on-
ly robbed and broke the doors and windows. Among the
latter was the churchy in which not one solitary window-
was left whole. During the time this deponent was on
Mv. Scars' wharf and on board the barges liQ solicited for
the prisoners, citizens of the town, to be set at liberty--'
naming those thai he iiaunediately saw and knew. Among
which was James Sears, a youth of about seve^'cen, and
John O'Neil a naturalized- Irishman — both of which
in the most positive manner was refused. And as soon ajs
O'Near sname was mentioned, the ofilcer to whom the ap*
plicatioqi was made replied. No — swearing he w(Hild have
O'Neal hung if he could.' O'Neal ^as since been dis-
chpirged on parole. Thi^ deponent declares he has np
%nowledge of any flag of truce being sent by the British
nor does he believe there was any.

R. MANSFIELD.2^
J Sworn to this twenty -fifth day of June, 1813, before

ELIJAH DAVIS.

. .1:

: "^ ■^':.

-«,■?«¥•■?=''>■,

No. VIII.

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OUTRAGES AT UAIVirTON.

Sxtractefa leUcr from General Taylor to Admiral
Warren, dated Head Quarters, Norfolk, 2Qth June,
1813.

" I have heard with grief and astonishment of the ex-
cesses, both to property and persons, committed by the
land troops, who took possession of Hampton. — The res-
pect I entertain for your personal character leads me to
make known these excesses. It would not become me t«

■\:

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JBAHBARITIMS OF

suggest what course of enquiry and puciisljmcnt is due to
Ihe honor of your arms, — But the world will suppoiie those
acts to have been approved, if not excited, Avhich are pass-
ed, over with impunity. I do not however deprecate
ii:\\y measurts which you may think necessary or proper
~rbut am prepared for any species of warfare, whii:h you
may be displayed to prosecute. It is for the sake of hu-
manity I enter this protest.

" We are in this part of the conutry merely in the no-
viciate cf our Avarfure. The chaructor it wilt hereafter
assume, whether of mildness or ferocity, will materiall):
depend on Ibc first operations of ovtx arms and on the perw
sonal character and dispositions of the respective com-
manders. For myself, I assure you most solemnly, tiiat
I neitltc^ have aitthorized, nor will sanction any outrage
on humaoity cr the laws of civilized warfare. On the
contrary, I thibk it due no less to my personal honorvthac
to that of my country, to repress and punish every cxcees,
I hope that these sentiments will be reciprocated. It will
depend on you wh^ether the evils insicparable from a state
of war, shall in our operations, be tempered by the mild-
ness of civilized life, or under your authofity be agf;ra<-
vatedby all the fiendlike passions which can be infilled
into them.'* ;;; :r. : ■<-.. ■ .v'-' <• ^ ,

Admiral Warren to General Taylor.

Uis Britannic Majesty's ship San Dotningo^ Hampton
Roadsy Chesapeake Bay^ June 29, 1813.

Sir, I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of this day, stathig that you had communicated U^ your
government the proposal of an exchange of prisoners, and
also that some excesses had been committed by the troops
ijp the late alFair at Hampton. I have commuicated to
my friend, sir Sidney Beckwith, the commander of his
majesty's forces on shore, this part of your letter, and he
will^have the honor of writing to you upon the points to
which it alludcB.

' I. beg leave to assure you that it is my wish to allevi-
ate the misfortunes of the war commenced against my
country, by every means in my power ^ at the same lime

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t >.■-

(-'■

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d ^ \ THE ENEMY.

101

I ftm prepared to meet any result that may ensue between
the two oatioDS.

I have the lienor to be, &c.
(Signed) JOHN B. WARREN,

Admiral of the blue, and commander in chief.
' Brigadier Oenernl Taylor, commanding the United
States forces at Hampton.

A true co^.— JAMES MAUR;ICE, Major, acting
v) assistant Adjutant General. . s

Sir Sidney Becktvith to General Taylor,
■■ His Majesty's ship San Domingo.

June 29, 1813

Sir — Admiral sir John Warren having communicated
to me the contents of your letter, I lose uo time in assur-
ing you, that your wish cannot exceed mine to carry on
war with every attention to the unfortuntae Jodividuals, in
whose immediate vicinity military operations may take
place. In this spirit I shall vie with you to the utmost.
At the same time I ought to state to you, that the excesses
of which you complain at Hampton were occasioned by a
proceeding of so extraordinar;' a nature, that if I had not
been an eye witness, I could not have credited '♦ At
the recent attempt on Craney Island, the troops in a jargc
sunk by the (ire of your guns clung to the.wreck of the
boat. Several Americans, I assure yon most solemnly,
winded off from the island, and in presence of all, engaged,
iired upon, and sliot these poor fellows. With a feeling
natural to such a proceeding the men of that corps landed
at Hampton.

- That occurrences of that kind may never occur again ,
and that the troops of each nation may be guided by
sentiments of honor and humanity- is the earnest wish of

yours, &c.
^ (Signed) . SIDNEY BECKWITH,

\ Quarter Master General.

Brigadier General Taylor, commanding the United
States, troops at Norfolk.

, A true cojjy.— JAMES MAURICE Major,
acting assistant Adjutaoit Geoeral.

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102 ^ • > ;f BARBARITIES OF ^:;

ffcflrf Qwarffr*, 2V(W/o/Ar, J«(j/ 1, 1813.
Sir — It afTorda me llie highest satisfaction to receive
your assurance that you wish " to carry on war with ev-
ery attention to the unfortunate individuals in whose im-
mediate vicinity military operations may take place." —
Such sentiments can alone gi%'e splendor to courage and
confer honor on military skill. Worthless is the laurel
steeped iq feniuile tears, and joyless the conquest which
have iaiflicte4 (icedlcss woe on the peaceful and unresist-
ing. The franki^ess with which you admit the excesses
at Hamptoii is a guarantee against the repetition. ^
I canoot doubt, sir, your conviction that the scene des-

■ cribed by you at Craucyjsland was really acted. But
by the very reason it appeared to you incredible and in-

' human, it should have been unauthorised. Your own
preceptioEi of propriety shall decide, if facts should not
haveJbeeu ascertained and redress demanded, before retat-
iatioQ w«s resorted to, a retaliation too extravagant in its
measure, applying not to the perpetrators of the alleged
olTcnce on their comrades, but to the innocent and help-
less. I have reason to think that you are mistaken in
your impressions of the conduct of our troops at Craney
Island — that they waded into the water, on the sinking of
your boat, is true — but I learn that it was for fhe purpose
of securing their conquest and assisting the peiishiug —
one person, perhaps more, was shot, but it was only for a
.continual eAbrt to escape, after repeated ofers of safety
on surrender— ^ch at least is the representation made to
me. If however your yielding troops have bee« butch-
ered, it is due to the honor of our arms to disclaim and
punish the enormity. The fame of my country shall nev-

^ er be tarnished by such conduct in the troops under my
eommaad. I have to-day ordered an enquiry into the
facts, by a board of field officers — proper measures shall
be taken to punisl^ whatsoever of impropriety may have

., been committed. I flatter miself you irill perceive in
these measures a dispositioB to afford no cause of re-
proach in any future conflict* When w^e meet, let us conx-

i; bat as soldiers, jealovs of the honor of our respective

'^, couniri«s» ankious to surpass each other as well iu ma^r .

' lianin^ty as incouragev - . ; - : - v '

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high

consideratioB

: Accept, »ir, the assurance of my
and respect,

(Signed) ROBERT B. TAYLOR. .

Brig. Gen. comroauding.
To Sir Sydney Bcckwith^ Q. M. General commanding

the land forces of H. B. M. Hampton Roads.

- js- ' ^' A COPY,

aV^-. % JOHN MYRES, Aid-deCamp.

Extract of a letter from Br^. General Taylor to the Se-
' . '*' j cretary of Wart dated,

N&rfolk,idJuly,l9\3,

I CDcloscd, as was promised yesterday, copies of the
letters written to Admiral Warren and Gen. Beckwith.
My aid who carried them duwn yesterday, brought back
a letter from Admiral Warren, of which a copy is enclos-
ed, and has made a statement of what occurred in hi^
conference with the General.

The letter of (he Admiral, though polite, is certainly
not ro^nsive to any thing which lias occurred ; and the
conversation with the General, though equally civil, is
obviously designed to prevent any further discussion of
the subject. From the report of prisoners and deserters,
ihere is too much reason to believe, that before the attack
on Crancy Island, the cupidity of the troops had been ex-
cited by a promise of the pillage of Norfolk ; to inflame
their resentments after their failure, and to keep alive the
hope of plunder at Norfolk, there is much reason to fear
that our troops have unmeritcdl|^ been charged with mis-
conduct at Craney Island, and that made a pretext fcr
their excesses and their conduct at Hampton. I entertain
no doubt of the justification of the honor and magnanimi-
ty of our men, by the report of the board of officers.-^— -
I do dot mean that the subject shall drop, but when I
c(Mnmunieate the report, I shall leave the British Com-
mander the alternative, either of adopting similar meas-
ures in his own army or remaining under the imputation
of having excited their troops to commit these excesses.
Our tjroops are highljr inflamed. ^•^:/

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104

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BARBARITIES OF

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Notes for captain Mitres in his interview with Admiral

Warren.

A defenceles& and unresisting toiirn has been given up
to indiscriminate pillage — though civilised war tolerates
this only as to fortified places carried by assault, and af-
ter summons.

Individuals have been stripped naked — a &ick man
stabbed twice in the hospital-a sick man shot at Pembroke
in his bed, and in the arms of his wife, long after the de-
feat of the troops — his wife also shot at and woimded, a
Mr. and Mrs. Kirby.

Females have been not only assaulted and personally
abused and struck— but even violtted.

If occasion offers, notice may be incidentally made of
the information given by prisoners and deserters of the
promise to plunder at J^orfolk.

As to the imputation on our troops at Crany Island, if
admiral Warren should mention it, deny the fact and state
the actual conduct of our troops, in going into the water
to assbt their men, and then giving them refreshments as
soon as they entered the fort. Refer to the conduct of
nil our prisoners, particularly those taken from the boalt
of the Victorious.

JKO. MYRES, Cap. and Aid-de-camp.

■ \t'

(COPY.^

Head Quarters, Norfolk, July 2d, 1813.

Sir— -In Obedience to your orders, I proceeded yes-
terday with a flag of truce to admiral Warren in Hamp-
ton Roads, to whom I handed both the dispatch for hiro-
aelf and that for sir Sydney Beckwith. The admiral re-
ceived me with civility, and with many acknowledgments
for the terms of your letter. Sir Sidney was on shore at
Old Point Comfort. Feeling some diinculty about the
propriety of delaying on board for his arrival, I was sbout
to depaat, but adroh'al Warren expressed a wish that I
would remain, saying that he would desire, no doubt, to
give a reply.

Sir Sydney did not arrive 'till 8 o'clock. He express-
ed great respect for the motives that had actuated you, sir,
in the lit ^sures which you were pursuing — they were

the

.lit-sures

which

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71 HE ENEMY.

'i'

105

tnore thaiilie desiffed— -k ivas suf&cieht, lie said, if your;
own nilud was satisfied. He expressed regret at the'
trouble you had takea^ and much deference for your char-
Hcter— with a resolution to yie with you iaeiSortstocon'^
line future operations within the bounds of humaoity anid
the usages of war. He said, in allusion to the pretended
conduct of our men at Craney Island, that it proceeded
no doubt from a few of the more disorderly. I denied the
charge altogether, as I haddoaeinmy previous interview,
^vliea it was made the justification of their outrages at
Hampton, on the ground of retaliation.

I found that it was not his intention to give to your de-
.spatch a written reply. By the light manner in which be
glanced at the subject of your investigation, I could per-
ceive that it was pressed farther than was desirable to
kirn. It was my wish howev^ to be able to report to you
the probability of a like coui^e of enquiry on hia part, and
I enumerated the catalogue of abuses and violence at
Mampton. I meotioiied the pillage of the town, and the
wanton destruction of medicine. That individuals had
keen stripped naked. A sick man stabbed twice who was
in the hospital. A sick man shot in his bed at Pembroke
and in the arms of his wife, who was also shot at and wound-
ed, long after the defeat of the troops, a Mr. an^ Mrs.
Kirby — and finally the assault on females, their being
struck and personally abused and even violated.

At the mention of the murder of Kirby and the wound
given to his wife, sir Sidney distinctly admitted it. The
others he appeared not to be acquainted with the partic*
ulars of, and expressed some concern at it. He said,
that he had, however, on coming to a knowledge of their
conduct immediately ordered the embarkation of the
{j'oops that were concerned, widi a determination that
they should not again Ian ' and that while he was unable
to control a past event, the responsibility of a recurrence
should rest on himself. That the troops under his com- ,
mand were strangers to him on lus arrival liere, and ap-
pealing to my knowledge of the nalure of the war in Spain,
in which these men (meaning the French corps) he said
had been trained.

Thus far be thought he could not give a «ore convinc-

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BARBABITIES OF

i V

ing proof of the sincerity of his professions tliau in the
urithdrawal of these troops, and that he had moreover
juat been employed in finding a new watering place on
Back river in order to remove from Hanipton and to quiet
the minds of the inhabitants.

He assured me that in making such a pledge, as he was
doing, it should not be lightly regarded — that he wonld
either send away these troops, or wait the arrivel of others
tor new operations. He concluded by expressing a hope
that you, sir, would in future use no reserve in communi-
cating any subject of impropriety, and on his part that he
should certainly do so, with a due regard to the liberality
of your conduct. l{e hoped the subject was at rest. I
tf)ok my leave. I have the honor to be, &c.

JOHN MYRES, Captain
and aid-de-camp
Brig. gen. Robett B, TayUn Norfolk. t

Extracts of a letter from gen. Tat/lor to sir Sydney Beck-
withj quarter-master-generalt commanding the iand force
of H. B. M. at Hampton Roads, dated head quarters,
July, 5th, 1813.

" I have now the honor to transmit to you the pro-
ceedings of the board of officers convened to enquire into
the transactions at Crany Island. They doubtless will
convince you that in that aflair, the Ameiican troops
merited no censure ; tlmt their conduct was distinguish-
ed by humanity and magnanimity ; and that the distance
to which you were removed from the scene, by render-
ing it impossible that you could be iraformed of the mo-
tives of their conduct, unhappily led you to draw, conclu-
sions, equally mistaken and unmerited.

You have done me the justice to declare, that the
meaoures pursued by me, evince a disposition to permit
in my troops no abuses on humanity or the laws of civil-
ized warr As I cannot doubt the existence of similav
sentiments with you, I have a right to expect on your
part measures equally decisive and unambiguous. If I
had deemed it needful to forbid openly to my whole ar-
ray all acts of impropriety ; and to direct a public inves-
tigation of charges believed to be unmerited, hut having

■', '.i"?' •; ,

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THE ENEMT.

167

(lie sanction of yoar imputation, I put to your candor to
ceterniine, if cxeesses in your troops, admitted by your--
self, and someof tliem of the most atrocious character,
should pass unnoticed. My conduct and your declara-
libns give me a claim to ask that these excesses be pur*'
ished. Your army will then learn the abhorrence ycu
feel for such acts, and be restrained by the fear <^ your
indignation from similar outrages. But if these admitted
excesses are passed by, the impunity of t\ie past will be
construed by your troops into an encouragement of future
outrages, and your own humane intentions be completely
defeated ■; neither can you be unmindful of the propriety
of taking from my army the pretexts for impropriety by
a knowledge of eflfectaal restraints on youra.

"1 am fully impressed with the liberality of your con-
iluct in promising to remove the treops who committed
the outrages at Hampton from the opportunity of repeat-
ing these enormities. But, besides that my confidence
ill the gallantry of the American troops forbids me to de-
sire any diminution of your force, such a measure being
liable to niisconception by our own troops, niigtit not at-
tain your object. The rank and file of an army seldom
reason very profoundly, and, however erroneously, might
ascribe their wUhdl-awal to the desertions which have on
every opportunity taken place in that corps, and in their
unwillingness, if any should have been displayed, to fire
on the American troops. If this should unfortunately be
the case, your force will be diminished, witliout securing
the great ends of discipline aud humanity for which ycu
had with so much liberality made the sacrifice. I am the
more pressing on this subject, because I have reason to
believe, that, even since your assurance, though unques-
tionably against your good wishes, very improper acts
have been committed by the troops on James* river. The
domestic property of peaceable private ctiizens, respected
by all civilived nations, has been pillaged and what furnish-
ed no allurement to cupidity, hai been wantonly defaced
and destroyed.

\\ ** If such acts are either directed or sanctioned, it is
important to us and to the world to know, what species
of warlare the arms of Great BritaiQ mean to wage. If

■s^-. .'

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BARBARITIES OF

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authorized it Mrfll be of little ptacticitl avail to know t^iat
the director of teese arms entertains the most liberal per-
sonal dispositions while these dispositions remain dormant
and inop^ative. ; ' >

" If I am troublesome on this subject, charge it to my
anxious desire that nothing may occur to embitter our
feelings and tho&e of our respective nations. In the pro-
gress of the war charges of inhumanity have Unhappily
i)een frequent and reciprocal. I am not indiffevent to the
infamy, which such a charge €lxes on ihe officer who ci-
ther encourages or peilnits it. I derive the highest sat-
i>>faction from the assurances you have given of similar
sentiments. We have, sir, become enctoies by the sac-
red obligations we owe our respective 'countries. But
on the great and expanded subject of human happiness,
.we should be friends by the sympathy of our feelings. —
Let us then cordially unite, and exercising effectually
the powers with which our govemmeuts have invested
us, give to our warfare a character of magnanimity, con-
lerriog equal honor on ourselves and on our country.

Extractfrom general orders.
Ast. aifjt.gcn.^s fffLceyN(irfvlk,Juiy 1,\%\2. ^
V The general commanding, has deemed it proper to re-
monstrate against tlie excesses committed by the BritiEli
troops, M ho took possession of Hampton. It kas been
attempted to justify or palliate these excesses, on the
ground of inhumanity in some of the troops at Craney
Island, who are charged wit^ having waded into the riv-
er and shot^lat the unresisting and yielding foe, who
clung to the wreck of a boat, which had been sunk by
the fire of our guns. Humanity and mercy are iopt ^ ara-
ble from true courage, and the general knows too well
the character of the troops under his command, to doubt
their magnanimity towards an um'esHsting foe. It is
equally due to the honor of the troops engaged, and to
the hitherto unquestioned fame of the American arms,
for honor and clemency, that the imputation should be in-
vestigated. " .
If the charge be well founded, the army must be puri-
fied by punishment for this abomination. If, as the com^

l..y

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%f THE ENJ^MT.

^*r-;

100

wander Jjopcs and belieyes, the conduct of our troow has
been tniscpiistrue^, tlie T^orld should have an atttbcntic
record to jroiel the imputation.

4 !He 'therefore dt reels that a boaril of ofRceiv^ to conoiat
of col. Freeman, {tresidentjUeiit. cpls. Boykin, Maeon and
Read, do convene, the day after to-morrow, flit a place to
be appointed by tlie prf^gident, for the purpose of ioveati-
gating these diarges aud report accordingly.

^ JAMES MAURICE, majOTy

Acting (issislant atfjutant general.

.-df

if**.

R]ErORT OF THE ftO^RD.

The evidence havinjft been gone through, the board,
afler deliberate and mature, cqusideration, do pronounce
th^ followlog opinibti :

That it a|[)ipears from the testimony adduced, that on
the 22d of last ipoath, in the actional Craney Island, two
qff the enemy's b<>ftt8 in front of their line were ^unk, by
the fire of pur batteries; the soldiers and sfiiltii^ who were
in those |j|P>iit8 Irerc consequently afloat and in danger of
di-pmiing, and being in front of the boats which were unih-
jlir^d ; t^ disable these qurgiins were necessarily fired ina
direction of the i^en in the water, but with no intention
whatever to ^ them farther harm ; bat oh tlie cont^.ry»
orders were given to prevent this by ceasing \o fire grope,
and, only to fire rpund shot v it also is substantiated that
one of the eneiny who had apparently surrendered, ad-
vanced towards the shore, abo!>t one hundred ysrds, when
he suddenly turned to his right, and endeavorrd tp make
his escape to a body. of the enemy who had landed above
Uie I-sland and who were then in view; then and net till
tiien was he fired upon to bring him back, which had
the desired effect, and he was taken unliurt to theiflan*!*^;

It farther appeara Ihnt the troops oh the Iflaiid ex^rt-
fed themselv(;s, in acts of hospiiaUty and kindness to tlie.
unresisting and yielding foe, - ,^^

Therefore Uie board do, with great satisfaction, deela||!r> |
as their unbiassed opinion, th^l the charge alledged a^*
gdiinst the trpops is uni|JUpported ; and tli^' thocharae*
^^i|pei:l^ eddicj-j- for humanity and maguani^

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mity h^B& giat beeq comifiiUed ; init^^Q the cojitrav^ ciin-

"' X' lilTAB, juD.

3". BABBEji, recor^et. v
A true emd correct ^01^,

Copy vf a wAeJfm sit SyMfy $iicki6itk t^gen(ral*J*ay'

^retuVD his 'best acfetipl^j^gejihoQfi to gen. J^ fm

bfepolfte eomThuiiicatijcfn, 9^ to rfeg^at Eis eapeat >;ivi9h
thattiiifftafy cpeiatiplQ^ should ti dltn^d onlr^'all ttie
liberality and huniairfty which be^fiiieii th4 rewwct jvc
haUotis. Jipy inhiti^meDt i>f the estabfj^jbte^ ^ttges
of war wiU IsstaBttyWiiO^ed U pun»^r ' ■

Mxtract f/ a letjterfrom brigelii^er general Taylor , W ihic
^'^semta^l j^wd/i^ d(aett:Mirfi0,^ltkJ^ly^ lais.
^^ the bi>ardiif otficebiSki^£^^4^ examine jthe^
lir^^t against (M^rtfo^^^^^ kfl% at Cr^iiy I|^*
aii4 h^v6 my^li^ a repoif flsjinvAnieinic«m^;i^
sire,' I £Qcl09<^^aE copy yeateTday to the Jbil!^ - cogj-
inahder, with a letter or which acopy is 'enclosed, Xhe
bearer of my dispatch was met by a 4«^i the qfece? of
which i*<5€fycd th3 dispatch, and a few Jtowrftja^r ;;re-
tutned with an answer, o^'M'hich a f <|^y al# ^ en^ifi^.
1 fear^ from thf gieo^t^atity of its ter^j that little lH§rii9*
iatioli of the syst^Tin Jfiithfirto pr&cti^^d ja to be e;|pf^d J
biit somfetliing is gfti^ed by plMn^ the e.nemy sapdded-
ly in the wrohg, that lEe world i^onot doi^ l)^ whom
is to be ascribed SHiy €afce8Be$ wliSch here«^er Way if
commilted oa either aide"

THEENEJfT.

ill

Jt^ 9044^13.

bQr^bod^ #<>«^|bVt 1 TBiB «U^pt. AHho<igl» SlrJSid-^
n^ Bcf^f^witli atsiiipell IM tioiLf ^^^^^ migl^ be

0iR^ oti iteaMtk)^ ttieire irWi^sril^ <!^;|K)di€B lying

alth(%h observed to be drair^ tdirar^ i qoU and in^
hospitable pTOteclij|D. TKi jinfortuniae females of
%ffiti$di^7w!iAcoM«tlaot sttS^red to

be abused ifi #eite 9l»llielil>jnaBiier^(^^ ooly bjr tlw
venal §ttiiigt foe, Ibiit^: the iuufortitnaiie And inlktuatejii
\Aa^^%m efici»iuri|ed% thesa Ki their exc^ssea.^

^^^^tif^lpMlhiiik % thej»»^ ioflLi^^^tl^^
lllid 1i<!C9D 11^ o^l#'^^« file Qpint'of d^th for moit
^^ tt weeks, dl0o4^ Up »t tbe saagi

tlii)B;p^ kinSturm^^^^ i4der hts(M»

l^jHi«iiM%rbj ii:«^fyia^^ welllri^ I9

mm^ ' :r_--y^'>:'--' ■■ -" ■ - •

mi^ma, i ■■,...,.:■ , . -^

f^ I f*« jrastetdiw til Hamptoo 1^^1197 tiroes, lh»t
pUce haVing been evacuated in the lu^^i^ ^y tn^
lili— %^ Ms bt4iodiv$$ tMtd 1^^ heaniidr^}

I'h'fi^ f«f dlnressef it^jlb^ls ruitnVti«; up in evci^ dU
recioo iO'COngratuh»ite'^\iiS V teitrs ireri sheddk^tn every
torn^ft^the 4o%moui jeW9<^K mm&iersi^Hy^td eve^
t3f tl^bui the bousest and) (iTj^ pen is aknost utmiltli^
4a<iil^b6lU)^tfae#HMfbt were rai^^d bi^ tfte abSmdot^
^|lt|fiww^f Chreat Ood^; mixd^^^P^^ can ^ti>n %^
utfe fo yvi^^lves oiir J^tt^nptoii feisiiales seized lind trea^
ed ifith viilj^ce b;^ thoie inoostem, and n^t a s^lHar^
American arm present tb avenge Uitflr 'Kroogs ? Bat
eii^ugh— I can no more of this.

il 'h

'i n

■T'

mmmmmm

aAiRBARITlES Of*

f Tbcy hay* received airehiforceiiieiit of 2000--rn all
S^bo men, and Kprfollc or Riehinoiid ts their imineciiate
a|m'. Protect yoursHvai from suth sceata as ice have
-witnew^d. They retired io ^reat coBfudoo, teaviiijg^ be;-
bl^4 3000 irt. beef^ (puBk^t?. ammtmitioa, eanteediy ^c.
&t and som6 of their meti^ whom we t(|(>k. ft is^^ttp^-
ed thaf they apprehended an inpimedtate attack from 0000
of oiir men w|iich caused them t6 le^at sH precipitale-
ly. Myfiriiend,iest aBsuTtfdofonl^tlptgf ^aty^^ cattf-
not conquer AmericaDa^— the^ caitnot stand them--^if we
jbfid iSioo men; we should baVe XiUed or taken the great?*
er part of them^**

From tiiesdme U tittsflMe, datg^d Armsiedtts MUl,'i^<xi^i

*• Your favoTof the 7th hiii8jttfthefenr^ceiv*d throng
thepoMt^nesa of ^l^wr Chitchfiel^^^^^^^^ fiopnirari!-

ed to itie at t^aa ^lajfte. I am surprhed to bear that you
ha^e among ^ott a man who Woiilq'^^eadeavor to apolo^'ae
fpr the nnprecedeiited Tilhiiny iipjd*br<ital cbhidtict of the
encmj^ iit Hainptod. Btf ai^rir^rf oiii^/acl/ ii^f iiM
whwhi ii^ermed yimof^nwl^ fPds;^tmH^UU^'
', ** Tou request me to make Known to you a fe# of lb«
^istteialng particulars in a Wiay whtcb will force convie-;:
ilOD vpon th6 miiida bf the ^ckdi^tia. I will attend to
Jt, liiy friend) Uiflity^u may hie enablieid to conftpnind such
with positive proofs. At present you must cootetit 7dur'
8^ with the f4)lowii)g, itmhdkveHiis'i^ligiouHif'a^ any
faxt h(^m4 dtmiah

Mrs. Turid»ull was put&ued iip to her waist . in the
waier, and dragged on shore by 10 cw l2of these^jQIans,
who satiated their brutal desii^s ttpod her afler pilling
^ffliftr clothes, 8tockings» 6hoes» &c,: Ibia was seen by
your nephew Keith, and mai^y otjlers* s Another caserra
married woraan, hfer name unknowif to me, with her ' in-
fant thud in herarma, (the child forcibly drag;ged fr^in
her) shared the same fate. Tw^ youo^ women, wfU
\miirix tQ many, whose nsones will not be revealed at this

1^ .^ -*

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UPMP

I' , «■ t»i . 1

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THE ENEMY.

na:

tM»e, suflTered iii like manner. *Dr. CoItoiH I%rson Ha!*«
8on and Mrs. HopUos have informed tne of those pariic-
ulara. Another, iu the presence of old Mr. Hope, had heii^
gown, &c. &. cut off with a Bword and violence offered
in his presence j which he endeayored to prevent, but had
to quit the room^eaving the unfortunate victim. in; their
possession, whano doubt was abused in the same way.—
t Old Mr. flopevliiltnd^lf wa^ stripped naked, pricked with
}^ ba^cmetin the arm and slapt in the face > and' were I
to mentioii a hundred cases In additioi: to. the. above,, I«
do not know that I should exaggerate,"" \ ;' "

--■;,. ■■■■ .•. II . II I I I ."

^xiractpom a rqjtort made to ma^iyr Cmtchfiehl, hy Thonth
:4isQriffin andRobcrt Lively, es^rs, dated
' YoRk,4thJuIy, 1B13.

>;7.f" Upon reaching HilniptQB; a scene of desolation acd.
fc> tM l^estruction preseftied. it^elf--the few inHftbitants we
ioRindiin! town» seemlsd not jei to. Ikisevt rncpVered from
/ ;4heir ajacni'^^dismaT- "and consteil^tic^ sat on every
'^eounteiiaQCe — reports had resfched usof the violence and
., uncontrolled fary of the enemy^afiter they had obtained
possession of the ptace-<r-tbeir conduit In i&me poises be-
ing represented such as would have d^graced tiie days
ofyandalism — our feelings were much exMted, and We.
deemed it our dnty td purso^ the enquiry as far as prac-
ticable, suad arejorry to say, that from all the informal
.tton we could. proeurejtVom sources too respectable to
perknit> us to^ dwbt, -we ftfe^ compelled to l|elieve that iu;ts
df violence have been pesp^trated, which have disgrUcect^
the age in which we live. The sex, hitherto guarded bj^
^esoldiev^s honor, escaped not the rude assaults of supe<
^or force, nor eouTd (Bsetee disarm the foeof his ferocity.

* The ferm«r of these g«it!en!«» acted as surg^om to the Ac-
.tachment lately BtfttioniHl at Hampfon^ anrl is a young gentle'"
maa of t^e first TeiipccttvbiUty;rHtihe 1»tter i»ptr(ei<40cnt or^^^t^^ ^•
cadeiny at tbat plH^, aiid sttmcls deservedly hi^ in pnJ^lc^»(i'
nalioii. Hrf. Hopkins also, i8>1a(1y of very lughiespeclabil-'
ity, aodofth^iapiiaiiqiiebtionable veraeity.. y , ,<

t This worthy old gentlemen is bowing beneath the pressare off

age, being near tO or older ; has a numerous familyt most. i#r

-^':^ them sons, pow ui the service o«Wn. country. . . ^^ ^ :;" ' ^, ", * }v

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BARfiAltlTIES^ OF

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Yhe apoloffj- that these utrocities irere committed fay the'

French soldiers attached to the British forces, now in

. our waters, appeared to us no justification of those who

-r.f employed them^ believing, as we do, that an officer is, or

^ ' should be, ever respomibte for (he conduct of the troo{)ft

' uader his cdmniand." ^

JK^

r^'-

■c^.

To the Editor of the Sftflttteri,
diR — Having just returned frotti Hampton, where i
made myself acquainted with all the particulars of Brit-

i ish outrage, whilst that place was in their possession, I
am requested, by many persons to communicate through
you, to the publiC) th^ idaforroation I have given <A«m. I
do this with no lt^|»|^^ expectation of satisfying those
who require oiUl^testimony than Major Cmtcbfteld's or
Captain Coopriers. I too Well know there are those among
us,whowiirsti^rdoubtof pretend to doubt. Bttt as I believe
^is class to b^ few in number, and insignificant in ^
public estima^on ; asui firmly l)elieve that ar large majors
ity of all poUi^J^al persuasions, ar^opeh to conviction and

f leelingly alive to their country'l wrongs ; I cannot wi^
bold Kom them-^ facts, wtiqs^ simple recital will, aotfS
cording to their diiTerent teai^eJraDient, inflame dien» with

^jrage or fill them wtth horror.

^ My name yoU are at lINrty to give to the public, ot
only to those wlio inquire foi" it, a« yoa thtok pvoper. I
llave reason to belteTe, that those who kisoMi aie^ whe^r
JFe^eral or B^pubpcan, ^>now and adcdowtedge thBi>,

';■! am Incapable itif pub^ing a fiilseoood— «iid 1 averj
that every statement liiconsistent with' tho following, ho
4natter on whose authority it fe'inadte>^is>u»true'----in'pa»wf
of wfaid) I solemnly undertake b^foKtbewoiitl to- iistaEw

iish every fact cootained in it, provided any gentleman
will ngn, his name to a d^niaf of either of them. ,,,^

I wo«i to Hampton^ nHth a d^^imnation of emuiiriilg
minutely into the truth oi iep0B, which ir ibi^d^ lor the
^Oiior ot a soldier's profiessibn and of- human hatncey tft^
hstte feimd exaggerated. In the ilivestigation^ I resolved

\ tOidepend on the second-ltittid relation' of no oaej. where I.

}>'^uld moHOt to the origfaaal source of o^deaeeH^uisinftt^

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THE ENEMY.

.*;

in some cases this was inpt actieable^ I feel it % duty
carefully to dutingUisb Uie one dasi from Uie other.

That the town and country adjacent was given up to
the indiHCfli^ioate phin^ter of a licentious soldiery, ex«epi^
perhaps the house whece (he head-quarters were fixed, is
an undeniable truth. Every article of valuable property
was taken from it. In many houses not even a knife* a
fork or plate was \e$. Britkh Officers were seen by Dr;
Colton in ihe act of pkinderini^. a Mr. Joneses store. Hift
house, altluHigh hevl^aiQed in town, was rifled, and his
medicine thrown into the public street just oppoKite where
many officers took up their quarters, who must have been
eye witnesses of the scene. The church was piUi^ed and
the plate belonging; to it taken away, although inscribed
with the donor^s name. The wind mills io the neighborn
hood w«rr stript of their sails. The closets, private
drawers and trunks of the inhabitants were broken open,
and scarcely any thing seemed to be too trifling an ob-
ject to excite the cu|^dity of these robbers. Severftl
gentlemen informed me, that much of their pluader ww
brought into the back^yard of Mrs. Westwood's house
where Sis Sidney Beckwitb eoid admiral Coekburta resid-
ed. But I had no opportunity of seeiog this lady, who
it was said would testify to the fjaet. In shOTt, Haaippton
exbibitB a dreary and desolate' appearance which no
Amctioan cao it itnee^ umnoved. Br. War dl«w md Mr.
John &. 3mith, of this city, visited^ it in company with
mei aad> their indignation waa equal. They, and every
one, who saw and heard what I have stated, iwited in ex-
ecrating the Rioosters who perpelxated those enormities $
and political distiuction^if any existed, were lost Ia the
noUeit. feelings of pUy for the sufferers, and- a generouf
ardor to avenge ttieic wrongs.

Here it may be necessavjir tonotiee a pubBcation, 1
bffve Uiis mrnneot read in the; Alescandria' Gacsette of ilie
12th,. where, among other thing0, it is said'on, the author^
ity of a " Gentlenian:whp wai^ih Hamption'the day after
the evacuation by. the enemyi^r ^t it wasbeffeved theiie
** that nearly all th« plundering was comnHltftdby the ne-
)|ii«9;F andthiathesav^mAngFv^'aiEtieles bnafQ^ht totbfe
IS^iBtie^ea which )iad beuLroqw^d Id negro housejU**^'

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BARBAtllTlES OF

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That fome plundering may have been committed by. the
negroes who (tig I was tnld) ^ere eitfbiBUied and paraded •
ttirough tlie streets. Is probable enoligh-*-4iiat tlie expres*
iion of such an opinion may have been beard in Hamp-
ton, is nkewise probable — but I do^utterly deny, that it is
believed there, by any person worthy of credit, thut
** nearly all the plundering was committed 1^ thcro.*' Let
; the getittcman, then, who gives this account state from
whom he derived his information. Let him give the
tianies of the Magistrates who received the plunder thus
fonml, and his owd; and let htm declare what were the
main articles he saw brought in. I will not directly baz<
\, ard the assertion, but I am veiy much inclined to believe
<H^ there Were no magistrates in the town at the time spoken
f' of, unless Parson Holson, Dr. Cokon, or capt. Wills are
magigtiatee ; and with all these geutlemCH I conversed^
and heard oOt a whisper countenancing the statement in
*' tiie Alexandria paper. How it is known that the negroes
^^^ad the address, nrst to impose on the British command-
ers, an<d then oti the ' Attterican troops, which. '^ induced
them to retreat to Vork," and leave Hampton to be pluni-
dered by these artfol rogues, that gentleman is left to say
— ^but that the American troops 6id not retire to York, i»
consequence of sitch information, is undoubtedly true.
Nor il it leal true Uiat captain Cooper^s troops arrived in
•time to prevent any j|>hiBdering of the least conscquen'^e,

V after the eva<HiatioiQr-*-and in time to prevent^— wliat many

f^ entiemen there believed to have been a plan concerted
etween the bfack and' wlntealHes-^the finng of the town .
: That '* admiral Warren expressed his regret that the

V inhabitants of Hampton had not all remained, as in that
case no plundertng would have happened,^' is possible
enough; Since it admit$ thefkct of the plundering, and is

_ Gonforn»ble with the answer givetf to capt. Wills,
^ 'who complained to Cockburn and Beckwith of the de-
struction of his private property. "Why did you quit
your house ?'* said these honorabie mem " I remained in
iay house,** answered Boctbr Cotton " and have tbund no
better treatment.^
f' That Kirby, who for seven weeks or mote bad been
eoBii])jBd tQ his )}ed, and whooe death the ssivages ooly a

■■!*r-

:■#:

S^.J-k.

THE ENEMY.

**/

-%lkfl^ hastened, wfts shot in the arms of liU wife, h notde*
tiled. Those who wish for ftirther conftnnation, nay go
mid take Him fratti'.Kb grave, and jR^eep, if they can feel
9bt «n Aneritan dtisen, over ht» mangled IxKiy. They
may go to his wounded wife, and hear her heart rending
tale, atnd then they may turn to the aceount of the gentle'
man and derive consolation from the excuse (imick I
hivcr heard J ** that it was done In revenge foe toe iefu^al
of the militia to give quarCera to some Frenchmeii 'Who
"Were On board a barge that was sunk by onr troops who
'''bontiniied to lire on the almost drowning men, when mak-
ing for the »hore." Thiii vile slabder on oar troops w3l,
I have no doubt, l>e met in the proper manner by the §^1*
lant officer who commands them it Norfolk*-- But the
. worst is to eome.

^ I conversed with a lady, whoiBe name if Menttoned ia

^'capt. Cooper's letter j in company with parsoni^olson,

'doctor CoUon and capt; Wills.- Her story was too shodic-

iog in its details to meet the labile eye. When I bad

convinced her of the object I- bad ki view in visising h^

—that it was djuetated tnr no iitipertinent curiosity, but i *

lesir'e to know the whole trutb^to enable me on ihe one

%aad to do jiistfce even^to an enemy; or ott the other,

to eleotHfy my countrymen with the recital of her auffcr*

ings — she discovered every tlnng which her coovulrive

ttrttggles, between ehamo and a d«Bire to expose her bru-

^rtital assaiStfnta, would permit. This woman was seized

%y five or six ruffians— some of them ebressed in red, and

apeakmg correetty the English language — and stripped

nak^d. Her cries and her prayers were disregarded, and

'^lier body became the subject of the most abomiijiable in-

ii; Indecencies — She atonfe time made her escape, afid runln'

^ io a creek hard by, followed by » young daughter; whenvho

'^aa dragged by th6 moiisters in human shape, to expeii^

ence nev^ and aggravated sufTerings. In this situatioli

^Ithe was kept the whole night, whilst her screams were

^t^lieard at fntervalF by some of the Americans in town,

^%bo could only clasp their bands in hopeless agony. '%

I Virginians ! Americans f Friend or Eaemy of the Ad- '

/^ministration, or of the War I Go, as I have d*>ne to this

^^eman'i boose, and hear and see b€r. See too her young ^^

..^'t:_:t/<.

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;1'^.^M ■:■ BAEBARITIES OF

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^Jaugfaieroo-tbe bed of sicknes, io consequeoceB t>f tlie^
pibuses of that Bifbtt and your hoart, if it be made of
*^ penetrable stttfl^"wilt throb with indfji^nation and a tbirst
i^r reyenge, and foax band ioBtinctively grasp the weapo» .
IbrinfflcdngH.

: A Mv9. Brigi^ related to us, that a voman who had
€oineto£[ampton to visit her husband who was in the mi- V
fitia, jras j^oncibiy torn from ber a&de by four soldiers dress^
'ed ly g^eea, and with her joung child, which one of th^n
puMtched lr«m her arms^ boni to the hospilal, in spite of
ber screaaii. They had prcTiousIy robbed them c^
^ir rings, ai|d attempted to tear open their bosoms. A'
Mrs. Hopkins, who was not in town when I was there, obr'^^
taioed the awistance of an oft^er, rnd rescued the wo-
man. |rom her ravisbers ; but not u^til one of then had
jgrat|fted Ms i^mlipible d^^ ^^ --

I was. told by tie gentleman who a^c >mpaniedme,that
lirs. H6|>kins confirmed this statement, and wouid swear
to at least to two other cases of a similar kind, without
wever giving i^ the naraes of the^ouiiig' and respeeUh
iromen who sulSered. • f

doctor Cokon tind captain W3Is, assisted by an ofSceis
rescued another lady from the greatest of all caiamities. 4
Old Mr; Hope, aged, as he told major Crutchfield (ia
my presence) Q4 or 5 years, was seized by these wretch-
es and strH>ped of all his clcKthiog, ev«n of his, shoes and
his shirt. A bayonet was run a Ktfie way into his arm
behind, as if in cruel sport ; while several wer» lield to his
breast. In this situation he was kept for a considerable
time, and would probably have been apoUier victim to
their rage^ if their attenticm had not been .diverted to a
woman, who had sought refuge iu his iKmse. The^r fol-
lowed her into tne kitchesi, whither she ran tbr safety*
Mr. Hope made off amidst her agonizing screams, an4^
when he returned to his house, he was told b;|' his domes-
tics that their horrid purpose was accomplished. TMs i
had from him. /»;%*

How far this violation extended will never be knoi^n.
Women will never publish what they consider their own
shame — and the men in town were carefully watched aud
guarded. Sut enoughs as kiiowu to induca-the belief df

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the existeoce of many other cases, and enough to fire eT'>
ei7 manlj bosom witb^e irrepiessible desire of rerenge.
p I am ^noi disposed to tire the public patience, or I
eould tell of enormitieit little inferior to the above. But
the enemy are convicted of yobbery, rape andrmmrder-
and it xi uanecessary to add to Ae catalogue of their
crimesi

Men of Virginia ! well you permit all 4hi8 ? FaAeiv,"
and brothers, and husbands, will you fold ycur arms in
apathy, and only curse your deepoilers ? No, you will ffy
with generous ernulauon to the unfurled standard of your
country f you will imitate the example of those g€nerou8
gpiritsj who are even now in crowds tendering their servi-
ces to the commander in chief : who are pouring from
their native mquDtaiDs ; and soliciting to be led againpt
tlie enemy whereever he dares show bis face. You wftl
prove yourselves worthy of the immortal honor, th^t the
enemy has conferred upon you in ielecting you as the
obgect of his vengeance. — You will neglect for a time all
civil pursuits and devote younelves' to the. art, alcnowl^ .
edge of which the enemy has made uecessaiy .— You wifl '
learn to command ; to obey / and witb " Hampton'* as
your watchword— to conquer.

,-5<4; .

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-:V.

■*.

' Believed, upon good authoii^, tQ be colonel Riobaf^
E. Parker, of Westmorland county, Virginia.

York, 4th JFvLT, 1813.
' SiR-*-Anxiou« to effect, as eariy as possiUle, the db*
jecH of the flag entrusted to m by yoU on the 1st instji
W6 proceeded immediately after receiving your dispatches
for admiral Warren and general Taylor, to Hampton. On
our arrival at the latter place, some dilfeculty arose ia
procuring a vessel to coDVey us to the British fleet \ ana
after some delay, we were compelled to embark in a small^
open, four-oared boat, the only one, it seemed, w|dch the
fury of the eneuy had left capable of ftoatiij^.——-
We proceeded to th'? fleet of the enemy wiChthfli
Utmost -dispatch which *our little skiff, and the exec*'
9iv^ heftt <^f the day would, perintt ; and wheo ^^iAn$

y.4

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'BAIIBARIT1E& OF

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from the admiral'B ship about a half flii^e, wert met aod
bailed by a barge of die en^ny, th|^ 0!fficer of which /was
informed ve had despMches for admiral Warre|i. We
were ioyiiiid into the barge, whic)i1ovitation we accepted*
9$ well to relie\ e ourselves from eonfiueraent on. board
our little vessel; to lighten as much as posi^bk the burihen
of our oaremeq ; aud to proceed with as muich e^tpedition
%s was pr^ci^cable to obtaip the, objects of our miasion.-rr.
On our arrival at the admiral's ship (San Domingo) we
were directed to proceed to the ' Sceptre,' a line of battle
ship, on which we were informed 4d(niratCockbu»rii had
recently hoisted his flag. Arriving alongside bf this
ship, we were de^red by the officer of the barge to as^
cend the ship.

Upon our reaching the deck, we found a lai^ge assenk*
blage of officers- — certainly a . greater number than could
be necessarily attached to a siogte ship. J* the space of
ten minutes the two admirals, Warren and C^ckburn, ap-
proached— to thf former we delivered your dispatches,
who upon perusal, evinced embarrassment ; and after a
short pause, said, that tlie principal object of the flag ap-
peared to be, to procure supplies for your hospital. He
was answered in the affirmative. Could not theses sup-
pliea have been as easily and early procured from Rich-
mond asi from Korfolk ? We thought not. The admir-
al then said -he won^d reflect upon the subject, Bud return
us an answer soon, and retired wiUi admiral Cockburnto
ihe cabin of the strip. A period of aboiit 1^ minutes then
elapsed, when admiral Cookburn advanced, and address-
ing major Griffin^ informed him that the admiral, would
sec'him in the cabin* !Upon major Griffin's reaching the
cabin, the two admirals only Mltli him, adm. Warren
agai9 repeated the opinion, that the hospital supplies
could be as expeditiously procured ^from Kichmond as
from Norfolk-rr-saying it was contrary to tlieir regiilatioog
to .permit even ai flag to go to JN^orfolk— that it was their
intention 4o land Mr. King, who went with the flag, at
SeawcU^s Point, and JQintly with admiral Cookburn ex-
pi>ess«d an unwillingaess to permit the flag to proceed.- —
They were answered, that if the flag was permitted to pro-
ihe supplies coi^d he procured soonev than if th^

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ftclg was eotrnpeUed to return — certainly in the course o£^
the following day ; that if compelled to resort to Rich^' .
mood, three days; probably more, would pass before the^;
stores C'^iild reach Hampton ; that our wounded and sick '
were suntering for medicine and necessaries ; that all'^e .
medicine, prirate as well as public property, » had been
wotonly destroyed by the troops who lately cajftured
Hampton* and that the supplies absolutely re(|iiired for
the use of the hospital could not be procured in Hamp
ton. The admiral said he had heard that the hp^pitaf
had received some supplies. He was asked from wheric
aijd assured it was not the case.

Finding the adniiral still hesitating, maj. Griffin
* that the reputed humanity of admiral Warren
major Crutchfield to doubt that the application for /ne
passage of a flag to Norfolk would be refused." Mer
a short time, major Griffin waa informed that the /flag
might proceed, upon condition of returning along side the
ship, in the same vessel, with the same persons, au<( with
no increase of persons. The restriction to the sane ves-
sel was combatted on the grIDund that in the event ^ much
ivhid, the boat was too small to navigate the Reads, and
thus (he object of the flag would be defeated ; but find-
ing no relaxation in the condition probable, it was deter-
minea upon consuHatioii with Lieut. Lively^to proceed.
Upon the subject of prisoners, admiral Warren ac*'i
knowledgecl one only to be ! the fleet, takeh at Hamp-
ton. He deplined all arrangements, and avoided all dis-
quisition on this topic, faying l:e had opened correspon-
cenee with gen. Taylor, but nothing was decidc(| i*elative
to the the officers^ baggage captured in Hampton. The
admiral said, that such articles as had been found had
been restored, and mentioned th§ papers of capt. Prjor^
which had been placed in th^Aite of captain Myers, of
Norfolk, and assured major vnfjfin that he would direct
sir Sidney Beckwith to enquire farther ; and if any
should be discovered, it would be made known to us on
our return. We were thep informed we might proceed,
which wte immediately did ;* and reached Norfork afier
3,P,.M. repaired t»gtn. Taylor's qiiRTters, who directe«l

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BARBARITIES OF

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the supplies written for by the surgeons. Returning on

:■ the 2d; we were, i^ customary, again met by a barge of

'the enemy and desired to call on boaird the admiral's

ship. We entered the ship irith the oftcer of the barge,

and were received by the captain, who enquired if we

ha^ dispatches for the admiral ? Being informed we

were the returning flag that had proceeded to Norfolk

the day before, iKe captain retired to the cabin, and short-

\]y returned with information that we might proceed

when we pleased. This we did, and deposited wit ; Dn

Mton the medical and hospital supplies sent hoi. NoT'

Upon our reaching Hampton a scene of desolation and
deVmction presented itself— the few inhabitants we

• foaid in town, fecmed not yet to have Recovered from
thei\ alarm — dif may and consterniitioh sat on every coun-
tenaiSce — reports had reached us of tlie Violence and un-
contr^Ied fiiry of the enemy) after they obtained posses-
aion o^ the place — their conduct in some cases bemg re-
presented such as would have disgraced the days of Van-
dalism. \ Our feelings were much excited, and wb deem-
ed it our vluty to piirsue the enquii^y as far as practica-
ble, and aie sorry to say, that from' ^ information we
could procti-e from SOL *ces toQ. respectable to pennit ua
to doubt, we are compelled to believe that acts of violence
have been perpetrated, which have disgraced the age in
which we live, The sey, hitherto gtiarded by the soldier's
honor, escaped not the nide assaults of superior force, nor
could disease disarm the foe of his ferocity. The apolo-
gy t!iat these atrocities were comlnitted by the French
soldiers attached to the British force now in our waterr^
appeared to us no justification of those who employed
them, believing as we do, that an officer is or should be,
ever responsible for the conduct pf tlie troops under bit
command. , ,« :.^'!*^^.^:V,; . - -'

We have the honor to be.
Your humble servants, u .

(Signed) ^ T. GRIFFIN,

R. LIVELY.

Hajor L. Crutchfield, coinii*an(!cr at York.

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THE ENEMY.

' t^tNi.

'n'iit.i-itK I'iv."^' . . . • / ■^'

Massacre and buroing of American prisoners surrendei^e
to officers of Great Britain, b^ Indians in the British
service. Abandonment of the remains of Americans kill-
ed in battle, or murdered after the surrender to the
British. The pillage aud shooting of American ciii-
!V:>zens, and the burning of i<heir houses after surrender

to the British, under the guarantee of protection.
Extract of a letter from Augustus B, Ifooumrdf Esq.
- to general Proctor,

Detroit, Feb. 2d, 1813. t-
xi ** They (the inhabitants of Michigan) have entertained
&"€onstant apprehension that ivhen the American forces
approached the territory, and when an engagement had
taken place, the fury, of the savage mind at the sight of
blood, and in reflecting on the dead they lose, and per-
haips on the retaliatory treatment of prisoners, or of the
dead, which their cruel tpode of warfare is always likely
to produce, might drive tliem to an ignoble revenge on the
prisoners they find in the couotiy, and the inhabitants of
it, who are American citizens. They therefore pressed
this subject on your attention previ(nis to the battle of the
22d of January, 1813^; and felt satisfied with your as-
surance tiiat yoii considered yoiir own honor pledged for
their eiTecfual protection. ' r

" Since the result of that battle, facts are before their
faces which they cannot shut their eyes upon. Some of
them are perhaps unknown to yourself. I will enumer-
ate some which I believe there y:\\\ be no difficulty in
establishing beyond the reach of contradiction.

*' Firsti Some of the prisoners after the capitulation of
the 22d of January, 1?13, have been tomahawked by the
savages.

^- ** Second, Some of the prisoners after that capitulation,

hare been shot by the savages. k

** Third, Some of the prisoners after that capitulation,

have been burnt, by the savr^ges.

' ** Fourth. Some of the inhabitants of the territo^ of

Michigan, citizens of the United States of America, after

the capitutetiou have been shot by the savages. '«

• /' Fifth. The houses of some of the inhabitants of the

i '

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122

•*••«■%*

BARBARITiCS OF

^ll^rntoiy, Amencan citizens, after the capHulation hav«
; ^^^©€0 burat by the MTBges.
1i'^-[l-':':^*^\Sixth. Some of the inhabitaots, American citizens^
after the capitulation, have b^ea pillaged by the sa^Ta-

: ;?.*S1^;-: • \ ■■■-::' ''^ . Sandwich, Fm,':^ 11813. , :

€r Sin-^Vou will liave tKc gdodness to appoints day for
^ tile purpose of adduciog before colonel Proctoi: such
^^..npi^f as' you may have, to substantiate the assertions in
;>':r:;yoiir letter to him, relative to the slaughter of the enemy 'j5
.^ nck^aed wounded, on tlie 22d January last.
Z'; M V^ I have honor to be, &c.

v^1?--iP^) A. W. MliEAN, aid^e-camp..

Extract of a leiierfrom Mr, Wootlrvard to gen* Proctor,.

■''■^}Iill:^ "SAHDWiCH, FEft. 10,1813.

" T had the honor to receive, on the third day jof this
month, a verbal message from you commumcated tb tnib
by major Mair, requesting me to procure aome evidence
of the massacre of the American prisoners, on the 22d
day of January last. **?

" I met with only a few persons at Detroit who are
iplujibitants of the river Raisin, nor was it «lti^;eUief a
pleasant task to those, to relate, in these times, the scenes
they have beheld. Some of them, however, appeared
before a magistrate, and I send you copies of what they
bave stated. It will occur to you, Sir, immediately, thaf
^ >>' ylxdX any 6f them state on the imormation of others, though
not direct evidence in itself, leads to the source .where it
- may be obtained. 'J ■''... X" ' ^

^' In communicating your, message, iniy. Muir added
i^ething having relation to American citizens, who
might be willing to take the oath to the king.

"It will be obvious to you, sir, that ki a state of open
• ... and declared war, a subject or citizen of one ]^rty can-
not transfer his allegiance to the other party, without in-
curring the penalties of treason ; and, while nothing can
excuse liis guilt, so, neither are those inqqcent who Uy
temptation before thenu ^ - . ^- , , .,

4 r **

THE ENEMY.

135

*« T)^ prindples adopted by the U. States 6n the sub-
ject of expatriation, are liberal, but are perfectly inappli-
cable to a public ^Qemy in time of war.

" Some of the French inhabitanfc of the territory of
Michigan, citizens of the United States of Anterica, have
been much urged on this subject, and ate apptehensive of
being further troubled.

*< I had the further honor of receiving, on the eighth
inst. your verbal message by your aid-de-camp Mr. M*
Lean, acquainting me that there was no capitulation on
the 22d January, and that the prisoners surrendered at
discretion.

*« I, therefore, beg pardon for that mistake.
■'^ *' The principles, however, of the laws of nations,
impose an obligation almost equally strong.'*

.'I

I :\

■?■;•■

ss.

4*' No. 25.

TRANSLATION.

Territmy of Michigaiti

district of Detroit.
^ Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, one of;
(he justices of the peace in the district of Detroit, Joseph
Roberts, an inhabitant on river aux llaisins, who being
duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists, deposes and says ;
that on the next day after the battle on the said river Rai-
sin, a short time after sunrise, he saw the Indians kill the
American prisoners, with their tomahawks, and that tliey
shot seyeral, to wit, three, that the Indians set the hoi^use- ;
on fire, and that in going out, the prisoners were massa-^^ ^
cred and killed as aforesaid, that is to say : three
were shot, the others were killed in the houses, and ,
burnt with the houses. The Indians burnt first the house
of Jean Baptiste Joteaume, and afterwards thatof Gabriel
Godfrey, junr. The deponent has been informed that
there were about forty-eight or forty-nine prisoners in the
two houses. The deponent has seen dead bodies on the?
high-way» which ihe hogs were tearing and eating. Mr,
Brunot told the deponent that the Indians had killed those •

^.2.

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BARBARITIES OF

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of the prisonen irho were least woundbd, and that the
others were burnt alive.

ADtoine Cuiellarie and Alexis Salliot, iobabitants on
the river Ecorces, told the deponent that two prisoners
had been burnt in the house of Grandon, on the river aux
Sables. The deponent has heard that the Indians had
torn out the hearts of the prisoners, and had brought them
still smoakiog into the house?, but did not recollect the
names of the informants ; he believes, however, they were
men worthy of credit.

The deponent says farther, that after the first action
on the river Raisin, the Indians fired on one named Solo,
son-in-law to Stephen Labeau, an inhabitant of the river
^ux Sables, when returning from the house of Grandoo
to Ihs father-io^Iaw ; on his arrival, he hallooed to his fa-
iher-in-Iaw to open the door, saying that he was mortally
woanded ; Stephen Labeau opened the door and told his
soa-in4aw to throw himself on his bed, but that in trying
to move he fell dead. An Indian knocked at the door,
and Lcbeau having opened it, received a ball in his breast^
and fell dead. The son of Lebeau made his escape ; the
Indians fired several shots at h|m which did not reach
hiro.

The deponent says farther, that Bfiptiste Couteur was
killed near the hoir.se of the deponent, on' the day of the
secoul battle on the river Raisin, a little after sunrise.

The deponent says farther, that the Indjians have oftep
threatened to butn his house and b«rei,iChedid not march
with them against tlie Americans. The deponent says he
is an American citizen*

: The deponent says that several of his neighbors, have
told him that they had received the same threat. Other
settlements have been threatened with fire. The mills
and houses on the river aux Reches were burnt hi the
month of September last, after the ciipitulatioB of De-
troit And further this deponent said not.

IJOSEPH ROBERT. :

Sworn and subscribed liefore me, the 4th February,
1813.

PETER AUJPAII?, J. P. D. D.

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%:iiTBE ENEMY.

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No. 26.

ss.

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Territwif of Mjichigan, >

district of Detroit, \

Be it remembered^ that on this daj-, February tlie fourth,
A. D. ooe thousand eight hundred and thirteen, personal-
ly came before the undersigned^ a jastice of the peace for
the district aforesaid, viz. John MDounell, an intiabitant
of the city of Detroit, who, after bein^ duly sworn upon
the Holy Evangelists of Almigh.y God, depaseth andsaitb,
that a few days after thebatile of the 22d of January ia^t,
(at the river Raisin) he was personally present at the house
of James May, esq. when he heard the said James May
ask Mr. William Jones, the acting agent for the Indian
department, if there would be any impropriety in purchas-
ing the prisoners from the Indians ; and that he beard the
said William Jones say ' that he thought there would be
no impropriety in purchasing them, but would not uiader-
take to authorize any person to do so ;^ that in conse-
quence of which, this deponent purchased three or four
of the prisoners, amongst the number was one bythe name
«f ——<- Hamilton, a private in the Kentucky volunteers,
who declared^ to this deponent, that on the first or second
day after the battle at the river Raisin, on the 22d Jaimary .
last, as he and some of bis fellow prisoners were marching
with the Indians between this place and the river Raisin,
they came up to where one of the prisoners was burnt,
the life just expiring, and an Indian kicking the ashes off
hiii baek, iaying * damned smi of a bitch .'

This deponent also further deposeth as aforesaid, that
doctor Bowers, a surgeon's mate of the Kentucky volun-
teers, who was purchased by him and some other gentlemen,
stated to this deponent * that he was left to take care of the
wounded after the battle, but felt rather timid on account
of the savages, but that he received such assurances from
capt. or col. Elliott, of the safety of himself as well as
the remaining prisoners, he concluded to stay, as sUighs
-were promised to be sent to fetch them away the next
morning; that near about day-light of the morning
following tlie day of tlie battle, the Indians came into
4he house where said Bowers was with the other prisoners,
< and proceeded to plunder and tomahawk such as could

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BARBARITIES OF

lot walk; and strippiog the 8aid]Bower8 and the wouaded ^
jrisoners of all their clothes, that whUe the said BoWers
\nd two other prisoners, named Searls and Bradford, as
near as this deponent can recoUect, were sitting by th&i
lire in the Indiain camp', an Indian came up who appear-
ed to be drunk, and calied the said Searls, as near as this
deponent can recollect, a Madison or Washington, tlien
s took up a tomahawk and struck the ssdd Searls on the
/shoulders; that tlie said Searls caught bold of the toma^K
i hawk and held it for some time ; that the said powers ad-
l vised the said Searls to submit to bis fate ; with that, the
Indian gave him a second blow on the head, killed^ scalfh-
ed, and stiipt him ; during this time the said Bowers and
Bradford were personally present, and being apprehen-
sive for their own safety, that he. Bowers, ran and came
up to the old chief (who sold him to his deponent and
others) who took him under his protection, and; was \eij^
kind to him. Thid depon<6nt further deposeth, that he haa
reason to believe th^ aforesaid Bowers and Hamilton are
DOW at Sandwich, and if applied to, they could give more
ample information relative to, the particulars aforesaid
And further this deponent sayeth not.

JOHN M'DONNELL, i
Sworn and snAwcribed at my chambers' in the citjf J
of Detroit, the day and ye^ before \^itten.

JAMES MAY.

APPURTENANCES TO No. 26.

No. 1.

■M.

I"-^

"Note from Mr. John McDonnell to James May^ esq^r^

^* Detroit, Ftebruary X,nU^

DeaH Sir — I had a conversation with. Mr. Smart,
about leaving your house to-day» who had a cc^iversation
with Bowers and Bradford, lie observes that I have
made several material errors in my affidavit before you
this day. He 6ays the prisoner killed was of the name
of Blythe, instead of Searls ; and mentioned , somue otb<^
errors that differ wideley from what I l\,aye sworn to, so

MP:

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.:.:^r.

THE ENEMY.

129

Ibat I think it is a pitty BoArers* and Bradford's affida-
vits could not be had instead jof mine. Yours,

,4,-

James Mat/i taq.

J. M'BONNEl^L.

•fS

< * i

iNo. 2.

:•■,>•

Ndlefrom Mr. McDonnell to Mr. Lyms^ his clerk.

I Irish you to mentiofti to judge Woodward, that appli^
cation is made for me by a iriepd on the other Bide, to re«
maini^iil the navij;ation opens. On thataccount I hope that he
Trill keep back the deposition that I htve n^ade regarding
the murders committed by the savages on the river Raif
sin, as he has much better testimony to eubstaiitiate facta
than what I have sworn to on hearsay ; and as I am sure,
if the colonel was even disposed to hear my application,
that affidavit will be enough to send me off, or else if I
was allowed to remain, Elliott would set the Indians o«
me, .

;>'5^.

No. 27,

TRAMSLATION.

■.• r(,;f-'..»/

ss.

,sfr-'*

$Tvrrit€ry of Michigan^

>/ district ^ Detroit. ,

'% PersonaUy apppeared before me, the undersigned, one

. iof the justices of the peace in the di^strict of Detroit, Ah-

toioe Boulard, of the river aux Raisins, who being sworn

,on the Holy Evangelists, deposeth and says, that on the

, next day after the last battle on the river aux Raisins, he

i, -paw the Indians kill the secretary of the American general,

^ who was on the horse of the Indian who had taked him

prisoner, with a rifle shot; that the prisoner fell on one

side, and an Indian came forward with a sabre, fiuifehed

him, scalped Mm, stript him, and carried away his clothes.

The body remained two days on the high^wny, before the

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BARBARITIES OF

door of the depooent^and was part eat up by the hogs. Af-
terwards, the deponeot, together with Fraucois Lasselle,
Hubert Lacroix, Chs. Cboviu, and Louis Lajoye, tooii
up the corpse at dusk of the evening, and carried it into
a field near thf woods, where the hogs did not go. They
dared not to bury it for fear of heiog surprised by the In-
dians. And further this depoueut saith not.

ANTOINEXhisP< mark) DOULAND.
Sworn and subscrilied in my presence, the 5th Febru-
ry, 1813,

PETER AUDRAIN, J. P, D. D.

Wo 28.

I hereby certify, that the next day after the last battle
on the river aux Raisins, the secretary of the American
general was taken near the door of the depoqent; was
wounded and placed on a horse ; that seven or eight Id-
diaas vere near the house, one of whom shotliim in the
head with a rifle ; that he did not fall off his horse until
another Indian, drawing his sabre, strucl^ him ou the head
several times, and then he fell to the ground; was scalped,
stript of his clothes, and left on the road, where he re-
ly / mained one day and a half; I, the deponent, with Francois
Lasselle, Hubert Lacroix, Louis Croviu, on the evening
of the second day, took up the body, carried it to the skirts
of the woods, and covered it with a few branches, but
could aot stay to bury it, for fear of tlie Indians that were
in the heighborhood ; and on the next day after the last
battle I was near the house of Gabriel Godfrey, jr. and
the house of Jean Baptistere Jereaum, where a great num-
ber of prison^'rs were xoliected; and that I heard the.
screamfng of the prisoners whom the Indians were toma<
hawking; that the savages set the houses on fire and went
off. his vH >c^,

LOUIS X BEBNARd.

mark ?

dit Lajoyc. ■ }-

J)(!iroit, Feb. 5, 1813. f

.jjll

^.XIIE ENEMt, ^

No. 29.

131

I certify, iliat the bodies of the Americans killed at th;c
battle of la Riviere aux RaidlDB, of the twenty-second of
January last^ remained unburied ; and that I haye seen
the hogs and dogs eating them» ■ "

The hogs appeared to be rendered mad by ao profuse
a diet of christiao flesh.

I saw the houses of Mr. Oerome and Mr. Godfrey, on
fire, and have heard that there were prisoners in them.

The inhabitants did not dare to bury the dead on ac-
count of the Indians^

The inhabitants have been threatened by the Indians,
if they did not take up arms against the Americane.

Michis^an, February Qth, 1813.

(Signed) his

ALEXIS X LA BADIE.
■ ^ mark

This is to certify, that on or about the twenty-eighth
day of January last past, an Indian woman Came to my
dwelling hoiise, on the river Rouge, and ihformed me that
on the morning of 'liat day an American prisoner had
been killed in the Indian camp, and the reason she assign-
fd itor killing him was because he had expressed an ha-
tred for the Indians.

ROPERT ABBOT.

betroU, m Feb. ISU. '^ «^^^^

Territory of Michigan, }

district of Detroit. ^

Personally appeared before me, the subscriber, Aaron ;
Thomas and Agnes Thomas, his wife, who both made oath^v
on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, that the Indians^
have taken from them, from the house of Mr. Atwater, on
th^leth of August, 1812, one chintz gown, valued sevtn
and a half dollars, one calico gown, vahied three dollars
seventy -five cents, one calimanco petticoat valued four
dollars, one pair of cotton stockings, one dollar fifty cents,
one pair woolen stockings seventy-five cents, one pair of
silk gloves, one dollar fifty .^<^jpJDiy|t.0Qf n^^ smiil trunk two

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> BARBARITIES OF

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dollars, one pocket-book two dollars, thread one dollav,
needles 0j cents, one shawl- one dollar, tmtl cambric
haudkei-chief seveoty-ftVe cents, one cotton ditto sixty -two
and one half cents, one shiii one dollar, three^fourths of a
pound of pepper fifty cents, one cake of chockolate twen-
ty-jliye cents, one fan liifty cents, one blanket three dollars,
one cloak ten dollars, three yards of check cotton ninety-
three and thiee-fourths cents, one shawl one dollar, one
flannel lor^e gown llii^e dollars. On the twelfth Septem'*
ber, taker on river Hpii^e, one cheenut sorrel horse fifly
dollars-^saddle and bridle ten dollars. On Friday, the
eleventh September, taken on river Rouge, one other sad-
dle, eight dollars, one pair leather leading lines two dollars
fifty cents, leading lines seventy-five cents, one axe two
dollars fifty cents, chintz patches two dollars.

Sworn before nie at^ my chambers, 1 7th September,
1812.

(Signed)

P, AUDLAIN, 3. P. p. D.

; , No. 32. ." :•

Letter from ihe Indians to the inh^itants cf the river Rai-

in— net dated.
The Huronr and the other tribes of Indians, assembled at '
tU9 Miami Rapids, to tlte inhabitants of the river Rais-

FRIENDS! LISTEN! ^'

|f^u have always tola us you would give us any assistance
in^Mir power.

W«. therefore, as the enemy is approaching ns, with in
tirenty-five miles, call upon you ^11 to rise rip and come
here immediately, bringing your arffld atongwitl]| you* .
Should you fail at this time, we will not consk'er you in
iiiture as friends, and the consequeuces nay be very un?
pleasant. "

We are well convinced you have do writings forbidding
youtc a&sist us.

Weare yourfriendi at pvesent. * '

ROUND HEAD, "r

Bv an emblem resenihlinf^ a hmse. ^ '

^ f WALK IN THE l/» ATER. fe

\ By M embkmn resembling a turtle. ^-

(Signed)

X.^"

•M'B^^

^;-;r.

4i-r^-,.

TITE ENEMi:^..

138

te-

f. :|^ -rt: No. 33— TRANSLATION. ai^:-p.*.if^ji-
1^^ of ^fc; inhabitants of, the river Raisittt dated Uiv-

ierre Aux Raisins^ (lie \Mh of Nmemher^ 1812.
^0 the honorable judge Woodward, Detroit^ Riviere^ aux

Raishis, the 13/A November, 1812.
'. SIR,-— In the emberrassment in which we find ourselves
mtpresentf on the subject of a letter addressed to colonel
Navar, on the part of the Ilurons and other savage tribes,
we depute him to you to represent to you the situation of
the inhabitants of the river Raisin, praying you to assist,
him with your advice in so delicate a matter, having at all
times had ^reat confidence in your great knowledge.

We have »he iionor to be, with profound respect, youl'
di>edient servants.

(Signed)

"> *

v^:

-^-

JAdtTES LASELL. v^

JEAN BAPTISTE OEROME. i :>
JEAN BAPTISTE BE AUGRAND.
FRANCOIS LASSELL,
DUNCAN REID.
JEAN BAPTISTE LASSELLE.*^
Extract froiH the reptmri efemign Isaac L* liaker, agent
i^for the prisoner^ taken cft^r the battle of Frenchtown,
Jomeart/ 22rf X8I3, t» brigadier^genereU Winchester,
dakd " British Niagara, February 2»i 1 8 1 3.
♦ " FoiP the gveateat number of our unfortunate fellow-sol-
diers beUig sent from Detroit, we ax« indebted to the ex<
ertloHH cf our prisoner feltow-citizeos there, who with un«
exampled generosity >'hen they saw their country n^en driv-
en tliough the streets Vk^c sheep to ft market, lavished
their wealth for their rt nsom. Nor was the procuratioa
of our libcTt/ all. We Itad been almost entirely strips by
th)i ladiftots. Clothes, such vm the exigency of the occa^
sioO'P«:.ittilted to be pre^red, were furnished us.

"On th<i 8 th instant, colonel Proctor ordered me to
p>ftke out a return of all the prisoners who were killed by
tlie Indians subsequent to the battle. Agreeable to the best
intimation I could collect. The enclosed return marked
B, wiis produced by this order. 1 might have added the
gallant captain Nathaniel Gray ; S. Hart, deputy inspect-
<ir g^rieral $ captain Virgil M'Crackin, of colonel Allen's
regiment ; captain John H. Woolfolk, your secretary ; ei^

M ■

C^'

,1-

V^?*i,"A>"

BAllBARttffeS 0^

8^11 Levi Wells, of the 7th United States kifaatry and jl
Buoiber of privates, whom I fiod by subsequent iDforma«>
tioo, have been massacredk

" The meraory of past services tendered me by captain
Hart's family, made me particularly anxious to ascertain
bis fate. I flattered myself he was alive, and every infor
Diation I could get for some time flattered my hopes. But
one of the last prisoners who was brought in, told me that
the captain was certainly massacred. He was so badly
wounded as to prevent him £rom walking. The Indians
took him some distance on a hotsC) but at length took him
off and tomahawked him. / y '^ '

*' About the loth instant, ait Indidn brnu^^htcaptain M*-
Crackin's commission to Sandwich- ih. m was bloody*
The fellow said he took the captain unbu. i, 'xii soikietime af-
ter, when stripping and examining him, hetbund an Indian
scalp in his bosom, which induced him to kill him. This,
you cannot but be assured, is a humbug of the fellow's own
making, to screen himself from the odium of barbarity.—*
The captain's character, and the danger that attended his
carrying such furniture in a disastrous battle, give it the
Ue. • ■ V • -v;t:;;/.^..,i^^.,.

" Captain Woolfolk, after having been woutided in two
places, by some means had got refuge in one of i^e French
houses on the Raisin. He was discovera next day and
dragged from his asylum. He was taken to the hov^e ot
a Mr. Lasselle, where he said he would give 100' i/l'ars
to any one who would purchase hira. Mr. Lasses . ^ii it
was out of his power, but he had nO doubt hib i - 1' er
would do it, who lived at hand^ He directed his o\f ue^'o
to the house of his brother, but, as they were on their way^
an Indian from a waste house shot him through the head. >

" Ensign Wells was taken by my side unhurt. I con-
sidered him as alive until my arrival at this place. Cap-
tain Nags tells me he was killed by aPuttawatioiie Indian^
not long after he was taken.

" Many fresh scalps have been brought in r . "e the bat-
tle, and dead bodies seen through the coi*i;t' ^ , which
proves that otheira have been killed whose nanica I have
Dot been able to find out, independent of those reported
10 colonel Proctor

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THE ENEMT. r l^

*^ This sir, is alUhe information I have been atifefo col-
lect, coQceroing thobe who are massacred. The fifteen or
eighteen mentioned in the remarks to the return made to
colonel Froctor, whose names do not appear, were not
known by those who saw them killed.

" Major Gsaves of the 5th regiment of Kentucky vol-
unteers, I have been abJe to get no information of i^rther
4hanthat he was brought to the river Houge, on the 2^th
o? 26;h of January in a sleigh. I fear, from our having
heard nothiog of him since, Uiat he is no more, and that
valuable officer forever lost to his country.

** The dead of our army are still denied the riehts of
fiepulture. At the time I left Sandwich, I was told the
bogs were eating them. A genUeraan told me he had
seen them runiking about with skuUs, ai'ms, legs and other
^ .rts of the human system in their mouths. The French
people on the Baisin buried captains Hart, Woolfolk and
some others, but it was more than their lives were wortb,
to have been caii^ht paying this last actustomed tribute
to mortality.

" I have several times agitated the subject of burying
the dead, when in company with the British officers, but
they e^Uvays answered that the Indians would not suf*
f€r it."

'^y^

kNae-*-'

A feturn of the American prisomrs^ m\o mere tomahawk'

ed by the Indians subaequent to the battle at Frenchtonmt

January 22d, 1813.

1. Pascal Hickman, captain ; 2. James E. Blyth, pri-
vate; 3. Charles Gerles, do. A» Thomas S. Crow, do. 5.
Daniel Darnell, do. 6. Thoipas Ward, do. 7. William
Butler, do. 8- Henry Downy, dp. 9. JohnF. Sidney, do.

In addition to the above number, I saw two others torn-:
ahawked at Sandy iireek myself, and find that the prison-
ers now in the hospital in Sandwich saw, say fifteen or
eighteen others, treated in the same manner. Two men
tell me they saw one who had the appearance of having
b^en burned to death/ Those men whosaw fienry Dow-

'iM'

s •':';.

■.iif^r^^s.^^t.'i'"^^' ^;.Aiw-^/«' ihki,i0m^^^, '*9;A

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136

BARBARITIES OF

oy and William Butler killed) tell me Uiat the IndlaD^'

left tbeai without scalping. *^ fc

<^^. ISA.1CL, BAKl^R,

Ensign 2d United Slates* infantrt/.
Colonel U. Proctor.

Extract of a letter from M^or-general Harrison to ike
Secretary at war, dated at the Miami Rapids^ Fehruftf*
ry n, 1813.
*' I hav^e the honor to enclose to you the depositioii
of Medard Labadie, ^ho was at the river Raisin on the
22d ult. and remained there till the 5th instant. His ac-
count of the loss of the enemy in the action, is conrroboi>
ated by several otliers, nor is thei^ the loast reason t0,
doubt his statement, as it regards the hoTtible fate of 'out
ifouoded men. There is anotber droumstance which,
plainly i^ws that the British have (no iateii^ioD to coa-
4luct the war (at least in this quarter) upon those piinci<
pies which have heeu held sacred by «11 civilized natiens.
On the 30tb ult. I dispatched doctor M'Keehan, a sqik
;geoD'8 mate in the militia, with a ftag, to ascertain the
situatioti ofo»r wounded. He was attended by one c€
our militia-men amd a Pi-eocbman. Ob the uight alter
their departure, they halted near tliis place for the puv-
pose of taking a few hour% sleep, in a vacant cabin upon-
the bank of the river. The cariole in which they trav»
-«led was left at tha door with the flag set up iniit. Th^y
were discovered by a party of Indians (accompanied, it
-is said, by a British officer) and attacked in the manner
described in the depoution. The militiaman was killed
and scalped, the doctor and the Frenchman takear Do(!^
tor M'Keehan was fiirnis^ed with a letter addressed to
any Briti^ c^cer whom he might meet, Ascribed tlie
■ character in which he w«Bt, and the object for which he
was sent, an open lettei* to general Wiochester, and writ>
ten instructions to himself ail of wbtoh be was directed td
show to the first officer he met with. He was also sup-
,plied with one hundred dollars io gold to procure neoes-
mries tor the prisoners."

The affidavit of Medard Labbadie, late reslident oeajc

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:■■ <■■■'

■*^'. ' '' ■" THE ENEMT. ■

■.•*.
<

'■\h rt.h .;•;. ■!

137

tine nver Rattuii, in the Michigan territory. He beiof
sworo, Faith, be was io his house when he heard the guns
at the commencement of t!ie action at the river Baisin,
on tlie 22d Jan. 1813, between the American forces uo-
der gen. Wipchester, and tlie British, Canadian and In-
diao fovces, said to be commanded by eel. St. George. —
After some Httle time, he tieard that the Indians were kil-
lii^ the inhabitants as well as the Americans, upon which
he went towards the scene of action, in order to save his
lamily. As he vent on, he was iTith one other inhabitant
iaken prisoner fa^r two Wyandot Indians, aiid canied pris-
oners to the Indiaii Hnes, f^ram which be saw great part of
the action. The tiglit wing of the. Ajnerlcans had giv-
en w^y before be got a sight of the action. It terminate a
tkCler the sun wa* some hoiurs higfa^ not far from 1 1 o'clock
A. M. by tlie surrender of the American forces tliatthen
yemataed on the ground; He saw the flag hoisted by
the British- sent to the Amertean forces, and saw it pass
three tim«9 to tihe Americana before the surrender. He
couttd not understand English, but understood that geu.
Winchester was ts^en prisoner before lie got to the lines
of his awn- men ; that be was compellei^ to carry the flag
to hi» own forces after he was taken ; that he understood
•the reason of the fla^ passing so often was thtttthe Amer-
icaoa refused to 8iirpiE:ider upon any oilier terms than the
weunded should be taken care of, the dead buried, and
tlie inbabistauts protected iu: ttifsir property^ That the
British first refused to agree to thpse terms, bnt finally
did agree to Uiem; . He also understood that the loss of
^he British aad Indians in the action was about 400 killed.
He aka understood that the loss of tliie Americans io the
action was aboi^t 18^0 killed.

Ke knows that on the day of the action all the prison-
ers who were able to march were marched oflf towards
Maiden, the wounded,, about 60 or 80 in number, left in
two houses without any of theii" friends or a physician to
take care of them, and without any British officer or
men. About ten Indians remained behind upon the
ground — the balance of the Indians went off with the Brit-
ibh, and he was told by some of the Canadian militia that

■ ■,• ■■■•rxCl.

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;..^.*. :

:; >'

V • .., '»^;

BARBARITIES OF *

. t

the British had promised the Indians a frolic that night
at StoRy creek, about six miles from the riv^er Raisin.

He was liberated after the line of march was foi'med
for Maiden. The next morning he was in the houses
., where the wounded were. That morning about fifty In*
dians returned ; they brought whiskey with them ; they
(Irank some and- gave some to the Indians there, and be-
tween 9 and 10 o'clock, A. M. commenced killing the
wounded, then set fire to the bouses the wounded were in,
and consumed them. He was at Ills father^s, on this side
of the Detroit river, about seven days after the action,
and saw across the river the prisoners marched oft* for
JN^iagara from Maiden. \\

He saith that he saw taken by his house, by capt. £l^>
Hot, and nine Wyandot Indians, two men that he under-
stood had been sent by gen. Harrison with a flag to tlie
British. One of the men (Mr. Tessier). he knew, theotli-
er he did not know, but understood he was a doctor. He
had not an opportunity of conversing with them, but un-
derstood from an inhabitant, to whom Mr. Tessier comr
municated it, that they stopped for the night and left the
flag hoisted on the cariole ; that the flag was taken away
unknown to them, and that the Indians fired on them ;
that he, Tessiev, told them they were Frenchmen, and
surrendered, upon which the Indians ceased firing, and
took them. They then mentioned they were sent with a
flag. The Jjidians said Uiey were liars and took them
off.,

Mr. Tessier was set st liberty at the river Rusin, and
remained two days expecting the doctor to return $ at the
end. of which time Tessier was sent for by the British
and taken to Maiden. He understood that the doctoif
was sent off immediately to Niagara ; the doctor was
wounded in the ancle. He understood the British charg-
ed the doctor and Tessier with being spies. And further
he saith not.
,k] (Signed) MEDABD LABBADIE.

Witness^ C. Gratiot, capt of engineers asd iaterpr^;

.^'

■,A

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■■K-.

THE ENEMY* ^

■ii^\

■-l^'- ■^^ '. ♦ t ^ 'Wrfc..

.^"SwoTn to before mc, this 11th day of February, 1813.
Camp, foot of the Miami Rapids. ^ ^r;

, (Signed) C. S. TODD, dis. judge ad. |

A true copy.

H. GRAHAM, aid-de-canip.

NtcholasviUef Kentucky,

Jl^l2Ath, 181». v;

Sir — ^Tours of the 5th iost. requesting me togiveyot^
a statement respectieg the late disaster at Frenchtowii,
was duly reeeived.. Rest assured^ sir, that it is with seiio
sations the most unpleasant, that I undertake to recount
the infamous and barbarous conduct of the British an4
Indians after the battle of the 22,d of Januaiy. Tii^ blood
runs cold in my veins when I think of it. , .^,

Qo the morning of the 23d, shortly after light, six or
eight Indians came to uie house of Jean Baptiste Je-
raume,wherel was in company with Major Graves,
Captains Hart and Hickman, Doctor Todd, and fifteen or
twenty private, volunteers, belonging to diifTerent corps.
They did not molest any person or thing on their first
approach, but kept saiiotering about until tiiere were a
large nuaiber collected (say one or two hundred} at
which time they commenced plundering the houses of the
iqhabitants, and the massacre of the wounded prisoners.
I was one amongst the first that was taken prisoner, and
was taken to a horse about twenty paces, from the house
after being divested of part of my clothing, and comman-
ded by signs there to remain for further orders. Shortly
after being there, I saw them knock down capt. Hick-
roan at the door, together with several others with whom
I was not acquainted. Supposing a general massacre
had commenced, I made an eflfort to get to a house a-
bout 100 yards distant, which contained a number of
wounded, but, on my reaching the house, to my great
mortification, found it surrounded by Indians, which pre-
cluded the possibility of my giving notice to the unfortu-
nate victims of savage barbarity. An Indian chief of the
Tama tribe, by the name of McCarty gave me possession
of his hone and blanket, telliog me by signs, to lead the

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.YA- ^v

140

BARBARITIES OF

i'-: 'i'

4:^

■^■4*

■r:*;,^-^^

hone to the house which I had just before left. The Iik«
dian that Hrst took me, by this time came up and mani-
fested a uostile dii^HMntion towards me, b;^ raising his
tomahawk as if to give me the fatal blow,, which was pre-
vented by my very good friend McCarty. On my reach-
ing the house which I had first started from, I saw the
Indians take olf several prisotters^whofn I al'terwards saw
in the road, in a most mangled condition, and entirely
#triptt>f their cloching.

B|r»^ Bradford, Searls, Turner, and Blythe, were eoU
ieeted round a cihrriole whieh e|GM!iiained aBtieles taken

~"hy- the IncHans from the citizens. We had all been pla-
ced there, by our respective captors, except Blythe, who,
«ane where we were, entreathig an Indian to convey hinv
to Maiden, promisii^ to give him 40 or 50 doHars, and
whilst in the act of ^eacKng for merey, an Indian more
•avage than the other stepped up Isehind^ tomahawked,,
•tripped aqd scalped him. The next that attracted my
attention, was d^ houses on iinr that contained several

"^'■•rouBfiied whom I knew M-ere not^abfe to get out After
Ahe houses were nearly consumed, we received marching
^orders, and after arriving at Sandycreek the Indians call-
■ed a halt, and commenced cooking; after preparing and
eating a little sweetened gruel, Messrs. Bradford, Searls,
'Turner and myself received some, and were eating, whea*
an Indian came up and proposed exchar^ing his mocka-.
-aom for Mr. Searb* shoes, which he; readily complied^
with. Th^ then exchanged hats, aft^r which the In:
dian inqtiired hew many men Hu'rison had with him,
'and at the Same time calling Searls a Washington or Mad-
ison, then raised his tomahawk and struck liim nn the
sbouldet , which cut into the cavity of the body. Searls
then caught hold of the ,toraahaw:k and appeared toreE^st,
and upon my telling him that his faj:e Vas Inevitable, he
' closed his eyesand received the sayage blew which- ler-
mhiated his existence. I was near enough to Mm to re-

' ceive the brains and blood, aftei; the falm blow, on my

blanket. A short time after the death of Searls, I saw

•three others share the same fete. We then set- out for

'Brownstown, which place we reached about 12 or I oV

olock at oight. After being exposed to several hours in?

■V

)a:i>.-

.,'^i^ ,i.i-

THE ENKl!»¥i:^.€

14»

<;e96aDt rain in reachiag that place we were put into the
council house, the floor of which was partly covered vkh
vwater ; at which place we remsiued undl next morning,
when we again received marching orders for their viU
lage OB the river Rouge, which place we made that day,
wh«*re I was kept six days, then tftken to Detroit and sold.
Tor's more detailed bceount of the proceedings, I take
the liberty of referringyou to a publication which appear-
e<l i^the public prints, signed by Sasign J. L. Ba^
ker i and to the publication of Jodge WeotiNrafd, bt^th of
which I have particiilarly examined mdfiuedtbem to bc^
)itei:ally correct, ao ftir as came us^r laiy maicd. f

I am Sit, with dtt« regard,. ^
r«. Your fellow ciliaen, *^

:J OUSTAVUS M. BOWER. ^

'^'siii Sm^on*s Mate 5tk Regi. KwttudM Vnhmur^ i'

" Jessamine county, to wit.

This day Gustavus M. Bower, pei«oiialIy came be-
fore me, John Metcalf, one of the commonwealth's justices
of the peace in and for said county, axnl made loath tothe
truth of assertions before slated by the sai^l Bower.— ->^
(^iven under my hand this 24|h day of April, 1813. ^

f JOHN l^tETCALF. ^

f Jesse Bledsoe, esq. Lexington, *,

Sir — I received your letter some time since, relative
ie the disastrous affair of Frenchtown of 22d and 23d
January last. For the particulars of the action, and th^
terms of capitulation, I refer you to the official report of
General Winchester, which is correct as far as came
within my knowledge. After the capitulation I was in-
troduced to col. Proctor, the commander of tiie British
forces and Indians, as one of the surviving suigeons, and
1^ him was requested to attend to our wounded, who
were left on the ground where the action was fought. I wil-
lingly acquiesced, and Doctor Bowers my BtaHp remained
with me ; at ttie same time J informed Col. Proctor of
my appr^ensionsfor the-safety of the womded «ad ^q

-^w ■

'fTJ-^SV ,-.

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}4$

BABBABITIES OF

nirgeoBfi; he replied be under no apprehensfons, you wilt
be perfectlr safe, I will place you under the special car«
of Ine chiere until morning and very early I will send cock
veyances for the wounded and yourself to Amherstburg,
Shortly after, I was requested to ascertain the number and
rank of tlte wounded, and in so doing was assisted by a
British officer (whose name I did not know) to whom I
likewise communicated my apprehensions of safety ; he
manifested some irritation at my doubts of British honoi
and magnanimity, and assured me protection would qe afr
forded me.* While engaged in this business, one of the
rooms occupied by the wounded was crowded with lo,'*
dians w^were peaceable, but one of them who could
speak English admonished the British officer of the pro^
priety of stationing interpreters in the houses. Upon my
return from this business to the room I ' occupied, and
which was set apart for the wounded officers, I met, And
was made acquainted with captain Klliott, at present a,
British officer, who had visited Captain Hart then wound-
ed. Captain Hart was solicitous to be removed that ev-
vening, and Captain Elliot replied, if it was possible (and
every exertion should be made) he should, and, if it could
not he effected that evening, early in the morning h? would
cajl for him in his own train (sleigh) and convey hiin to
his own house in Amherstburg, where he should reituiii*.
until recovered, assuring him, repeatedly, no danger was
to be apprehended, and if possible he would remain with-
liiim that night. In the afternobn Captain Elliot and ev-
ery British officer left the encampn>ent, leaving behind
three interpreters. From the repeated assurances, my

apprehensions were quieted ; for who could doubt ? ->^

About one hour before day light (for my duties required
my attention nearly all the night) the interpreters sudden-
ly disappeared. About an hour after day light, the In-
dians began to collect in the town, and commenced plunr
dering the houses in which the wounded were placed, and.
then stripped them and myself of our clothing. At this
time the room I had occupied was crowded with Indians,
and Capt. Harfs wound already painful, being injured
i>7 ihewj I conveyed him tQ an. adjoiavng houii^ which

•^1

f HE JENEaiY.^'v^

11^

4iaA Wen plundered and WM enip^, irbe^e I met the Id'-
dian (who on the preceding day had requested that in<'
terpreters should be left) and he knew my rank. He
hiqidred why the sui^ons were left, and why the wounded
%ereleft? I replied it was the wish of Colonel Proctor
we should remain until he could send for us ; and Capt.
Hart informed hkn Capt. Elliott wa8« friend of his and
was to call for him that morning. He shook his head
eigniflcantly, add replied they were damned rascals, or we
Would haye been taken off the preceding day. The In-
dian informed me every individual would be killed, and
requested me to be quiet, for the chiefis were then in coun-
cil and, " may be,'* only the wounded would be killed.
Captain Hart offered him one hundred dollars to take
him to MaldJBnk He replied, you are too badly wound-
ed. While we weVe conversing, one of the wounded wa*
tomahawked at our feet. Shortly after, the Indian r^
turned and told me, I was a prisoner, and roust go. I was
taken by the Indian to the house I had left, and there dis-
covered that Captain Hitchman and two others had In
my absence been tomahawked, scalpt, and stript. I was
tied and taken by this Indian toward Maiden about four
miles, when I came to the encampment of the British
wounded, and met with Captain Elliott and the surgeon
of the 4lBt regiment. Captain Elliott immediately recog-
'nised me, and inquired the cause of my situation. I in-
formed him what had taken place, and requested him to
8<enk back immediately, thait some who were badly wound-
ed might be still alive, and could be saved, particularly
named Captajn Hart, for whom he manifested*nnich friend-
ship. Captain Elliott replied, it is now too late, you may
rest assured that those who are once taken by the Indiana
are safe, and will be taken to Maiden, and those who are
badly wounded are killed ere this. I replied, many are
Unable to walk, and some will be killed after making an
effort and walking several miles, who might be saved ; to
which he replied, fcharity begins at home, my own wound-
ed are to be conveyed first, and if any sleighs remain j
they shall be sent back for your wounded. My anxiety
t5 get some persons to return, in hopes of saving some of
the prisraers, induced me at length to make aa appeal to

I, ■

I »a

BARBAltlTlES OP

their avftrice. The surgical ioitruments of the detach^
ment were left in the room I occupied, wad I informed the
virgeoD of their vahi« aod importance tt the time ; he
immcdiHtely despatched an interpreter for them, who re«
turued with the iQfwmatiiOD thej were destroyed in the
biurniog of the house, and gave additional information of
the massacre of the wown&i. I was released from the
Indians by Captain Elliott and the surgeon* At this
time my brother, rSo waa. wounded and several others,
were in poeseauon of the Indians, who were taking them
towards Maiden. I requested their release, and permis-
sion for them to accompany me oaibot, under British pro*
tectioo. Captain £lUoU told me it was impossible, and
to be under no fears ; thev were aafe,^ for he knew the
fidelity of the Indians with whom they were. When the
intelligence of the massacre was by me communicated to
Captain £Uiotl and the surgeon, they apoearedmuch ex«>
asperated, and. declared it was iaa|iosib^ "o restrain tliA
savages. The cause he then assignee me was, that
.^ when the Indiana diacavered their loss in killed and

||j wounded, and that of the British, they started off toward*-

' our wounded, declared they weuld have satisfaction and^

he continued, I was fearful ef the event. Durin«r the plun»^ '
der and the massacre, our wounded conducted themselve*
with the utmost composure and resignation, and made no.
resistivnce, wiiieb they knew would be fruitless, and dea*-
truction to alt.,

It was asserted by Col* Proctor in a eonveraatioa.'

at Amiierstburg, that the Indians had got some whiskeys

in the house we were stationed, and ha^ become intoxi-'

cated. That the Imiians may have had some whiskey, I^

shall not deny, but T think I can safely say, that they-

did not procure it there, "and UuU was not the cause of

the massacre, for on the preceeding days and subsequent,

to the action of the 18Ch, I wanted aome spirits, and madO'

X application to the housekeeper, who assured me there wae^.

} q,one about the how«c, for it waaall consumed by the Brft^

\ ish 9lw Indians who bad quartered in the house prior to>

^ the action of the 18th.; besides the Indiana shewed no

i ni fe statiour of druatonew j. U>^ deliberate pilfering.

•:;^<

THK FlIVEMT.

1-15

ntid thrli- ordeily conduct throughout, vrias not euch &s
would be expected from dt-nakeo Indians.

Upon my arrival at Maiden I was again solicited to
take charge of the wounded, the surgery was opened to
me, and I had the use of the medicines and dressings ne-
cessary, and they had as comfortable rooms as could be
procured. During our si^y in Maiden some eight or 10
ef tiic wounded were brought in by the Indians ; several
made their escape "who were doomed' to massacre, and
found prdtectioo whh the inhabitants of the territory, who
brought them into Maiden, and eev^eral made their escape,
wandered in and dcHvered themtclves up at the fort. — —
Prior to our leaving Maiden, one poor fellow was brought
in scalped alive by the Indians and delivered up to the
BriUsli, but before I reached him death put an end to
his sufferings. I fiequpntly, and on every occasion, ur-
ged the British officers lo exert thesselves and procure
tlie release of the wounded from the Indians, arging the
nece8i4ty of having their wounds dressed. In a conver-
sation on tills subject with capt. Elliott, and while urging
it, he replied, tlie Indians are excellent surgeons. The
prisoners were all marched off to Sandwich after remain-
ing a few days at Maiden, and I was caUed upon to.^now
how many from their wounds \rere unablie to march ; who
had sleighs furnished them, which was the case during the
march to Fort George. Before I conclude, I must say
that ttie terms of capitulation were violated in every par-
ticular by the enemy. The wounded were not protect-
ed ; private property was not held sacred ; and our side
arms were not restored. With a few exceptions, I was
treated riespectfiilly by the British officers, save the f»
buse which was lavished en my government, andlAo/ was
by no means sparingly bestowed.

I am, respectfully, &c. O*

JO^N TODD.M. D.
and late sdrgeon to the 5th regt. of Kentucky
Toluoteer militia.
Tiu Hon* Jesse Bledsoe f

I.40

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.>:• T, ".':. »•.-

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'■■Ms '

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i^feS'

BlRBARITIES Of

'•*■ - ■

^•%''

SSi

^^•

The'cm^imimalth of Kmtucki/,
Fayette county, ^

This dfty Doctor Junis Todd came before me, John ti.
Morton, a justice of the peace for feaid coUn!y, and made
oath that the facts stated in the foregolBg letter are subftan-
tiaUy true to the best of bis k( owledge.
Given under HIV hand this 3d day of May, 1813.

JOHN H. MORTON.

■'^:

State of KmiuckyyFendietoH eokntyyin the town of

On the 21st day of Aprilyl8i3, 1, John Dawson, an
orderly seijeant in captain <01acd's comp?\ny of <he first
regiment Kentucky volunteer militia being detailed off
and attadied to eaptain Wriel Seabrees* company, and
vas in the battle of ISth January^ and did not receive a
wound, but on the 22d, about 9 r 'clock, received a shot
Mider the riglit arm, vhich io<%cd betwc^^n the rihsw— -—
-After the capituh^on of oUr troops, there Lame a payma»>
i^x of the British army in the hmise where I vas, to t»ke
4he number of wounded that was in ihe house, I asked what
was to be done with us j he Teplii.d donH makeyouivelf
uoeafijr about th^t, y^i shall be protected this night by a
stronv guard which '^lall be left JKith you. But to r /sad
misfortune, I found there were but three intep "eters left^aod
in the night an <KfRcer took two of them away, and in the
morning tlie other one said he ociuld not talk Indian. So
wJier Uie lDdian»caRU> in the ■mornings they broke open
the tisors of the house :, began to tcmiabawk, scalp and
plunder, then set fire to the houses wbioh contained the
^prisonerti ; Mith this I got up, put en my great coat put
up my knapsack, and went piEtof doom. I had not been
out more than one minute, before an Icdieu) came up to
me and took the coat off my back, also duother Indian
told me to put my knapsack in h's sled ; I did so. At
this time major Graves and captain Hart wene out in the
yard. I heard ciipt. Hart make a bargain with an In-
dian to take him to Maiden, which tie Indian ngreed to
do for the sum of one hundred dollars. I saw the In-
dian put a pair of socks on Hart and put him on a horse ;
this was the lai 1 1 saw of Hart. I then saw a man ridings

(

THE ENEMT.

147 f

wbomJ thought was a British officer. I made to himv
but found that he was an Indian, who was a|d-de-cainp
to general Roundhead ; he had with him whrn I came up*
twelve men, It was at the mouth of a line where I
overtoolihim, where there were two Indians scalping two
men; he hallooed to them t•^gi'^e way ; th^yd^ so. Af^
ter tlus, we icent on, and on Sandy creek, abput 3 miles

-r from the battle ground, I saw major Graves in an Indian
^sleigh; this \a the last account of him that I could ascer-
tain. We went aa thai liight to Brownstown, and in the
moroisg of the 24tb, a man gave out walking, with tlie

' ^^rheunmtsc pains, who was by the name oi IVwney. The
I Indians tomahawked him and theta stript him. We then

^ « marched on above Detroit on the river Boiige, I stay-
ed with them several days, they then took me into Detroit
( leaving a young man jn the camp by the name of John
Davenport) and sold me to ms^r, Muir, who commands
fort Detroit. I then was sent over to Sandwich, there I
stayed.ur/ui the Slluof Februi^ry ; they marched me to
fort Qeoige, and mecu the 19th of February,

- 1813. The above is> a true statement as far as I saw^
though T saw numbers massacred that I did not know.

During my confinement with the Indians, whilst at
their camps, they shewed more humanity than the Brit ^
ish.
Given under laj hand this 21st day of April,.1813<

A:r-^tm^ JOHN DAWSON,.

Peitdleton counti/y s», , '

I, William Mountjoy, otie of the Commonwealth's j»!S-
tices of the peaoe for the state of Kentucky, in and for sdid
founty, do certify that the foregoirg cerlificpte of John
J^%wson, was written, nuioiscribed and sworn to before me^
, Given under my haao this 21st day of April, 1813.

> wm. mountjoy.

f I

State of Kerattcktfj ^endkton cmtnty^ in the tonmM Vol'

mouth' **

On the 21st day of April, 1813, 1, Thomas Pollard,
a private of Capt. Gla\re's company, of the first Regi>
ment of Kentucky volunteer militia, was in battksioHght

.w/

■ >x

■4'- .-"y--

■•'* <m lytm^'ttmt am..\

148

BARBARITIES OF

;A* ;.*'..' ";.K

(

■r^^

irith the British and Indian army, on the 18tb and 229
of Januaty last, at th^ river Raisin, tiad aftsr the saf-
render of our army as pHsoners of war, on the 22d, upon
the assurances of the British officers promising protection
to my wounded fellow soldiers, and that they would send
jtarrioles for them the ncfxt day, although I bad receired
no injury in either of the actions foi^ht on the 18th and
22d, I voluntarily staid to assist and comfort my mecsT
Bates, John Dawson apd Albert Ammerman acid Jesse
Green, all of whom had received wounds by balls.

I have first examined the statement made and swors
to, by John Dawson, hereto annexed, and witnessed «t&>v
ly circumstance therein stated to be truly stated within my
own knowk^ge. The Indian who bargained with cslpt
Hart, to take hioi to fort Maiden for one hundred dol-
lars, and took chaise of him — pnt him on a horse and
started on his way; spoke good enough tlie English
tong^e lor us to understand the contract.

THOMAS POLLARD. ^

FEKDtEltoN COVNTT S8.

■>v>

K ^

I, WilUam Mountjoy, one of tl^ commonwealtirs jUOa^
^ces of the peace Ibr the stale of Kentucky, in and for
said county, do certify that the foregoing certificate of
Tliomas Pollard, was subscribed and sworn to before me.

fiiven under my hand this 21st April, 1813. t*K

wm. mountjoy.

State of Kcniucky, Pendleton County, in the tam of '
* Falmouth.

^;t; On the 21st day of April, 1313, 1, Albert Amraennait^
a private of captain Glave'ij company of the first regi-
ment oi Kentucky volunteer militia, being wounded in
the battle of the 18th Jannaiy last, at the river Raisin,
by a ball in the flesh of the thigh ; and from the window
of the house which was appropriated for an hospital, was
a witn^ to the battle of the 22d of the same month ; and
after me surrender, |, being but slightly wounded, pro-
posed marching with the rest of the prisoners, and was
prevented by the order of a British officer, who said that
a guard would be left to take care of the wounded, a^

•t ..

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^•«*>^^fi.c•.■^•.^:I•:'Ai•V .' .vj.'^.l.s:.:

■1 ^ S^r -.:

"^/-i",:..

,^::v?;i j^^^fTHE ENEMY.'

r*' •.

/•'.

^^140

itiarrioles would be sent for them to ride ia to MaMen,
■on tbe next fnoralog. But to my astonkbnient no gunrd
"^ ^as (eft «nd about sunrise on the morning (A the 23d, a
/ fiarty of Indiaas returned to the Heepitai, and the first
;> Indian that €flme to tbe room I was lodged in, could
^ speak the English language. He vas asked by oAe of

- the wounded what was to be done with the wounded. He
replied they were ail to b6 killed that could not walk^

> and shijitly aJlter a general massacre commenced. I in-
stantly put on my knapsack, and went out of the house ;
;r .my knapsack was demanded l)y an Indian at the door, to
I whom I gave it He coDducicd me to a log some little
^ distance from ther house, on which I sat down, where I
witnessed the butchery of many of my fellow citizens' —
sufferers by the tomahawk and scalping knife ; and, te fin-
^ ish the scene, set fire to the houses occupied by the wound-
ed prisoners, maay of them struggliog in the arms of
death, put their heads out of the windows whilst envelop-
^cd. in smoke and flames. After this bloody work
was fini?iK i, I was marchad off on the direction towards
Brewnstown, by ai> Indian, and when about half a mile
from Frenchiowrt on our way, was overtaken by two In-
dians, who had captain Hart in custody, mounted on a
}iorse. As they F -oached nearly to us, I noticed they

- were speaking Joun and animated as if in a quarrel, but
"inot understanding their lini|nin«;iRdid notundei> ui.iwhat

passed between them, but .<u)k it is probable that the

quarrel was occasioned ref5pecl'ng one 1 ndred dollars

which f understood captain Hart had given to ^ne of llie

/ Indians aforesaid, to convey him to fort Mal(..n. The

I- quarrel appeared to grow very warm, so much so, tliat

' t)ie Indians took aim at each otirer AViui tlieir guns, and

lns if to settle the dispute it appeared to me as if they had

^-tTiutually agreed to kill captain Hart and pi -nder him of

■ the rest of his money and effects, wliich th' did, by taking

■ him off his horse, then knocked him down with a war club,
scalped and tomahawed him, and stript him !riaked;ieav-

' ing his body on the ground. I was gratified in observe

' ing that, during the scene of trial, captain Hart refrained

from supplication or intreaty, but ftppcaned perfectly

A I ■

:■: ' ■ '.-< , '

150

BARBARITIE3 OF

"... ■ ' •

calm anjSI collected. He met his fate^with that firmness
which was his particular characteristic. No other pris-
oner of our army of tlie United States was present to wit'
ness this melanchoily scene, the death of captain Hart.
During my captivity with the Indians, five days only, t
was treated with more hospitality than I had any reason
to expect, miu^b more so thnn I experienced from the Brit-
ish, after I ws^s fansomed at Detroitf by My. Benjamin
Chittenden, who will ever be entitled to my utmost grat-
itude ; by hini I was humanely treated, and also by some
of the French C^nndians. bis ^^^f

ALBERT 1^ AMMEBMAX. '

mark

':•»■■■-

PENDLETON COUIJTY, SS. ._

- 1, William Alountjoy, one of the commonwealths* justi-
ces of the peace, for th^ state of Kentucky^ in and for said
county, do certify the. fbiegoing certificate of Albert
Ammerroan, was subscribed and sworn to before me.
Given und^r my hand this 21 st day of April, 1813. '

. TVm. MOUNTJOX. i;

^iS"^*^^;';^* **' '•^■■■■.' ■.:■•" ■ ■■ ^ ■ • • ." 'w A'.

Lexii^tan, April ISih, 1813
SiiR— Tou request «f me a statement of facts withia
Diy <>wa knowledge, concerning the murder of our meik
after the battle and surrender at Frenchtown.

I was one of those who was iaken by the IncUans on
the retr«e(, about one and a half miles fi^m wlieere the
action first commenced. Just before we were taken,
with the assistance of Lieutenant Ckinn, beiongihg to the
militia^ I fonited between fifteen and twenty men, I then
discovered the Indians running upon us j»n each side tnl
j!b front, ahoat sixty In number, with tlieir arms at a trail.
1 discovered there m&s no chance to re^ si them. I or-
, dered the men to ground their arms, wb.ch was done;;
: ^V J Indians then camo up and secured tlie arms of our
.^,tiien« and shot them, liichiding the Lieut, before mention-
ed. I was the only one saved. I was takes and delW-
tjccd Up to Col. Elliott) a BriUsh ofllicyf. *^,v4j* ^

-.••-/ >

,..•'»*.

THE ENEMY.

As to the murder of the wounded, I know notliing of
my own knowledges

Tour obedient servant,
* A. GARRETT,

Hon. Jesse Bledsoe.
Fayette County, ss^

This day Lieutenant Ashton Garirelt, of the nth regi-
im$ntU. S.Inf^ntrj', came'before jonc, and made oath that
the foregoing statement is just and true to the best of
his knowledge and belief.

Given under my hand this thirteenth day of April,
1313^ J, H. MORTCN, J. P.

68.

State of Kentucky

fayette county.

Personally a[^ared before roe^ a justice of the peace
for the county a&resaid, Charles Bradford, an inhabitant
of the town •! Lexington, state of Kentucky, who be-
ing duly sworn on the Moly Evangelists, deposeth and
saith, that he was in the actions at tlie river Raisin, on
the \ 3th and 22d of January last, tliat he was wounded
in the right liip and remamed at Frenchtown after the
capitulatfon ; that on the 22d before tiie prisoners (who
were able to walk) were marched for Maiden, he saw
captain William Elliott, with whom lie had been former-
ly acquainted, and of whom he enquired personally^ whai
would be done with the wounded prisoners? Whether
they would be taken to Maiden that evening with the other
prisoners or not i^ he said th^ would not be taken to Mai-
den tliat evening, but ^ strong guard would he leftto protect
them against any outrage the Indians might be disposed
to commit. Elliott had a similar conversation withm^j.
Graves, captains Hart and Hickman, and doctors Todd
9nd Bowers, in the presence of this deponent. He, El-
liott, further stated that sleighs would be sent to convey
the wounded to Maiden the next morning. This depo-
nent further says that the British marched away;, no
guard was left to protect the wounded, and that captain
Elliott, when asked the reason, observed that some inter-
preters were left whose influence among the Indians was
greater, and that they were better able to protect as than

>' •. /■■

BAEBAEITTES OF

* 'ft guard. About two or ihre« o-clock in the moruiug oi
the 23cl January, this deponent discovered that the iiv*
terpreters had left the house io which he was, and he
never mw diem afterwards ; that between day-light and
sun-rise, on the 23di he saw a large number of Indians
come to the house, they burst open the door, and in a few ;
Biimites commenced plundering the prisoners, and toma- ^
hawking thoKe who were unable to walk. This deponent
left the house as soon as possible and went into the yard,
where a number of his fellow prisoners had assembled ;
he was there claimed as a prisoner l)y nn Indian^ wh6
^ave him some articjles to hold whilst he plundered tnor^.
At this time he was standing with Doctor Bowers and
James B. Blythe, when an Indian without any provcca- ;
tion, tomahan^d Bly the and scalped him. Shortly, af--
^er, they (the Indians) set fire to the houses in which'the
-wounded had biften quartered, and burnt them down, with
the bodies of those whom they had murclered. This de-
'ponent was then taken by the Indians, in company with
Doctor Bower, Charles Searls, Julius Turner, and sev-

^'leral others to Sandy Creek} that on the wayhte^awa,
^number of the prisoners who had been tomahawked ; that !

^■^ whilst at Sandy Creek) they murdered Charles Searl's*
^ Thomas S, Grow, and three or four others; that this

• deponent was th«a packed with forty or fifty pounds
-Weight and taken to the river Bouge, where the Indianfl i
rhad encamped ; that whilst he was there he inquired of
''Ian Indian whether he woujd take him to Maiden, as he

wished to be given to Col. Elliott. The TncHan said if
fXJol. Elliott told him to do so he Wocld^ as they always
'- did as he requested them. This deponent was six days '

• with the Indians before they took him to Detroit, where ^
the was purchased by Stephen Mack and Oliver W..
V Miller, for ei^ty dollars; that the British of5cer com'*^
' mandingat Detroit (Major Muir) again claimecl him as

- a British prisoner, notwithstanding his having ju8tbee(>
< ransomed from their allies, by his own countrymen, and

• wnt him to Sandwich, where he remained uritil the 9tli
■ or 10th February, when he was sent to Fort George»
I and there parolled. This deponent states, that w'hilst a

prisoner at Sandwkb, he was several iimc« treated in-

T '

THE ENEMY

159

• '.V

- J

J ■

■• V''(

^ultingly by the British officers, and by oi^e jobjn
M'Gregor; thattiie citizens geaeraily treated the pns>
oner4 with kiadoess and attention, as far as was in their
power^

This being the first opportunity the deponent has had,
»f expressing his gratitude to the Americaa citizens who
treated the prisoners with so mi;ich friendship and human*
ity at Detroit, caonot refrain from so doing. And aa
long as he lives, the namf!S of Melsrs. Mack, Miller,
Smart, Woodward, Williams, M'Donald, Hunt, Maya
&c. shall never be forgotten.

CHAS. BRADFORD.
- Swdm and subscribed to before me, this 29th day of
April, 1813.

O. KIEN, J. P.

(Copy)

United Stated Ship Madison,
Sackett's Harhor, Atk June, ms.
Sib — I have the honor to present you^ by the hands of
Liutenant Du^y„ the British standard, taken Ai York;
on the 27th of April last, accompanied by the mace, over
which was hung a human scaip.

These articles were taken from the parliameniliouse
by one of my officers, and presented to me. The scalp
I caused to bb presented to General Dearborn, who I
believe, still has it in his possession. I also send, by the
same gentleman, one of the British flags taken at Fort
George oo the 27 th of May.
fs^ 1 have the honor to be.

Very respectfully, Sir,

Your most obt. humble servt.

ISAAC CHAUNCEY.
Hpn. William Jones, Secretary of the Navy, Wash<
iogton.

A true copy from the original, filed in the Navy De-
darimeat, July 22d, 1813,

W. JONES, *

.' y,-

■ 1 • *

> ' •

v-^.k'.; mi l ■»■ <' ■'■ ' ■«»■■«* '

154

} r

BARBAHrriES OP

J::'

ADDENDA.

X •»-■'

*.-

Washington City, July 30*
]Pfom WilUam Berry ^ midshwtnan in the frigate Chesa*^

peake. ^

piR— I confkler myself bound tp lay before you what
came under ray kuowledge while on board the Chesa-
peake» to well as Mi,board the Shaofion*

After the eo^my l^d coin|dete possesnioD of the ship*
wMAhipmeo Randolph and Flushman were ordered frocn
the fore and maio'top. In coming dov n the shrouds lieut.
Falkner (the British officer) said to his nien» kiU those
i^kumted rea&ila. Then, ann immediately, several mua«
kets were discharged at them, but without effect. My
£tatioQ was in the mizen-top, where I had an opportunity
of seeing their actioos. I was looking on deck when I
caw one of the C^eeapeake^s men crawling along, attempt-
ing to get bdow wHh one of Ms legs dff. One of the ene-
tt^ stepped up to him nfith his cuSas^i and immediately
jpuit on end to his existence. Lieut. S'alkncr looked up
ID the mizen-top ; pointed at me, said he to his men, go up
three of you and throw that damned Yankee overboard.
They immediately rushed up, seiziitg n>e byihe collar,
sow, said they, you damned Tattkee, you shall swim for
U, attempting lo throw mie overboard; but I got witlun
the rigpogy when one of them kicked roe hi the breast,
which was the cause of my falling ;|being stunped by the
fall, I lay some time senseless, and when I came to, I mas-
cut over the head with a cutlass, which nearly terminated
my existence. Eleven of our midshipmen were confined
In a small place, nine feet by six, with an^ld sail to lie on,
and a guard at the door, until a day or two before our ar*
'rival at HaliliBx ; and likewise eleven of us upon five ra-.;
tions, and some days only one meal. Our clothes were
taken on board of the Shannon ; lieut. ^Vallis, tlie com-^
manding officer on board, would not let us ts^e our clothes
below with us, but pledged his word and honor as an ojBTi-
Ccr, we should receive our clothes. But we discovered
next morning that their midshipmen htul on our clothes
and side arms. We were conversuig together respecting
ow <<lothes- oae of their ipidsbipmeu overheard our coa-

■^■>^

'-«,•

V»i»» i<' ''**-^-^ryT'r^-».»?W M ''' 1 ' iM t~r<.ff<<»'i'5^'.i

v^it'm.'^l^ilitM

•ttliE ENEMt'.

ISt

VcrsailoD, and made ar«p9rtto the lieuteMMit cloBnaaod-
ing. ^e then sent word to m, that if we eaid any thing
more about the clothes, he would put us in the foie-bokl
with tlie men. We expected to receive our clothes when
we arrived in port, but I assure you, sir, nothing wtiis ef^
er restored. Other mteaUy thingt cecurredy wiiich our
officers will, when they return, make know to the publie»
disp'oceful to a mvUiBed nation* If your request could
have, beoBt made sooner, I should have I'elt gratified in
jnaking a fuller stateroeot.

> I have the honor to be, with 4he highest respect, ^

WIJLLIAM BERRT.

IfoN. L. CondUi Washmgttiu

Another circumstance took place <m bowd which entire^
\y escaped my memory until this moment Several of
dfie officers had money laken from them which they r&-
^ceived from the Chesapeake as pnze money. Mr. Hig-
inibothafii, as nearly as I can recoUeot, had upwards of
130doUait.

>'•

\:i>

i;!fi*«^,. T V Gboroetown, July 30, 1813.

; BiB~-Havio^ perused a letter of yours to Berry^ re-
iquestiaff information respecting Ike treatment of the Amer*
lean dicers and seamen of the late Chesttieake, I censid-
uier myself bound, sir, to lay before yw vW came under
my koKMvledge. My haviog been wounded and remain-
ing on board the Chesapeake, mightnot give me that scope
for observation which others ppssessed ; but I am sorry
to say many things transpitediilisgractfnl to the character
'%of a brave enemy. Whilst undressing myself in the steer-
age, after the Ainericans were driven mIow or had sur*

V rendered, and after reststftnce had ceased, I believe en*
|j tirely, several muskets and pistols were at once pointed
i^; down the hatchway, and discharged in the direction of Uie
^icookpit ; and as the eteeinge and cockpit were fin^

uwith wounded, in all probabiUity seme of them were kilhd

V outright. It was midshipman Hopewell, and B9t livings
ion, who was so inhuntsDlyitreated^as described in the
public prints. It has been the custom in oar Qavy to take

V the side arms of officers (prisoneils) but to. restore them

:\ .-,

He:

*'VV

: ' .'. \-.

150

BARBARITIES OF

on their leaving the ship. Oun i^re taken, vorn, and
never restored, together with what nautical instniments
they could lay their hands on. When spoken to by the
American officers on the subject, th<Q answer was, such
things mere free plunder, A>day or two after the action
I was conversing with lieut Budd and Mr. J^ichoUs,
near the taffel, respectiii^ the engagement, when it waa
observed some of the Shannon's men were listening to our
conver|Bition. Immediately after, lieut. Falkner, the
commanding officer, ordered centint^ls to be placed at the
mizen mast. And, said he to theui, if you see any of the
Chesapeake's officers abaft the mizen-mast, cut them
down; if you see them conversing together, cut them
down without hesitation.

It will be remembered thie three officers who caused this
order were all sevenely wounded. We received no cau-
tion and overheard it by accident. So great was the race
for plunder, that captain Lawrence, before his death,
could not obtain a bottle of wine from his private sea
stores, without a note from the doctor to the lieut. com-
manding. I pass over the robbing of the midshipmen on
board the Shannon, as it did not come under my immedi-
ate notice. If your request could have been made earli-
er, I should have felt gratified in making a fuller state-
ment.

Tours respectfully,

^v , Wm. a. WEAVER.

lion, Lewis Condit, Washington,

.■„.,.■<*'

■tii^^X^' ■■ .-

Mis Majeshfs Ship San Vcmiiige, «

/ Chesapeake, May 10th, 1813.

Sir,—

I haye to acknowledge the reeeipt of your letter of
the 8th instant, respecting a man named O'iN^cale, taken
by the detachment from the squadron under the orders
of rear Admiral Cockbum* This roan has been released
upon the application ojf the inagistrates of Havre de
Grace, on parole^

I 't' .f

f>r

THE ENEMT. ,57

he wmild certiUnly h.v* been S^^J^^"^^

I htTe the honor to pe. Sir,

Your most obedient humble servanL
JOHN BOttLASE WAHBEK

Brig Om. MilUr, commanding the United States form
*<?. «&c. (&c, Baltimore. . , '

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SUPPLEMENTARY.

Important Documents. »

The subjoined documents were found among
Gen. Proctor's papers, iAken at the battle
of the Thairies : We give them a place in
the present volume under a conviction
that every American into whosehant^^ it
may fall will view it (as we do) as a record
wodh preserving, and that they will be
perused with no small degree of inter-
est.

€opi/ of a letter from Sir George Prevost to
Com, Sir James Lucas Yeo,

Head-€tuarter8, KingstOii, }
19th September, 1813. \

Sir,

The Centre Division of the Upper Can-
ada army is placed in a situation very critical,
and one novel in the system of war ; that of
investing a force vastly superior in numbers,
within a strongly intrenched position. It was
adopted and has been maintained from a con-
fident expectation, that with the co-operation
of the squadron under your command, a
combined attack, ere this, could have effect-
ed on the enemy, at Fort George, with every
prospect of success. To the local disadvan-
tages of the positions occupied by our ar-
my, have unhappily been added disease and
desertion to a degree, calling for immediate
remedy. You are, therefore, required ta

•»>■•,..'•■■

■i4\.

THE ENEMY.

:^.

ria<.

150

I>roceed with the fleet under your coiiinmnd,
with the least i ossible delay, to ifhe l»ead of
the lake, affordijag sufficient convoy to the
small vessek containing those stores and sup-
plies of which the army is in the most press-
ing want. Upon your amval near the head-
quartei-s of the Centre Division, you will con-
sult with Maj. Gen. De Rottenburg, who
will unite in his person, the civil and military
command in Upper Canada, upon my with-
drawing from the province, or upc>n the eligi-
bility of a combined attack, for the purpose of
dislodging the enemy from the position of Fort
George, by a rapid forward nxovement of the
army, bringing up in battery at the same time,
the heavy ordnance, mortars and howitzers
now embarked. This attack must be sup-
ported bvthe countenance of your squadron,
and tlie rre of such vessels as are anned with
a description of ordnance favorable to it.-^
Should this attempt appear to you to be at-
tended with too great hazaVd to the squadron,
under the possible circumstance of the ene-
my aj^earing on the lake, you will in that
case distinctly state your sentiments to Maj.
Gen. De Rottenburg, who will immediately
upon ascertaining your inability to assist him,
take measures for evacuating the position he
now occupies. In the execution of which
movement, you will give his army every sup- .
port and assistance, consistent with the sme^
ty of your vessels; and having performed
this service, you will pursue such measures*

'..V

^.■:M

190

^ABBARITIES 01

as sliall appear most probable speedily to^n-
mre the acquisition of the naval ascendency.
^ You are already acquainted with the de-

> ^ided line of condtict. which i wisli to be ob-

':: served on Lake Krie, by capt. Barclay, and
you will not failio impress on^diat officer the
absolute necessily cf regaining the naval su-

[ perlority, iiid to preserve uninterrupted the
intercourse between Amh^rsiburg and Long
Pcint, in order that the supplies and stores in
depot at the latter place, and at the head of
the lake, may be ti-ansported in salety to the
B^ht Division.

/I The flotilla of transports on Lake Ontario
are to be kept employed, as long as the season
will admit, in the conveyance of the provisi-
ons and other supplies collected at Kingston,
and destined for the Right and Centre Divisir
pns of the anny, and they are to receive
from your force the necessary protections^ ^r
I bave the honor to be, sir, 4^^^^'

Your lioost 6bed't. humble serv't. :a)^

^ , (Signed) GEORGE PRE Y0S1\ i

%;,^ , .^ Commander of the &rces. ^;^

, Q6m, Sir J, L. Yeo.

.«•:.»'

3 ^^\

'^.>>

-fr.^, •■>'*•■,■ ■•;■''''«■;-■

• '^SPEECH OF TECUMSEH,t ?^
In the name of the Indian Chief Sy and Warriors^
T to Maj. Gen PEQCTOR, as Fepresenta-
live of their Great Father the King, ->■■

U^t vi

,ti ,. .i^yi,-? ■' Ut m^Ki-^^yk /

•.'*->■-'

Father, Idsiisn to your Children; You see

v% --■,*-j^;'.

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ncy.

de-

ob-

and

the

su-

the

-ong

dof

the

•*•:..

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^i}W\

'^^i^'S'^fkS ■■' fr

.n-

-"■'.':..l 'rtLE ENEMY.

v4fti

them now all before you. The war before
thisj our British Father gave the hatchet to
hi.s red children, when our old Chiefs were
alire ; they are now all dead. In that war
our father was thrown on his back, by the
Americans, and our father took them by the
hand, without our knowledge ; and we are
afraid that our father will do so again at this
time.

t Summer before last, when 1 came forward
%ith my red brethren, and were ready to
take up the hatchet in favor of our British
father, we were told not to be in a hurry^
that he had not yet determined to fight the
Americans*

m^IAsten^ When war was declared, our fa-
ther stood up, and gave us the tomahawk,
and told us he wa« now ready to strike tiiQ
: Americans ; that he wanted our assistance;
and that he certainly would get us our lands
back, which the Americans had taken from
us.

Listen. You told us at th«t time to bring
forward our families to this place; we did
so ; and you promised to take care of them,
and that they should want for nothing, while
the men would go and fight the enemy ; that
we were not to trouble ourselves with the
enemy's garrisons; that we knew nothing
about them, and that our father would at-
tend to that part of the business. You als^
told your red children, that you would take
good care of your garrison here, which made

QUI' hearts glad.

'Of .<■•'■. '

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I;62

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■■^1

BARBARITIES OF

Listen. When we last went to the Rap-
ids, it is true we gave you little assistance ;
it is liardto fight people who live like ground
bogs.

r'Mer, Usten, Ovlt fleet has gone out:

^iwe know they have fought, we heard the
great guns; but know nothing of what has
Kappen^l to our father with me one arm.*
Our ships are gone one way, and we are ve^-
ry much astonished to see our father tying
up every thing and preparing to run awey
the other, without letting his red children
know what his intentions are. ^

,- You always told iis to remain here

? and take care of our land&. It made our
hearts glad to hear that was your wish ; our
great faflier the king is the head, atid you

, represent him* You always told us that you

I would never draw your foot off the British
ground; but now, fiither, we see you draw-
ing back, and We are sorry to see our father
doing so without seeing the enemy. We

' must compare our father's conduct to a fat
animal, that carries its tail upon its back :

r but when affrighted, it drops it between its

] legs and runs ofL
' FatheTy listen. The Americans have not
yet debated us by land, neither jyre we sure-
that they have done so by water : we there-
fore wish to remain here, and fight our ene-

Hlom. Barclay, ivho commRndecl the British fleet, lost
an arm at the battle of Trafalgar.

^^.^

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:^ r-:- THE ENEMY. ^■.

•■V-V¥^.

163

my, should they make their appearaiStertf
they defeat us, we will then retreat with our
ather.

At the battle of the Rapids, last war, the
Americans certainly defeated us, and when
we retreated to our father^s fort, at that place,
the gates were shut against us. We were
afraid that it would now be the ease ; but
instead of that, we see our British father pre-^
paring to march out of hi& garrison.
* Father. You have got the arms and am-
munition which our great father sent for his
red children. If you liave any idea of going
aw ay, giire them to us and you may go and
welcome. For us, our lives are in the hands
of tl^e Great Spirit ; we are determined to
defend our lands ; and if it is his will, we wish
to leave our bones upon them.
> Amersiburgh, Sept 1813.

"%■

'T>

The. following interesting extract of a letter^
was written by a capt. of the I3ritish dra-
goons, (addressed to his parents in England)
and found among gen. rroctpr's papers —
and we are assured by an officer in the ar-
my, that it was found witli a broken seal ;
— probably having been intiusted to a dis-
tinguished officer ofthe British army, who
fearing it might contain somthing eoncern-
iiig his own conduct, his curiosity led him
to examine its contents. i : .^'^

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164

■ '■ " - .■■•'■*^, . ^«l * ^ „ ■." f^ "Ml '-<''«.' 1 ■'>

BARBARITIES OF

■- .v.' .' '■' '

^,-.

■"-•.•^

Extract from a letter written at Detroit^ *i

September 2Q, 1813^^"^

** Our fleet upon the lake, sailed about 20
days ago from our port into that of the
\. Americans, after a close action of three
hours and a halt without one making their
escape; the consequence of which is we
have lost all hopes of ever j-egaining the
command of the lake ; and our army, coi>
sisting of about 550 regulars and 2500 wild
Indians, are now upon the retreat to Thames
liver, although contrary to the wishes oi the
Indians ; who have declared they will not
budge one inch further, and remind us of our
general having promised to conquer or leave
tlieir bones with them , as we are now com-
pletely in the savaged power, we are oblig-
ed, in a great measure, to act as they think
proper. The celebrated chief Tecumseh,
cUned with me last Friday, and assured me
his Indians were determined to give battle
the moment the Americans approach.^ Our
general, should he act contrary to tlieir wish-
es, may repent his rash opposition ; however
prudent he may conceive a retreat at such
an awful crisis. Tliese savages have no mer-
cy. — The tomahawk and scalping knife de-
cides immediately the wretch who falls in
their hands, and many dread the war whoop
may sound in our ears, if we act contrary to
their ideas, which are as wild as themselves.
We have spread a net which may catch us.
/ hate these savage harhaiians. You canuot

■>■;■*-;

•'. /.\-l

*r??"'

^ - THE ENEMT.

{»lace confidence in them; and without a
brce sufficient to ke^p them in clieck, tliey
are more plague tlian profit/*

■»*^' /■

.:■«./■

* Although the following article has no con-
nection with the documents, for the perpetua-
tion of which this volume was put to press,
tlie editor thinks is sufficiently mteresting to
the people of the United States to give it
a place here. The introductory paragraph,
within brackets, is from the pen of the able
and patriotic editor of the *' JaaUimore Weeh-
hf Register J*

i^^'^'ti

British Parliament.

pThe following debate is» in many respects,
V highly interesting to the people of the U.,^

. 4 States. If the representationof lord Coch-

, ram be true, how humble is the state of the

r British sailor! — If what Mr. Croker ad-

.? vances is correct, how honorable to our

own tars ! — Little did Mr. C. apprehend

the splendid eulogium he was passing on

^ the Afnerican seamen, in the poilrait he

^ - gave of the gallantry of those they so easily

Nis* conquered J ^

JULY, 1813.*— STATE OP THE NAVY.

liord Cochrane rose in pursuance of his notice, to call the
attention of the house to tlie preseut state of tiie navy.—

■'^.■f

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,ljl« •"■,»•• •* *-•

* * t„ ^ ♦ *.v •*-<♦ -Wft^.

i»*

ie§ :; BABBARITIES OF

^ • ■■

lie would not long trespass on the attention of the house ,
In order to place before them in a clear and perspicuous >jr.:
manner his sentiments upon this most important subject, >
he had embodied them in a resolution, which members ;
.would have an opportunity of perusing, and weighing with
4ue deliberalioa during the period of adjournment, atid
the truth of which they would thus have an opportunity
of ascertaining. He could only say, that to the correct- '
oesa of the facts which he should state, he could most fully
pledge himself. He would then conte -^ '..mself with read-
ing Ills resolution, and should reserve whatever else he -
might have to oflfer to the house till he heard whether any •
objection should be made-~an event which he did iv)t
anticipate, as he saw not upon what ground objection
coaUi rise. The noble lord then real the olio wing res- .
olution.

; ** That tlie honor of his majesty^s crown, tlie glory and ..
safety of the country, does in a great degree depend on
the maintenance, especially in time of war, of an efficient
naval establishment. -

' That during the late and present war with France,
splendid victories have been gained' by his majesty's .
fleets and vessels of war, over ^ vast superiority in th&
number of guns and men, and in the weight of metal.

That these victories, gained under such circumstan-
cej, were obtained by the skill and intrepidity of the of- "
ficers, and by the energy, zeal and valor of the crews. '.-^r
? That during the present war with the United States of
America, his majesty's naval service has, in several in-
stances, experienced defeat, in a manner, and to a degree,
ainforeseen and unexpected by this house, by the admi-
ralty, and by the country at large.

That the cause of these lamentable defeats is not any
superiority possessed by the enemy, either in skill or val-
or, nor the well known difference in the weight of aiejt&I,^ ^
which heretofore has been deemed ujiimportant ; but aris^ ^
es chieflv from the decayed and heartless state of the
crews of his majesty's ships of war, compared with their-
former energy and izeal — and compared, on the other
dai^d, with the freshness and vigor of the cr^wa of the

i^y-

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iW;^^'-:- A'iv!i,(A'!.'>!iV'"".'x » W.K.1'.- .V .« aj ,

^tHlE ENEMt.

.?#

let

tN-

. "that it is an indisputable fact, that long and unlimited
^ItfOnfinement to a ship, as well as to any other particular
spot, and especially when accompanied with the diet ne-
cessarily that of ships of war, and a deprivation of the
usual. recreations of man, seldom fails to produce a rapid
detiay of the physical powers~-the natural parent, in such
cases, of despondency of mind.

; That the late and present war against France (includ-
ing; a short inter/al of peace, in which the navy was not
paid oil) have lasted upwards of twenty years, and th$kt
a new naval war has recently commenced.
^v That.the duration of the term of service- in his majes-
ty's navy is absolutely without any limitation : and that
there is no mode provided for by law, for the fair and
impartial discharging of men therefrom ; and that, accord-
ing to the present practice, decay, disease, incurable
wounds, or death, can alone procure the release of any
seaman, of whatever age, or whatever length of service.
That seamen who have become wholly unfit for active
service, are, in place of being discharged and rewarded,
according to their merits and their sufferings, transferred
to ships on harbor duty, where they are placed under of-
ficers wholly unacquainted with their character and for-
mer conduct, who have no other means to estimate them,
but on the scale of their remainine activity and bodily
strength ; where there is no distinction made between the
former petty officer and the common seaman ; between
}-outh and age ; and when those worn out and wounded
seamen, who have spent the best part of their lives, or
have lost their health in the service of their country,
have to perform a duty more laborious than that of the
convict felons in the dock yards ; and with this remark-
able distinction, that the labors of the latter have a known
termination.

-' That though the seamen, thus transferred, and thus
employed, have all been invalided, they skre permitted to
re-enter ships of war on actual service : and Ihat such is
the nature of the harbor duty, that many, in order to es-
cape from it, do so re-enter ; there being no limitation as
to the number of times of their being inyftlidedy or that
of their re-entering. • Jii

■i^

>.>.i :

S- ■:;

%''

<^'

16i

BARBARITIES OF

§1-

That to obtain a diBcharge from the navy, by piircliaae>
the sum of eighty pounds sterling is required by the ad-
miralty, which together with other expenees, amount to
twenty times the original bounty, md is equal to ail that
« seaman can save, with the most rigid economy, during
the average period In which he is capable of service ;
that this sum is demanded atike from men of all u^ea and
of all lengths of servitude ; from those pensioned for
wounds, and also from those invalided for harbor duty ;
thus converting the funds of Greenwich and the reward
of former senices into a means of recruiting the navy ;
that such is the horror which seamen have of this useless
prolongation of their captivity, that those who are able, in
order to escape front it, actually return into the bands of
government all those fruits of their toil which formerly
they looked to as tlie means of some little comfort in their
old age. :;;.i'x ■ '■ ' >rr^^i-^?r^'';

That besides these capital grievances, tending to per-
petuate the impress service, were are others worthy the
serious attention of this house.

That the petty officers and seamen on board of his
majesty's ships and vessels of war, though absent or for-
eign stations for many years, receive no wages until th(iir
return home, and are of course deprived of the comforts
which those wages, paid at short intervals, would procure
them ; that this is now more severely felt, owing to the
recent practice of postponing declarations of war until
long after the war has been actually begun ; by which
means the navy is deprived under the name of droits, of
the first fruits »nd greatest proportion of the prize money
to which they have heretofore been entitled ; and thus,
and by the examinations of the courts of admiralty, the
proportion of captures which at last devolves to the navy
is much too small to produce those effects which formerly
were so beneficial to the country ; that while their wages
are withheld from them abroad, when paid at home^
which, to prevent desertion, usually takes place on the day
before they sail out again, having no opportunity to go
on shore, they are compelled to buy slops of Jews on
board, or receftre Uiem from government 15 per cent
tiigher than their acknowledged valuef and being paid

c <

' iA

•art''

■' y^*.

.•■V ,_:

v.: ."i t..V^1C^c'.- >l'Al ... i- t.,TS^,.-^r: ^'^ ^

THE ENEMY.

109

iii.i

in biirik notes, t})ey are naturally indtic«<i to exeliaiige
them for money current in otlier countries, and which it
is notorious that they do at an enormous loss ; that the
recovery of the pay and prize money by tbe widows, chii-
dren, or relatives of seamen, is rendered as difficult as
possiMe ; and finally, the regulations with regard to pas-
sing of the examinatibn requisite, previous to an admis-
sion to the benefits of Greenwich hospital, subject the dis-
abled seaman to so many difficulties, and to such long de-
lays, that in numerous cases, he is compelled to beg his
way in the pursuit of a booDi, the amount of which, even
in event of the loss of both eyes, or of both arms, does not
equal that of the common board wages of a footman.

That one of the best and strongest motives to meritori-
ous conduct in military and naval men, is the prospect
of promotion, while suCh promotion is^ at the same time,
free of additional expence to the nation ; but that to the
British naval service, this powerful and honorable incite-
ment has ceased to exist, seeing that the means of reward-
log merit has been almost wholly withdrawn from naval
commanders in chie^ under whose inspection services
are performed: in foct it is a matter of perfect notoriety,
that it has become next to impossible tor a meritorious
subordinate petty officer or seaman to rise to the rank
of lieutenant; that in scarcely any instance promotior
or employment is now to be obtuned in the navy, through
any other means than what is called parliamentary in-
tetest — ^that is, the corrupt influence o( boroughs.

That owing to these causes, chiefly, the crews of his
majesty's ships of war have, in general, become in a very
consideraUe degree worn out and disheartened, and inad-
equate to the performance, with their wonted energy and
effect, of those arduous duties which belong to the naval
service; and that hence has arisen by slow and imper-
ceptible degrees, the enormous augmentation of our ships
and men, while the naval force of our enemies is actually
much less than in former years.

That, as a remedy for this alarming national evil, it is
absolutely necessary that the grievances of the navy, some
of which only have been recited above, should be redress-
ed ; that a linitatioa of the duration of service should foe

^;>

f ■--( • ■>-

■^':':\-:. ' .;'

'^v»;^

-■»*■

>.'/* ' ., .

i'i

':4

I''

..jfc

170

BARBARITIES OF

17-
■:<m-

adopted, accoriftpHnicd >^ith the certainty of a Miitablfe rc>
ward, not euhject to any of the effects of partiality, and
that measures shonid be taken to cause the comfortable
shualiooB in the ordinary of the dock yard~the places
of polrters, messen^rs, &c. Sic. in and about the oHices
belonging to the sea service, the under wardens of the
naval forests, &c.-to be bestowed oh meritorious decayed
petty officers and seamen, instead of beii^, as they oow
generally are, the wages of corruption in boroUgh elec-
tions.

That this house, convinced that a decrease of enei^
of character cannot be compensated by an augmentation
of the number of ships, guns, and men, which is, at the
!^me time, a grievous pecuniary burden to the country,
Anil, at an early period of next session, institute an en-
Cfuiry by special r< imittee, or otherwise, into the matters
above stated, and ^ ticularly with a view to dispensing
suitable rewards to seamen ; that they will investigate the
stat^ of the fund of Greenwich hospital, and ascertain
whether it is necessary to apply the droits of the admiral-
ty, and droits of the crown, as the natural first means of
compensation to those who have acquired them by thdr
valor th6ir privations and (heir sufferings.'*
' -Sir Francis Burdett seconded the resolution.

Ms. Croker said, he should think himself wanting In
duty to the house, if be did not at once assure them, that
except the very opening^df tlie resolution which had just
been read from the chair, there wins not one statement
which was not unfounded in fact, er exagerated in the
highest degree. (Heinr, hear;) — 'He had only to lameiit
that the noble lord had not brought forward this subject
at an earlier period of the session, so that bis statements
might hftve been reifuted in a manner mere decided, al-
though perhaps not 'more satisfactorily than they would
be on the ptesent occasion. He wa^ aurprised th«t>^ the
noble Ivrd dhonld have venturedtost^bttiitto the houses
resolution bearing such evident marks bt Its own Is^ae-
hood — a resolution so replete as it is 'With 'the most 'un-
founded calumny, and with sti«ih distorfiwi of facts — *bo
btit the noble lord would have ever dreamed 6f such an
insinuation ate that the late victories grfncdby the Amer-

, X " ' ■

<, Jl

, THE BINEMy. I5

171

ican navy over the British flag had been atlributable, not
to the inequality of force, but to the misconduct and pu-
sillanimity of our sailors. (Hear, Hear.) What ! he
would ask, was the crew of the Java dispirited wheu
she was taken? (Hear.) When the Macedonian v*i ta-
ken, washer crew sunk in apathy and broken hearted ?
(Hear, hear.) So fir from this being the case, he could
state from his own knowledge, that in the latter part of
the actions in which these vessels were engaged, and in
which they fought with so much honor to themselves, and
80 much glory to the British name, when almost allhope^
had failed, their spirit and valov still remained unsubdu-
ed ; and instead, as the noble lord would have the bouse to
believe, of sinking amidst the w<:ight of their misfoi-tunes,
they cheered each other, with reiterated shouts of en-
couragement ; and those cheers invariably commenced
amongst the wounded in the cockpit ! Did this, he would
demand of the noble lord, shew any thing like a crew
disheartened ? Did this shew a BritisK sailor to be «ugh^
but what he had ever proved himself iSo be ? Did '.this
tend to tarnish or to diminish the lustre which had ever
attended the career of the British navy, (Hear, hear.)
With thene facts before the house and the country, was
he not authorized to call upon the noble lord to state, how
he could presume to ask the house to vole for his resolu^
tion ? Another fact he could state, which he supposed the
noble lord would construe into a new proof or the apa-
thetical and disheartened state of our sailors. Tiiat to
which he alluded, was the conduct of John Humble, the
boatswain of the Java, who it would be seen on his ex-
amination before a court martial, amongst other facts,
stated, that having had his arm carried a^vay, be went
below to the surgeon, and, having had the stump "put to
rights," as he termed it, by baving the tourniquet applied
to it, returned to the deck and cheered the boarders with
his pipe. — (Hear, hear.) Was this a proof of any dimi»
nutioR of British valor, or of a falling ofT in the character
and spirit of those brave men, who, until libelled and
blown upon by the noble lord, bad stood above the most
distant imputation of misconduct ? In the same degree as
|l)iis part of the resolution of the noble lord was incorrect.

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BARBARITIES OF

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BO was all the rest. With rcspeet to the fact stated, of
80/. being demanded for the discharge of every seaman
from the navy, nothing could be more unfounded. The
truth was, that 80 pounds certainly was demanded for
the ifi&charge of an able seaman ; but in proportion
as the ability and usefulness of the man diminished,
80 did the sum required for his discharge. For in-
Htance, an ordinary seamen pai<l but 60/. and a land
man but 40/. ; and if these men became invalided, and
were only employed in harbor duty, this demand wds di-
minished one half. And again, where they were unfit
for service, they were not alone discharged without fee,
but received a pension for the remainder of their lives.
(Hear!) If the sailors in his majesty *s service were not
heart-broken before, the base libel which the noble lord had
that day attempted to throw on their character and honor,
was sufficient to eflfect that object, had the noble lord
maintained so much authority over them as he did in ful*-
mer limes — a circumstance which, happily, there was
much reason to doubt. The noble lord had talked also
of corruption, and had said that promotions could only be
obtained }fy means of corruption and parliamentary in-
fluence. He would ask the noble lord, if his promotion
was the effect of corruption ? — (Hear, hear, hear !) Was
the red ribbon which was given to him, for the first time
to a man of his rank, the effect of parliamentary influ-
ence ? — (Hear, liear !) And was the promotion of many
other men whom he could name, if it would not be in
some d^ree invidious, to be attributed to such an unwor-
thy cause ? It was easy, however, for the noble lord to
talk io generals, but let him name who had received the
wages of corruption, or who had given them. — (Hear,
hear !) The right honorable gentleman having made some
further reprobatory comments upon the resolution of the.
noble lord, concluded by expressing a hope that if the no-
ble lord dared to press it to a division, that the house
would leave him in such a minority as would prove the
indignation with which it was regarded by the house.
** Mr. Lockhart entreated the noble lord to withdraw a
resolution inconsistent with the character which his lord-
ship bad always borne, and so hostile to every feeling

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THE ENEMY.

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which the house had ever CDtertained towards the Brit*
ishnavy. .

Sir F. Burdett thought there vfM BuiTicieDt reason -t
stated by the noble lord for an enquiry, and the very f
doiibts which were urged by the right honorable gentle-
man (Mr. Croker) proved to him most strongly theneces- i^
sky of that enquiry. Ue would a^^ree that the period of C _
the session at which the matter had been brought forward l^
was too advanced, yet if the resolution was rejected now,
lie hoped the noble lord would renew the si^ect at an
early part of the ensuing session. He would not, huw>
ever, advise tlie noble lord to witliiiraw his resolution af-
ter the manner in which it had been stigmati;^d by the .'
right honorable gentleman (Mr. Croker).

Mr. Rose in the fullest manner denied all that had been
advanced by the noble lord, with respect either to the dif- \
ilculty of sailors receiving their pay or the piize money. .

Mr. Calcrafl, in terms of great animations compliment-
ed Mr. Croker ou the speech which he had made, and
observed, that the resolution of the noble lord was calcu-
lated to do more mischief in the British oavy, than any
other plan which could be devised. The honorable gen-
tleman then defended the character of the British saUors |
with becoming acal and energy, and included by ex- if,
pressing a liop^, 'l.hat the resolution would meet in that ^
house the fate it so eminently deserved. ' 't<^

Mr. Wrotlesley bore testimony to the facility in the ni* ^v
val public oflicerfi. :^

Mr. St^^farth opposed the resolution. * f

Locd Cochrane replied. He said he was not dit'pleas- ,;
ed at thd wacnith with which his. proptMMltton had been r'
met. It certainly wiould be iojuriourto nO one, except |
to tiie fieeling of . certain members of that hoii^e. Tbe^
right lionorad^le secretary had met his statements with in-
dividual inptaoces of gallantry. The existence of these
he cMd not deuy ; hut he asaierted, that tfie physical pow^ |.
era of our seamen were decreasing, partly from Uie sys- v
tern of harbor duty esvabliehed in 1S03. H^; hadi hieard:
that the system was about to he changed ; tfba he should
be happy to liear from the right honorable secretary that :
sudr was the fact The right honorable secretary had

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challeoged Ima to show an instance of an officer having
purchc jed his discharge from such service. He would
name a Mr. Ford, who had served with him in the Im-
perieuse, who had done so ; and Nelson, his cockswain
of that vessel, had been placed in harbor service,
and had returned to him ; and another person of

-tike name of Farley of the Leda, had three times left
that degrading service, and had each time returned to
lijm, and died with him, completely worn out in the ser-
vice. Tliese were facts ^vliich he was prepared to prove
at the bar, as he was all those which had been denied
with so much warmth by the right honorable secretary.
To show further that the crews of British ships of war
were unequal to themselves heretofore, he would relate
what was the opinion of a person not at all Hkelv to be
disaffected to tne order of things— lie was then son of a
bifchop ; be had taken ao American privateer, the crew
of which consisted of only 130 men, and he had declared,
that he would rather have them than his own crew, con-
sisting of 240. If the right honorable secretary doubted
fills feet, he might enquire, and he would easily verify it.
The noble lord had heard that the sailors taken prison-
ers by the Americans, had been found running away in the
back settlements ; that forty of them had been brought
back by force, and that from the manifestation of this pro-
pensity, the exchange of prisoners had been broicen off.
The lateness of the period at which he had brought for-
ward his resolution had bec^i complained of. He did in-
tend to bring in a bill to limit the term of service, but cir-
cumstances had prevented him; but he would carry his
intention into eflfeet in the next session. With respect to
parliamentary influence, the right honorable secretary
liad asked, whether he bad found H of service to himself
in Ms profession ? He certainly had not, because be had
never prostituted his vote for that purpose — but he had

,. no doubt others had found that influenee of great avail.

/ ■ When he again brought fcicward the subject, he should
ove all the facts he had adduced, and he hoped so much
ncrance of the subject would not then be fcund to pre-

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Mr. Crofcer replied to the qtiestions put by lord Cocb-

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il'^HE ENEMY.

175

laae, that the government had at all times been verjr?
watchful over the harlipr duty, but that it had Dot takeii$
any new steps since the suggestions of the noble-lord. — ■:
He had never heard that the sailors taken prisoners
^j the Americans, had been found running away to
the back settlements ; nor of the forty men being brought
Jibac'k by force. The exchange of prisoners was brokei»
off, in consequence of some wrong done to the British
seamen, and not in Coi-^ftquence of any fault of theirs.
The resolution was Ujud negatived Tj^ithout a division

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CONCLUSION,

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, THE MICHtGANIANS. '

The following protest olthe inhabi*ints of
the Michigan Territory ,,was rect ived in the
National Intelligemer of the lOth of Novem-
ber, 1813, at which monr^ent the editor was
about closing this volume. Its connection,
w^ith the foi*egoing documents, entitles it to a
place in the same volume with them. The
editors of the Intellbj;encer, introduce it inta
their paper by the following remarks :; —
*' Tlie day may not h^ve, arrived, but it must,
ere long, come, when the American p,epub-
lic will be under a necessity of demanding ;
and, by proper perseverance, of obtaining, re-
dress for every injury done to her citizens,
whether in relation to their persms, or their
cowMwema/ or o^Aer property; and in whatev-
er quarter or region of the world committed.
At the present moment the violation of the
capitulation ofDetroit will claim the first at-

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BARBARITIES 01 / .,/ ^.

tention. Ample indemnity ouglit to be ex-^
tended to the sufferers ; and if OTir nation
cannot, by arms, obtain counter-indemnifica-,
tion, jperhapsit ought magnanimously to sus-^
tain the loss. The fidelity of our citizens is^
not of a nature to be tampered with ; and,
where they are true to us, we must be true
TQ THEM. We lay this day before our rea-
ders the protest of the inhabitants of the Terri-
tory ofMichigan, in- relation to the violation
of the /Aire? article of llie Capitulation which
ignobly subjected the«i to British domina-
tion."

PROTEST.
Whereas it has been signified to us, the
undersigned citizens of tlie United States,
resident at Detroit in the Territory of Michi-
gan, by col. Henry Proctorj the British com-
manding officer, that it is his will and pleas-
ure we should depart from and leave the said
territory, and he so orders, and directs it ;
leaving behind at the same thne as we ns^ee)«*
sarily nuist do, our deaiest relatives exposed
to all the casualties and evik incidefit to a
slate of war, and our property at the^ mercy
of the marauding savage : -^

t Resolved therefore, that we consider the-
said order of the said col. Henry Proctor, a«!
a flagrant and gross violation ot the third ar-
ticle of the capitulation, made and concluded
at Detroit, on the sixteenth of Aiiguist last,
and by reason whereof this place was surren^
delved to tlie British flag.

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THE ENEMY.

' Resolved 2fidly, That it is a duty we owe
to. ourselves and to our county, to resist man^
fully and spiritedly, by all the powers of
reason and argument, every unwarrantable
-attempt upon our personal rights, that is not
strictly compatible with the articles of capit-
ulation.

■^'' And whereas we entertain a very sensible
and thorough conviction that a military offi-
cer, by an unjustifiable and wanton invasion
of the private rights of an individual, may
not only incur the displeasure of his own gov-
ernment but will lay himself personally re-
sponsible to the individual injured ;

Resolved therefore 3dly, That for every
violation of our rights and privileges, attend-
ed with an injury to our person or property,
we will make a solemn appeal to the dernier
resort, to the umpire of the law.

Resolved 4thly, That we entertain a high
sense of the honor of a military parole, and
the virtuous and delicate use that ought to
be made of it ; as likewise of the necessity
and the propriety of a strict and exemplary
neutrality so long as we remain under the
British flag, and are protected in our persons
and property agreeably to the true spirit and
letter ol the articles of the capitulation.

Resolved 5thly, That if there are any
amongst us whose conduct and behavior does
not strictly comport with the spirit and mean-
ing of the preceding resolution, they ought
not to be screened from punishment, but, that
it is our duty to assist in exposing them to tlie

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BARBARITIES QF

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just aiiimadversion and censure of their awn
improper conduct*

And whereafi we entertain a high sense of
the manlyj dignified^ and spirited conduct of
Augustus R Woodward, esq. wliose services
have heretofore been so pre-eminently useful
to the inhabitants :

Resolved,, therefore, 6thly, That he be pre-
sented with these resolutions with a request
to lay them before the said Col. Henry Procr
tor, andtt>Tjse al kiwful amd hoaoi'able inti!eaT ]
ty with \mm to obtain a revocation of his '
aforesaid ojh^, so diametrically opposite ta
the aforesaid 3d article erf the capitulation^
ar'/id so manifestly injurious at tlii& particular,,
season of the year to ojur persons a©^ propr
erty.' --...

8IGNEBRY

Lewis Bond,
William Wilson,
Arch. Lyon,
Anderson Martin,
}3avid Ilonderson,
Joseph Spencer,

David MXle^, ^ :
John T^kk«, ~

Israel Taylor, *t
WiU^iam W. Scotts
William Russeli,
Jame^ Patterson*

George R. Chittenden, W. Robertson,

John V\^^llier>
E. Brush,
Peter Desnoyeres,
James Burnett,
William Brown,
John Consett,
A. Langan,
James (^iltenden.

DHroit, \st Ffhnmr}fy 181.^,

Comnd Leefc,
Conrad Ten Eyck,
Robert 8mart,
Richard H, .loiws,
J. M'Doniuill,
Duncan Ho id,
Georgt* Bafizes,

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The reader's indulgence is solicited for the fern typo-
graphical err or St which may be found in the preceding pa-
geSy as th^ occurred in consequence of the unavoidable
absence ojthe publisher during apart of the time the
nxn-k mas going on, and could not be remedied after his re-
tumiWithout occasioning a dela J in the publication inconi-
pat^le with the public solicitude to see the book. The
most material error will be found in the \QQth page, 7 th
line from the top, where reaa disposed instead (f dhphyed.

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