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THE 
 
 ADVENTURES 
 
 OF 
 
 EBENEZER FOX, 
 
 THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY 
 
 Btt,IS(SAMf lSJFIimA¥II|J©S 
 
 FKOM 
 
 ORIGINAL DESIGNS. 
 
 B O S T ]sr' —^ 
 
 PUBLISHED BY CHARLES FOX 
 
\ 
 
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S3<S, by 
 
 CHARLES FOX, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of 
 
 Massachusetts. 
 
 Salem, March 5th, 1847. 
 Dear Sir : 
 
 Allow me to thank you for the little volume you had 
 the kindness to send to me, containing an account of 
 the adventures of your father during the war of the 
 Revolution. The singular character of the adventures 
 themselves, and the spirited manner in which they are 
 described, give the work a very lively interest. The 
 narrative presents, in a striking light, some of the re- 
 markable incidents of the war, and particularly the suf- 
 ferings on board the Old Jersey Prison-Ship. Such 
 narratives are doubly valuable, as exhibiting events of 
 history at the same time they make us acquainted with 
 the personal experience of the actors. It gives me 
 pleasure to be able to add this little book to my library. 
 
 Accept the regards and thanks of 
 
 Yours, respectfully, 
 
 JARED SPARKS 
 Charles Fox, Esq. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 «* Grandfather," said my eldest grandchild, 
 fast Thanksgiving eve, " I wish you would relate 
 to us all your revolutionary stories. You have 
 told us a great many stories, but we wish very 
 much to hear the whole at once." 
 
 In this request the second joined, who was 
 soon followed by the third, while the fourth 
 caught me by the hand, saying, " Do, grandpa, 
 tell us something about the war." " O yes, do, 
 grandpa," said the fifth ; while the next, a little 
 boy of three, jumped up on my knee, and lisped 
 out his request that I would tell a story ; and the 
 baby, making her way into the circle, added to 
 the clamor with the most articulate sounds she 
 could utter; and then all seven joined in one 
 grand chorus, though not in unison, and the bur- 
 den of the song was, " Do tell us your revolu- 
 tionary adventures." 
 
 Now I love nothing better than giving pleasure 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 to children ; and, although this vfas lather a 
 comprehensive request, I at length consented to 
 give them a connected recital of the adventures 
 of my youth, during a time when everything 
 was interesting to those who love excitement 
 and action. 
 
 Accordingly, when the young folks had tired 
 themselves with " blind-man's-buff" and various 
 other games, with which I am not acquainted, 
 they formed a circle round the fire and called on 
 me for the fulfilment of my promise. 
 
 But to their great disappointment, I soon found 
 that a troublesome cough, which I had in the 
 winter, effectually prevented my giving them 
 anything like the connected narrative they were 
 so desirous to hear. 
 
 They all expressed so much regret at being 
 deprived of their anticipated pleasure, and it 
 seemed so unlikely that I should be any belter 
 able to gratify them, that I at length concluded 
 to commit my adventures to writing, and give the 
 manuscript to one of my grandchildren to read 
 to the others. 
 
 This decision met with general approbation 
 and I commenced my task. 
 
 Though I am an old man of seventy-five, I am 
 an earlier riser than most of my grandchildren, 
 
 :il£Mi£^ 
 
PREFACE. 7 
 
 and was generally up an hour or two before sun- 
 rise in the winter, and used to tell them at break- 
 fast that I had written several pages before they 
 were awake. 
 
 As I had nothing to interrupt me, and the 
 reminiscences of my younger days proved very 
 interesting to myself, I was able to recollect much 
 more than I expected I should ; for the events 
 which occur in our youth, especially such as it 
 has been my lot to participate in, make a much 
 more lasting impression on our minds than those 
 of a later period, when we have become more 
 accustomed to the vicissitudes of life. 
 
 One circumstance after another revived in my 
 memory, and was detailed on paper, — until 1 
 found that my manuscript had increased to a 
 much larger size than I, or those for whose 
 Dleasure it was written, had anticipated. 
 
 At last, to their great delight, it was completed ; 
 -md was received with so much approbation by 
 ifie young auditors, that it was thought it might 
 oe interesting to maturer minds ; and it was lent 
 10 several friends, who expressed so favorable an 
 opinion of it, and were so desirous that I should 
 i^ive the public an account of my revolutionary 
 adventures, that I have consented to prepare for 
 ^e press the manuscript originally intended for 
 1# 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 ray own family, with the hope that it may prove 
 as interesting to the rising generation, as it has 
 to my own grandchildren. 
 
 Should it be thought that my simple narrative 
 does not contain matter of importance sufficient 
 to interest the reader, I can only say, that the 
 partial judgment of friends, and my belief that 
 any circumstances relating to the most interesting 
 period of our history, would prove entertaining 
 to the young, mitst be my excuse for presenting 
 it to the public 
 
REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 OP 
 
 EBENEZER FOX. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The year 1763, iii which I was born, was 
 signalized by the conclusion of the treaty of 
 peace between England and France, at the 
 termination of the long and harassing war, 
 known as the '' Old French War." 
 
 The colonies had borne the foremost part 
 in the conflict, with very slight assistance 
 from the mother country ; and as their men 
 and money had been freely contributed, and 
 every demand of the Enghsh government 
 promptly complied with, the close of the 
 war found the colonies in a state of great 
 depression, impoverished and dispirited. 
 
9 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 Throughout the country, hardly a town 
 could be found, which had not sent out its 
 little band of warriors, or aided in defraying 
 the expenses of the soldiers, and many had 
 bst relatives or friends in the prolonged 
 contest; while those who returned to their 
 homes were, many of them, sick and enfee- 
 bled from the exposure and hardships which 
 they had encountered. 
 
 It would have seemed but just and rea- 
 sonable, that the scarcity of money and the 
 condition of business should have exempted 
 ^he colonies from the additional burden of 
 taxation. 
 
 But such was not the opinion of the Brit- 
 ish ministry. Although the colonies had 
 jntil this period been permitted to tax them- 
 selves, without the interference of England, 
 Parliament now, with an apparent 'deter- 
 nination to reduce them to the lowest con- 
 iition of servitude, passed an act in 1764, 
 Arhich imposed a duty on several articles, 
 f.nd the preamble to which Was in these 
 t^^ords : 
 
 ^' Whereas it is just and necessary, that a 
 .©venue be raised in America, for defraying 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 9 
 
 the expenses of defending^ 'protecting^ and 
 securing the same, we, the commons/' &c. 
 &c. 
 
 The colonies considered this act extremely 
 unjust and arbitrary ; but, while they would 
 not admit the right to tax them, it was sub* 
 mitted to, though not in silence. 
 
 The patience of the colonists, and their 
 respect for their own rights, were insulted 
 in the following year by the passage of the 
 famous stamp act, which effectually aroused 
 the spirit of liberty in every American 
 bosom, and excited so universal a storm of 
 indignation throughout the country, that 
 the English parliament felt obliged to re- 
 peal it. 
 
 The satisfaction of the colonies was of 
 short duration; for, in 1767, an act was 
 passed, imposing heavy duties on glass, 
 paper, tea, &c., and was followed by seve- 
 ral equally vexatious, and the dissatisfaction 
 of the people was renewed ; meetings were 
 called in various parts of the country, and 
 resolutions passed against the measures of 
 the British government. 
 
 Among many other insults against the feel- 
 
10 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES ' 
 
 ings of the people, the stationing of garrisons 
 in New York and Boston was particularly 
 obnoxious; and in the former city, the 
 house of assembly was suspended by the 
 governor, for refusing to pass a bill supply- 
 ing the soldiers with provisions, (fee. 
 
 In 1768, the arrival of two regiments of 
 British soldiers in Boston, which were sta- 
 tioned in the State- House, in consequence 
 of the inhabitants refusing to furnish quar- 
 ters for them, excited the most intense ha- 
 tred and resentment against the tyranny 
 and oppression of government, and was an 
 insult to the house of their public assembly 
 which could not be tolerated. 
 
 The assembly, considering the peace and 
 dignity of their house violated by the pres- 
 ence of British troops, refused to hold their 
 council, unless the soldiers were removed. 
 
 The governor therefore adjourned them 
 to Cambridge, and demanded a supply of 
 money for the troops, Avhich was of course 
 refused, as derogatory to the dignity of the 
 Province. 
 
 In 1769, parliament, as if resolved to try 
 every sort of insult, in an address to the king, 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 11 
 
 reqiested him to give orders to the governor 
 of Massachusetts, — which had shown a 
 more determined spirit of resistance than 
 any other colony, — to send all who might 
 be guilty of treason to England, that they 
 might be tried there. 
 
 The house of burgesses of Virginia met 
 soon after, and passed a resolution, " deny- 
 ing the right of his majesty to remove an 
 offender out of the country for trial." The 
 next day the governor dissolved the house. 
 The assembly of North Carolina followed 
 the example, and were likewise dissolved 
 by their governor. 
 
 In 1770, on the fifth of March, a violent 
 tumult, produced by an affray between the 
 soldiers and citizens, in which several of the 
 latter were killed, still more enraged the 
 people against these instruments of arbi- 
 trary power; and the anniversary of this 
 outrage was for several years commemo- 
 rated by addresses to the public, which 
 served to keep/ awake the spirit of inde- 
 pendence. 
 
 The detested duty on tea was imposed in 
 1773, and no American can forget how it 
 was received^ particularly in Boston. 
 
"4 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 111 the same year England, desirous to 
 crush the spirit of rebellion, as it was 
 termed, decreed that all public officers 
 should be rendered independent of the colo- 
 nies, by receiving their salaries directly 
 from the crown, without the concurrence of 
 the colonial assemblies. 
 
 This measure, tending as it did to de- 
 prive the Americans of all their rights and 
 to reduce them to mere bondsmen, increased 
 instead of subduing the determination to 
 secure the liberty of the country. 
 
 Regular clubs were formed, each headed 
 by a chief, in all the principal towns of 
 Massachusetts, with a system of correspon- 
 dence between them ; and it became evident 
 to all, that a conflict must soon take place 
 between England and her wronged and 
 insulted colonies. The other provinces fol- 
 lowed the example of Massachusetts, and 
 similar associations were formed throughout 
 the country. . 
 
 in retaliation for this, and similar mani- 
 festations of the determination to resist the 
 British government, the " Boston Port Bill' 
 was brought forward in parliament and 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 13 
 
 pissed as a jnst punishment to that rebel- 
 lious city, which had been foremost in re- 
 bellion. 
 
 In September, 1774, the first congress 
 was convened, consisting of deputies from 
 eleven of the colonies. 
 
 This assembly agreed upon a declaration 
 of their rights ; passed many important and 
 spirited resolutions ; and, having finished 
 their business in less than eight weeks, dis- 
 solved themselves, recommending another 
 congress to be convened on the tenth of 
 May ensuing. 
 
 No one, who is at all acquainted with 
 the history of our country, needs to be re- 
 minded of the events which followed in the 
 next year, the memorable 1775, which 
 dates the commencement of our Revolution. 
 
 An account of the action at Lexington 
 was transmitted to Great Britain by the 
 provincial Congress of Massachusetts, which 
 was then in session, and in conclusion they 
 used this language : 
 
 "Appealing to Heaven for the justice of 
 our cause, we determine to die, or be free." 
 
 The battle at Lexington was followed in 
 
14 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 rapid succession by the taking of Ticonde- 
 roga and Crown Point, and the Battle of 
 Bunker'' s Hill^ which taught England that 
 it would be no easy task to repress, or re- 
 sist, the spirit of liberty which animated 
 the heart of every American. 
 
 From this time, the rebels^ as they were 
 termed in England, daunted by no obstacle 
 and discouraged by no dangers, went stead- 
 ily forward in the great contest, which re- 
 sulted in forcing our insolent oppressors to 
 admit that Americans coukl not he con- 
 quered ; and obliging Great Britain to ac- 
 knowledge, and respect, the independence 
 of the people she had wantonly insulted 
 and despised. 
 
 From this rapid sketch of the period im- 
 mediately preceding our Revolution, the 
 facts of which are no doubt familiar to 
 every reader of American history, it will be 
 seen, that my childhood was passed in the 
 midst of excitement, and every year was 
 marked by events of the most intense and 
 absorbing interest. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 15 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 1 WAS born in the East Parish of Rox- 
 bury, state of Massachusetts, January 30th, 
 1763. 
 
 Nothing out of the ordinary course of 
 human events occurred, of which I have 
 any recollection, until I arrived to the age 
 of seven. 
 
 My fathjer, who was a tailor, being poor 
 and having a large family, thought that my 
 physical powers were adequate, at this time 
 of hfe, to my own maintenance ; and placed 
 me under the care of a farmer named Pel- 
 ham. The house in which that gentleman 
 resided was situated in what was then 
 called Roxbury Street.* 
 
 * Mr. Pelham's house stood upon the spot now occupied 
 by the store of Deacon Caleb Parker, and his farm was the 
 land near the Creek, belonging to the heirs of the late Rev. 
 Dr. Porter. 
 
 One day, while employed in the field, I left my work, bemg 
 alone, to try my skill at riding on horseback; and, while 
 attempting to put on the bridle, the horse suddenly bit a 
 piece of flesh from my cheek, the scar of which is evident to 
 this day. 
 
1<5 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 With him I continued five years, per- 
 forming such services in the house and 
 upon the farm as were adapted to my age 
 and strength. I imagined, however, that I 
 suffered many privations and endured much 
 hardship; which was undoubtedly true, 
 were my situation compared with that of 
 many other boys of my age at that time, or 
 m this more refined period. Boys are apt 
 to complain of their lot, especially when 
 deprived of the indulgences of home. They 
 do not estimate their advantages or disad- 
 vantages by comparison ; but view them in 
 the abstract, and judge their circumstances 
 as the results of positive evil, when they 
 might be considered as comparative bless- 
 ings. 
 
 I had for some time been dissatisfied with 
 my situation, and was desirous of some 
 change. I had made frequent complaints 
 of a grievous nature to my father ; but he 
 paid no attention to them, supposing that I 
 had no just cause for them, and that they 
 arose merely from a spirit of discontent 
 which would soon subside. 
 
 Expressions of exasperated feeling against 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 17 
 
 the government of Great Britain, which 
 had for a long time been indulged and 
 pretty freely expressed, were now continu- 
 ally heard from the mouths of all classes ; 
 from father and son, from mother and 
 daughter, from master and slave. A spirit 
 of disaffection pervaded the land ; groans 
 and complaints, and injustice and wrongs 
 were heard on all sides. Violence and 
 tumult soon followed. 
 
 Almost all the conversation that came to 
 my ears related to the injustice of England 
 and the tyranny of government. 
 
 It is perfectly natural that the spirit 
 of insubordination, that prevailed, should 
 spread among the younger members of the 
 community; that they, who were continu- 
 ally hearing complaints, should themselves 
 become complainants. I, and other boys sit- 
 uated similarly to myself, thgught we had 
 wrongs to be redressed ; rights to be main- 
 tained ; and, as no one appeared disposed 
 to act the part of a redresser, it was our 
 duty and our privilege to assert our own 
 rights. We made a direct application of 
 the doctrines we daily heard, in relation to 
 2* 
 
18 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 the oppression of the mother country, to our 
 own circumstances; and thought that we 
 were more oppressed than our fathers were. 
 I thought that I was doing myself great 
 injustice by remaining in bondage, when I 
 ought to go free ; and that the time was 
 come, when I should liberate myself from 
 the thraldom of others, aud set up a govern- 
 ment of my own ; or, in other words, do 
 what was right in the sight of my own 
 eyes. 
 
 In all great undertakings a friend is 
 needed, with Avhom we can advise and 
 consult. Men experience this want, and 
 seldom is any remarkable achievement ef- 
 fected alone and unaided. I felt the neces- 
 sity of acting in unison with some one, who 
 should be actuated by the same motives as 
 myself, and have a similar object in view. 
 
 I sought a friend, and found one in a 
 companion with whom I had long associ- 
 ated, John Kelley, who was a little older 
 than myself. To him I imparted my views 
 and wishes in regard to future operations. 
 
 We held many consultations in secret, 
 and, mutual confidence being established. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 19 
 
 we came to the sage conclusion, that we 
 were Hving in a state of servitude that 
 ought to be scorned by the sons of freemen. 
 
 In our opinion we were abundantly capa- 
 ble of providing for our own wants ; of as- 
 suming all the responsibilities of life ; and 
 needed no protectors. 
 
 Our plan was soon formed, which was 
 nothing less than to furnish ourselves with 
 whatever we thought indispensable for our 
 undertaking, to leave home privately, and 
 take the most direct route to Providence, 
 R. L, where we expected to find employ- 
 ment as sailors on board of some vessel. 
 
 Our greatest trouble was to raise the 
 means for the expedition. Having col- 
 lected Avhat few articles we possessed and 
 securing them in two small bundles, we 
 secreted them in a barn at some distance 
 from our habitation. 
 
 The place for our meeting was the steps 
 of the church, which stood where the Rev. 
 Mr. Putnam's now stands.* According to 
 
 * The Rev. Mr. Adams was the pastor then. Deacon 
 Crafts, grandfather of Mr. E. Crafts of Roxbury, used to 
 read aloud one verse at a time of the psalm or hymn, which 
 the choir would sing, and then wait till he had read another 
 
20 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTIRES 
 
 appointment, I found my friend Kelley on 
 the spot at eight o'clock in the evening on 
 the eighteenth of April, the night before the 
 memorable battle of Lexington. 
 
 Kelley' s first question to me was, " How 
 much money have you got 7" I replied, 
 '^ A half a dollar." ''That is just v/hat 1 
 have got," said Kelley, "though I might 
 have taken as much as I wanted from the 
 old tory; but I thought I would not take 
 any more than what belonged to me." 
 
 I know not whether this proceeded from 
 Kelley' s principle of honesty, or from a fear 
 of pursuit, in case he had embezzled any- 
 thing which would render him an object 
 
 Hymn-books were not in general use ; ihey were, some 
 time after, in the pews of the wealthy part of the congrega- 
 tion. At a subsequent period, a kind of music, called Fugue- 
 ing tunes, was introduced; and they had a literally /u;§-ue- 
 ing- effect upon the elder people, the greater part of whom 
 went out of church as soon as the first verse was sung. 
 
 I very well remember the first Sabbath that the first bass- 
 viol was used, as an accompaniment to the singing. The 
 old pious people were horror-struck at what they considered 
 a sacrilegious innovation, and went out of meeting in high 
 dudgeon. One old church member, I recollect, stood at the 
 church-door, and showed his contempt for the music by mak- 
 ing a sort of caterwauling noise, which he called " mocking 
 the Banjo." 
 
O^ EBENEZER FOX. 2% 
 
 worth pursuing. Kelley had lived with a 
 gentleman named Winslow, who was highly 
 esteemed for his benevolence and other vir- 
 tues ; but, being a friend to the royal gov- 
 ernment, he was stigmatized with the epi- 
 thet of " Tory," and considered an enemy 
 to his country, and was finally obliged to 
 leave the place when the British troops 
 evacuated Boston. After spending some 
 time in making arrangements, we started 
 about nine o'clock at night, and travelled 
 till we arrived at Jamaica Plain and stopped 
 on the door-steps of the Rev. Dr. Gordon's* 
 church to rest ourselves and hold a consul- 
 tation. 
 
 We concluded to continue on our route, 
 and directed our course to Dedham, where 
 we arrived shortly after ten the same night. 
 
 As I have observed, this was on the 
 night previous to the battle of Lexington. 
 At that time, much excitement prevailed in 
 the public mind. Great anxiety was mani- 
 fested in the country in the vicinity of Bos- 
 ton to know what was going on there. 
 People were out in all directions to hear 
 
 * Till witliiii a few years the Rev. Dr. Gray's. 
 
22 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 the "news from town." As we were too 
 young to be very well informed in regard to 
 coming events, and were ignorant of the 
 great plans in agitation, our fears induced 
 us to think that the uncommon commotion 
 that appeared to prevail must have some 
 connexion with our escape, and that the 
 moving multitudes we saw were in pursuit 
 of us. Our consciences reproved us a little 
 for the step we had taken, and our fears 
 magnified the dangers to which we were 
 exposed. 
 
 After making some cautious ii^quiries at 
 Dedham, we directed our course to Wal- 
 pole with the intention of reaching it that 
 night. 
 
 About eleven o'clock, finding ourselves 
 excessively fatigued, we determined upon 
 taking up our night's lodging on the ground 
 by the side of a stone wall. 
 
 With feelings of despondence I stretched 
 myself upon the earth, with my bundle for 
 a pillow, and observed to my companion, 
 "This is hard lodging, Kelley, but we may 
 have harder;" little anticipating the hard- 
 ship and suffering I was to endure in some 
 

 w s 
 
 ^ 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 23 
 
 succeeding years. After a cold and uncom- 
 fortable night's rest, we started before day, 
 and reached Walpole about ten o'clock in 
 the morning. 
 
 Before we entered the village, we stopped 
 at a tavern and called for a bowl of bread 
 and milk, the price of which was three 
 pence; but the kind-hearted landlord re- 
 fused to take any compensation. We now 
 were constantly meeting with people, who, 
 anxious to hear the news from Boston, fre- 
 quently interrogated us respecting whence 
 we came and whither we were going, &c. ; 
 in answering which we adhered as nearly 
 10 the truth as our fears of discovery would 
 permit. 
 
 We stopped at Mann's tavern in Wal- 
 pole, and here a multitude of peopl-e col- 
 lected, having apparently some great object 
 in agitation. Being seen coming in the 
 direction from Boston, we were again as- 
 sailed with more questions than we knew 
 how to answer consistently with our safety. 
 The tavern-keeper excited our apprehen- 
 sions by abruptly asking us whither we 
 were going? 
 
24 BETOLUnONAEY AirVE?rrFEES 
 
 **To seek our fortunes.** we replied. 
 
 "You have taken hard times for it," and 
 he advised us to return home. 
 
 During this conversation, the stage coach 
 from Boston arrived at the tavern, where 
 the passengers were to dine. They brought 
 the news of the Lexington battle, with an 
 exaggerated account of a loss on the side 
 of the British of two hundred men. and on 
 that of the American of only thirty. This 
 was received with loud shouts of exulta- 
 tion, while the militia marched off full of 
 ardor and zeal.* 
 
 By this time, my companion and myself 
 felt the need of some refreshment ; but our 
 funds would not permit us to indulge our 
 appetites with the luxury of a dinner ; we 
 therefore contented ourselves with a simple 
 luncheon. 
 
 Tued of walking, our next object was to 
 
 * The exaggerated aceoant ^ the battk of Lexington mnst 
 'Itare been merely of that part of it Trhich happmetl ^y>atf. 
 sanrise, the fiiiof of ttK British upon the militia assemti^ 
 Bjxm the green near the meeting-honse. 
 
 The sidneqnent fig*»*^«'"5 at Lexingtcm was too late in th« 
 iaj, fiv the passengers in the stage to gire any inforraac?* 
 at tfas time thej airired at Walpde. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 85 
 
 drive a bargain with the coachman for a 
 ride to Providence. The price demanded 
 was one and sixpence for each of us, and 
 that upon condition that one should ride 
 with the coachman and the other on the 
 baggage. 
 
 The coachman's seat to stage-coaches in 
 those days was not the comfortable place 
 which it now is; and the baggage used to 
 be fastened directly upon the hind axle-tree. 
 Racks and such-like conveniences are the 
 improvements of modern times. To sit 
 upon tlie baggage, then, could not be con- 
 sidered a great privilege, and it required not 
 a little exertion to keep one's position. Foi; 
 such accommodations one and sixpence each 
 we considered an exorbitant price; and, 
 after a great deal of Jiaggliug, a bargain was 
 made to carry us both for two and eight- 
 pence. We left Walpole about one o'clock, 
 and arrived in Providence about sunset. 
 
 Any one, who has experienced the forlorrt 
 and destitute feelings that arise in the mind 
 when he feels himself alone in a strange 
 city may easily imagine what ours were at 
 this time. The moving multitudes were 
 3 
 
26 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 returning to their homes, after their daily 
 occupations weie over, to meet their fam- 
 ihes and theii friends and to spend the 
 quiet night. Bat we, two poor boys, had 
 no home to receive us, no friends to wel- 
 come us. 
 
 SoUtary and desolate, we felt as it were 
 '' strangers in a strange land." We wan- 
 dered about the streets, without seeing or 
 expecting to see any one who would afford 
 us any assistance, or sympathize in our dis- 
 tress. Hungry and weary, with but thirty 
 coppers in our pockets, it would be, we 
 thought, unjustifiable extravagance to in- 
 dulge our appetites v/ith the luxuries which 
 a tavern might afford; we accordingly, 
 seated upon the steps of a church, attempted 
 to appease the cravings of hunger upon 
 some provisions in our bundles, with which 
 we had the precaution to provide ourselves 
 before leaving Roxbury. Having finishe^i 
 our scanty meal, we found night approach- 
 ing, and that it was necessary to obtain 
 lodgings somewhere at a small expense. 
 
 Our design in coming to Providence natu- 
 rally led us to the part of the town where 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 27 
 
 the shipping lay. We found a vessel at a 
 wharf, which appeared to have no person 
 on board. We went on to her deck, and, 
 finding the cabin doors open, entered, took 
 possession of two vacant berths, in which 
 we skpt soundly till morning, when we left 
 the vessel without meeting with any person 
 belonging to her. 
 
 We strolled about the town with spirits 
 consif\erably depressed, and breakfasted 
 upon what remained of the cold food on 
 which we had supped the night previous. 
 
 I and my companion then thought it best 
 TO rjeparate, for the purpose of seeking em- 
 ployment, in different directions; and we 
 parted without thinking to fix upon any 
 time or place for a subsequent meeting. I 
 have since ascertained, that Kelley found 
 employment on board of a vessel, and went 
 to sea. What was his fate I know not; for 
 after that day I never saw him, nor to the 
 present time have I ever heard any more 
 respecting him than what I have related. 
 Should he meet with these pages, he is 
 informed that I reside in the town from 
 which we absconded sixty-three years agot 
 
 ♦ 
 
28 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 He would find me altered in the appearance 
 I presented to him in our last interview. 
 But probably he has long since gone to that 
 world ''from whose bourne no traveller 
 returns," and to which my age and infirmi- 
 ties admonish me that I must soon repair. 
 
 In the course of my perambulations I 
 went into the market-house, and while 
 there I saw a gentleman who was addressed 
 by the name of Curtis. He was habited 
 according to the fashion of gentlemen in 
 those days ; a three-cornered hat, a club 
 wig, a long coat of ample dimensions that 
 appeared to have been made with reference 
 to future growth ; breeches with large 
 buckles, and shoes fastened in the same 
 manner, completed his dress. 
 
 His face appeared familiar to me, and, 
 feeling some interest in him, I was induced 
 to make some inquiries respecting him, and 
 found that his christian name was Oba- 
 diah; and that he had lately removed to 
 Providence from Boston. With this gentle- 
 man an aunt of mine, a sister of my mother, 
 had lived in Boston, and I thought it proba- 
 ble that she might have removed to Provi^ . 
 dence with his family. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 29 
 
 With this impression I followed Mr. Cur- 
 tis to his house, and to my great joy found 
 my aunt. She expressed some surprise at 
 seeing me so far from home ; and I had to 
 exercise not a little art, and to depart not a 
 little from the truth, to account for my un- 
 expected visit. My aunt, however, extracted, 
 enough from the answers to her many ques- 
 tions to satisfy herself that I had left home 
 without the knowledge of my parents. 
 After satisfying my appetite with an abun- 
 dance of good things, to which I had been 
 some days a stranger, she endeavored to 
 persuade me to give up my project of going 
 to sea, and to return to Roxbury. This I 
 obstinately refused, and finding it useless to 
 remonstrate with me any more, she dropped 
 the subject, after warning me of many evils 
 which might ensue if I persisted in my un- 
 dertaking. To this good woman was I 
 indebted for sustenance while I remained in 
 Providence, and for many articles of cloth- 
 ing, of which I was in great need, 
 3* 
 
30 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 After seeking for a situation on board of 
 some vessel for several days, I at length 
 found one in the service of Capt. Joseph 
 Manchester, who was in the employ of 
 Nathaniel Angier. I shipped in the capac- 
 ity of cabin boy, for a compensation of 
 twenty-one shillings per month, to go to 
 Cape Frangois in the island of St. Domingo. 
 The wages of the sailors were forty-two 
 shillings per month. 
 
 By the assistance of my good aunt, in a 
 few days I was tolerably well equipped for 
 the voyage. The vessel was hauled off into 
 the stream, and shortly after we sailed for 
 our destined port. This being the first time 
 ( ever was at sea, I experienced a consider- 
 able amount of that mental and bodily pros- 
 tration called "sea-sickness;" but in a few 
 days I became accustomed to the motion of 
 the vessel, and recovered my usual health 
 and spirits. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 31 
 
 Being what is termed a " green hand," I 
 had everything to learn that belonged to my 
 duties ; and of course made some blunders, 
 for which I received more curses than 
 thanks. 
 
 Among other misfortunes, I unluckily 
 placed a large pot of butter in the larboard 
 locker, without the precaution to fasten it in 
 its place. It rolled out in the course of the 
 night, and the fragments of the pot together 
 with the contents were scattered about near 
 the foot of the cabin steps. At the time of 
 the accident the captain was upon deck, and 
 having occasion to go below, he stepped into 
 the midst of the greasy particles and mea- 
 sured his length upon the floor. The 
 butter received a stamp of considerable 
 magnitude in the form of a head, which, 
 although it served to protect the captain's 
 from any lamentable damage, did not shield 
 mine from a volley of oaths and threats aris- 
 mg from the irritation of the moment at the 
 awkward predicament in which he found 
 himself placed. 
 
 After a pleasant voyage of about fourteen 
 days, we arrived in sight of our destined 
 
32 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 port. That part of St. Domingo in which 
 Cape Francois is situated was then in pos- 
 session of the French ; and, in regard to cer- 
 tain articles, trade was prohibited between 
 the inhabitants and the American colonies. 
 Some management was therefore necessary 
 to obtain the cargo we wanted. A boat 
 was sent ashore to inform certain merchants 
 who were expecting us, of our arrival. In 
 the morning a pilot came to our assistance, 
 and we were soon anchored in the harbor 
 of Cape Francois. 
 
 We carried out staves and hoops in a 
 state of preparation to be converted into 
 hogsheads; and I worked at coopering till 
 we were ready to receive our cargo. Hav- 
 ing filled the hogsheads with molasses, 
 which was apparently all our cargo, we set 
 sail, and afterwards took on board a quan- 
 tity of coffee, a prohibited article, which 
 was conveyed to us by vessels employed for 
 that purpose. 
 
 Our loading being thus completed, we 
 directed our course for Providence, and after 
 a passage of about fifteen days Ave arrived 
 at Stonington, Connecticut. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 33 
 
 During our absence from home, the Revo- 
 lutionary war had commenced, and we 
 found that the British had begun their 
 depredations upon our commerce and mari- 
 time towns. 
 
 We left Stonington in the night, enter- 
 taining the hope, that, Avith a favorable 
 wind, we might get into Providence without 
 being discovered by the British cruisers, 
 which we knew were cruising somewhere 
 between Newport and Providence. 
 
 If the breeze had continued favorable, we 
 should have effected our object ; but, unfor- 
 tunately, the wind subsided a little before 
 daylight, and in the morning we found our- 
 selves close by the enemy, consisting of two 
 ships of war, and a small vessel called a 
 tender between them and the land. The 
 American commander. Commodore Whip- 
 ple, with a naval force greatly inferior to 
 the British, was seen by us, higher up the 
 bay, out of reach of the enemy, making sig- 
 nals for us to press all sail and approach. 
 But unluckily we were ignorant of the 
 meaning of the signals, and did not know 
 whether they came from a friend or an 
 
34 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 enemy. As the cruisers were to the wind- 
 ward of us, we tacked one way and the 
 other, hoping that we should be able to beat 
 up the bay; but, finding that the tender was 
 about to intercept our progress in one direc- 
 tion, while the cruisers approached us in 
 the other, and no chance of escape appear- 
 ing, we bore away and ran our vessel ashore. 
 
 Preparations were hastily made for leav- 
 ing the vessel, our captain having given per- 
 mission to all, who were disposed to run the 
 risk, to make their escape. The mate and 
 crew jumped overboard and swam for the 
 shore where they all arrived safe, although 
 fired upon by the British tender. 
 
 Captain Manchester, supposing that I 
 should be unable to reach the shore by 
 swimming, kindly advised me to remain on 
 board with him and be taken prisoner. I 
 hesitated a short time about taking his 
 advice, but finally concluded to run the risk 
 of being drowned ; and with nothing on but 
 a shirt and a pair of trowsers, I plunged into 
 the sea and sAvam for the shore, where I 
 arrived without injury, but nearly exhausted 
 from fatigue and fear, not a little augmented 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 35 
 
 Dy the sound of the hullets that whistled 
 around my head while in the water. In 
 dread of pursuit, I ran into a corn-field, and 
 finding my wet clothes an incumbrance, I 
 stripped them off and ran with all speed 
 through the field. 
 
 At a little distance in advance of me I 
 could discover a number of men, whom I 
 soon found to be our ship's crew, who had 
 landed before me. My appearance among 
 them in a state of entire nakedness excited 
 not a little mirth. " Holloa ! my boy," 
 exclaimed one of them, "you cut a pretty 
 figure ; not from the garden of Eden, I can 
 swear for it, for you have not even an apron 
 of fig-leaves to cover you with ; you were 
 not born to be drowned, I see, though you 
 may live to be hanged." But after a few 
 jests at my expense, the mate took off one 
 of the two shirts, with which he had taken 
 the precaution to provide himself before he 
 left the vessel, and gave it to me. This gar- 
 m3nt answered all the purposes of a cover- 
 ing, as it effectually covered my person from 
 my shoulders to my feet. After travelling 
 about half of a mile, we came to a house, 
 
36 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 where the good woman, taking pity on my 
 grotesque and unique condition, gave me 
 a decent suit of clothes. 
 
 I immediately proceeded to Providence, 
 where I arrived the same day, and lost no 
 time before visiting my good aunt, although 
 I had great doubts and fears of the reception 
 I should meet with. She was glad to see 
 me again, but did not lose the opportunity 
 of giving me a long lecture upon the folly 
 of my conduct in leaving home; and ap- 
 pealed to my candor to acknowledge the 
 justice of her reproof, by comparing my 
 present condition with what it formerly was. 
 The anxiety and distress of my parents, too, 
 were described to me in all the eloquence 
 of female affection, as an additional induce- 
 ment to return to them. 
 
 The misfortunes I had thus far experi- 
 enced, she alleged, I ought to consider as 
 judgments against any more attempts to be 
 separated from my friends ; and concluded 
 with advising me, in the kindest manner, to 
 return home, and with many generous offers 
 to assist me and to produce a reconciliation, 
 should her assistance be found necessary. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 3''' 
 
 I felt conscious that the result of this 
 ?oyage did not fill my mouth with argu- 
 ments in favor of a second. I went away 
 tolerably well clothed, and returned stark 
 naked, but I could not however see the 
 force of her reasoning, nor make a proper 
 application of it to my circumstances. 
 
 The minds of the old and the young are 
 differently constituted, and their modes of 
 thinking, and the train of reasoning they 
 pursue are entirely dissimilar. The former 
 consider actions in connexion with their 
 consequences, and look to the future good 
 or evil that may arise; while the latter 
 regard only present prospect, and are un- 
 mindful of future events and reckless of the 
 future calamities to which they may be 
 exposed. Youth rush into danger and are 
 heedlesi^ of it ; while the aged, warned by 
 experience, turn aside and avoid it. Find- 
 ing me obstinately resolved upon undertak- 
 ing another voyage, to obtain, as I thought, 
 some remuneration for the misfortunes ex- 
 perienced in the first, my aunt showed a 
 disposition to assist me as readily as before 
 4 
 
38 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 and I was soon comfortably fitted out for a 
 second expedition. 
 
 Four days after my arrival in Providence, 
 I fortunately met with a ship-master, named 
 Thomas, and engaged in his employ for a 
 voyage to Cape Francois, the port to which 
 I sailed on my former voyage. We had a 
 short passage, and arrived at our destined 
 port without anything having transpired 
 worthy of notice during the voyage. 
 
 We took in a cargo similar to the one we 
 received on my former voyage, and set sail 
 for Providence, where we arrived after a 
 pleasant passage of eighteen or twenty days. 
 I worked on board the vessel several days, 
 assisting to unload her, and then received 
 my wages, which had been stipulated at 
 four dollars per month. 
 
 With my money in my pocket, the largest 
 sum I ever before possessed, and much 
 elated with my success, I visited my good 
 aunt once more, who received me with much 
 joy. She assisted me with her advice in 
 purchasing some articles of clothing, that I 
 might make a respectable appearance amoug 
 my friends. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 39 
 
 I i;o\v t'lought I could consistently return 
 to my native place ; and was willing to 
 comply with the desire of my aunt and my 
 own inclinations, to visit my parents, who, 
 I knew, must have suffered much anxiety at 
 my absence, a wanderer they knew not 
 where, at a time when the country was in 
 such a state of commotion as to render it 
 somewhat hazardous for a youth like me to 
 be without a guide or protector. 
 
 After securing my clothing in a small 
 pack, I slung it on my back, and started on 
 foot for home, from which I had been absent 
 about six months. This was the latter part 
 of November, 1775. 
 
 My finances being rather low, after de- 
 ducting the expense of my clothing, I found 
 it necessary to exercise economy on my 
 journey, and not indulge myself in enter- 
 tainment at public houses. I found a ready 
 welcome at the dwellings of the farmers on 
 the road, and was treated with an abun- 
 dance of bread and milk without compen- 
 sation. I was hospitably received at a re- 
 spectable farm-house the first night on my 
 journey ; and on the second, arrived at the 
 
40 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 American camp in Roxbury, on Saturday 
 evening. Ascertaining tliat my parents had. 
 during my absence, removed to Dorchester, 
 a distance of about three miles, 1 felt too 
 much fatigued to seek their residence that 
 night, and found comfortable accommoda- 
 tions in one of the barracks. 
 
 Early on Sunday morning I started for 
 Dorchester, and soon, to my great joy and 
 satisfaction, found my parents in the enjoy- 
 ment of good health, excepting my father, 
 who was afflicted with a bad cold and was 
 lying asleep on the bed when I entered the 
 house. My good mother gazed at me with 
 the amazement of one who had seen a spec- 
 tre. She had long before given up all hopes 
 of ever seeing me again, having heard 
 nothing respecting me during my absence ; 
 and, as she was well aware of my inclina- 
 tion for a sailor's life, she had concluded 
 that I had gone to sea, and that, in her esti- 
 mation, was equivalent to being lost.* 
 
 *It may appear surprising to the reader that my aunt ai 
 Providence had not informed my parents respecting my move- 
 ments. To say nothing of the fact, that she did not possess 
 the pen of a ready writer, there were no regular means Ibi 
 conveying information in those days. Mails and post-offices, 
 now so common, were then unknown. Situated as my aunt 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 41 
 
 As soon as she had recovered from the 
 shock caused by my sudden and unexpected 
 appearance, and recovered her self-posses- 
 sioUj she aroused my father with a scream of 
 joy and the exclamation "Our son is return- 
 ed!" Tlie disposition of my father was 
 more equable than that of my mother, and his 
 feelings were less excitable than hers; conse- 
 quently he exhibited less astonishment at 
 sight of me, though he felt as much pleasure 
 on the occasion. Neither had he yielded to 
 those fears for my safety which had taken 
 possession of my mother's mind; or else he 
 had endeavored to conceal his apprehensions 
 in order to pacify hers ; constantly encourag- 
 ing her with the hope that I "should, no 
 doubt, be taken care of" 
 
 My mother was about commencing an 
 endless train of questions respecting my 
 adventures, but, intimating that I was 
 hungry, having had no breakfast, she post- 
 poned the gratification of her curiosity to 
 attend to my animal wants. 
 
 was, she could have but little access to travellers, and being 
 very domestic in her habits, she was seldom out of the houM 
 •f her employer. 
 
 4* 
 
Whfle varfaiiMiaOj watdiiiig the ^ fto ^t^ 
 of mf ma^ytt in bfcr euUjiaiy c^ratkirui, my 
 iaifaer, with omch i^raviiy artd h/Af,inuny <A 
 mmnuet, addieMed wj^; as foiiows: — "My 
 um. I am much sarprised and griered thiat 
 ycpa should l^iare kft liorr^ iri the majinfn 
 you did, withoot i^viug lub any means to 
 ascertain your iate, or what your intentioriJi 
 ▼ere. if you ha/1 any cau*e for com[>Laint, 
 ar^J i\iffti^)nt yourself iil-treate^i, why did 
 you f*ot \uUnm uit:, arid I would have M^:;n 
 'usty;^; done'/' With the sense of wrongs, 
 ';jther r*:aJ or imajrinary, stjjl rankhng in rny 
 bf*a*t, 1 uqAif'A t>iat I had d^^ne so, re- 
 j>:at«;^ijy, but no atU;nti/jri had U^en paid to 
 ;ny 'y>n* plaints; and that I had ofi<;n tr>!d 
 my mother that 1 intended t/> go forth into 
 the world fir/r the purpr^s^j of improving my 
 cofidiij</n, *'Hir*ce you have U->;n pfesi-.rved 
 from any mtriousi d)sast/ir," continuwi my 
 father, *^and no evil affihcjimmf^m UiLya 
 ntnuiuA frofft the imprudent hU;ps you have 
 taken, I hof>e yrni will abandon all »u/:h 
 h/:hem/rs in fiiture. You can remain at 
 horm? until you are old enouj/h t/j learn a 
 tra^J/i, and then clux^iu: ona it a youratAi', 
 
OP KIKMKXKE FOX. H 
 
 At this time my father found abimdance 
 employment in working at his trade (or 
 
 .0 soldiers in the American camp. During 
 v.: 3 wintej I improved the time in atteiKling 
 a school, and making myself usetul in 
 
 rious ways to my parents. I often visited 
 
 .-Vmerican camp, and endeavored by 
 conversing with the soldiers to ascertain 
 what plans were fonned for their future 
 ojx^rations. My taiher having a large tamily 
 to maintain by his industry, I lS?lt unwilling 
 to remain at home, a burvlon upon him, and 
 was desiix^us of supp^^rting myself. My^ 
 bretliex James, who was two yeais oldtt 
 than myself, had likewise been at hoBM 
 during the preceding winter: and it was 
 tliought exjxxlieiit that both of us should 
 learu some useful tiade. 
 
44 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Uninterrupted intercourse being now 
 established between the country and the 
 town, my brother and myself were sent into 
 Boston to choose our trades and seek our 
 employers. James found a situation in the 
 bakery of Mr. Edward Tuckerman,* in the 
 south part of the tOAvn, as an apprentice 
 upon probation; and I found employment 
 in the shop of Mr. John Bosson, a barber and 
 manufacturer of wigs, upon the same condi- 
 tions. 
 
 After we had been in these situations 
 long enough for all parties to be satisfied, 
 we were bound by my father in ' regular 
 form as apprentices. 
 
 The trade of a barber in those days was 
 very different from what it now is. My 
 principal employment was in the preparation 
 of hair for the purposes of wigs, crapc- 
 
 * Father of the late Rev. Dr. Tuckerman, who vas dis* 
 tinguished for his benevolence and philanthropy. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 45 
 
 cushions, &c. ; being occasionally allowed to 
 scrape the face of some transient cnstomer, 
 who might be reasonably expected never to 
 ^all again for a repetition of the operation. 
 
 In Mr. Bosson's service 1 continued until 
 I was sixteen years old, and made laudable 
 progress in the mysteries of his art. 
 
 The war at this time was fiercely main- 
 tained between the United States and Great 
 Britain; and as soldiers were wanted, a 
 draught was made upon the militia of Mas- 
 sachusetts for a quota of men to march to 
 New York, to reinforce the American army 
 then in the vicinity of that city. My mas- 
 ter was unfortunately among the number 
 draughted for that service. As he did not 
 possess a great degree of military spirit, he 
 was much distressed at -the demand thus 
 suddenly made upon his patriotism. One 
 day, while my fellow-apprentice and myself 
 were at work, Mr. Bosson entered the shop 
 laboring under great agitation of mind. It 
 was evident that something had happened 
 to discompose his temper, which was natur- 
 ally somewhat irritable. He walked rapidly 
 about, occasionally stopping, and honing 
 
46 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 several razors that he had put in perfect 
 order previous to his going out; and attempt- 
 ing to sharpen a pair of sliears that at the 
 time bore the keenest edge ; he furnished us 
 with much food for conjecture as to the 
 cause of his strange conduct. At length, 
 from various ejaculations, and now and then 
 a half-smothered turse upon his ill luck, we 
 gathered the fact, that he was enrolled 
 among the soldiers who were soon to take 
 up the line of march for New York. This 
 was an unfortunate business for him; a 
 reality he had not anticipated. The idea of 
 shouldering a musket, buckling on^a knap- 
 sack, leaving his quiet family, and march- 
 ing several hundred miles for the good of 
 his country, never took a place in his mind. 
 Although a firm friend to his country, and 
 willing to do all he could to help along her 
 cause, as far as expressing favorable opin- 
 ions and good wishes availed, yet there was 
 an essential ditlerence in his mind between 
 the theory and the art of war ; between act- 
 ing the soldier, and triumphing at the 
 soldier's success. 
 
 The reality of his position operated as a 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 47 
 
 safety-valve to let off the steam of his patriot- 
 ism, and to leave him in a state of languor 
 well calculated to produce in him a degree 
 of resignation for remaining at home. But 
 what was to be done? A substitute could 
 not be obtained for the glory that might be 
 acquired in the service ; and as for money, 
 no hopes could be entertained of raising 
 sufficient for the purpose, Mr. Bosson con- 
 tinued to fidget about, uttering such expres- 
 sions as his excited feelings prompted, 
 allowing us to catch a disconnected sen- 
 tence, such as : '' Hard times don't 
 
 need two apprentices any more than a toad 
 
 needs a tail ;" " if either of you had the 
 
 spunk of a louse, you would offer to go for 
 me." With this last remark he quit the 
 shop apparently in high dudgeon. 
 
 The truth was now evident, that he 
 wanted somebody to take his place. 
 
 To provide ways and means of payment 
 v/as the principal obstacle in the way of 
 hiring a substitute. Gold and silver had 
 scarcely a physical existence in the country, 
 and the want of a circulating medium was 
 attempted to be supplie/1 by the legislative 
 
^ 
 
 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 acts of government in issuing an excessive 
 quantity of paper money, which, as it never 
 had any intrinsic value, soon degenerated 
 from its nominal worth with progressive 
 rapidity. From 1777 to 1781 the state of 
 the money was so fluctuating that no certam 
 calculation could be made of its value ; for it 
 was not two days at a time of the same 
 value. The depreciation continued, till pru- 
 dent people declined taking it at any rate; 
 and they, who did, received it at a deprecia- 
 tion of several himdreds for one. While 
 such a state of things continued, all kinds of 
 business was prostrate. The laborer, though 
 *' worthy of his hire," could not obtain any- 
 thing for it. Patriotism, more than a love 
 of gain, prompted men to join the army. 
 More were willing to enlist voluntarily than 
 to serve in the capacity of substitutes for an 
 uncertain compensation. My master, there- 
 fore, had but little hope of finding any one 
 willing to serve in his stead. 
 
 The spirit of adventure had been sup- 
 pressed, but not destroyed, within me. The 
 monotonous duties of the shop grew irksome, 
 and I longed for some employment produc- 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 49 
 
 tive of variety. The opportunity seemed 
 favorable to my desires ; and, as my elder 
 fellow-apprentice was fearful that he might 
 be called upon, he encouraged me in the 
 project, and I resolved upon offering my 
 services. 
 
 Mr. Bosson accepted my proposition to 
 act as his substitute with a great degree of 
 satisfaction and gratitude, which he evinced 
 by a liberal supply of clothing and equip- 
 ments for the service. He did not suffer my 
 zeal to cool, but immediately gave directions 
 to have me enrolled and enlisted for three 
 months, in a company commanded by Capt. 
 William Bird of Boston, in a regiment mider 
 Colonel Proctor. 
 
 Early in the month of September, 1779 
 being not quite sixteen, the age required at 
 that time for the militia service, our com- 
 pany was paraded on Boston common, and 
 with a heavy knapsack on my back, and a 
 gun on my shoulder, superior in weight to 
 those carried by soldiers at the present time, 
 we took up the line of march. 
 
 We halted at Roxbury to take under our 
 protection six baggage wagons of ammum- 
 5 
 
50 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 tion, and commenced our march for Peeks- 
 Kill, in the state of New York. 
 
 Dudng our march, several little events 
 transpired, which serve to show to what 
 losses and vexations the inhabitants of a 
 country are exposed when troops are moving 
 through their territories. One afternoon 
 some geese were discovered enjoying them- 
 selves in a pond near the road ; and one of 
 the soldiers, thinking that a little poultry 
 would not be an unacceptable addition to 
 our bill of fare, threw a stone among them 
 and killed one of the largest of the flock. 
 
 The prize was secured and concealed by 
 taking ofl" the head of a drum and putting the 
 goose into it, and then restoring the instru- 
 ment to its former appearance. The owner 
 of the poultry followed and complained to 
 the commanding olhcer of this depredation 
 on his property. Vi-e halted long enough to 
 have the wagons searched, but the goose 
 was not found; and we were allowed to 
 march on. When the camp fires were 
 kindled at night, the goose was roasted, and 
 our captain did not hesitate to eat a leg 
 wing, and a piece of the breast without 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 51 
 
 troubling us with any questions respecting 
 3ur right of possession. 
 ■ A few days subsequent to this event, we 
 lalted one evening, after a tiresome day's 
 narch, at a well-provided farming establish- 
 ment belonging to an old Quaker. Permis- 
 sion was asked to allow us to lodge in some 
 jf his spacious barns, but the old man would 
 lot give his consent, alleging that his prin- 
 ciples were opposed to the spirit of war, and 
 that he could not aid those who were en- 
 gaged in mortal contests. We urged him to 
 consider our fatigue, our wants, and the perils 
 ^o which we were exposed for the good of 
 ;he country ; but these appeals produced no 
 change in his purpose. Finding that solici- 
 :ation and entreaty were vain, we changed 
 )ur tone, and peremptorily demanded accom- 
 nodations. As refusal would have been 
 iiseless to men tired and hungry as we were, 
 md possessing the physical force to exeict 
 'compliance, he reluctantly consented to our 
 {leeping in an old building, that seemed to 
 nave been erected for some mechanical pur- 
 pose. This was all we could obtain, for he 
 •efused to sell us bread, or milk, or any 
 
52 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 eatable; and even to permit our commande* 
 to lodge in his house. 
 
 Such inhospitable treatment was rare m 
 those days. The wants of the soldiers, the 
 defenders of their country, were generally 
 cheerfully supplied; and they, who were 
 not engaged in active service, were willing 
 to contribute all in their power to the com- 
 fort and sustenance of the soldier. 
 
 In the building, to which we were admit- 
 ted, we found a large kettle or boiler, which 
 we filled with water, and made a fire under 
 it. Late at night a party was sent out to 
 search the premises and to seize whatever 
 could be found capable of being converted 
 to our benefit, or of contributing to our 
 physical wants. 
 
 In an orchard belonging to the Quaker a 
 large number of fowls were found quietly 
 roosting upon the trees, little dreaming of 
 the murderous attack about to be made 
 upon them. Between thirty and forty were 
 captured, to whom no quarters were given, 
 and brought into the camp. The feathers 
 were quickly plucked, and the bodies were 
 scalded in the kettle. Afterwards they 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 53 
 
 were stowed away in our knapsacks, and a 
 party sufficient to carry the plunder were 
 sent on in advance. 
 
 We started early the next morning, and, 
 after a march of about fifteen miles, we 
 overtook the party in advance with the half- 
 cooked poultry. The inhospitable spirit, 
 manifested by the Quaker, was the cause of 
 a much greater loss to him than he v/ould 
 have suffered, had he shown a disposition 
 to afford us some trifling accommodations. 
 
 We halted at a farm house, and, having 
 borrowed a large brass kettle, emptied the 
 contents of the knapsacks into it. combining 
 therewith a goodly quantity of onions, pota- 
 toes, and carrots, and soon converted the 
 heterogeneous mass into what we called a 
 chicken soup, which, though it might not 
 have been very palatable to an epicure, was 
 not to be despised by a company of hungry 
 soldiers. 
 
 After a fatiguing march of five or six 
 days, we arrived at Peeks-Kill, and deliv- 
 ered to the commander there our wagons of 
 ammunition, and then marched to Albany. 
 
 While we remained at Albany, we were 
 5* 
 
64 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 quartered in what was then called the "old 
 French fort." We remained here about six 
 weeks, when, General Washington having 
 changed his plan of operations, and aban- 
 doned his design of attacking New York, 
 and our services being no longer needed, we 
 were discharged, to get home in the best 
 way we could. 
 
 When we left Boston, each of us received 
 three thousand dollars in Continental money; 
 of the value of which the reader may have 
 already formed some idea, and it had not 
 risen since our departure, for we found on 
 our return that from one hundred to one 
 hundred and fifty dollars of it were required 
 for a simple repast. In addition to this 
 compensation, our monthly pay was forty 
 shillings, in the same valuable currency. 
 My clothes were much worn and damaged 
 in the service, and upon our return were 
 found in a very shabby condition, especially 
 my shoes. Of these I had two pairs, but the 
 good judgment of a thief was shown -by 
 stealing ^ the better pair one night while I 
 was asleep, leaving me no other alternative 
 but to go barefoot, or secure the remaining 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 6^ 
 
 ones to my feet by winding rope-yarn around 
 them in the form of bandages. 
 
 My feet were covered with bUsters while 
 { marched over the frozen ground and snow; 
 ind thus, almost crippled, and worn down 
 (vith fatigue, I arrived at my father's in 
 Roxbury, whiiaer he had returned, after an 
 absence of about two months. 
 
 After resting a few days at home, and re- 
 •Novering my strength and spirits, I returnea 
 .0 Mr. Bosson, abundantly satisfied with the 
 specimen I had experienced of a soldier's 
 iife, assuring him that nothing would again 
 induce me to officiate as a substitute for him 
 or aiiybody else. 
 
06 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 I CONTINUED to perform my duties in the 
 shop, and was contented with my employ- 
 ment till I was about seventeen years of 
 age, when a spirit of roving once more got 
 possession of me ; and I expressed a desire 
 to go to sea. The condition of the country 
 was at this time distressing; and, as my 
 master had not more business than he and 
 one apprentice could perform, he expressed 
 a wilhngness to consent, upon condition 
 that he should receive one half of my wages 
 and the same proportion of whatever prize 
 money might fall to my share. 
 
 Our coast was lined with British cruisers, 
 which had almost annihilated our com- 
 merce; and the state of Massachusetts 
 judged it expedient to build a government 
 vessel, rated as a twenty-gun ship, named 
 the "Protector,'' commanded by Captain 
 John Foster Williams. She was to be fitted 
 out for service as soor as possible, to pro* 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 57 
 
 tect our commerce, and to annoy the enemy. 
 A rendezvous was established for recruits 
 at the head of Hancock's wharf, where the 
 national flag, then bearing thirteen stripes 
 and stars, was hoisted. All means were 
 resorted to, which ingenuity could devise, 
 to induce men to enlist. A recruiting offi- 
 cer, bearing a flag and attended by a band 
 of martial music, paraded the streets, to 
 excite a thirst for glory and a spirit of mili- 
 ary ambition. 
 
 The recruiting officer possessed the qual- 
 ifications requisite to make the service 
 appear alluring, especially to the young 
 He was a jovial, good-natured fellow, of 
 ready wit and much broad humor. Crowds 
 followed in his wake when he marched 
 the streets ; and he occasionally stopped at 
 the corners to harangue the multitude, in 
 order to excite their patriotism and zeal for 
 the cause of liberty. 
 
 When he espied any large boys among 
 the idle crowd around him, he would at- 
 tract their attention by singing in a comical 
 manner the following doggerel : 
 
68 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 " All you that have bad masters 
 And cannot get your due ; 
 Come, come, my brave boys, 
 And join with our ship's crew." 
 
 A shout and a huzza Avould follow, and some 
 would join in the ranks. My excitable 
 feelings were roused; I repaired to the ren- 
 dezvous, signed the ship's papers, mounted 
 a cockade, and was in my own estimation 
 already more than half of a sailor. The 
 ship was as yet far from being supplied 
 with her complement of men; and the 
 recruiting business went on slowly. Ap- 
 peals continued to be made to the patriotism 
 of every young man to lend his aid, by his 
 exertions on sea or land, to free his country 
 from the common enemy. Promises of gain 
 were held out, which set truth at defiance, 
 and offers the most tempting that the im- 
 poverished state of the finances of govern- 
 ment could promise. About the last of 
 February the ship was ready to receive her 
 crew, and was hauled off into channel, that 
 the sailors might have no opportunity to 
 run away after they were got on board. 
 Upwards of three hundred and thirty men 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 69 
 
 were carried, dragged, and -driven on bof*rd, 
 of all kinds, ages, and descriptions, in all 
 the various stages of intoxication ; from 
 that of '' sober tipsiness" to beastly drunk- 
 enness, with the uproar and clamor that 
 may be more easily imagined than described. 
 Such a motley group has never been seen 
 since Falstaff's ragged regiment paraded 
 the streets of Coventry. 
 
 The wind being fair, Ave weighed anchor 
 and dropped down to Nantasket roads, 
 where we lay till about the first of April ; 
 and then set sail for a cruise of six months. 
 Our course was first directly eastward; 
 and, while keeping along the coast, we 
 espied two English ships of war, each car- 
 rying sixteen or eighteen guns. We imme- 
 diately gave chase ; but to our surprise and 
 regret tliey avoided an engagement, and 
 made all sail from us. In consequence of 
 having coppered bottoms, the sloops were 
 better sailers than our ship, which was not 
 coppered, and they made their escape. 
 Their conduct was inexph cable to us, as 
 each, without cooperation, was of force suf- 
 ficient to be a match for us ; and both, act- 
 
60 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 ing in concert, might have given us cause 
 to repent, had we come in contact with 
 them. 
 
 We continued to cruise along the coast 
 for a few weeks, without meeting with any 
 of the enemy, when, some indications ot 
 tempestuous weather appearing, our cap- 
 tain judged it expedient ta steer for the 
 banks of Newfoundland, that he might have 
 more sea room in case of a gale. We ar- 
 rived oiF the banks, where we cruised for 
 nearly eight weeks, most of the time in a 
 dense fog, without meeting with friend or 
 foe. 
 
 On the morning of June 9th, 17S0, the 
 fog began to clear away ; and the man at 
 the mast-head gave notice that he saw a 
 ship to the westward of us. As the fog 
 cleared up, we perceived her to be a large 
 ship under English colors to the windward, 
 standing athwart our starboard bow. Our 
 relative position gave us an opportunity to 
 escape, but our valiant captain did not see 
 fit to avail himself of it. 
 
 As she came down upon us, she appecired 
 as large as a seventy-four; and we were 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. ' 61 
 
 not deceived respecting her size, for it after- 
 Avards proved that she was an old East-In- 
 diaman, of eleven-hundred tons burden^ 
 fitted out as a letter-of-marque for the West- 
 India trade, mounted with thirty-two guns, 
 and furnished with a complement of one 
 hundred and fifty men. She was called 
 the Admiral Duff, commanded by Richard 
 Strang, from St. Christopher* and St. Eu- 
 statia, laden with sugar and tobacco, and 
 bound to London. I was standing near our 
 first lieutenant, Mr. Little, who was calmly 
 examining the enemy, as she approached, 
 with his spy-glass, when Captain Williams 
 stepped up and asked his opinion of her. 
 The lieutenant applied the glass to his eye 
 again and took a deliberate look in silence, 
 and replied, "I think she is a heavy ship, 
 and that we shall have some hard fighting ^ 
 but of one thing I am certain, she is not a 
 frigate; if she were, she would not keep 
 yawing, and showing her broadsides as 
 she does ; she would show nothing but hei 
 head and stern ; we shall have the advan 
 
 * Commonly called St. Kitts. 
 
 6 
 
62 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 tage of her, and the quicker we get along- 
 side the better." Our captain ordered 
 Enghsh colors to be hoisted, and the ship 
 to be cleared for action. The shrill pipe of 
 the boatswain summoned all hands to their 
 duty. The bedding and hammocks of the 
 sailors were brought up from between 
 decks ; the bedding placed in the hammocks, 
 and lashed up in the nettings ; our courses 
 hauled up; the top-gallant sails clewed 
 down; and every preparation was made, 
 which a skilful officer could suggest, or ac- 
 tive sailors perform. 
 
 The enemy approached till within musket 
 shot of us. The two ships were so near to 
 each other that we could distinguish the 
 officers from the men; and I particularly 
 noticed the captain on the gang-way, a 
 noble-looking man, having a large gold- 
 laced cocked hat on his head, and a speak- 
 ing-trumpet in his hand. Lieutenant Little 
 possessed a powerful voice, and he was di- 
 rected to hail the enemy ; at the same time 
 the quarter-master was ordered to stand 
 ready to haul down the English flag and to 
 hoist up the American. Oar lieutenant 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 63. 
 
 took his station on the after part of the 
 starboard gangway, and, elevating the 
 trumpet, exclaimed, '' Hallo ! whence come 
 you?" — ''From Jamaica, bound to Lon- 
 don," was the answer. "What is the 
 ship's name?" inquired the lieutenant. 
 ^' The Admiral Duff," was the reply. 
 
 The English captain then thought it his 
 turn to interrogate, and asked the name of 
 our ship. Lieutenant Little, in order to 
 gain time, put the trumpet to his ear. pre- 
 tending not to hear the question. During 
 the short interval, thus gained. Captain 
 Williams called upon the gunner to ascer- 
 tain how many guns could be brought to 
 bear upon the enemy. "Five," was the 
 answer. " Then fire, and shift the colors," 
 were the orders. The cannons poured 
 forth their deadly contents, and, with the 
 first flash, the American flag took the place 
 of the British ensign at our mast-head. 
 
 The compliment was returned in the 
 form of a full broad-side, and the action 
 commenced. I was stationed on the edge 
 of the quarter-deck, to sponge and load a 
 six-pounder; this position gave me a fine 
 
64 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 •opportunity to see the whole action. Broad- 
 sides were exchanged with great rapidity 
 for nearly an hour; our fire, as we after- 
 wards ascertained, produced a terrible 
 slaughter among the enemy, while our loss 
 was as yet trifling.^ 
 
 I happened to be looking for a moment 
 towards the main deck, when a large shot 
 name through our ship's side and killed Mr. 
 
 * After these pages were written, I ascertained that Mr. 
 Frederick Lane, of Boston, a relative of Captain John Foster 
 Williams, had in his possession the original log-book of the 
 ship Protector. Mr. Lane had the politeness to send it to 
 me, and I have made the following extracts verbatim from 
 one of its pages. 
 
 "June 9th, 1780. 
 
 "At 7 A. M. saw a ship to the Westward, we stood for 
 her under English Colors, the Ship standing athaught us, 
 under English Colours, appeared to be a large ship. At 11 
 came along side of her, hailed her, she answered from Ja- 
 maica. I shifted my colours and gave her a Broadside, she 
 soon returned us another, the action was very heavy for near 
 three Glasses, v^hen she took fire and blew up— got out the 
 Boats to save the men, took up 55 of them, the greatest part 
 of them wounded with our shot and Burnt when the ship 
 Blew up, she was called the Adml. DuiT of 32 Guns, 
 Comman'd by Richard Strang from St. Kitts and Estatia, 
 Ladened with Sugar and Tobacco bound to London. We 
 Lost in the action one man, Mr. Benja. Scollay and 5 
 wounded. Rec'd several Shot in our Hull, and several of oiir 
 shrouds and stays shot away." 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 65 
 
 Benjamin Scollay, a very promising young 
 man, who was, I think, a midshipman. At 
 this moment a shot from one of our marines 
 killed the man at the wheel of the enemy's 
 ship, and, his place not being immediately 
 supplied, she was brought alongside of us 
 in such a manner as to bring her bowsprit 
 directly across our forecastle. Not know- 
 ing the cause of this movement, we supposed 
 it to be the intention of the enemy to board 
 us. Our boarders were ordered to be ready 
 with their pikes to resist any such attempt, 
 while our guns on the main deck were 
 sending death and destruction among the 
 crew of the enemy. Their principal object 
 now seemed to be to get liberated from us, 
 and by cutting away some of their rigging, 
 they were soon clear, and at the distance 
 of a pistol shot. 
 
 The action was then renewed, with addi- 
 tional fury; broadside for broadside con- 
 tinued with unabated vigor; at times so 
 near to each other that the muzzles of our 
 guns came almost in contact, then again at 
 such a distance as to allow of taking delib- 
 erate aim. The contest was obstinately 
 6* 
 
66 EEVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 continued by the enemy, although we could 
 perceive that great havoc was made among 
 them, and that it was with much difficulty 
 that their men were compelled to remain at 
 their quarters. 
 
 A charge of grape-shot came in at one of 
 our port-holes, which dangerously wounded 
 four or five of our men, among whom was 
 our third lieutenant, Mr. Little, brother to 
 the first. His life was despaired of, but by 
 he kind attention he received from his 
 rother, and the surgeon, he finally re- 
 covered, though he bore evidence of the 
 severity of his wounds through life. 
 
 While Captain Williams was walking 
 the quarter deck, which he did during the 
 whole action, a shot from the enemy struck 
 the speaking trumpet from liis hand and 
 sent it to a considerable distance from him. 
 He picked it up with great calmness of 
 manner, and resumed his walk, without 
 appearing to have been at all disturbed by 
 the circumstance. 
 
 The battle still continued with unabated 
 vigor on both sides, till our marksmen had 
 Killed or wounded all the men m the fore^ 
 
iiiiiliiisiiM^^ 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 67 
 
 main, and mizen tops of the enemy. The 
 action had now lasted about an hour and a 
 half, and the fire from the enemy began to 
 slacken, when we suddenly discovered that 
 til the sails on her mainmast were envel- 
 oped in a blaze. The fire spread with amaz- 
 jng rapidity, and, running down the after- 
 ligging, it soon communicated with her 
 <Tiagazine, when her whole stern was blown 
 off", and her valuable cargo emptied into the 
 sea. All feelings of hostility now ceased, 
 and those of pity were excited in our breasts 
 for the miserable crew that survived the 
 catastrophe. 
 
 Our enemy's ship was now a complete 
 wreck, though she still floated, and the sur- 
 vivors were endeavoring to save themelvess 
 in the only boat that had escaped the gene- 
 ral destruction. The humanity of our cap- 
 tain urged him to make all possible exer- 
 tion to save the miserable, wounded, and 
 burnt wretches, who were struggling for 
 their lives in the water. The ship of the 
 enemy was greatly our superior in size, and 
 lay much higher out of the water. 
 
 Our boats had been much exposed to his 
 
68 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENl URES 
 
 fire, as they were placed on spars between 
 the fore and main masts during the action, 
 and had suffered considerable damage. 
 The carpenters were ordered to repair them 
 with the utmost expedition, and we got 
 them out in season to take up fifty-five men, 
 the greater part of whom had been wounded 
 by our shot or burned when the powder 
 magazine exploded. These men exhibited 
 a spectacle truly heart-rending to behold. 
 Their limbs were mutilated by all manner 
 of wounds, while some were burned to such 
 a degree that the skin was nearly flayed from 
 their bodies. Our surgeon and his assistants 
 had just completed the task of dressing the 
 wounds of our own crew, and then they 
 directed their attention to the wounded of 
 the enemy. Several of them suffered the 
 amptutation of their limbs, and the wounds 
 of the others were treated in a skilful 
 manner, and every attention was paid to 
 them which our circumstances would allow. 
 Five of them died of their wounds, and were 
 committed to their watery graves. From 
 the survivors we learned, that the Britisli 
 commander had frequently .expressed a 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 69 
 
 desire to come in contact with a " Yankee 
 frigate," during his voyage, that he might 
 have a prize to carry to London. Poor 
 fellow ! he little thought of losing his ship 
 and his life in an engagement with a ship so 
 much inferior to his own — with an enemy 
 upon whom he looked with so much 
 contempt. 
 
 We ascertained that the loss of the enemy 
 was prodigious, compared with ours. This 
 disparity however will not appear so re- 
 markable, when it is .considered that, al- 
 though their ship was larger than ours, it 
 was not so well supplied with men ; having 
 no marines to use the musket, they fought 
 with their guns alone, and, as their ship lay 
 much higher out of the water than ours, the 
 greater part of their shot went over us, 
 cutting our rigging and sails, without in- 
 juring our men. We had about seventy 
 marines, who did great execution with their 
 muskets, picking off the officers and men 
 with a sure and deliberate aim. 
 
 After the action was over, I found that I 
 was so deaf, as to cause me to fear that 1 
 had totally lost t4ie sense of hearing. I 
 
70 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 attributed this to the noise of the cannon, 
 which I had been employed in loading and 
 sponging for such a period of time. It was 
 nearly a week before my hearing was re- 
 stored, and then but partially; and, ever 
 since, I have experienced great inconven- 
 ience from this deafness. 
 
 In all our naval engagements, both in the 
 revolutionary war and the subsequent one, 
 there has been a great inequality of loss 
 among the contending parties. The history 
 of our naval actions oifers abundant testi- 
 mony to corroborate the truth of this state- 
 ment. Its cause, to me, is inexplicable. 
 
 Our sailors were busily employed in pick- 
 ing up the various articles that were floating, 
 and getting them on board, while the car- 
 penters and riggers were engaged in repair- 
 ing the damages we had received. The 
 ship was soon in good order and prepared 
 again to meet the enemy, and we continued 
 on Qur cruise. 
 
 The weather growing warm, sails were 
 suspended between the decks, for the pur- 
 pose of ventilating and purifying the atmo>- 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. Tt 
 
 phere by their motion ; but little benefit 
 resulted from the experiment. 
 
 Our captain, finding that sickness was 
 increasing among the crew, and that the 
 wounded were suffering greatly, judged it 
 expedient to leave our cruising ground, and 
 to steer for some eastern port, that we 
 might obtain a supply of wood and water. 
 
 Some repairs likewise Avere necessary, 
 which we could not conveniently make at 
 sea, previous to a short cruise which our 
 captain intended we should make before our 
 return to Boston. 
 
 About the twentieth of the month we 
 sailed from: the banks of Newfoundland, 
 and arrived at Broad bay in seven or eight 
 days. Having found a good harbor, we 
 dropped anchor, and made immediate prep- 
 arations to get our sick and wounded men 
 on shore. Captain Williams made a con- 
 tract with a farmer, who was friendly to the 
 American cause, in comfortable circum- 
 stances, having good buildings, to provide 
 for the sick and wounded, and to furnish 
 accommodations for our surgeon's mate 
 
72 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 who was left on shore Avith medicines and 
 other things proper for a hospital. 
 
 There was now a constant communication 
 kept up between the ship and the shore, and 
 it was necessary for our officers to exercise 
 great vigilance to protect the property of 
 our friendly farmer from depredation. An 
 attempt on the part of some of our crew to 
 steal from him was detected in a singular 
 manner. 
 
 A copper-colored fellow, half Indian and 
 half negro, had seen a fatted calf in the far- 
 mer's barn, which he coveted to such a 
 degree as to induce him to make a desperate 
 attempt to make it a prize. The graceless 
 rascal found another of the crew, whose 
 appetite for veal overcame what little moral 
 sense he possessed, ready to second him m 
 the undertaking. 
 
 Late at night, after all hands had retired, 
 Cramps, for that was the name of the prin- 
 cipal adventurer, took a boat, went oii shore 
 secured the calf, and returned to the ship 
 without discovery. He came with great 
 caution under the ship's bows, and hailed 
 his fellow- worker in iniquity, whom he ex- 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 73 
 
 pected to find ready with a rope to hoist the 
 calf on board. 
 
 It so happened that, just at this time, our 
 first heuten'ant, Mr. Little, had occasion to 
 come on deck, and the fellow, who had been 
 watching for the arrival of Cramps, dodged 
 out of sight and secreted himself. Cramps, 
 mistaking the lieutenant for his coadjutor, 
 hailed him in a low tone, requesting him to 
 lower a rope as quick as possible. The lieu- 
 tenant, suspecting some mischief, did as he 
 was directed. 
 
 Cramps soon fixed a noose round the 
 calf s neck, and then cried out, " Now haul 
 away, blast your eyes ! my back is almost 
 broke with carrying the creature so far 
 down to the boat." The lieutenant obeyed, 
 and a strong pull on his part, with some 
 boosting by Cramps in the rear, soon 
 brought the animal upon deck. Cramps 
 immediately followed his prize, and found, 
 to his no small consternation, not only the 
 calf, but himself in the powerful grasp of 
 the lieutenant. The calf was alive and un- 
 injured, although Cramps had carried him 
 a considerable distance from the barn to the 
 7 
 
TA REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 ):oat, and came very near choking him 
 tvhen hoisting him up the side of the ship. 
 
 The calf enjoyed more comfortable quar- 
 ters that night than his captor ; for the latter 
 was handcuffed, and secured below for far- 
 ther punishment the next day. In the 
 morning, the calf and the culprit were sent 
 on shore, and, when landed. Cramps was 
 ordered to shoulder the calf and march to 
 the farmer, confess, and ask his forgiveness; 
 and then to return on board with the conso- 
 lation that he should receive fifty lashes for 
 his fault, and the assurance that he should 
 be hung at the yard-arm if he was detected 
 in such an undertaking again. 
 
 The result of this expedition proved 
 Cramps to be the greater calf of the two. 
 
 The fifty lashes were remitted at the soli- 
 citation of the kind-hearted farmer. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 7S 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Our repairs being completed, and all 
 things ready for sea, we weighed anchor 
 about the last of June, and steered once more 
 for the banks of Newfoundland, where we 
 cruised three or four weeks, without meet- 
 ing anything excepting a brig from the 
 West Indies bound to Boston, commanded 
 by Capt. Thomas Parker. The provisions 
 of the ship beginning to fail, and no prospect 
 of making captures appearing, our captain, 
 with the advice of his officers, concluded to 
 steer for Boston. We hove to, and caught a 
 considerable quantity of cod-fish, then di- 
 rected our course for Halifax, off which we 
 cruised for several days. 
 
 At noon of the fourth day after , our arri- 
 val, the man on the look-out at the mast- 
 head gave notice of a sail on our larboard 
 quarter. 
 
 Mr. Little ascended to the mizen top to 
 examine the object of the sailor's report with 
 
76 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 his spy-glass. He ascertained to his satis- 
 faction that the strange sail was a ship 
 directing her course towards us. All hands 
 were piped on deck; the ship was put ahout, 
 and we made sail for the strange sail. The 
 two ships approached each other rapidly; 
 and it was soon evident to our officers that 
 she was a frigate of large burthen.* We 
 afterwards ascertained that these conjec- 
 tures were true, as she was a frigate from 
 Halifax bound to New York. 
 
 Captain Williams thought it would be 
 imprudent to risk an action with an enemy 
 so much his superior in force ; he therefore 
 gave orders to put the ship about, and crowd 
 all sail, that we might get from the enemy 
 as fast as possible. The enemy gained 
 upon us rapidly, as she was fresh from port, 
 and her bottom coppered; while ours, not 
 liaving any copper, was extremely foul, in 
 consequence of our long cruise, and our pro- 
 gress was greatly retarded. 
 
 At five o'clock in the evening, the enemy 
 had approached so near as to give us several 
 salutes with her bow guns, which compli- 
 ment we did not hesitate to return with two 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 77 
 
 eighteen pounders from our cabin windows^ 
 and a couple of sixes from the quarter deck. 
 An eighteen pound shot was lodged in our 
 main rr.ast; this was all the damage we 
 received. We resorted to all the usual 
 methods to increase our progress, such as 
 wetting the sails, shifting the position of the 
 guns, (fee., not forgetting to make all the use 
 we could of our stern chases, lest the enemy 
 might think we slighted the compliments 
 they sent us from the bow guns. 
 
 About sun-set, the enemy rounded to, and 
 gave us two broadsides, by way of parting ; 
 lor which we paid due acknowledgments 
 from our cabin windows and quarter-deck, 
 and she gave up the chase. For this last 
 act of courtesy we felt more grateful than 
 for any she had shown us ; and we immedi- 
 ately got our guns into their proper places, 
 and everything in readiness for an action 
 which we anticipated having the next morn- 
 ing. 
 
 We continued to crowd sail all night, and 
 the next morning could just discern the 
 enemy at a great distance, steering in an 
 opposite direction 
 
78 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 We thought at the time we were fortunate 
 in escaping; but we afterwards felt some 
 regret that we had avoided an action ; for, 
 although she was a six-and-thirty-gnn fri- 
 gate, she was poorly manned, and was 
 bound to New York to complete her number 
 of men ; and the result of an action would 
 probably have been in our favor. , Had she 
 been fully manned, she would have perse- 
 vered in the chase, and we should probably 
 have been taken, as many of our men were 
 sick. 
 
 In a few days we came in sight of Boston 
 lighthouse and anchored in Nantasket roads, 
 where we remained a short time, then stood 
 up the harbor, and hauled in at Hancock's 
 wharf The sails were unbent, the sick 
 landed, the ship unloaded, and all hands, 
 who were not disposed to enlist for a second 
 cruise, Avere paid off and discharged. 
 
 Thus ended my first cruise in the Protec- 
 tor. And, although I had not added to my 
 wealth, I had gained some knowledge of a 
 sailor's life, and felt disposed to try my 
 fortune a little more in the like manner by 
 enlisting for a second voyage. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 79 
 
 During the short interval between my 
 first and second cruise, while I was at home, 
 my father was taken sick and died. The 
 loss of a kind parent is, under any circum- 
 stances, a melancholy bereavement, and this 
 was particularly so to my mother and her 
 eight children, some of whom were very 
 young. 
 
 Though unwilling to leave her in her 
 affliction, I felt the necessity of exerting 
 myself, that I might contribute something to 
 the maintenance of the family, who were 
 left very destitute. I knew of no way in 
 which there was a prospect of my being so 
 useful to them, as that of engaging for 
 another cruise. 
 
 A rendezvous was opened; a recruiting 
 party paraded the streets under the Ameri- 
 can flag, accompanied by a band of martial 
 music, and the excitement usual on such 
 occasions. Amid loud huzzas for liberty 
 and independence, sailors fell rapidly into 
 our ranks, and our complement of men was 
 obtained in a short time. 
 
 In the mean time our ship was thoroughly 
 overhauled, her bottom scraped, rigging re- 
 
80 EETOLUTIONAEY ADTENTURES 
 
 paired, and everything was done to put hef 
 into perfect order. Wood and v/ater, and 
 various kinds of stores necessary for a cruise 
 of six months, were taken onboard; and, 
 having recruited about two hundred men, 
 preparations were made for our immediate 
 departure. 
 
 About the last of October, our boats were 
 hoisted on deck and secured, and we dropped 
 down into Nantasket roads, wliere we re- 
 mained a few days, and then set sail upon 
 our second cruise. We cleared Cape Cod 
 the first of November; directed our course 
 for Halifax, off which we cruised a few 
 days, then steered for the Grand Banks. 
 Wc arrived there, and cruised about for 
 three weeks, and, not discovering any of the 
 enemy's vessels, we directed our course to 
 the West Indies, and arrived off the islands, 
 where we cruised for some time. 
 
 Finding it necessary to obtain a supply of 
 water, we put into St. Pierre, in the island 
 of Martinico, for that purpose; after which 
 we steered towards Dominica, an island 
 north of Martinico. The next morning wo 
 espied an l^iglish sloop sailing to leeward 
 
OF EEENEZER FOX. 81 
 
 of US close under the land. "We gave chase, 
 and soon came up with her. Our captain 
 sent an officer and some men on hoard, and 
 took possession of her. 
 
 We then bore away with our prize for St. 
 Juan,* in the island of Porto Rico, where 
 our captain disposed of the sloop and cargo, 
 part of which consisted of fourteen Negroes, 
 who were sold to the Spaniards. 
 
 We then continued our cruise ; and in a 
 few days fell in with an English schooner, 
 which we took; putting some men and a 
 prize-master on board, ordered her for 
 Boston, where she arrived in safety. 
 
 After cruising for some time, and not fall- 
 ing in with anything, our captain concluded 
 to leave the West India seas and steer for 
 the southern coast of the United States. 
 
 We arrived off the bar of Charleston, 
 South Carolina ; and in the course of a few 
 days fell in with a ship called the Polly, a 
 letter-of-marque, of twenty guns, bound to 
 London. We gave chase late in the after- 
 noon, and. as it soon grew dark, we lest 
 sight of her. 
 
 * CommonljT called St, John. 
 
82 RETOLUTIOXAEY ADVEXTrRES 
 
 A thunder storm came on. and all hands 
 vere watching for her ; and by the flashes 
 of the hghtning we at length discovered her, 
 standing in a diflferent direction from what 
 we had at first seen her pursuing. We 
 accordingly shifted our course, and crowded 
 sail in pursuit. By the aid of the lightning, 
 we kept in her course, and soon came up 
 with her. 
 
 ''What ship is that, and where from?" 
 roared our lieutenant through his trumpet, 
 in a voice that bore no slight resemblance to 
 the thunder which rolled above our heads. 
 " The ship Polly, from Charleston, bound to 
 London," was the reply. The lightning, 
 flashing upon her colors, showed that they 
 were English; while the enemy had the 
 same means of seeing the American flag fly- 
 ing at our mast-head. 
 
 Wc were completely prepared for action ; 
 the matches were lighted ; the lanterns burn- 
 mg fore and aft; and all anxiously waiting 
 for the commands of the ofliccrs. One shot 
 was fired, and our captain ordered the 
 ciKiniy to "Haul down his colors, or he 
 would blow liiui out of the water." 
 
The appeaiaaee of ovr 
 liable, our csL^^Hakts 
 euMpiiedwitfa. Oor boat was knrcnd, aad 
 a prize-nnsier and aev pot oi lioaid, 
 took poneanon o€ the dBpi,aad liie 
 •fdend ibr Boston. 
 
 Shortly after, we steoed ibr INev Tork^ 
 and amred c^ Sandy Hoi^ in d^ ipi a ft 
 Afiier crmsii^ here neaiij a vedc, oae 
 mondDg the man at ■wtt hrad cned ant, 
 '^A sail upon die laiboaid qnaztec" Mr, 
 littie aacfnded to die fopt and, after ex* 
 
 be abrig stan^ng m ibr ^levTociL We 
 iM n pdhtrfy ^Tedase,caaeiy 
 aaid ofdeved ho- to faeaTe to dB i 
 lezid a boat akmg^ndp- Sie 
 
 ing hex ciew on board of onr abif^ pnt a 
 ^ juB-maatQ- and crev on board of tlie bn^ 
 and ordoed faer £m^ Boston. 
 
 Wbile we wcr naming tbe pni^ As 
 ■an at die wrrif hrad save Bodee of ^A 
 SLxl on Ae larboard bows.^ 
 
 , snit, and saon cane ak 
 Sbe proved Id be a 
 
84 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 New York. We took from her a quantity 
 of bread, cheese, and porter. 
 
 Captain Williams held consultation with 
 his oflicers respecting what course it was 
 best to pursue ; and they came to the con- 
 clusion, that it would not be prudent to 
 remain any longer cruising off Sandy Hook, 
 lest we should meet some of the British 
 frigates, of too great force for us to contend 
 with. Our prizes being in sight, signals 
 were made for them to approach. The brig 
 we took in tow and ordered the schooner to 
 keep in company. We now made sail for 
 Boston, with a fair wind, and anticipated the 
 pleasure of sharing a considerable sum of 
 prize money on our arrival. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 85 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Our cruise thus far had been prosperous, 
 and we thought the " evil day was afar off/' 
 We continued merrily on our course, with- 
 out seeing friend or foe, during the next 
 day; but, the following morning, the man 
 at the mast-head cried out, "Two sail to 
 the leeward." Mr. Little ascended to the 
 main top with his glass, and soon ascer- 
 tained that they were two large ships, 
 closely hauled upon the wind, in full chase 
 of us. The brig we had in tow was quickly 
 cast off, and she and the schooner were 
 ordered to make the best progress they 
 could. Our yards were braced, and all sail 
 crowded that the ship could carry. 
 
 The chase continued, without gaining 
 much upon us till about noon, when, the 
 wind shifting, they fell, into our wake, and 
 gained upon us very fast. 
 
 A few days previous to this, we had fallen 
 in with a brig from Havana for Boston, 
 8 
 
86 REVOLUTIONARY ADVExNTURES 
 
 commanded by Captain Cunningham, hav- 
 ing a large quantity of specie on board. 
 
 Captain C, thinking that the money 
 would be more safe on board of an armed 
 ship, requested it as a favor of Captain Wil- 
 liams to receive it on board. Captain 
 Cunningham arrived with his brig in safety; 
 but, to his regret as well as ours, his money 
 fell into the hands of the enemy. 
 
 The ships in pursuit showed French 
 colors, while we had the American flag fly- 
 ing. 
 
 They appeared to gain upon us, and the 
 prospect was, that they would soon over- 
 take us. 
 
 Our captain, calling all the hands aft on 
 the quarter deck, expressed his, opinion, that 
 the ships in pursuit of us were English, and 
 that we should be captured. 
 
 He then distributed among us the money 
 which he had received for safe keeping, in 
 sums of fifteen dollars to each, upon condi- 
 tion tliat it should be returned to him if we 
 were so fortunate as to escape. 
 
 It was now nearly sun-set, and the enemy 
 were gainhig upon us rapidly. They had 
 
OF EBENEZER FOJ. 87 
 
 jxchanged their French for Enghsh colors, 
 :hus endmg our hopes and doubts respect- 
 ng their character. Our capture was now 
 considered no longer problematical ; and, 
 )eing unwilling that the stores, especially 
 )f crackers, cheese, and porter, should fall 
 I prey to the appetite of the enemy, and not 
 mowing when we should have an opportu 
 lity of enjoying such luxuries again, 1 
 nvited about a dozen of my friends into the 
 Jtore room, where we exerted ourselves to 
 iiminish the quantity of this part of the 
 Drize which we thought would shortly be in 
 Dossession of the enemy. The porter made 
 is cheerful if not happy, and having eat and 
 irank to our satisfaction, we shook hands as 
 Tiends soon to part, uncertain when we 
 >hould meet again, and returned on deck 
 ivithout our absence having been noticed. 
 
 We found that the two ships had got up 
 vvith us. They proved to be the Roe-Buck, 
 I forty-gun ship with a double deck, and the 
 \Iay-Day, of twenty-eight guns. 
 
 They had been upon the Jook-out for us 
 br three or four weeks; having received 
 Information from the Tories in Boston that 
 
88 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 we were expected to return from our cruise 
 about this time. 
 
 The Roe-Buck took her station on our 
 ^arboard quarter, the May-Day on our lar- 
 board bow, and sent an eighteen-pound shot 
 over our quarter deck. We were then 
 ordered to strike our colors, or a broadside 
 would be sent to enforce compliance with 
 the demand. 
 
 To attempt resistance against a force so 
 much our superior would have been un- 
 justifiable; and the flag of thirteen stars 
 and stripes, under which we had sailed 
 with much satisfaction and success, was 
 reluctantly pulled down ; and this was the 
 unfortunate end of our second cruise. 
 
 The boats of the enemy were manned, 
 and sent alongside of our ship. Our crew 
 were now permitted by our ofiicers to col- 
 lect their clothing and their litde property 
 together, and secure them in the best manner 
 they could. 
 
 By this time, the boats had arrived along 
 side, and the enemy had ascended the deck. 
 
 Their first exploit was to strike or kick 
 every sailor that came in their way, bestow- 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 89 
 
 ing a variety of opprobrious epithets, among 
 which "damned rebels" was of the most 
 frequent recurrence ; then they commenced 
 searching in every part . of the ship for 
 articles of value. 
 
 Our crew were ordered to pass down the 
 side of the ship into the enemy's boats ; but 
 were forbidden to carry anything with them. 
 Some of our crew fastened their bedding 
 upon their backs, and tumbled themselves 
 head foremost down into the boats ; and, as 
 it was quite dark, they would unperceived 
 get into the cuddy with their bedding, trust- 
 ing to future circumstances for opportunity 
 to use or secrete it. 
 
 We arrived alongside, and were ordered 
 on to the quarter deck of our captors. Some 
 English sailor among our crew, to recom- 
 mend himself to the favor of the British 
 captain, had given information respecting 
 the money we had secreted about our per- 
 sons. The sergeant of arms was ordered to 
 search every one of us till the sum of fifteen 
 dollars was found upon each of us. 
 
 Such was the art which some had exer- 
 cised in hiding the money, that they were 
 
90 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 Stripped entirely naked before it was found, 
 One fellow had secreted his share so effect- 
 ually, that it baffled all the seaiching- 
 operations to find it; and the officer, being J] 
 confident that the fellow had it about him, 
 took the satisfaction of giving him a tremen- 
 dous kick in the rear by way of conclusion, 
 roaring out at the same time, "Away with 
 you, you damned rebel,* into the hold." 
 
 In the capacity of cabin steward f I was 
 most of the time in the cabin, and had 
 recommended myself to the favorable notice 
 of the American captain by performing my 
 duties to his satisfaction : and, when the 
 money was distributed among our crew, the 
 captain gave me a double share. I put 
 fifteen dollars in the crown of my hat, which 
 I pressed down upon my head as closely as 
 possible ; the remaining fifteen I placed in 
 my shoes, between the soles. 
 
 * My apology for occasionally repeating buch profane expres- 
 sions is, that the young readers may know to what insulting 
 and contemptuous language their forefathers were exposed 
 while contending with a haughty foe, for liberty and indepen- 
 dence. 
 
 + Soon after we had commenced our cruise, I was called 
 upon to officiate as cabin steward in the place of one who had 
 performed his duties in a manner unsatisfactory to the cap* 
 tain. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 91 
 
 At length my turn to be searched came ; 
 and I, as the rest of my fellow-prisoners had 
 done, denied having any money. This 
 assertion, however, did not avail ; I was 
 seized by the collar, and shaken so violently 
 that my hat fell off, and the dollars rolled 
 out upon the deck. The sum of fifteen dol- 
 lars being found, it was concluded that I 
 had no more, and I was sent into the ship's 
 hold, where I found those of the crew who 
 had been previously searched. A consider- 
 able number of us contrived, by various 
 stratagems, to save our money, for dollars 
 were found to be quite plentiful among us 
 for some time after our capture ; and they 
 proved a great convenience, as money gen- 
 erally does among friends or foes. 
 
 Our accommodations in the hold were not 
 very desirable, especially to those who had 
 not succeeded in getting their bedding into 
 that place. We found nothing to lie upon 
 softer than the ship's ballast, consisting of 
 stones of all shapes and sizes, with here and 
 there a lump of pig iron by way of variety; 
 and the water casks, which afforded a sur- 
 face rathor uneven for the comfort and con- 
 venience of our weary limbs. 
 
92 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 Here we spent the first night, and wer© 
 not allowed to go on deck till the next 
 morning. 
 
 The Roe-Buck had the charge of the 
 prisoners, while the May- Day was sent in 
 pursuit of the two prizes we had in posses- 
 sion at the time of our capture. 
 
 Greatly to our satisfaction, however, she 
 was unable to overhaul them, and they 
 both arrived in safety in Boston a few days 
 after. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Shortly after, we anchored off Sandy 
 Hook, and preparations were made to exam- 
 ine the prisoners, to ascertain what part of 
 them were EngUshmen ; or rather, who 
 among them would carry the appearance of 
 able-bodied seamen. 
 
 We were called up from the hold ; ordered 
 to the larboard side of the quarter deck; 
 thence marched, in single file, past a number 
 of British officers on the starboard side ; after 
 that to the gangway, and down again into 
 the hold. The object of thus moving in 
 procession before the officers was, to give 
 them an opportunity to select such as they 
 chose, to serve on board of their ships. 
 With fear and trembling we passed through 
 this examination. Whenever a healthy, 
 athletic-looking man passed by, he was 
 hailed, and accused of being an English- 
 man. In vain would his comrades attest to 
 the fact of his being a native-born American; 
 tell the place of his birth and the circum- 
 
94 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 Stances of his youth, detailed with all the 
 consistency and connexion which belong to 
 truth ; it was all to no purpose. Sailors 
 they wanted, and have them they would, if 
 they set law and gospel at defiance. In this 
 manner was many an American citizen, in 
 the morning of life, dragged from his coun- 
 try, his friends, and his home; forced on 
 board a ship of war; compelled to fight 
 against his own country ; and, if he hved, 
 to fight in battle with other nations, against 
 whom he had no feelings of hostility. Many 
 a one spent his whole life in foreign service, 
 far from his native land, while his relatives 
 were ignorant of his fate, till, worn out with 
 toil and wounds, a shadow of his former 
 self, he dropped into the grave unpitied and 
 unknown. 
 
 About a third part of our ship's crew were 
 taken on board of their vessels, to serve in 
 the capacity of sailors, without regarding 
 their remonstrances ; while the remainder of 
 us were put on board of a wood coaster, to 
 be conveyed on board the noted prison ship 
 called the " Jersey." The idea of being in- 
 carcerated in this floating Pandemonium 
 filled us with horror j but the idea we had 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 95 
 
 formed of Us horrors fell far short of the 
 realities which we afterwards experienced. 
 We wished, if possible, to avoid the hard fate 
 that awaited us ; and conceived the design 
 of rising upon the guard, and seizing upon 
 the sloop, and running her aground upon the 
 Jersey shore. The plan could have been 
 easily executed had there been any one 
 among us to act as a leader in the enterprise. 
 Our captain with his officers were con- 
 lined in the cabin, under the watchful care 
 )f a number of British officers well arirued ; 
 while a guard of soldiers stood at the head 
 of the companion way, to prevent any com- 
 munication with the prisoners upon the 
 deck. Sailors and soldiers have the courage 
 to execute, but not the skill to plan. 
 
 Had our captain, in whom we had been 
 m the habit of placing the utmost confi- 
 dence, been with us, I have no doubt we 
 should have obtained our freedom. 
 
 As the deck was loaded with wood, we 
 could in a moment have obtained weapons 
 sufficient for our purpose, and, had any one 
 amongst us been disposed to act as a leader, 
 we should soon have had possession of the 
 
96 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 vessel. We afterwards regretted exceedingly 
 that we did not make the attempt. 
 
 We proceeded slowly up the river towards 
 our much-dreaded place of confinement, and 
 at doubling a point we came in sight of the 
 gloomy-looking hulk of the old Jersey, apdy 
 named by the sailors, " The hell afloat." 
 The Jersey was originally a seventy-four 
 gun ship, and, at the commencement of the 
 American revolution, being found in a state 
 of decay and unfit for service at sea, she 
 was dismantled, moored in the East-river at 
 New York, and used as a store-ship. In the 
 year 1780, she was converted into a prison- 
 ship, and continued to be used for that pur- 
 pose during the remainder of the war. 
 
 In consequence of the fears that were 
 entertained that the sickness, which pre- 
 vailed among the prisoners, might spread to 
 the shore, she was removed, aiid moored 
 with chain cables at the Wallabout, a lonely 
 and unfrequented place on the shore of Long 
 Island. Her external appearance was for- 
 bidding and gloomy. She was dismantled, 
 her only spars were tlie bowsprit; a derrick, 
 that looked like a gallows, for hoisting sup- 
 plies on board ; and a flag-staff at the stem* 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 97 
 
 ^ The port-holes were closed and secured. 
 Two tiers of holes were cut through her 
 sides, about two feet square and about ten 
 feet apart, strongly guarded by a grathig of 
 iron bars. 
 
 Such was the appearance of the Jersey, as 
 we approached it ; an appearance well calcu- 
 
 , la ted to excite the most gloomy forebodings 
 
 , of the treatment we should receive after we 
 should have become its inmates. The idea 
 of being a prisoner in such a place was 
 sufficient to fill the mind with grief and dis- 
 tress. The heart sickened, the cheek grew 
 pale with the thought. Our destiny was 
 
 ; before us, and there was no alternative but 
 to submit. 
 
 The sloop anchored at a little distance 
 from the Jersey, and two boats were sent 
 alongside to receive us. 
 
 The boats passed and re-passed several 
 times before all of us got on board; and 
 lastly the captain's barge was sent to convey 
 our officers to their place of confinement. 
 Not a great while after we were imprisoned 
 our captain, together with the lieutenant and 
 the sailing-master, Mr. Lemon, were sent to 
 9 
 
98 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 Efigland; the latter, being an Englishman, 
 aad the comfortable assurance, that he 
 should be hanged as soon as he arrived.* * i 
 
 *How long our officers remained in England I have no 
 means for information. Captain Williams I found in Boston 
 «-hen I returned. 
 
 On the adoption of the federal constitution by Massachusetts, 
 February, 17S8, the event was celebrated in Boston by a civic 
 procession, in which, I believe, the great mass of the citizens 
 participated, classed into trades and occupations. Each pro- 
 fession or art on this occasion was headed by appropriate flags 
 and banners, bearing its respective coat of arms and emblems, 
 accompanied m most cases with implements of agricultural, 
 manufacturing, and mechanical industry and skill in full oper- 
 ation. Among the most conspicuous of these, the mariners 
 had mounted a ship on wheels, which was drawn through the 
 streets by 13 white horses, the then number of the United 
 States. The ship was manned by veteran sea-captains and 
 weather-beaten sailors, throwing the lead, reefing the sails, 
 waving the thirteen stripes and stars, and at intervals firing 
 salutes from a 3-pounder, under the command of John Foster 
 Williams, our late captain, who, as I have heard, stood on the 
 quarter deck with a speaking-trumpet in his hand, dressed in 
 continental regimentals. A song, to the tune of " Yankee 
 Doodle," appeared among other poetical productions in the 
 newspapers of the day, one verse of which was in these 
 
 words : — 
 
 " John Foster Williams in a ship, 
 
 Join'd with the social band, sir. 
 And made the lasses dance and skip, 
 To see him sail on land, sir. 
 Yankee doodle," &c. 
 I believe it was at this time, whilst the procession was pass- 
 ing through High street, between Summer street and Fed'cral 
 street, (till then called Long lane,) the ship was interrupted 
 
oF EBENEZER FOX. 99 
 
 After being detained in the boats along- 
 side a little while, we were ordered to 
 ascend to the upper deck of the prison ship. 
 Here our names were registered, and the 
 capacity in which we had served previous 
 to our capture. Bach of us was permitted 
 to retain whatever clothing and bedding we 
 had brought, after having been examined to 
 ascertain that they contained no weapons 
 nor money ; and then we were directed to 
 pass through a strong door, on the starboard 
 side, down a ladder leading to the main 
 hatchway. I now found myself in a loath- 
 some prison, among a collection of the most 
 wretched and disgusting looking objects that 
 I ever beheld in human form. 
 
 Here was a motley crew, covered with 
 rags and filth : visages pallid with disease, 
 emaciated with hunger and anxiety, and 
 retaining hardly a trace of their original 
 
 and entangled by a tree in the street, which was finally cut 
 down to give free passage to the tars in their novel vehicle. 
 
 Captain Williams was appointed by Gen. Washington to 
 the command of a revenue cutter in 1790, which office he held 
 to the time of his death. 
 
 He was distinguished for his courage, prudence, and hu- 
 manity, and rendered his country good and faithful service. 
 
 He died in Williams street, Boston, June 24th, 1814, aged 71 , 
 
100 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 appearance. Here were men, who had once 
 enjoyed life while riding over the mountain 
 wave or roaming through pleasant fields, 
 full of health and vigor, now shriveled by a 
 scanty and unwholesome diet, ghastly with 
 inhaling an impure atmosphere, exposed 
 to contagion, in contact with disease, and 
 surrounded with the horrors of sickness and 
 death. Here, thought I, must I linger out 
 the morning of my life, in tedious days and 
 sleepless nights, enduring a weary and 
 degrading captivity, till death shall termi- 
 nate my sufferings, and no friend will know 
 of my departure. A prisoner on board of 
 " the old Jersey ! " The very thought was 
 appalling. I could hardly realize my situa- 
 tion. 
 
 The first thing we found it necessary to 
 do after our captivity was to form ourselves 
 into small parties, called ''messes,'" consist- 
 ing of six men each ; as, previous to doing 
 this, we could obtain no food. All the 
 prisoners were obliged to fast on the first 
 day of their arrival; and seldom on the 
 second could they procure any food in sea- 
 son for cooking it. No matter how hungry 
 they were, no deviation from the rules of < 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 101 
 
 the ship^vas permitted. All the prisoners 
 fared alike ; officers and sailors received the 
 same treatment on board of this old hulk. 
 Our keepers were no respecters of persons. 
 We' were all "rebels." The quantity and 
 quality of our fare was the same for all. 
 The only distinction known among us was 
 made by the prisoners themselves, which 
 was shown in allowing those, who had been 
 officers previous to their capture, to congre- 
 gate in the extreme after-part of the ship, 
 and to keep it exclusively to themselves as 
 their places of abode. 
 
 The various messes of the prisoners were 
 numbered ; and nine in the morning was the 
 hour when the steward would deliver from 
 the window in his room, at the after-part of 
 the ship, the allowance granted to each 
 mess. Each mess chose one of their com- 
 pany to be prepared to answer to their num- 
 ber when it was called by the steward, and 
 to receive the allowance as it was handed 
 from the window. Whatever was thrust 
 out must be taken; no change could be 
 made in its quantity or quality. Each mess 
 received daily what was equivalent in 
 9* 
 

 103 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 weight or measure, but not in quality, to the 
 rations of four men at full allowance : that 
 is, each prisoner received two thirds as muchi 
 as was allowed to a seaman in the British'* 
 navy. 
 
 Our bill of fare was as follows : 
 
 On Sunday, one pound of biscuit, one 
 pound of pork, and half a pint of peas. 
 Monday, one pound of biscuit, one pint of 
 oat-meal, and two ounces of butter. Tues- 
 day, one pound of biscuit, and two pound 
 of salt beef Wednesday, one and a half 
 pounds of flour, and two ounces of suet 
 Thursday was a repetition of Sunday's fare, 
 Friday of Monday's, and Saturday of Tues- 
 day's. 
 
 If this food had been of a good quality 
 and properly cooked, as we had no labor to 
 perform, it would have kept us comfortable, 
 at least from suffering. But this was not 
 the case. All our food appeared to be 
 damaged. 
 
 The bread was mouldy, and filled with 
 V7orms. It required considerable rapping 
 upon the deck before the worms could be 
 dislodged from their lurking places in a 
 biscuit. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 103 
 
 As for the pork, we were cheated out of it 
 snore than half of the time : and, when it 
 was obtained, one would have judged from 
 its motley hues, exhibiting the consistence 
 and appearance of variegated fancy soap, 
 that it was the flesh of the porpoise, or sea- 
 hog, and had been an inhabitant of the 
 ocean rather than of the sty. But, what- 
 ever doubts might arise respecting the genera 
 or species of the beast, the flavor of the flesh 
 was so unsavory that it would have been 
 rejected as unfit for the stuffing even of 
 Bologna sausages. 
 
 The peas were generally damaged, and, 
 from the imperfect manner in which they 
 were cooked, were about as indigestible as 
 grape-shot. The butter the reader will not 
 suppose was the real " Goshen;" and had it 
 not been for its adhesive properties to retain 
 together the particles of the biscuit, that had 
 been so riddled by the worms as to lose all 
 their attraction of cohesion, we should have 
 considered it no desirable addition to our 
 viands. 
 
 The flour and the oat-meal were often 
 fiour, and when the suet was mixed with it, 
 we should have considered it a blessing to 
 
104 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 have been destitute of the sense of smelling 
 before we admitted it into our mouths : it 
 might be nosed half the length of the ship. 
 
 And last, though not the least item among 
 our staples in the eating line — our beef. 
 The nrst view of it would excite an idea of 
 veneration for its antiquity, and not a little 
 curiosity to ascertain to what kind of an 
 animal it originally belonged. Its color was 
 of dark mahogany; and its solidity would 
 have set the keen edge of a broad-axe at 
 defiance to cut across the grain, though, like 
 oakum, it cotlld be pulled into pieces one 
 way in strings, like rope-yarn. A streak of 
 fat in it would have been a phenomenon, 
 that would have brought all the prisoners 
 together to see and admire. It was so com- 
 pletely saturated with salt, that, after hav- 
 ing been boiled in water taken from the sea, 
 it was found to be considerably freshened by 
 the process. It was no uncommon thing to 
 find it extremely tender ; but then this pecu- 
 liarity was not owing to its being a prime 
 cut from a premium ox, but rather owmg to 
 its long keeping — the vicissitudes of heat 
 and cold, of humidity and aridity it had 
 experienced in the course of time : and of 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 105 
 
 this disposition to tenderness we were duly 
 apprized by the extraordinary fragrance it 
 emitted before and after it was cooked. It 
 required more skill than we possessed to 
 determine whether the flesh, which we were 
 obliged to devour, had once covered the 
 bones of some luckless bull that had died 
 from starvation ; or of some worn-out horse 
 that had been killed for the crime of having 
 outlived his usefulness. 
 
 Such was our food. But the quality of 
 it was not all that we had reason to com- 
 plain of. The manner in which it was 
 cooked was more injurious to our health, 
 than the quality of the food ; and, in many 
 cases, laid the foundation of diseases, that 
 brought many a sufferer to his grave, years 
 after his liberation. 
 
 The cooking for the prisoners was done in 
 a great copper vessel, that contained be- 
 tween two an three hogsheads of water, set 
 m brick work. The form of it was square, 
 ^nd it was divided into two compartments 
 by a partition. In one of these, the peas 
 and oat-meal were boiled ; this was done in 
 fyesh water: in the other, th*? meat was 
 
106 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 boiled in salt water, taken up from along- 
 side of the ship. ^ 
 
 The Jersey, from her size and lying near^ 
 the shore, was imbedded in the mud ; and I4 
 do not recollect seeing her afloat during the| 
 whole time I was a prisoner.* All the filth 
 that accumulated among upwards of a thou- 
 sand men was daily thrown overboard, and 
 would remain there till carried away by the 
 tide. The impurity of the water may be 
 easily conceived; and in this water our 
 meat was boiled. 
 
 It will be recollected, too, that the water 
 was salt, which caused the inside of the 
 copper to become corroded to such a degree 
 that it was lined with a coat of verdigris. 
 Meat thus cooked must in some degree be 
 poisoned; and the effects of it were manifest 
 in the cadaverous countenances of the ema- 
 ciated beings, who had remained on board, 
 for any length of time. 
 
 The persons, chosen by each mess to re- 
 ceive their portions of food, were summoned 
 by the cook's bell to receive their allowance, 
 and, when it had remained in the boiler a 
 
 ♦The tides in New York do not generally rise or fall aboW 
 two or three feet. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 107 
 
 certain time, the bell would again sound, and 
 the allowance must be immediately taken 
 awa-y : whether it was sufficiently cooked, 
 or not, it could remain no longer. The food 
 was generally very imperfectly cooked ; yet 
 this sustenance, wretched as it was, and 
 deficient in quantity, was greedily devoured 
 by the half-starved prisoners. 
 
 No vegetables were allowed us. Many 
 times since, when I have seen in the coun- 
 try, a large kettle of potatoes and pumpkins 
 steaming over the fire to satisfy the appetites 
 of a farmer's swine, I have thought of our 
 destitute and starved condition, and what a 
 luxury we should have considered the con- 
 tents of that kettle on board the Jersey. 
 
 The prisoners were confined in the two 
 main decks below. The lowest dungeon 
 was inhabited by those prisoners who were 
 foreigners, and whose treatment was more 
 severe than that of the Americans. 
 
 The inhabitants of this lower region were 
 the moLit miserable and disgusting-looking 
 objects that can be conceived. Daily wash- 
 ing with salt water, together with their 
 extreme emaciation, caused their skin to 
 appear like dried parchment. Many of 
 
108 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 them remained unwashed for weeks ; theii 
 hair long and matted, and filled with ver- 
 min; their beards never cut, excepting occa- 
 sionally with a pair of shears, which did not, 
 improve their comeliness, though it might' 
 add to their comfort. Their clothes were 
 mere rags, secured to their bodies in every 
 way that ingenuity could devise. 
 
 Many of these men had been in this lam- 
 entable condition for two years, part of the 
 time on board other prison-ships ; and, having 
 given up all hope of ever being exchanged, 
 had become resigned to their situation. 
 These men were foreigners, whose whole 
 lives had been one continual scene of toi^ 
 hardship, and suffering. Their feeling 
 were biUnted, their dispositions soured ;• they 
 had no sympathies for the world ; no home 
 to mourn for ; no friends to lament for their 
 fate. 
 
 But far different was the condition of the. 
 most numerous class of the prisoners, com- 
 posed mostly of young men from New Eng- 
 land, fresh from home. 
 
 They had reason to deplore the sudden 
 change in their condition. The thoughts 
 of home, of parents, brothers, sisters, and 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 109 
 
 friends, would crowd upon their minds ; and, 
 ' brooding on what they had been, and what 
 they were, their desire for home became 
 a madness." The dismal and disgustmg 
 scene around; the wretched objects con- 
 tinually in sightj and '' hope deferred, which 
 maketh the heart sick," produced a state ot 
 melancholy, that often ended in death — tne 
 death of a broken heart. 
 
 *' O ye ! who, sunk in beds of down, 
 Feel not a want but what yourselves create 
 Think, for a moment, on his wretched fate, 
 Whom friends and fortune quite disown. 
 Ill-satisfied keen nature's clam'rous call, 
 Stretched on his straw, he lays himself to sleep. . , . 
 Think on the dungeon's grim confine, 
 
 Where guilt and poor misfortune pine 
 
 The wretch, already crushed low 
 By cruel fortune's undeserved blow." 
 
 In the morning, the prisoners were per- 
 mitted to ascend the upper deck, to spend 
 the day, till ordered below at sunset. A 
 certain number, who were for the time called 
 the "working party," performed in rotation 
 the duty of bringing up hammocks and bed- 
 ding for airing, likewise the sick and infirm, 
 and the bodies of those who had died during 
 the night: of these there were generally a 
 10 
 
•110 REVOI.tTTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 number every morning. After these services 
 it was their duty to wash the decks. Uui 
 beds and clothing were allowed to remain on 
 deck till we were ordered below for the 
 night ; this was of considerable benefit, as it 
 gave some of the vermin an opportunity 
 to migrate from the quarters they had in- 
 habited. 01 
 About two hours before sunset, orders 
 were given to the prisoners to carry all their 
 things below; but we were permitted to 
 remain above till we retired for the night 
 into our unhealthy and crowded dungeons. 
 At sunset, our ears were saluted with the 
 insulting and hateful sound from our keep- 
 ers, of " Down, rebels, down," and we were 
 hurried below, the hatchways fastened over 
 us, and we were left to pass the night amid 
 the accumulated horrors of sighs and groans, 
 of foul vapor, a nauseous and putrid atmos- 
 phere, in a stifled and almost suflbcating 
 heat. The tiers of holes through the sides 
 of the ship were strongly grated, but not 
 provided with glass ; and it was considered | 
 a privilege to sleep near one of these aper-i 
 tures in hot weather for the pure air thatl 
 passed in at them. But little sleep, however J 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. ^ 111 
 
 eould be enjoyed even there ; for the vermin 
 were jso horribly abundant, that all the per- 
 sonal cleanliness we could practise would 
 not protect us from their attacks, or prevent 
 their effecting a lodgment upon us. 
 
 When any of the prisoners died in the 
 Might, their bodies were brought to the upper 
 leck in the morning, and placed upon the 
 gratings. If the deceased had owned a 
 blanket, any prisoner might sew it around 
 the corpse, and then it was lowered with a 
 rope, tied round the middle, down the side 
 of the ship into a boat. Some of the prison- 
 ers were allowed to go on shore, under a 
 guard, to perform the labor of interment. 
 Having arrived on shore, they found in a 
 small hut some tools for digging, and a 
 hand-barrow on which the body was con- 
 veyed to the place for burial. 
 
 Here in a bank near the Wallabout, a 
 hole was excavated in the sand, in which the 
 body was put, and then slightly covered ; 
 the guard not giving time sufficient to per- 
 form this melancholy service in a faithful 
 manner. Many bodies would, in a few days 
 after this mockery of a burial, be exposed 
 » '^^rly bare bv the action of the elements. 
 
112 RE-VOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 ** By feeble hands their shallow graves were made: 
 No stone, memorial oi" their corpses, laid. 
 In barren sands, and far from home, they lie, 
 No friend to shed a tear when passing by ; 
 O'er the mean tombs insulting foemen tread ; 
 Spurn at the sand, and curse the rebel dead." 
 
 This was the last resting place of many a 
 son and a brother; young and noble-spirited 
 men, who had left their happy homes and 
 kind friends to offer their lives in the service 
 of their country ; but they little thought of 
 such a termination to their active career; 
 they had not expected to waste their energies 
 in this dreadful prison. 
 
 Poor fellows! they suffered more than 
 their older companions in misery. They 
 could not endure the hopeless and wearisome 
 captivity ; to live on from day to day, denied 
 the power of doing anything; condemned to 
 that irksome and heart-sickening of all situ- 
 ations, utter inactivity ; their restless and 
 impetuous spirits, like caged lions, panted to 
 be free, and the conflict was too much for 
 endurance, enfeebled and worn out as they 
 were with suffering and confinement. 
 
 "Denied the comforts of a dying bed. 
 With not a pillow to support the head ; 
 How could they else but pine, and grieve and Sigh, 
 Detest that wretched life, and wish to die ? " 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 113 
 
 It was a painful task for the prisoners to 
 carry, to this unconsecrated hurial place, the 
 bodies of those who had been their compan- 
 ions for months perhaps, and who were 
 endeared to them by their love for the same 
 glorious cause, and the same feeling of 
 resentment towards their unmanly oppres- 
 sors. 
 
 The fate of many of these unhappy 
 victims must have remained forever un- 
 known to their friends; for, in so large a 
 number, no exact account could be kept of 
 those who died, and they rested in a name- 
 less grave ; while those, who performed the 
 last sad rites, were hurried away before 
 their task was half completed, and forbidden 
 to express their horror and indignation at 
 this insulting negUgence toward the dead. 
 
 But the emotions, thus suppressed, only 
 glowed the more intensely within their 
 bosoms, and contributed as much as any 
 other cause to keep alive the hatred and 
 animosity toward their enemies. 
 10* 
 
114 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTORES 
 
 4 
 
 CHAPTER YIII. 
 
 The regular crew of the Jersey consistedl 
 of a captain, two mates, a steward, a cook, 
 and about a dozen sailors. There was like- 
 wise on board a guard of ten or twelve old 
 invalid marines, who were unfit for active 
 service ; and a guard of about thirty sol- 
 diers, from the different regiments quartered 
 on Long Island, who were relieved by a 
 fresh party every week. 
 
 The physical force of the prisoners was 
 sufficient at any time to take possession of 
 the ship ; but the difficulty was,- to dispose 
 of themselves after a successful attempt 
 Long Island was in possession of the British, 
 and the inhabitants were favorable to the 
 British cause. To leave the ship, and land 
 upon the island, would be followed by 
 almost certain detection; and the miseries 
 of our captivity would be increased by 
 additional cruelties heaped upon us from 
 the vindictive feelings of our oppressors. 
 
 Yet, small as was the chance for succeed- 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 116 
 
 ing in the undertaking, the attempt to escape 
 was often made, and in not a few instances 
 with success. 
 
 Our sufferings were so intolerable, that 
 we felt it to be our duty to expose ourselves 
 to almost any risk to obtain our liberty. To 
 remain on board of the prison ship seemed 
 to be certain death, and in its most horrid 
 form ; to be killed, while endeavoring to get 
 away, could be no worse. 
 
 American prisoners are proverbial for 
 their ingenuity in devising ways and means 
 to accomplish their plans, whether they be 
 devised for their own comfort and benefit, 
 or for the purpose of annoying and tor 
 men ting their keepers. 
 
 Although we were guarded with vigi 
 lance, yet there did not appear much system 
 in the management of the prisoners ; for we 
 frequently missed a whole ''mess" from 
 our number, while their disappearance was 
 not noticed by our keepers. Occasionally a 
 few would bo brought back, who had been 
 found in the woods upon Long Island, and 
 taken up by the '' Tories." 
 
 Our mess one day noticed, that the mess 
 that occupied the place next to them were 
 
116 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 among the missing. This circumstance led 
 to much conjecture and inquiry respectmg 
 the manner in Avhich they had effected their 
 escape. By watching the movements of our 
 neighbors, we soon found out the process 
 necessary to be adopted. Any plan, which 
 a mess had formed, they kept a secret 
 among their number, in order to insure a 
 greater prospect of success. In this way, 
 we were kept ignorant for a long time of the 
 manner in which the undertaking was ac- 
 complished. 
 
 For the convenience of the officers of the 
 prison ship, a closet, called the "round 
 house," had been constructed under the 
 forecasde, the door of which was kept 
 locked. This room was seldom used, there 
 being other conveniences in the ship prefer- 
 able to it. 
 
 Some of the prisoners had contrived to 
 pick the lock of the door ; and, as it was not 
 discovered, the door remained unfastened. 
 
 After we had missed our neighboring pris- 
 oners, and had ascertained to our satisfac- ; 
 tion their mode of operation, the members | 
 of our mess determined to seize the first op- \ 
 portunity offered to attempt our escape. We 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 117 
 
 selected a day, about the fifteenth of August, 
 and made ah the preparations in our power 
 for ensuring us success in our undertaking. 
 
 At sun- set, when the usual cry from the 
 officer of the guard, " Down, rebels, down," 
 was heard, instead of following the multi- 
 tude down the hatchways, our mess, con- 
 sisting of six, all Americans, succeeded in 
 getting into the "roundhouse," excepting 
 one. The round house was found too 
 small to contain more than five ; and the 
 sixth man, whose name, I think, was Put- 
 nam, of Boston, concealed himself under 
 a large tub, that happened to be' lying near 
 the place of our confinement. 
 
 The situation of the five, as closely packed 
 in the "round house" as we could stand and 
 breathe, was so uncomfortable as to make 
 us very desirous of vacating it as soon as 
 possible. 
 
 We remained thus cooped up, hardly dar- 
 ing to breathe, for fear that we should be 
 heard by the guard. The prisoners were all 
 below, and no noise was heaid above, saving 
 the tramp of the guard as he paced the deck. 
 
 It was customary, after the prisoners were 
 secured below, for the ship's mate every 
 
lis REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 night to search above: this, however, was 
 considered a mere form, and the duty was 
 very imperfectly executed. While we were 
 anxiously waiting for the completion of this 
 service, an event transpired, that we little 
 anticipated, and which led to our detection. 
 One of the prisoners, an Irishman, had 
 made his arrangements to escape the same 
 evening, and had not communicated with 
 any one on the subject, excepting a comi- 
 tryman of his, whom he persuaded to bury 
 him up in the coal-hole, near the forecastle. 
 Whether his friend covered him faithfully 
 or not, or whether the Irishman thought 
 that if he could not see anybody, nobody 
 could see him, or whether, feeling uncom- 
 fortable in his position, he turne^d over to 
 relieve himself, I know not ; but, when the 
 mate looked into the coal-hole, he espied 
 something rather whiter than the coal, 
 which he soon ascertained to be the Irish- 
 man's shoulder. This discovery made the 
 officer suspicious, and induced him to make 
 a more thorough search than usual. We 
 heard the uproar that followed the dis- 
 covery, and the threats of the mate that he 
 '' would search every h d corner." He 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 119 
 
 soon arrived at the round house, and we 
 heard him ask a soldier for the key. Our 
 hopes and expectations were a httle raised, 
 when we heard the soldier reply, " There is 
 no need of searching this place, for the door 
 is kept constantly locked." But the mate 
 was not to be diverted from his purpose, 
 and ordered the soldier to get the key. 
 
 During the absence of the soldier, we had 
 a httle time to reflect upon the dangers of 
 our situation ; crowded together in a space 
 so small as not to admit of motion, with no 
 other protection than the thickness of a 
 board ; guarded on the outside by about a 
 dozen soldiers, armed with cutlasses; and 
 the mate, considerably drunk, with a pistol 
 in each hand, threatening to fire through, 
 every moment, our feelings may be more 
 easily conceived than described. There was 
 but little time for deliberation ; something 
 must be immediately done. We knew, that, 
 as soon as we should be compelled to quit 
 our hiding-place, our destination would be 
 the quarter-deck for the night; the luxury 
 of sleeping below would not be granted to 
 prisoners detected in the heinous crime of 
 attempting their escape. 
 
120 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 In a whispering consultation of a few mo- 
 ments, we concluded that the safest course 
 we could pursue would be to break out with 
 all the violence we could exercise, overcome 
 every obstacle, and reach the quarter-deck. 
 By this time, the soldier had arrived with 
 the key, and upon applying it the door was 
 found to be unlocked. We now heard our 
 last summons from the mate, with impreca- 
 tions too horrid to repeat, and threatening 
 us with instant destruction if we did not 
 immediately come out. 
 
 To remain gny longer where we were 
 would have been certain death to some of 
 us; we therefore carried our hastily-formed 
 plan into operation. The door opened out- 
 wards, and, forming ourselves into a solid 
 body, we burst open the door, rushed out 
 pell-mell, and, making a brisk use of our 
 fists, knocked the guard heels over head in 
 all directions, at the same time running 
 with all possible speed for the quarter-deck. 
 As I rushed out, being in the rear. I re- 
 ceived a wound from a cutlass on my side, 
 the scar of which remains to this day. 
 
 As nearly all the guard were prostrated 
 by our unexpected sally, we arrived at our 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 121 
 
 leslmed place, without being pursued by 
 anything but curses and threats. 
 
 The mate exercised his authority to pro- 
 tect us from the rage of the soldiers who 
 were in pursuit of us as soon as they had 
 recovered from the prostration into which 
 they had involuntarily been thrown; and, 
 with the assistance of the captain's mistress, 
 whom the noise had brought upon deck, 
 and whose sympathy was excited when she 
 saw we were about to be murdered : she 
 placed herself between us and the enraged 
 guard, and made such an outcry as to bring 
 the captain up, who ordered the guard to 
 taKC their station at a certain distance and 
 watch us narrowly. We were all put in 
 irons, our feet being fastened to a long bar, 
 a guard placed over us, and in this manner 
 we were left to spend the night. 
 
 During the time of the transactions re- 
 lated, our fellow-prisoner, Putnam, remained 
 juiet under the tub, and heard the noise 
 iround his hiding-place. He was not suf- 
 fered to remain long in suspense. A soldier 
 ifted up the tub, and, seeing the poor pris- 
 )ner, thrust his bayonet into his body jus/ 
 11 
 
122 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 above his hip, and then drove him to the 
 quarter-deck to take his station in irons 
 among us. Tlie blood flowed profusely 
 from his wound, and he was soon after sent 
 on board of the hospital ship, and we never 
 heard anything respecting him afterwards. 
 
 With disappointed expectations, we passed 
 a dreary night. A cold fog, followed by 
 rain, came on ; to which we were exposed, 
 without any blankets or covering to protect 
 us from the inclemency of the weather. 
 Our sufferings of mind and body during 
 that horrible night exceeded any that li 
 have ever experienced. We were chilled ( 
 almost to death, and the only way we could' 
 preserve heat enough in our bodies to p^-e- 
 vent our perishing was to lie upon each 
 other by turns. Morning at length came, 
 and we were released from our fetters. Our 
 limbs were so stifl' that we could hardly 
 stand. Our fellow-prisoners assisted us; 
 below, and, wrapping us in blankets, we 
 were at length restored to a state of com-" 
 parative comfort. 
 
 For attempting to escape we were pun- 
 ished by having our miserable allowance 
 reduced one third in quantity for a month; | 
 

 OF EBENEZER FOX. 123 
 
 and we had found the whole of it hardly 
 sufficient to sustain hfe. This diminution 
 in our fare was the only variety we experi- 
 enced in our monotonous lives for several 
 weeks. 
 
 One day a boat came alongside, containing 
 about sixty firkins of grease, which they 
 called butter. The prisoners were always 
 ready to assist in the performance of any 
 labor necessary to be done on board of the 
 ship, as it afforded some Httle relief to the 
 tedious monotony of their lives. On this 
 occasion, they were ready to assist in hoist- 
 ing the butter on board. The firkins were ' 
 first deposited upon the deck, and then 
 lowered down the main hatchway. Some 
 of the prisoners, who were the most officious 
 HI giving their assistance, contrived to se- 
 
 ' Crete a firkin, by rolling it forward under 
 the forecastle, and afterwards carrying it 
 below in their bedding. 
 
 (■ - This was considered as quite a wind-fall; 
 and, being divided among a few of us, 
 proved a considerable luxury. It helped to 
 fill up the pores in our mouldy bread, when 
 the worms were dislodged, and gave to the 
 crumbling particles a little more consistence. 
 
124 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 Sev(iral weeks after our unsuccessful at- 
 tempt to escape, another one, attended with 
 better success, was made by a number of 
 the prisoners. At sunset the prisoners were 
 driven below, and the main hatchway was 
 closed. In this there was a small trap-door, 
 large enough for a man to pass through, and 
 a sentinel was placed over it with orders to 
 permit but one prisoner at a time to come 
 up during the night. 
 
 The plan that had been formed was this : 
 one of the prisoners should ascend, and dis- 
 pose of the sentinel in such a manner that 
 he should be no obstacle in the way of those 
 who were to follow. 
 
 Among the soldiers was an Irishmar 
 who, in consequence of having a head of 
 hair remarkable for its curly appearance 
 and withal a very crabbed disposition, had 
 been nicknamed " Billy the Ram." He was 
 the sentry on deck this night, for one was i 
 deemed sufficient, as the prisoners were con- | 
 sidered secure when they were below, hav- I 
 ing no other place of egress saving the trap- I 
 door, over which the sentinel was stationed | 
 Late in the night, one of the prisoners, a I 
 bold, athletic fellow ascended upon deck, 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 125 
 
 and in an artful manner engaged the atten- 
 tion of "Billy the Ram," in conversation 
 respecting the war ; lamenting that he had 
 ever engaged in so unnatural a contest; 
 expressing his intention of enlisting in 
 the British service; and requesting Billy's 
 advice as to the course necessary to be 
 pursued to obtain the confidence of the 
 officers. 
 
 . Billy happened to be in a mood to take 
 some interest in his views, and showed an 
 inclination, quite uncommon for him, to 
 prolong the conversation. Unsuspicious of 
 any evil desjgn on the part of the prisoner, 
 and while leaning carelessly on his gun, 
 " Billy " received a tremendous blow from 
 the fist of his entertainer, on the back of his 
 head, which brought him to the deck in a 
 state of insensibility. As soon as he was 
 heard to fall by those below, who were 
 anxiously waiting the result of the friendly 
 conversation of their pioneer with ''Billy," 
 and were satisfied that the final knock-down 
 argument had been given; they began to 
 ascend, and,. one after another, to jump 
 overboard, to the amount of about thirty, 
 11* 
 
126 REVOLUTlONARTf ADVENTURES 
 
 The noise aroused tlie guard, who came 
 upon deck, where they found "Billy," not 
 sufficiently recovered from the stunning 
 effects of the blow he had received, to give 
 any account of the transaction. A noise 
 was heard in the water ; but it was so dark 
 that no object could be distinguished. The 
 attention of the guard, however, was di- 
 rected to certain spots, which exhibited a 
 luminous appearance, which salt water is 
 known to assume in the night when it is 
 agitated ; and to these appearances they 
 directed their fire, and, getting out the boats, 
 picked up about half of the number that 
 attempted to escape, many of whom were 
 wounded, though no one was killed. The 
 rest escaped. 
 
 During the uproar overhead, the prisoners 
 below encouraged the fugitives and ex- 
 pressed their approbation of their proceed- 
 ings m three hearty cheers ; for which grati- 
 fication we sufi'ered our usual punishment 
 — a short allowance of our already short 
 and miserable fare. 
 
 For about a fortnight after this transac- 
 tion, it would have been a hazardous ex- 
 periment to approach near to " Billy uie 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 127 
 
 Ram," and it was a long time before we 
 ventured to speak to him, and finally to 
 obtain from him an account of the events 
 of that evening. 
 
 Not long after this, another successful 
 attempt to escape was made, which for its 
 boldness is perhaps unparalleled in the his- 
 tory of such transactions. 
 
 One pleasant morning about ten o'clock, 
 a boat came alongside, containing a number 
 of gentlemen from New- York, who came 
 for the purpose of gratifying themselves 
 with a sight of the miserable tenants of the 
 prison-ship : influenced by the same kind of 
 curiosity that induces some people to travel 
 a great distance to witness an execution. 
 
 The boat, which was a beautiful yawl, 
 and sat like a swan upon the water, was 
 manned by four oarsmen, with a man at the 
 helm. Considerable attention and respect 
 was shown to the visitors, the ship's side 
 being manned when they showed their in- 
 tention of coming on board, and the usual 
 naval courtesies extended. The gentlemen 
 were soon on board ; and the crew of the 
 rawl, having secured her to the fore-chains 
 
128 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 on the larboard side of the ship, were per 
 mitted to ascend the deck. 
 
 A soldier as usual was pacing with a slow 
 and measured tread the whole length of the 
 deck, wheeling round with military pre- 
 cision when he arrived at the end of his 
 walk ; and, whether upon this occasion any- 
 one interested in his movements had se- 
 cretly slipped a guinea into his hand, not 
 to quicken^ but to retard his progress, was 
 never known ; but it was evident to the 
 prisoners that he had never occupied so 
 much time before m measuring the distance 
 with his back to the place where the yawl 
 was fastened. At this time, there were sit- 
 ting in the forecastle, apparently admiring 
 the beautiful appearance of the yawl, four 
 mates and a captain, who had been brought 
 on board as prisoners a few days previous, 
 taken in some vessel from a southern port. 
 
 As soon as the sentry had passed these 
 men, in his straightforward march, they in 
 a very quiet manner lowered themselves 
 down into the yawl, cut the rope, and the 
 four mates taking in hand the oars, while 
 the captain managed the helm, in less time 
 than I have taken to describe it, they were 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 129 
 
 ander full sweep from the ship. Tliey plied 
 the oars with such vigor, that every stroke 
 they took seemed to take the boat out of the 
 water. In the mean time, the sentry heard 
 nothing and saw nothing of this transaction, 
 till he had arrived at the end of his march, 
 when, in wheeling slowly round, he could 
 no longer affect ignorance, or avoid seeing 
 that the boat was several times its length 
 from the ship. He immediately fired ; but, 
 whether he exercised his best skill as a 
 marksman, or whether it was on account of 
 \he boat going ahead its whole length at 
 every pull of the rowers, I could never 
 exactly ascertain : but the ball fell harmless 
 into the water. The report of the gun 
 brought the whole guard out, who blazed 
 away at the fugitives, without producing 
 any diminution in the rapidity of their 
 progress. 
 
 By this time, the officers of the ship were 
 on deck with their visitors ; and, while all 
 were gazing with astonishment at the bold- 
 ness and eftrontery of the achievement, and 
 the guard were firing as fast as they could 
 load their guns, the captain in the yawl left 
 the helm, and, standing erect in the stern, 
 
130 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 with his back to the Jersey, bending his 
 body to a right angle, he exhibited the 
 broadest part of himself to their view, and 
 with a signiiScant gesture directed their at- 
 tention to it as a proper target for the exer- 
 cise of their skill. This contemptuous de- 
 fiance caused our captain to swell with 
 rage; and when the prisoners gave three 
 cheers to the yawl's crew as expressive of 
 their joy at their success, he ordered all of 
 us to be driven below at the point of the 
 bayonet, and there we were confined the 
 remainder of the day. These five men 
 escaped, greatly to the mortification of the 
 captain and ofiicers of the prison ship. 
 After this, as long as I remained a prisoner, 
 whenever any visitors came on board, all 
 the prisoners were driven below, where they 
 were obliged to remain till the company had 
 departed. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 131 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The miseries of our condition were con- 
 tinually increasing : the pestilence on board 
 spread rapidly, and every day added to our 
 bill of mortality. The young, in a par- 
 ticular manner, were its most frequent vic- 
 tims. The number of the prisoners was 
 3ontniually increasing, notwithstanding the 
 frequent and successful attempts to escape : 
 and when we were mustered and called 
 upon to answer to our names, and it was 
 ascertained that nearly two hundred had 
 mysteriously disappeared without leaving 
 any hiformation of their departure, the offi- 
 cers of the ship endeavored to make amends 
 for their past remissness by increasing the 
 rigor of our confinement, and depriving us 
 of all hope of adopting any of the means for 
 liberating ourselves from our cruel thraldom, 
 so successfully practised by many of our 
 ^omrades. 
 
 With the hope that some relief might be 
 obtained to meliorate the wretchedness ol 
 
132 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 our situation, the prisoners petitioned Gen. 
 Chnton, commanding the British forces in 
 New- York, for permission to send a memo- 
 rial to General Washington, describing our 
 condition, and requesting his influence in 
 our behalf, that some exchange of prisoners 
 alight be effected. 
 
 Permission was obtained, and the memo- 
 rial was sent. In a few days, an answer 
 was received from Gen. Washington, con- 
 taining expressions full of interest and sym- 
 pathy, but declaring his inability to do any- 
 thing for our relief by way of exchange, as 
 his authority did not extend to the marine 
 department of the service, and that soldiers 
 could not consistently be exchanged foi 
 sailors. He declared his intention, however, 
 to lay our memorial before Congress, and 
 that no exertion should be spared by him to 
 mitigate our sufferings. 
 
 Gen. Washington at the same time sent 
 letters to Gen. Clinton, and to the British 
 Commissary of Prisoners, in which he 
 remonstrated against their cruel treatment 
 of the American prisoners, and threatened, 
 if our situation was not made more tolerable, 
 to retaliate by placing British prisoners in 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 133 
 
 circumstances as rigorous and uncomfortable 
 as were our own : that " with what measure 
 they metedj the same should be measured to 
 them again.'' 
 
 We experienced after this some httle 
 improvement in our food, but no relaxation 
 in the severity of our confinement. The 
 interposition of Divine Providence, or remo- 
 val from our loathsome prison, seemed the 
 only preservative from the pestilence which 
 '•walked in darkness and destroyed at 
 noon-day." 
 
 The long detention of American sailors 
 on board of British prison-ships was to be 
 attributed to the little pains that were taken 
 by our countrymen to retain British subjects, 
 who were taken prisoners on the ocean 
 during the war. Our privateers captured 
 many British seamen; who, when willing 
 to enlist in our service, as was generally the 
 case, were received on board of our ships. 
 Those, who were brought into port, were 
 suffered to go at large ; for, in the impover- 
 ished condition of the country, no state o* 
 town was williug to subject itself to the ex- 
 pense of maintaining prisoners in a state of 
 12 
 
'i 
 
 134 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 confinement : they were permitted to pro- 
 vide for themselves. In this way, the 
 number of British seamen was too small for j 
 a regular and equal exchange. Thus the* 
 British seamen, after their capture, enjoyed 
 the blessings of liberty, the light of the sun, 
 and the purity of the atmosphere, while the 
 poor American sailors were compelled t 
 drag out a miserable existence amid want 
 and distress, famine and pestilence. As 
 every principle of justice and humanity was 
 disregarded by the British in the treatment 
 •){ their prisoners, so likewise every moral 
 and legal right was violated in compelling 
 them to enter into their service. 
 
 We had obtained some information in 
 relation to an expected draught that would 
 soon be made upon the prisoners to fill up a 
 complement of men that were wanted for 
 the service of his majesty's fleet. 
 
 One day in the latter part of August, our 
 fears of the dreaded event were realized. A 
 British officer with a number of soldiers 
 came on board. The prisoners were all 
 ordered on deck, placed on the larboard 
 gangway, and marched in single file round 
 to the quarter-deck, where the officers stood 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 135 
 
 10 inspect them and select such ones as 
 suited their fancies, without any reference 
 to the rights of the prisoners, or considering 
 at all the duties they owed to the land of 
 their nativity, or the government for which 
 they had fought and suffered. 
 
 The argument was, "Men we want, and 
 men we will have." We continued to 
 march round, in solemn and melancholy 
 procession, till they had selected from among 
 our number about three hundred of the 
 ablest, nearly all of whom were Americans, 
 and they were directed to go below under a 
 guard, to collect togetlier whatever things 
 they wished to take belonging to them. 
 They were then driven into the boats, wait- 
 ing alongside, and left the prison-ship, not 
 to enjoy their freedom, but to be subjected to 
 the iron despotism, and galling slavery of a 
 Fritish man-of-war ; to waste their lives in 
 a foreign service ; and toil for masters whom 
 ^.hey hated. Such, however, were the hor- 
 rors of our situation as prisoners, and so 
 small was the prospect of relief, that we 
 almost envied the lot of those who left the 
 ship to go into the service even of our enemy. 
 
 That the reader may not think I have 
 
13ft REVOLUTIONARY Al^VENTUREt 
 
 given an exaggerated account of our suffer- 
 ings on board of the Jersey, I will her© 
 introduce some facts related in the *histo- 
 ries of the Revolutionary War. I introduce 
 them as an apology for the course that I 
 and many of my fellow-citizens adopted tw 
 obtain a temporary relief from our sufferings. 
 
 The prisoners, captured by Sir Willianir 
 Howe in 1776, amounted to several hun-: 
 dreds. j 
 
 The officers only were admitted to parole,) 
 and had miserable quarters assigned them, 
 but the privates were confined in prisons, 
 deserted churches, and other large open 
 buildings ; entirely unfit for the habitations^ 
 of human beings, in severe winter weather,' 
 without any of the most ordinary comforts 
 of life. f 
 
 To the everlasting and indelible disgrace ' 
 of the British name, these unfortunate vic- 
 tims of a barbarity more befitting savages, 
 than gentlemen belonging to a nation boast- 
 ing itself to be the most enlightened and 
 civilized in the world, perished many hun- 
 
 * See Gordon's, Ramsay's, and Botta*^ Histories of tna 
 American Revolution. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 137 
 
 dreds of them, from want of proper food and 
 attention. 
 
 The cruelty of their inhuman jailers was 
 not terminated by the death of these wretched 
 men, as so little care was taken to remove 
 their bodies, that seven corpses have been 
 seen at one time lying in one of these build- 
 ings in the midst of their living fellow-pris- 
 oners, who were, perhaps, envying them 
 their release from misery. 
 
 The food, given the imprisoned "rebels," 
 as the British called them, was not only 
 deficient in quantity; but even the scanty 
 portion dealt them was such, as would 
 scarcely be tolerated by the meanest beg- 
 gar, being generally that which had been 
 rejected by the British ships as unfit to be 
 eaten by the sailors, and unwholesome in 
 the highest degree, as wtU as disgusting in 
 taste and appearance. 
 
 In December, 1776, the American board 
 of war after procuring such evidence as 
 convinced them of the truth of their state- 
 ment, reported: "That there were nine 
 hundred privates, and three hundred offi- 
 cers, of the American army, prisoners in the 
 12* 
 
13S REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 city of New York, and five hundred pri' 
 vates and fifty oflicers, in Philadelphia. 
 That, since the beginning of October, all 
 these prisoners, both oflicers and privates, 
 had been confined in prison-ships or the 
 provost. That, from the best evidence the 
 subject could admit of, the general allow- 
 ance of the prisoners did not exceed four 
 ounces of meat per day, and that often so 
 damaged as not to be eatable. That it had 
 ■^en a common practice with the British to 
 Keep their prisoners four or five days with- 
 out a morsel of meat, and then tempt them 
 to enlist, to save their lives." 
 
 Many were actually starved to death^ in 
 hope of making them enrol themselves in 
 the British army. 
 
 The American sailors, when captured, 
 suffered even more than the soldiers ; for 
 they were confined on board prison-ships in 
 great numbers, and in a manner which 
 showed that the British officers were will- 
 ing to treat fellow-beings, whose only crime 
 was love of liberty, worse than the vilest 
 animals; and indeed, in every respect, with 
 as much ^ruelty as io rn lured by the mis- 
 
OF EBENEZEE FOX. 139 
 
 crable inhabitants of the worst class of 
 slave ships. 
 
 The prisoners were so crowded in these 
 i«hips, and so brutally treated, that, in con- 
 sequence of bad food and impure air, dis- 
 eases broke out among them, which de- 
 stroyed immense numbers. In the course 
 of the war, it has been asserted on good 
 eviderice, that eleven thousand persons died 
 on board the Jersey, one of the largest of 
 the prison-ships, stationed in East-river, 
 near New York. 
 
 These unfortunate beings died in agony 
 in the midst of their fellow-sufferers, who 
 were obUged to witness their tortures, with- 
 out the power of relieving their dying coun- 
 trymen, even by cooling their parched lips 
 with a drop of cold water, or a breath of 
 fresh air; and, when the last breath had 
 left the emaciated * body, they sometimes 
 remained for hours in close contact with the 
 corpse, without room to shrink from com- 
 panions death had made so horrible. And 
 when at last the dead were removed, they 
 were sent in boats to the shore, and so im 
 perfectly buried, that, long after the wai 
 was ended; their bones lay whitening i- 
 
140 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 the sun on the beach of Long Island, a last- 
 ing memorial of British cruelty, so entirely 
 unwarranted by all the laws of war, or 
 even common humanity. 
 
 They could not even pretend they were 
 retaliating; for the Americans invariably 
 treated their prisoners with kindness, and 
 as though they were fellow-men. All the 
 time that these cruelties were performed, 
 those, who were deprived of every comfort 
 and necessary, were constantly entreated to 
 leave the American service, and induced to 
 believe, while kept from all knowledge of 
 public affairs, that the republican cause 
 was hopeless ; that all engaged in it would 
 meet the punishment of traitors to their 
 king; and that all their prospect of saving 
 their lives, or escaping from an imprison- 
 ment worse than death to young and high- 
 spirited men, as most 0$. them were, would 
 be in joining the British army, where they 
 would be sure of good pay and quick pro- 
 motion. ^ 
 
 These were the means employed by out 
 enemies to increase their own forces, and 
 discourage the patriots, and it is not strange 
 that they were successful in many instances, 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 141 
 
 High sentiments of honor could not well 
 exist in the poor, half-famished prisoners, 
 who were denied even water to quench 
 their thirst, or the privilege of breathing 
 fresh, pure air; and cramped, day after 
 day, in a space too small to admit of exer- 
 cising their weary limbs; with the fear of 
 wasting their lives in a captivity, which 
 could not serve their country, nor gain 
 honor to themselves. 
 
 But worse than all was the mortifying 
 consideration, that, after they had suffered 
 for the love of their country, more than sol- 
 diers in active service, they might die in 
 these horrible places, and be laid with their 
 countrymen on the shores of Long Island, 
 or some equally exposed spot, without the 
 rites of burial, and their names never be 
 heard of by those who, in future ages, would 
 look back to the r^ill of patriots, who died 
 in defence of liberty, with admiration and 
 respect; while, on the contrary, by dis- 
 .sembling for a time, they might be enabled 
 to regain a place in the service so dear to 
 them, and in which they were ready to en- 
 dure any hardship, or encounter any danger. 
 
 Of all the prisons, on land or water, for 
 
142 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 the confinement of the Americans during 
 the Revokitionary war, the "Old Jersey" 
 was acknowledged to be the worst, such an 
 accumulation of horrors was pot to be found 
 in any other one, or perhaps in all ccJlec- 
 tively. 
 
 The very name of it struck terror into 
 the sailor's heart, and caused him to fight 
 more desperately, to avoid being made a 
 captive. Suffering as we did, aay after 
 day, with no prospect of relief: our number 
 continually augmenting, and all hope of 
 escape destroyed by the increased vigilance 
 of our guards, since they ascertained how 
 many had escaped ; can it be thought strange 
 that the younger part of the prisoners, tc 
 whom confinement seemed worse than death, 
 should be tempted to enlist into the British 
 service? especially when, by so doing, it 
 was probable that som^ opportunity would 
 be ofifered to desert 7 a course which many 
 had adopted with success. We were satis- 
 fied that death would soon put an end to 
 our sufferings, if we remained prisoners 
 much longer ; yet, when we discussed the 
 expediency of seeking a change in our con- 
 dition, which we were satisfied could not be 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 143 
 
 worse under any circumstances, and it was 
 proposed that we should enter the service 
 of "King George," our minds revolted at 
 the idea, and we abandoned the intention. 
 
 In the midst of our distress, perplexities, 
 and troubles at this period, we were not a 
 little puzzled to know how to dispose of the 
 vermin that would accumulate upon our 
 persons, notwithstanding all our attempts 
 at cleanliness. To catch them was a very 
 easy task, but to undertake to deprive each 
 individual captive of life, as rapidly as they 
 could have been taken, would have been a 
 more herculean task for each individual 
 daily, than the destruction of the three thou- 
 sand Philistines by Samson of old. To 
 throw them overboard would have been but 
 a small relief; as they would probably add 
 to the impurities of the boiler, by being de- 
 posited in it the first time it was filled up 
 for cooking our unsavory mess. What then 
 was to be done with them ? A general con- 
 sultation was held, and it was determined 
 to deprive them of their liberty. This being 
 agreed upon, the prisoners immediately went 
 to work, for their comfort and amusement, 
 to make a liberal contribution of those mi- 
 
141 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 gratory creatures, who were compelled to 
 colonize for a time within the boundaries of 
 a large snuff-box appropriated for the pur- 
 pose. There they lay, snugly ensconced, 
 of all colors, ages, and sizes, to the amount 
 of some thousands, waiting for orders. 
 
 British recruiting officers frequently came 
 on board, and held out to the prisoners 
 tempting offers to enlist in his Majesty's ser- 
 vice ; not to fight against their own country, 
 but to perform garrison duty in the island 
 of Jamaica. 
 
 One day an Irish officer came on board 
 for this purpose, and, not meeting with 
 much success among the prisoners who hap- 
 pened to be upon deck, he descended below 
 to repeat his offers. He was a remarkably 
 tall man, and was obliged to stoop as he 
 passed along between the decks. The pris- 
 oners were disposed for a frolic, and kept 
 the officer in their company for some time, 
 flattering him with expectations, till he dis- 
 covered their insincerity, and left them in 
 no very pleasant humor. As he passed 
 along, bending his body, and bringing his 
 broad shoulders to nearly a horizontal posi- 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 145 
 
 tion, the idea .occurred to our minds to fur- 
 nish him with some recruits from the colony 
 in the snuff-box. A favorable opportunity 
 presented, the cover of the box was removed, 
 and the whole contents discharged upon the 
 red-coated back of the officer. Three cheers 
 from the prisoners followed the migration, 
 and the officer ascended to the deck, uncon- 
 scious of the number and variety of recruits 
 he had obtained without the formality of an 
 enlistment. The captain of the ship, suspi- 
 cious that some joke had been practised, or 
 some mischief perpetrated, from the noise 
 below, met the officer at the head of the 
 gangway, and, seeing the vermin crawling 
 up his shoulders and aiming at his head 
 with the mstinct peculiar to them, exclaimed, 
 " Hoot, mon, wha' is the matter with yer 
 bock?" The captain was a Scotchman. 
 By this time many of them, in their wan- 
 derings, had travelled round from the rear 
 to the front, and showed themselves, to the 
 astonishment of the officer. He flung off 
 his coat in a paroxysm of rage, which was 
 not allayed by three cheers from the prison- 
 ers on the deck. Confinement below, with 
 13 
 
146 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 a short allowance, was our punishment for 
 this gratification. 
 
 From some information we had obtained, 
 we were in daily expectation of a visit from 
 the British recruiting officers ; and, from 
 the summary method of their former proce- 
 dure, no one felt safe from the danger of 
 being forced into their service. Many of 
 the prisoners thought it would be better to 
 enlist voluntarily, as it was probable that 
 afterwards they would be permitted to re- 
 mam on Long Island, preparatory to their 
 departure for the West Indies, and during 
 that time some opportunity would be offered 
 for their escape to the Jersey shore. 
 
 To remain an indefinite time as prisoners, 
 enduring sufferings and privations beyond 
 what human nature could sustain, or to 
 make a virtue of necessity, and with appa- 
 rent willingness to enlist into a service, into 
 which we were satisfied that we should 
 soon be impressed, seemed to be the only 
 alternatives. 
 
 There was a hope, too, that, by voluntarily 
 enlisting, we should obtain a degree of con- 
 fidence, which would result in affording us 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 147 
 
 Rii opportunity of deserting, and thereby- 
 regaining our liberty. 
 
 While prisoners on board of the Jersey, 
 we could obtain no accurate knowledge of 
 the success of the American cause. The 
 information we had, came from our ene- 
 mies, whose interest it was to deceive us. 
 They magnified our disasters, and kept us 
 in ignorance of our success, and constantly 
 represented the cause as hopeless. Cold 
 weather was approaching, and we had no 
 comfortable clothing to protect us from the 
 rigors of an inclement season. 
 
 Situated as we were, there appeared to 
 us to be no moral turpitude in enlisting in 
 the British service, especially when we 
 considered that it was almost certain we 
 should soon be impressed into the same. 
 Our moral discernment was not clear enough 
 to perceive, that it was not safe "to do evil 
 that good may come." We thought the 
 end justified the means, and, in despair of 
 any improvement being in prospect for oui 
 liberation, we concluded that we would 
 enlist for soldiers, for the West India ser- 
 vice, and trust to Providence for finding an 
 
148 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENIURES 
 
 opportunity to leave the British for the 
 American service. 
 
 Soon after we had formed this desperate 
 resolution, a recruiting officer came on board 
 to enlist men for the eighty-eighth regiment, 
 to be stationed at Kingston, in the island of 
 Jamaica. We had just been trying to sat- 
 isfy our hunger upon a piece of beef, which 
 was so tough that no teeth could make an 
 impression on it, when the officer descended 
 between decks, and represented to us the 
 immense improvement that we should expe- 
 rience in our condition, if we were in his 
 Majesty's service; an abundance of good 
 food, comfortable clothing, service easy, and 
 in the finest climate in the world, were 
 temptations too great to be resisted by a set 
 of miserable, half-starved, and almost naked 
 wretches, as we were, and who had already 
 concluded to accept of the proposition even 
 had it beer, made under circumstances less 
 enticing. 
 
 The recruiting officer presented his papers 
 for our signature. We hesitated, we stared 
 at each other, and felt that we were about 
 to do a deed of which we were ashamed, 
 and which we might regret. Again we 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 149 
 
 neard the tempting offers, and again the 
 assurance that we should not be called 
 upon to fight against our government or 
 country ; and, with the hope that we should 
 find an opportunity to desert, of which it 
 was our firm intention to avail ourselves 
 when offered — with such hopes, expecta- 
 tions, and motives, we signed the papers, 
 and became soldiers in his Majesty's service. 
 How often did we afterwards lament that 
 we had ever lived to see this hour ! how 
 often did we regret that we were not in our 
 wretched prison-ship again or buned in the 
 sand at the Wallabout I 
 «3* 
 
150 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 We shortly after, twelve in number, left thej 
 Jersey, and were landed upon Long Island' 
 and marched under a guard about a mile to 
 an old barn, where we were quartered. We 
 had formed our plan to desert that night; 
 but great was our disappointment and sur- 
 prise to find, that the barn was surrounded 
 by a strong guard, as though our design 
 was suspected and means were taken to pre- 
 vent it. Though our lodgings seemed a 
 palace compared with our prison-ship, yet 
 sleep was a stranger to us during that night. 
 Under various pretexts, Ave frequeiitly went 
 out to reconnoitre ; but were satisfied that 
 there was no chance for escape then, and 
 must trust to Providence for some more 
 favorable opportunity. The next morning, 
 after we had partaken of, what appeared to 
 us, a luxurious repast, we were paraded for 
 drill, and then marched down to the shore 
 under a guard of twenty soldiers, whom the 
 officers calledj in compliment to us, an 
 
OF EBENEZEPw FOX. 151 
 
 escort ; an honor with which we could very 
 well have dispensed. In our march, we 
 passed the Jersey; and this gloomy hulk, 
 with all the horrible associations connected 
 with it, seemed a desirable resting place, 
 compared with the melancholy prospect 
 before us.* 
 
 Disappointed in all our hopes and expecta- 
 tions of escape, we were hurried on board of 
 a vessel ready to sail for Jamaica, only wait- 
 ing for a favorable wind. We entertained 
 a faint hope, that, during our voyage, we 
 might be taken by some American privateer, 
 and consequently obtain our freedom. 
 
 In the course of six or eight days, we 
 
 * The reader may have some curiosity to know what became 
 of the " Old Jersey." The prisoners, who were on board of 
 her at the conclusion of the war in 1783, were liberated. The 
 prison-ship was then abandoned, and the dread of contagion 
 prevented any one visiting her. Worms soon destroyed her 
 bottom, and she afterwards sunk. It is said that her planks 
 were covered with the names of the captives, who had been 
 immured there ; a long and melancholy catalogue, as it is 
 supposed that a greater number of men perished on board of 
 her, than history informs us of in any other place of confine- 
 ment in the same period of time. 
 
 In the year 1803, the bank at the Wallabout was removed, 
 as preparatory to building a Navy Yard. A vast quantity of 
 bones were found, which were carefully collected and buried 
 ander the di-rection o^'the Tammany Society of New York. 
 
152 REVOLUTIOx\ARY ADVENTURES 
 
 weighed anchor, and hoisted our sail for^ 
 Jamaica. I placed myself upon the quarter i 
 deck, to prolong my view of my beloved | 
 native land, which 1 was leaving, I feared, 
 forever. The whids were propitious, and 
 our progress was rapid. 
 
 We had in company a small schooner, a 
 Virginia built vessel, and a rapid sailer. 
 Our captain occasionally put on board of 
 ner twelve or fifteen men, whom he gener- 
 ally selected from among those who had 
 enlisted as soldiers, as they had for the most 
 part experienced a sea service. We cap- 
 tured a small Frencn vessel durmg the 
 voyage, after we had come m sight of land 
 and were running down to leeward of it 
 under French colors. 
 
 We suddenly formed a plan to take pos- 
 session of the schooner, of which we com- 
 posed the greater part of the crew, and run 
 into some Spanish or Portuguese island. 
 Our ship was a good way ahead of us ; and 
 as she was a very dull sailer, we thought 
 there would be no difficulty in escaping 
 from her. It was necessary for us to be 
 prompt and decided in our operations. The 
 
OF EBENEZER JUX. • 153 
 
 crew was composed of various nations, and 
 great caution must be used in our consulta 
 tions. We finally agreed upon our plan, 
 and were about putting it in execution, 
 li' when the courage of one of our party failed. 
 I He was a Scotchman ; and, from the manner 
 ; in which he expressed his fears and doubts, 
 . we had great reason to apprehend that he 
 had or would betray us. During this time, 
 we were running to the leeward, and, in 
 case we succeeded, we should be obliged to 
 beat up to the windward again, to recover 
 the distance we had lost, and be exposed to 
 the danger of meeting with English cruisers 
 under the land. The attempt seemed too 
 desperate to risk, and we reluctantly aban- 
 doned it, although it Avas our last and forlorn 
 hope. 
 
 The next day we anchored in the harbor of 
 Port Royal, where we lay one day, and sailed 
 for Kingston. "Kingston is on the south 
 coast of the island of Jamaica, and on the 
 north side of a beautiful harbor, in which 
 vessels of the largest burden may anchor in 
 safety. It is built on a plain which com- 
 mences on the shore, and rises with a gradual 
 
154 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 ascent to the foot of the Liguanea mountains, 
 a distance of about six miles. Port Royal 
 stands at the extremity of the long and nar- 
 row peninsula which bounds Kingston har- 
 bor on the south, about ten miles south-west 
 of Kingston. It has an excellent harbor, in 
 which a thousand ships could anchor with 
 convenience. It contains the royal navy- 
 yard, the navy hospital, and barracks for 
 a regiment of soldiers. The fortifications 
 are remarkably strong, and are kept in 
 excellent order." Our vessel was hauled 
 up to a wharf; we remained on board till a 
 British sergeant came and took our names. 
 The captain of our ship then informed us, 
 that he was not ignorant of the design we 
 had formed of taking possession of the ship 
 during the voyage ; and although it was in 
 his power to have us tried for our lives by a 
 court-martial for an intended mutiny, yet 
 he was actuated by feelings of compassion, 
 and was more desirous of doing us good 
 than evil, and was willing to forgive us. 
 He then gave us some salutary advice 
 respecting our future conduct, and bid us 
 farewell. This magnanimous conduct on 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 155 
 
 his part produced in us a heart-felt expres- 
 sion of gratitude. 
 
 We then landed, and with the sergeant at 
 the head marched in single file through 
 Kingston to a place called " Harmony-hall,'^ 
 where the regiment was quartered, and 
 were placed under the care of a drill ser- 
 geant. The next morning we were ordered 
 out for drill, and received our uniform and 
 arms, which we were ordered to keep bright 
 and in good order for service. We had but 
 little employment, excepting being drilled to 
 our hearts' content by the sergeant, to maka 
 good soldiers of us for the service of his 
 majesty, king George the Third. The life 
 of a soldier in a garrison is an idle one at the 
 best; and, though the duties are not laborious, 
 there is a monotony in them which is ex- 
 tremely irksome to the active mind of youth. 
 But we could not reasonably expect to spend 
 our lives in a garrison, if such a thing were 
 desirable : after having had our share of it, 
 we were aware that we should be called 
 upon to perform some foreign service, we 
 knew not where, perhaps to bear arms 
 ugainst our beloved country. With the fear 
 
156 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 of this in view, and the reluctance we 
 experienced in serving v/hat we still con- 
 sidered the cause of our enemy, our minds 
 were constantly employed in devising ways 
 and means to efi'ect our escape. 
 
 It appeared to be the object of our officers 
 to reconcile us to the service, by making our 
 duties easy and agreeable. We were often 
 indulged with the privilege of leaving our 
 quarters to visit the town or wander about 
 the country adjacent. Harmony Hall, our 
 quarters, was enclosed by a high fence, hav- ^ 
 ing two gates in front and one in the rear, j 
 at each of which a sentry was stationed. ^ 
 When a soldier wished to leave the Hall, it 
 was necessary for him to obtain a written 
 order called a " pass," to show to the sentry 
 when he went out, and to give up when he 
 returned. Several of us thought it a practi- 
 cable thing to get on board some of the 
 British merchant vessels in the harbor, 
 which were in need of men, and whose cap- 
 tains would not hesitate to receive and 
 secrete us, as they were frequently deprived 
 of their hands by impressment on board of 
 the ships of war. We availed ourselves of 
 
OP EBENEZER FOX. 157 
 
 every opportunity we could obtain to get 
 information respecting English vessels, their 
 time of sailing, their destined ports, &c. ; 
 thinking that if we could once get to Eng- 
 land, we should find some means to get 
 thence to France, whence we could return 
 to our own country. 
 h In our rambles about the town and 
 country, we visited the grog-shops and 
 , taverns, places where sailors generally re- 
 (fSort, and had got considerably acquainted 
 I with the keepers of these establishments. 
 , Our "passes" were signed by a commis- 
 iS sioned officer, and they gave us permission 
 i to carry our side-arms, that is, a bayonet, 
 I and to be absent two hours at a time. 
 I While I and one of my comrades were 
 i wandering about the town one day, we 
 ; stepped into a house, where liquors and 
 I refreshments were to be obtained. We 
 ' found one of the seats occupied by an 
 English sailor, to whom we, rather too 
 frankly for prudence, communicated our 
 intentions ; or, more correctly speaking, gave 
 him some cause for suspecting our designs 
 from the questions we asked him respecting 
 14 
 
158 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 the probability of obtaining employment on 
 board of some merchant vessel, in case we 
 could get released from onr present engage- 
 ments. The sailor was inclined to be very 
 sociable, and discovered no objections to 
 drinking freely at our expense ; telling us 
 that he belonged to an English ship that 
 would sail in a few days ; that his captain 
 was in want of hands ; and that, at his inter- 
 cession, he would undoubtedly take us on 
 board. 
 
 He appeared so friendly, and his manners 
 were so inshiuating, that he completely won 
 our confidence. He asked us how we could 
 obtain liberty to leave the garrison, and to 
 pass in and out when we pleased? Taking 
 my "pass" out of my pocket, I showed it 
 to him. and told liim that was our authority. 
 He took it into his, hand, apparendy with an 
 intention of reading it; and, after looking at 
 it for some time, in a sort of careless man- 
 ner, he put it into his pocket. I felt a little 
 surprised when I saw him do it, and my 
 companion expressed his fears by whisper- 
 ing into my ear, "Blast his eyes, he means 
 to keep the pass." 
 
«^ 
 
OF EEENEZER FOX. 159 
 
 Having allowed the fellow to get posses- 
 sion of the paper, I felt myself responsible 
 for it, and that it was necessary for me to 
 recover it, even if I were obliged to resort to 
 violent measures. I therefore said to him, 
 '^ My friend, I must have that paper, as we 
 cannot return to our quarters without it." 
 He replied, "You had better be peaceable 
 about it, for I mean to see your commanding 
 officer." 
 
 Matters had now come to a crisis. I saw 
 that it was the sailor's object to inform 
 against us, and to carry the ''pass" as an 
 evidence of our conference with him. I 
 immediately drew my bayonet from its 
 scabbard, and thrusting it against his side 
 with force sufficient to inflict a slight wound, 
 put my hand into his pocket and took ou. 
 the "pass;" and then, giving him a blow 
 upon the head with the butt end of my 
 bayonet, dropped him senseless on the floor. 
 The noise of this conflict brought the land* 
 lord into the room, followed by his wife, 
 with whom a previous acquaintance had 
 made me some What of a favorite. The 
 rascal had by this time recovered his senses 
 and had got upon his legs, and began to 
 
160 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 represent the matter in a light the most 
 favorable to himself. 
 
 We vehemently contradicted his asser- 
 tions, and were stoutly backed up by the 
 landlady, who was a considerable of a ter- 
 magant, and declared that '' the sailor was 
 a quarrelsome fellow; that he had made 
 a difficulty once before in the house; and 
 that her husband would be a fool if he did 
 not kick him out of doors." 
 
 The landlord, to prove that he was 
 " compos mentis," and to appease the wrath 
 of his wife, which waxed warm, complied 
 with her kind wishes, and the sailor was, 
 without much ceremony, hurried through 
 the door, his progress not a little accelerated 
 by a brisk application of the landlord's foot^ 
 which sent him spinning into the street in 
 the manner prescribed by the good woman. 
 We were then advised by our friends to 
 return to our quarters as quick as possible, 
 lest the fellow might make some trouble for 
 us. We paid our bill, and gave the landlord 
 many thanks, not forgetting the landlady, to 
 whose kind interference we owed our fortu- 
 nate escape. This circumstance made me 
 more cautious in future of communicating 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 161 
 
 my designs to strangerSj how friendly soever 
 they might appear. 
 
 About this time I was unexpectedly 
 released from the duties of a soldier. One 
 day I attracted the attention of an officer, 
 by the exercise of my skill as a barber, in 
 the act of shaving a comrade; and was 
 forthwith promoted to the high station of 
 hairdresser and shaver for the officers. 
 This was very agreeable to me, as it gave 
 me an opportunity of obtaining much infor- 
 mation respecting the town and country 
 around, and likewise much leisure time, and 
 many indulgences not granted to ^he soldiers. 
 
 I was assiduous in my attentions to my 
 superiors, and thereby gained their confi- 
 dence, and could, almost whenever I wished, 
 procure a pass to go out when I desired. 
 
 But, although my duties were light and I 
 experienced much kind treatment, I still felt 
 myself in a state of servitude, — a prisoner, 
 as it were, among the enemies of my coun- 
 tr}^, — in a thraldom, from which I was 
 desirous of being released. I was willing to 
 incur any hazard to obtain my liberty, and 
 to breathe once more the air of freedom 
 14^ 
 
162 REVOLUTIONAllY ADVENTURES 
 
 To visit my dear native land, my friends^ 
 and the scenes of my childhoodj was the 
 prevailing wish of my mind ; to accomplish 
 this desire I was wiUing to hazard my life. 
 
 Many difficulties were to he surmounted 
 before this could be effected. Friends were 
 to be found, in whom confidence could be 
 placed. 
 
 It was difficult to tell whom to trust. To 
 impart my views to others might expose me 
 to treachery; and, if betrayed, the conse- 
 quences would be fatal.- It was necessary 
 to proceed with great caution in obtaining 
 the opinions of those who were likely to 
 embark in the undertaking I had in contem- 
 plation. Several must be found, possess- 
 ing similar views and intentions, alike in 
 courage and determination to carry through 
 whatever plan might be formed. To desert 
 from a military force, in an enemy's coun- 
 try, and that an island, seemed to be a 
 desperate undertaking, with little prospect 
 of success. But I was resolved upon the 
 attempt, and my thoughts were continually 
 employed in devising ways and means to 
 effect it. I gained upon the confidence of 
 the officers daily, and was indulged with 
 
 ill 
 
OF EBENEZER F0:\, 163 
 
 opportunities of leaving the garrison when- 
 ever I chose. 
 
 AvaiUng myself of this privilege, I be- 
 came acquainted with all the avenues from 
 the town as far as Rock-fort, which was 
 situated at the distance of two miles from 
 Kingston, on the right-hand side of the road. 
 I ascertained that it was a custom to place 
 a number of sentries on the left-hand side of 
 the road, about the eighth of a mile from the 
 fort, in the road to Rock-fort, at a place 
 called the '' Plum-tree." 
 
 Deserters who were ignorant of this cir- 
 cumstance, were often taken up by the 
 sentries, and brought back to the garrison. 
 The night before we escaped, five soldiers 
 Vv^ere caught in the act of deserting, and 
 brought back in the morning while the regi- 
 ment were on parade. The poor fellows 
 looked the very objects of despair when they 
 were delivered up, and put under guard to 
 await their trial by a court-martial. 
 
 I had become acquainted with five sol- 
 diers, who had been released from military 
 duty, because they were mechanics, and 
 could make themselves useful in the per- 
 formance of various moc)iar.ical services. 
 
164 REVOLUTION^* RY ADVENTURES 
 
 They enjoyed considerable liberty, but 
 did not possess the confidence of the officers 
 in so great a degree as I did, having made 
 myself useful and agreeable to them by 
 personal attention in contributing to their 
 comfort and convenience. My knowledge 
 of the town and its environs rendered me a 
 valuable coadjutor, and gave me more con- 
 sequence in the estimation of my comrades, 
 than 1 should otherv/ise have had, and made 
 me a sort of leader in the enterprise, though 
 I was then but about nineteen years of age. 
 
 We had frequent opportunities of being 
 together to digest our plan, and to make 
 arrangements for putting it into execution. 
 About this time I had the good fortune to 
 obtain a high degree of confidence, and to 
 find great favor in the sight of- the com- 
 manding officer, by the exercise of my pro- 
 fessional skill in making him wonderfully 
 satisfied with himself upon the occasion of a 
 military ball. He was so much pleased 
 with the improvement I made in his personal 
 appearance, that in the fulness of his heart 
 he gave me a '• pass to go out v/henever I 
 chose till further order«." 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 165 
 
 This was a great privilege, and 1 derived 
 great advantages from the use of it. 
 
 The five comrades, =^^ with whom I had 
 associated, as I have observed, were mechan- 
 ics, two of whom were armorers ; and they 
 had obtained from the arsenal two pistols 
 and three swords, which were all the wea- 
 pons we had: these, together Avith some 
 articles of clothing, we had deposited in the 
 hut of an old negro, whom we had bribed 
 to secrecy. The regiment, stationed at 
 Rock-fort, was designated as "Lord Mon- 
 tague's men," or the American Rangers, and 
 had been recruited in North and South 
 Carolina. Their uniform was a short blue 
 jacket with white facings. Having made 
 all the preparations in our power, we 
 appointed the time to commence the t.^- 
 tempt. 
 
 Our plan was, to travel across the island, 
 and trust to circumstances, which might 
 providentially be thrown in our way, to 
 escape to the island of Cuba. Our fears 
 were not a little excited, when we saw the 
 
 ♦ Their names were as follows : John Jones, Abraham Bas- 
 sett, James Daly, Joseph Haynes. The name of the mao 
 whom we lost the first night of our escape, I have forgottea 
 
166 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 poor fellows brought back on the morning 
 preceding the night we had fixed for om 
 undertaking ; especially when we heard th* 
 commanding officer declare, "that, what- 
 ever might be their fate, the next, who 
 should undertake to desert, should be hung.'' 
 
 I had a general pass, as I have beforo 
 observed, for myself to go out at pleasure ; 
 but it was necessary to obtain a special one 
 for my companions, and this duty devolved 
 on me. 
 
 In the afternoon, soon after dinner, I 
 asked the commanding officer to grant me 
 the favor of a pass for five of my acquaint- 
 ance to go out to spend the evening, upon 
 condition of returning before nine o'clock. 
 The officer hesitated for a moment; and 
 then, as he signed the pass, said, "I believe 
 I can trust you ; but remember that you 
 must not come back without them." This 
 I readily promised, and I faithfully fulfilled 
 the obligation. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 167 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 About the middle of the week, in the 
 month of July, 1782, our little party of six, 
 — five Americans, and one Irishman, an ac- 
 tive, courageous fellow, — left the town, and 
 proceeded to the negro's hut, where we 
 received our weapons and clothing, and 
 some little store of provisions which we had 
 deposited. That afternoon a soldier had 
 been buried at Rock-fort, and part of the 
 regiment had been out to attend the funeral. 
 Seeing these soldiers upon their return, at a 
 distance, and fearing that our bundles might 
 excite their suspicion, we concluded to sep- 
 arate and meet again as soon as the soldiers 
 had passed. We escaped their notice, and 
 fortunately met together a little time after, 
 ■ — all but one, who was missing. We waited 
 some time, and looked in various directions 
 for him, without success. We were afraid 
 to remain where we were any longer, as it 
 was now past eight o'clock ; and we knew 
 
'68 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 f we did not return by nine, a party would 
 be sent in search of us. 
 
 The man whom we missed was some- 
 what intoxicated, and the probabihty was 
 that he had lain down and fallen asleep ; or 
 perhaps his courage had failed, and he had 
 given up the undertaking, and might have 
 gone back and given information against 
 us. We were satisfied that we could wait 
 no longer for him without exposing our- 
 selves to great danger, and therefore con- 
 cluded to proceed without him. What was 
 his fate I have never been able to ascertain. 
 
 We pushed rapidly forward till we had 
 got about a mile from Kingston, when we 
 entered a small piece of woodland, and 
 divested ourselves of our uniform, which 
 we had worn with much reluctance, and 
 had never ceased to regret having exposed 
 ourselves to the necessity of putting on; 
 clothed ourselves in tJie sailor garments, 
 which we had taken care to provide; cut 
 the white binding from our hats ; and were 
 soon metamorphosed into much better sail- 
 ors, than we had ever been soldiers. 
 
 Having loaded our pistols, we again pro- 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 169 
 
 ceeded. We had advanced bnt a few rods. 
 
 when we met a sergeant, belonging to a 
 regiment called the Liverpool Blues, who 
 had been to Rock-fort to see some of his 
 acquaintance, and was then upon his re- 
 turn.' It was near the time for stationing 
 the guard, as usual, at the place called the 
 " Plum-tree." The sergeant hailed us with, 
 "Where are you bound, my lads?" We 
 answered, "To Rock-fort." 
 
 He replied, " I have just come from there 
 and found all well : how goes on the re- 
 cruiting at New York? and what is the 
 news?" 
 
 A ship had arrived the day previous, 
 from New York, and he supposed that we 
 were some of the recruits that she had 
 brought over. 
 
 We perceived his mistake, and adapted 
 our answers to his questions, so as to en- 
 courage his delusion. We told him that 
 the recruiting went on bravely, and we 
 were going to join our regiment at Rock- 
 fort. 
 
 The fellow seemed to be in a very happy 
 moodj and immediately declared his inten- 
 15 
 
170 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 tion of turning back to show us the way to 
 the fort. 
 
 Our situation was rendered very embar- 
 rassing by this kind offer ; and to refuse it, 
 we feared, would excite suspicion. Our 
 generous guide thought he was doing us 
 service, when he was leading us directly to 
 destruction ; and the idea of killing him, 
 while he imagined that he was performing 
 a good service for us, was very unpleasant ; 
 but it was our only alternative. In a few 
 moments the deed would have been done ; 
 self-preservation made it necessary; but, 
 fortunately for the poor fellow, and much to 
 our satisfaction, he suddenly recollected that 
 his pass required him to be back to Kings- 
 ton by nine o'clock, and, bidding us good- 
 night, and telling us that we could not miss 
 the way, he left us, and pursued his route 
 to Kingston at a rapid pace. 
 
 We thought it important that we should 
 get as far from Kingston that night as possi- 
 ble, as we should undoubtedly be pursued in 
 the morning ; and the sergeant, from whom 
 we had just parted, would give information 
 of us, as soon as he arrived and ascertained 
 that we were deserters. The danger, to 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 
 
 171 
 
 which we had been exposed by our recent 
 interview, cast a gloom over our spirits, and 
 gave us a realizing sense of the difficulties 
 and hazards with which we must contend. 
 But go forward we must, for to go back 
 would be death. 
 
 We proceeded at a rapid pace for about 
 half of a mile farther, when we met with an 
 old negro, who hailed us, saying, "Where 
 be you going, massa buckra men ?* there be 
 a plenty of soldiers a little way a-head; 
 they will take you up, and put you on 
 board of man-of-war." We told him that 
 we had got a pass. The negro replied, 
 "Dey no care for dat, dey put you on 
 board a man-of-war." He mistook us for 
 sailors who were deserting from some ship. 
 I had become acquainted with several 
 negroes in Kingston, and always found 
 them kind and willing to give any informa- 
 tion that was in their power to furnish. 
 They appeared to feel a sort of sympathy 
 for the soldiers and sailors; seeing some 
 resemblance between their own degraded 
 coniition and that of the miserable military 
 
 * » Buckra man" was the common "ame among tha Ne- 
 groes for a white man. 
 
172 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 and naval slaves of British despotism 
 Whatever might be the cause, I always 
 found the negroes in and about Kingston 
 ready to give every facility to a soldier or 
 sailor who wished to desert. We soon 
 agreed with the old fellow for a dollar to 
 guide us into a path through the woods, by 
 following which we should avoid the guard 
 at the "Plum-tree," in whose vicinity we 
 then were. I had reconnoitred the ground 
 sufficiently, previous to this, to be aware of 
 the necessity of taking this path, and knew 
 about where it was ; but we were sensible 
 that a faithful guide, who had a perfect 
 knowledge of the ground, would be of great 
 service to us, especially in the night. 
 
 After we had entered the woods, we had 
 no fear of treachery on the part of our 
 guide, as his life was in our hands. The 
 fate that awaited him, should he attempt to 
 jeopardize our safety, was clearly under- 
 stood by him; but, the earnest and sim- 
 ple manner in which he declared the sin- 
 cerity of his intentions in serving us, put 
 at rest in our minds all doubts of his fidelity. 
 We followed our guide about a mile, when 
 he told us that we had got past the guard, 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 173 
 
 and, giving us directions as to our future 
 course, he left us, after having called God 
 to witness that he never would inform 
 against us. We had no reason to doubt 
 that he faithfully kept his promise. 
 
 Our anxiety to escape pursuit determined 
 us to use all the expedition we could through 
 the night. About midnight, we came to 
 one of the many rivulets with which Ja- 
 maica abounds. As we were unable to 
 determine what its width or depth was in 
 the darkness, it was necessary to proceed 
 with caution. The tallest of our party was 
 sent forward to try to wade across. The 
 rest followed in single file, according to our 
 respective heights; I, being the shortest, 
 brought up the rear. Holding our arms 
 and provisions and part of our clothing 
 above our heads, we soon arrived on the 
 opposite shore. When I was in the middle 
 of the river, I found the water up to my 
 chin, and was fearful at one time that I 
 should be obliged to abandon my bundle, 
 and resort to swimming. We travelled in 
 our wet clothes the remainder of the night, 
 and, towards daylight, we looked round for 
 15* 
 
174 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 some retired spot, where we could secrete 
 ourselves during the day, as we considered 
 that it would expose us to great hazard, if 
 not to certain detection, to travel by day- 
 light at so little distance from Kingston as 
 we then were. We soon found a secluded 
 spo't on the side of a hill thickly set with 
 brushwood, well calculated for concealing 
 us from the view of any who might pass 
 that way. 
 
 In the course of the forenoon, we saw 
 from our place of concealment a number 
 of negroes pass by, carrying to the market 
 at Kingston various articles of country pro- 
 duce upon their heads in baskets. We had 
 provided for our sustenance a small quan- 
 tity of bread and dried herring, sufficient to 
 last three days, the time we thought requi- 
 site to travel across the island ; of this pro- 
 vision we eat sparingly, but suffered much 
 for want of water, as we were afraid of 
 being seen if we ventured from our hiding- 
 p..ace till night, Avhen we cautiously, one at 
 a time, crept down to the foot of the hill, 
 and quenched our thirst from a small rivu- 
 let. 
 
 As soon as it was dark enough to prevent 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 175 
 
 discovery, we left our place of concealment, 
 and proceeded on our second night's journey. 
 
 We had been exposed to considerable 
 danger the preceding night and day, and 
 had suffered much from hunger, and more 
 from thirst ; our spirits were depressed, and 
 we experienced the wearisomeness that 
 arises from a want of sleep. Gloomy fore- 
 bodings assailed us ; and we moved on in 
 melancholy silence. After having travelled 
 three or four hours, we unexpectedly found 
 ourselves near a hut, and were alarmed at 
 hearing a negro female voice exclaim, 
 " Here come a whole parcel of Buckra 
 man." We immediately started from the 
 spot, and proceeded with all practicable 
 speed till we had travelled three or four 
 miles, when we sat down to rest, and to 
 refresh ourselves with some of our bread 
 and dried herring. 
 
 After we had rested about half an hour, 
 we renewed our journey with all the speed 
 we could exercise; and proceeded without 
 interruption till day-light approached, when 
 we thought it necessary to find a place for 
 concealment during the day. We entered 
 the woods at a short distance from the road, 
 
176 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 where we spent the day, partially satisfying 
 our hunger with a scanty portion of bread 
 and herring, and some berries, which we 
 found, of various kinds ; and amusing our- 
 selves with the relation of the dangers we 
 had passed through, and speculations upon 
 the nature of those which we might te 
 called upon to encounter. The day passed 
 without any alarm, and as night approached 
 we prepared to re-commence our journey. 
 Soon after dark, we issued from the woods, 
 entered upon the road, and proceeded for 
 several hours without meeting with any- 
 thing to molest or make us afraid. We oc- 
 casionally rested, eat sparingly of our nearly 
 exhausted stores, and drank water when 
 we could find it, and travelled without in- 
 terruption till morning. A place for con- 
 cealment during the day was again selected ; 
 and, as we had slept but little since we left 
 Kingston, we concluded to get all the rest 
 we could, and spent the greater part of the 
 day in sleep, each one of us in succession 
 keeping watch while the others slept. After 
 several hours' rest, we found ourselves con- 
 siderably refreshed ; and as our small stock 
 of provisions was nearly exhausted, and we 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 177 
 
 nad consumed nearly the time we had an- 
 ticipated would be required to arrive on tne 
 opposite side of the island, we concluded 
 tliat we would venture to travel by day- 
 light. 
 
 We took the precaution to divide our 
 party, three taking one side of the road, a 
 little in advance, and two on the other side ; 
 keeping a vigilant look-out, in every direc- 
 tion. One of our men in advance gave 
 notice, some time in the forenoon, that he 
 discovered an object at a distance appa- 
 rently approaching. We thought it prudent 
 to retire from the road to a neighboring 
 thicket, till we could ascertain what the 
 object was. It proved to be a gentleman on 
 horseback, who, by his dress, appeared to 
 be an officer of high rank, followed by a 
 servant. 
 
 The officer wore a large, gold-laced, 
 three-cornered hat, and was richly dressed : 
 both he and his servant were well armed. 
 As soon as they had passed and were out 
 of sight, we left our retreat with the inten- 
 tion of proceeding ; but, ffiiding ourselves in 
 need of more rest, we penetrated farther 
 mto the woods to find a place of repose. 
 
178 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 Our Strength began to fail for want ol 
 food, and we found it necessary to vake 
 more frequent opportunities for rest and 
 sleep. We gathered a few berries, and, 
 having enjoyed a few hours of uninterrupted 
 sleep, we felt refreshed, and returned to the 
 road to pursue our journey. We travelled 
 without interruption till about three o'clock 
 in the afternoon, and, while ascending a 
 hill, we were alarmed by hearing the sound 
 of voices. We stopped, and collected to- 
 gether to consult upon what course to 
 adopt. In a few moments, we saw coming 
 over the hill three stout negroes, armed 
 with muskets, which they immediately pre- 
 sented to us, and ordered us to stop. 
 
 Our arms, as I have formerly observed, 
 consisted of two pistols and three swords; 
 upon the pistols we could place but little 
 dependence, as they were not in good order ; 
 and the swords were concealed under our 
 clothes ; to attempt to draw them out would 
 have caused the negroes instandy to fire 
 upon us. 
 
 They were about ten rods before us, and 
 stood in the attitude of taking a deliberate 
 aim at us. To run would be certain death 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 179 
 
 to some of us ; we therefore saw no alterna- 
 tive but to advance. One of our number, a 
 man named Jones, a tall, powerful fellow, 
 took a paper from his pocket, and, holding 
 it up before him, advanced, with great appa- 
 rent confidence in his manner, and the rest 
 of us imitated his example. As we ap- 
 proached, Jones held out the paper to one 
 of them, telling him that it was our pass, 
 giving us authority to travel across the 
 island. The negroes, as we very well 
 knew, were unable to read ; it was therefore 
 immaterial what was written upon the 
 paper, — 1 believe it v/as an old letter, — as 
 manuscript or print was entirely beyond 
 their comprehension. While we were ad- 
 vancing, we had time to confer with each 
 other ; and the circumstances of the moment, 
 the critical situation in which we were 
 placed, naturally led our minds to one con- 
 clusion, to obtain the consent of the negroes 
 that we might pursue our journey ; but if 
 they opposed our progress, to resort to vio- 
 lence, if we perished in the attempt. 
 
 There was something very exciting to 
 our feelings in marching up to the muzzles 
 of these fellows' guns • to have our progress 
 
180 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 interrupted when we were, as we supposed, 
 so near the end of our journey. Our suffer- 
 ings had made us somewhat savage in our 
 feehngs ; and we marched up to them with 
 that determination of purpose which despe- 
 rate men have resolved upon, when }ife, Hb- 
 erty, and everything they value is at stake ; 
 — all depended upon prompt and decisive 
 action. 
 
 This was a fearful moment. The ne- 
 groes stood in a row, their muskets still 
 presented, but their attention was princi- 
 pally directed to the paper which Jones 
 held before them; while our eyes were con- 
 stantly fixed upon them, anxiously watch- 
 ing their motions, and designing to disarm 
 them as soon as a favorable opportunity 
 should be offered. 
 
 The negroes were large and powerful 
 men, while we, though we outnumbered 
 them, were worn down by our long march, 
 and enfeebled by hunger. In physical 
 power we were greatly their inferiors. But 
 the desperate circumstances in which we 
 were placed inspired us with uncommon 
 courage, and gave us an unnatural degree 
 of strength. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 181 
 
 We advanced steadily forward, shoulder 
 to shoulder, till the breasts of three of us 
 were within a few inches of the muzzles of 
 their guns. Jones reached forward and 
 handed the paper to one of the negroes. He 
 took it, and having turned it round several 
 times, and examined both sides, and finding 
 himself not much the wiser for it, shook his 
 head and said, " We must stop you." The 
 expression of his countenance, the doubts 
 which were manifested in his manner of 
 receiving the paper, convinced us, that all 
 hope of deceiving or conciliating them was 
 at an end. 
 
 Their muskets were still presented, their 
 fingers upon the triggers. An awful pause 
 of a moment ensued, when we made a sud- 
 den and desperate spring forward, and 
 seized their muskets ; our attack was so un- 
 expected, that we wrenched them from their 
 hands before they were aware of our mten- 
 tion. The negro, whom I attacked, fired 
 just as I seized his gun, but I had fortu- 
 nately turned the direction of it, and the 
 ball inflicted a slight wound upon my side, 
 the scar of which remains to this day. 
 16 
 
182 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 This was the only gun that was discharged 
 during this dreadful encounter. 
 
 As soon as it was in my possession, I 
 exercised all my strength, more than I 
 thought I possessed, and gave him a tre- 
 mendous blow over the head with the 
 breech, which brought him to the ground, 
 from which he never rose. 
 
 I had no sooner accomplished my work, 
 when I found my companions had been 
 equally active, and had despatched the 
 other two negroes in the same space of time. 
 None of our party received any injury but 
 myself, and my wound I considered as tri- 
 fling. 
 
 The report of the gun we were fearful 
 would alarm some of our enemies' com- 
 rades, who might be in the vicinity, and 
 bring them to the spot. We accordingly 
 dragged the bodies to a considerable dis- 
 tance into the woods, where we buried them 
 under a quantity of leaves and brush. In 
 tlieir pockets we found a few biscuit, which 
 were very acceptable to us in our famished 
 condition. 
 
 The best gun was selected, as we did not 
 think it necessary to burden ourselves with 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 183 
 
 the others, as they had been injured in the 
 conflict. We took what ammunition we 
 thought necessary^ and then sought a place 
 of rest for the remainder of the day. 
 
 The negroes whom we had encountered, 
 belonged to a class called "Cudjoe men," 
 who were free, in consequence of some ser- 
 vices, which their ancestors, the Maroons, 
 agreed to render to the government;* and 
 were permitted to inhabit the mountains 
 and the northern part of the island. They 
 were encouraged to exercise their vigilance 
 by the promise of receiving a certain sum 
 of money for every fugitive slave they re- 
 stored to his master, or soldier whom they 
 should arrest as a deserter. We had been 
 apprized of the existence of these beings 
 Defore we left Kingston, and were in con- 
 stant fear of meeting with some of them. 
 Their huts were scattered along the three 
 roads from Kingston, viz.. Rock-fort road, 
 the County road, and the Spanish-town 
 road. We avoided as much as possible all 
 of these roads, and travelled circuitous 
 paths in the woods ; and, having no guide 
 
 '♦= See the Appendix at the end of the book for an account 
 of the " Cudjoe-men." 
 
184 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 and an imperfect compass, we wandered a 
 great deal out of the direct way; and much 
 of the time travelled considerable distances 
 without making any advancement. 
 
 The direct distance across the island is 
 about forty or fifty miles, which we could 
 have travelled with ease in two days;* but, 
 
 ♦ " The island of Jamaica lies about thirty leagues south 
 of Cuba. A range of lofty mountains, called the Blue Moun- 
 tains, runs through the whole island from east to west, in 
 some places seven thousand feet above the level of the sea. 
 On the north side of the island the land rises from the shore in 
 high swells, which are remarkable for their beauty, being all 
 of gentle acclivity, and commonly separated from each other 
 by spacious vales and romantic rivulets. Towards the inte- 
 rior, the land becomes more elevated, and is clothed with 
 almost boundless forests ; and, in the centre of the island, it 
 rises into lofty mountains, whose heads are lost in the clouds. 
 The southern front of the main ridge of the Blue Mountains 
 is generally rough and craggy ; but on the south side are 
 several lower ridges, running parallel with the principal one, 
 the summits of which are more round and smooth ; and, at 
 the foot of the lowest ridge lie vast plains or savannas, 
 bounded only by the ocean, and displaying all the pride oi 
 the richest cultivation." 
 
 The heights, called the Liguanea mountains, are within six 
 miles of Kingston, and I understand that the British regi- 
 ments, at present or lately stationed on the island of Jamaica, 
 hav3 formed an encampment on them, where they are quar- 
 tered when not on other duty. Favored with a salubrious 
 atmosphere, these mountains are not only healthy, but capa- 
 ble no doubt of being strongly fortified ; j'et an intelligent 
 captain of a vessel, who has recently been on the island, in- 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 185 
 
 from the cautious manner we proceeded 
 ind the irregular course we pursued, we 
 were nearly five days in accompHshing our 
 undertaking. Considering our ignorance of 
 the interior parts of the island, it has ever 
 since been a matter of surprise to me that 
 we succeeded in getting across the island ; 
 and that we did not perish in the woods. 
 
 Had we travelled upon either of the 
 before named roads, instead of threading 
 our way through the woods, we should 
 
 forms me that great numbers of the soldiers are injudiciously 
 granted leave daily of visiting the populous city of Kingston, 
 on condition of returning before night. The sudden change 
 of temperature, from the close and heated atmosphere and 
 parching sunbeams on the plains, to the bracing and chilling 
 evening air of the mountains, the one causing immoderate 
 perspiration and a feverish state of the blood, and the other 
 hastily and violently closing the pores of the bodies of the 
 soldiery on their return to quarters, many of them half-intoxi- 
 cated, lays the foundation or is the immediate cause of more 
 sickness and death than all other causes put together. 
 
 He says the British officers have contemplated a partial 
 prohibition of intercourse between the camp and city, but 
 have met with discontent from the soldiers, who are unwilling 
 to be deprived of the indulgence, however painful or fatal to 
 them in its consequences. 
 
 The population of the island of Jamaica, m 1782, was about 
 30,000 whites, 10,000 freed negroes or mulattoes, 1,400 firca 
 maroons, and 200,000 negro slaves. 
 
 16* 
 
186 K EVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 have been overtaken by the parties of sol- 
 diers, who were sent in pursuit of us. 1 re- 
 ceived information, several years after our 
 escape, of the exertions that were used to 
 overtake us and carry us back to Kingston. 
 A young man, by the name of Hunt, was 
 carried into Kingston, as a prisoner, taken 
 by a British vessel, the day after our escape. 
 Previous to his sailing from Boston, he had 
 heard that I was in Kingston ; and when 
 made a prisoner, he hoped to obtain some 
 assistance from me in his captivity, as we 
 had been formerly acquainted. He made 
 inquiries of the sergeant of the guard, placed 
 over him, respecting me. The sergeant 
 replied, that " Fox was fool enough to run 
 off last night, with five others ; he had no 
 military duty to perform ; all he had to do 
 was to shave and dress the officers, and he 
 spent most of the time in walking about the 
 streets. I suppose they think they will 
 show us a Yankee trick ; but they will 
 find themselves mistaken, for there are three 
 parties out after them, one on each road, 
 and they had orders to bring them back 
 before night, dead or alive." It seems by 
 this account that we must have been taken, 
 
OF EBLNEZER FOX. 187 
 
 had we not pursued our journey in the 
 woods instead of the road. 
 
 To return to my narrative : We lay down 
 in the woods, languid and exhausted, after 
 the excitement and fatigue from our con- 
 test with the negroes, and slept soundly for 
 some time, when I suddenly awoke, and 
 saw at a little distance from me the head 
 of a monstrous serpent, raised several feet 
 from the ground, and gazing earnestly upon 
 us, with his mouth frightfully distended. I 
 was so much alarmed that, at first, I imag- 
 ined it to he the "old serpent" himself, and 
 immediately awakened my companions. 
 But I believe the serpent Avas more alarmed 
 than we were, for he darted off among the 
 bushes with so much rapidity that I could 
 not ascertain his length, but was satisfied 
 that the circumference of his body was of 
 the size of a man's. 
 
 As it was now nearly dark, we thought 
 we would venture again upon our journey. 
 Having loaded our musket, the spoils of our 
 victory, we entered the road, and, having 
 looked around with great caution, and find- 
 ing no obstacles in the way to excite any 
 apprehension, we started forward. We 
 
188 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 knew not for a certainty where we were; 
 but were satisfied, from the time we had 
 consumed in our journey, that we could not 
 be at a great distance from the northern 
 Bide of the island. 
 
OF ERENEZER FOX. 189 
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 We travelled all night, occasionally stop- 
 ping to rest, and refresh ourselves with some 
 of the hard hiscnit, which we had found in 
 the pockets of the negroes, and a draught of 
 water from the springs by the road-side. 
 
 As daylight approached, we found our- 
 selves on the summit of a hill, and in sight 
 of the ocean. 1 doubt whether Columbus 
 and his crew experienced more heart-felt 
 joy when they saw the new world, than our 
 little party did ^vhen we discovered the sea. 
 We could hardly refrain from uttering a 
 loud exclamation of joy. Here was an end 
 to our wanderings, our fatigue, and suffer- 
 ings. We gazed upon the watery expanse 
 with feelings of unutterable delight, upon 
 Avhose surface we were to be wafted from 
 the shores of captivity. 
 
 After we had remained as long as we 
 thought prudent upon the eminence, we 
 retired to the woods, for concealment duiing 
 
190 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 the day. We needed rest, and slept tne 
 greater part of the day. 
 
 We ventured out several times in the 
 course of the day to take a peep abroad, but 
 with great care that we should not be seen. 
 We saw a number of negroes moving about 
 in various directions, but were not discov- 
 ered by any of them. 
 
 Our plan of operations for the future was 
 the subject of much discussion; but we 
 arrived at no definite conclusion, excepting 
 to avail ourselves of any opportunity that 
 should be offered to leave the island. 
 
 We had supposed, although perhaps we 
 had no good reason for it, that we might 
 find some merchant vessel on the coast, in 
 which we might be received as sailors ; as it. 
 was difficult to obtain men, and their wages 
 were high. 
 
 Before sunset, we left our hiding place, 
 after eating the remainder of our bread, and 
 proceeded cautiously towards the shore, 
 keeping ourselves concealed as much as 
 possible behind the bushes. 
 
 We saw a number of huts, scattered along 
 the shore, mostly separate, some in small 
 clusters. Part of the time during the day, a 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 191 
 
 fog had prevailed, which now cleared away, 
 and our prospect was uninterrupted. The 
 island of Cuba could just be seen in the 
 horizon, at the distance of thirty leagues; 
 between that and us lay the ocean, smooth 
 and unruffled, and not a sail to whiten its 
 surface. 
 
 Dejected and melancholy, we again sought 
 our place of concealment, to reflect upon 
 our situation, and form some determination 
 respecting future operations. To remain 
 where we were long, without starving or 
 being detected, was impossible ; but how to 
 get away was the problem Jo be solved. 
 Undetermined what to do, we left our retreat 
 again, and the first object that met our 
 view upon the water was a sail-boat direct- 
 ing her course to the shore near where we 
 were. 
 
 Here was a means of escape that Provi- 
 der.ce had thrown in our way. Our previous 
 despair was now changed into hope, and, 
 with spirits suddenly elated, we retreated to 
 the bushes to come to some immediate deci- 
 sion. 
 
 We resolved ourselves into a committee, 
 appointed a moderator, and proceeded to 
 
192 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 business. The question to be discussed 
 was, whether we should attempt to make a 
 prize of the boat, and escape to Cuba. 
 Without spending much time, as we had 
 none to spare, to discuss the question, or to 
 hear speeches for, much less against it, we 
 put it to vote, and carried it unanimously. 
 
 The wind was blowing from the shore, 
 and the boat was consequently beating in 
 against the wind. This was a favorable 
 circumstance for us, if we could get posses- 
 sion of the boat. The undertaking was 
 fraught with difficulty and danger, but it 
 was our only chance for escape. 
 
 We left our council place, and crept cau- 
 tiously down to the shore, keeping concealed 
 as much as possible behind the bushes, till 
 we arrived near to the point, at which we 
 thought the boat was steering. As she was 
 beating against the wind, we concluded, if 
 the man at the helm could be brought down, 
 the boat would luff, which would bring her 
 near the shore, when we were immediately 
 to spring on board. Jones, being the best 
 marksman, took the musket, and seeing that 
 it was well loaded and primed, crept as close 
 to the edge of the shore as he could without 
 
I i 
 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 193 
 
 being discovered by the crew, and lay down, 
 'to wait for a good opportiniity to fire at the 
 man at the helm. The rest of us kept as 
 near to him as possible. 
 
 Every circumstance seemed to favor our 
 design. The negroes were all in their huts, 
 and everything around was quiet and still. 
 
 The boat soon approached near enough 
 for Jones to take a sure aim; and we scarcely 
 breathed as we lay extended on the ground, 
 waiting for him to perform the duty assigned 
 him. 
 
 In a few moments, bang went the gun, 
 and down went the negro from the helm 
 into the bottom of the boat ; and, as we had 
 anticipated, the helm being abandoned, the 
 boat luffed up in the wind and was brought 
 close to the shore, which was bold, and the 
 water deep enough to float her. The instant 
 the gun was fired, we were upon our feet, 
 
 I and in the next moment up to our waists in 
 
 , the water alongside of the boat. 
 
 I No time was lost in shoving her about, 
 
 and getting her bows from the land. There 
 
 was a fresh breeze from the shore ; the sails 
 
 filled ; and the boat was soon under a brisk 
 
 17 
 
194 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 headway. I remained in the water the 
 last, and, as I attempted to get on board, 
 my hands slipped from my hold on the gun- 
 wale, and I fell into the water. I heard an 
 exclamation, "Good God! Fox is lost I'" 
 from one of our party; but as the boat 
 swept by me, I caught with my middle 
 finger in the noose of a rope that hung over | 
 the stern, and was seized by the cape of my j 
 jacket and drawn into the boat by the 
 powerful arm of Jones, who Avas managing 
 the helm. All that I have described was 
 apparently the work of a moment. Nevei 
 did men use greater exertions than we did 
 at this time. 
 
 The report of Jones' gun alarmed the I 
 negroes, and brought them from their huts 
 in all directions down to the shore, armed 
 with muskets and clubs, and full of rage 
 and fury. They waded out after us, up to 
 their chins in the water; and fired volley 
 after volley, as fast as they could load. 
 The bullets fell thickly around us, but 
 fortunately none of us were injured. Oui 
 progress was so rapid, that we were soon 
 out of reach of their shot ; but, as soon as 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 195 
 
 we could find time, we loaded our gun and 
 gave one parting salute. 
 
 Our attention was next directed to the 
 disposal of the crew of the boat we had 
 captured, consisting of three men and a boy. 
 As soon as we sprang into the boat, they 
 fled with terror and amazement into a sort 
 of cabin in the bow, where they still re- 
 mained. 
 
 It was no wonder that they were fright- 
 ened, attacked so suddenly by an enemy, 
 Avho, as it seemed to them, had arisen all at 
 once from the bowels of the earth or the 
 depths of the ocean. 
 
 Whether the head of the negro at the 
 helm was bullet-proof, or whether the ball 
 approached so near to it as to frighten him 
 into insensibihty, we never knew; but we 
 found him prostrate in the bottom of the 
 boat, when we entered it, apparently dead; 
 but, to our gratification, we soon found that 
 he was alive, and not a curl of his wool dis- 
 composed. 
 
 He was soon upon his knees, supplicatmg 
 mercy, in which attitude and tone he was 
 followed by the rest of the crew as we called 
 
196 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 them from their hiding place. Had we 
 been disposed to do an unjust action, v/e 
 had an opportunity of reahzing a consider- 
 able sum of money, by carrying them to 
 Cuba and selling them for slaves. 
 
 The temptation was great to men destitute 
 of funds as we were; but our moral sense 
 overcame the temptation, and we gave tliem 
 their choice to proceed with us on our 
 voyage, or expose themselves to the hazard 
 of drowning by attempting to swim ashore. 
 They accepted the latter proposition with 
 much gratitude, and were soon swimming 
 lustily for the shore, from which we were at 
 the distance of more than a mile, where we 
 saw them all safely arrive. 
 
 We felt some anxiety respecting the 
 ability of the boy to swim so far ; but, as he 
 was desirous of going with them, two of our 
 men took him by his arms and legs, and 
 gave him a regular yo-hoi-ho heave; and 
 we had the satisfaction of seeing the little 
 fellow shaking the water from his curly pate 
 upon the shore, before his companions had 
 landed. 
 
 The negroes collected around them m 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 197 
 
 great numbers after they landed, probably 
 to hear their account of the transaction ; and 
 to obtain information concerning our mten- 
 tions and destination. 
 
 We felt animated by our success. We 
 found the boat in good order ; and, with a 
 fresh breeze, we made rapid progress. We 
 found a plenty of provisions in the boat, 
 with which, for the first time for five days, 
 we abundantly satisfied our hunger. 
 
 It was now nearly dark, and we had got 
 a considerable distance from the shore ; but 
 we continued to watch the movements of 
 the negroes with anxiety, lest they should 
 pursue us. After the negroes had held a 
 short consultation together, we saw them all 
 start off with great rapidity towards a point 
 of land, under which we thought we could 
 see something lying, that had the appear- 
 ance of a vessel. As the negroes ran ir that 
 direction, we had no doubt that they had 
 some plan in contemplation in relation to 
 our capture. Our fears and conjectures 
 were soon reduced to a matter of fact ; for 
 we had proceeded but a little distance far- 
 ther, when we came in plain sight of a 
 17* 
 
198 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 schooner at anchor. AVe could see the 
 negroes rush on board of her, and could just 
 discern, or our fears caused us to imagine it. 
 the uplifted axe, which cut away the cable 
 and liberated her from her moorings. The 
 schooner was soon under weigh, and sailing 
 in a direction to cut us off; but we trusted 
 that the approaching darkness would in a 
 short time conceal us from thcsight of our 
 pursuers. As the schooner was a large 
 object, compared with our little boat, wt 
 could see her long after we were invisible to 
 them. After being satisfied of the course 
 the schooner was taking, we thought the 
 best way to avoid her would be to put 
 about directly for Jamaica. 
 
 We sailed in this direction till we sup- 
 posed that our enemy had got considerably 
 past the course for us to pursue, when we 
 again put about, and steered as directly as 
 we were able for Cuba. The sails of our 
 boat consisted of a small jib, and a sort of a 
 square sail; and, the breeze being quite 
 fresh, they were well filled, and our progress 
 was rapid. 
 
 In the morning, when from the hill we 
 discovered what we supposed to be Cuba, 
 
OF EBENEZER FCX. 
 
 199 
 
 we ascertained its bearing from Jamaica, by 
 our little compass ; and now directed oui 
 course to the point, where we should find a 
 ilace of safety. 
 
 Once, during the night, we were alarmed 
 by a noise like the sound of voices, and 
 thought that the schooner was near us. We 
 saw her, or imagined so ; but could not 
 determine with certainty whether it was a 
 reality or the result of our excited imagina- 
 tions. 
 
 We sailed without interruption through 
 the night, and, from the rapidity with which 
 we had passed through the water, we con- 
 cluded we could not be a great distance 
 from the land. As soon as daylight ap- 
 proached we espied the shore, and lost no 
 time in making for it. Shortly after, we 
 saw, at a considerable distance, the schooner, 
 apparently steering for Jamaica. They dis- 
 j' covered us, and altered their course directly 
 ) for us. Their approach, however, excited 
 1 no alarm in our minds now, for we were 
 Bure that we could run our boat on shore 
 before they could come up with us. Their 
 1 kind intentions were manifested in the com- 
 pliment of a few salutes from a swivel, 
 
200 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 which proved as harmless as the courtesy 
 we endeavored to shovv'- them hy half a 
 dozen salutes from the musket which had 
 previously done us more faithful service. 
 The schooner soon gave up the chase, '' and 
 left us alone in our glory." 
 
 As we approached the shore, we saw six 
 or eight men running down towards us, and 
 making signs for us to keep off, and to go 
 round a point of land to the leeward. 
 We were satisfied that their motive was 
 friendly, as, at that part of the shore, a 
 heavy surf was running, which would have 
 made it very dangerous for us to have 
 attempted to land. 
 
 After we had passed round the point, we 
 lay to, till we were hoarded by four or five 
 Spaniards, who came off in a small boat. 
 We knew as little of their language as they 
 of ours ; but, by a variety of gesticulations, 
 and often repeating the words, America, 
 Jamaica, Kingston, &c., we made them com- 
 prehend, in some degree, our circumstances. 
 
 They saw that we were in distress, and 
 probably were not unwilling to appropriate 
 our boat to their use. 
 
 It was easy for them to perceive by our 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 201 
 
 looks that we had suffered much from fatigue 
 and hunger; the last two days we had 
 endured as much as human nature was 
 capable of sustaming, and the effects were 
 visible in our appearance. They took us 
 on shore, carried us to a hut, where they 
 placed before us a plentiful supply of pork 
 and pease, together with a large bowl of 
 beans. This was the first comfortable meal 
 we had enjoyed since we left Kingston, and 
 we enjoyed it in peace without any fear of 
 interruption. 
 
 We eat to our stomachs' content, and then 
 were left alone to obtain some sleep, of 
 which we were in great need, having been 
 nearly as destitute of that, as we had been 
 of food, for the last six days. We slept 
 soundly till past noon. 
 
 I think I have never since enjoyed a more 
 satisfactory meal or more refreshing sleep 
 than I did that day. No care for the future 
 crossed our minds. Our dangers were pass- 
 ed, our object was accomplished. We felt 
 ourselves free men. When we reflected 
 upon the events of the last six days; the 
 hazard to which we had been exposed ; the 
 desperate encounters we had maintained: 
 
202 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 onr hair-breadth escapes; our hearts were 
 filled with gratitude to Him, who overrules 
 all things, and by whose goodness we had 
 been preserved. 
 
 Enlisting in the British service I had never 
 ceased to regret, from the moment I left the 
 old Jersey prison- ship. There was some- 
 thing revolting to the mind of an American 
 in the reflection of being subject to the 
 authority of the oppressors of his country. 
 It was a thraldom, from which I was deter- 
 mined to be liberated. My mind was occu- i 
 pied with this intention; danger and death \ 
 were minor considerations, compared with \ 
 the accomplishment of this object. It was 
 accomplished ; we awoke, and rejoiced that 
 we were free. But much remained to be 
 done ; and although we were safe from pur- 
 suit, we were strangers in a strange land, 
 far from our native soil, and ignorant of 
 what means were in our power to return to 
 our own country. 
 
 The people around appeared to be friendly, 
 but still they looked upon us with suspicion ; ' 
 and, though they did not treat us like prison- ^ 
 ers, they watched our motions with some 
 
OF EBENEZER F0# 203 
 
 degree of vigilance. When we went out of 
 the hut, where we had been so hospitably- 
 entertained, we found a large collection of 
 Spaniards, who, by the language common to 
 man, questioned us respecting whence we 
 came, who we were, and whither we wished 
 to go. To all of these questions we replied 
 as well as we were able, by gestures and 
 grimaces, making ourselves as intelligible to 
 them as they did to us. 
 
 It was evident to us, that our friends 
 were desirous of our departure, and were 
 willing to offer us every facility to favor 
 their wishes. We reciprocated their good 
 feelings, and were as anxious to leave them 
 as they were to bid us farewell. 
 
 Pork, pease, and beans, were again set 
 before us, upon which we made a sumptu- 
 ous repast, and felt ourselves surprisingly 
 recruited. Our friends then directed our 
 attention to a small vessel, lying up a creek, 
 close under the land, which was ready to 
 sail for St. Domingo, now called Hayti. 
 They engaged a passage for us in this 
 vessel, which was of about fifty tons' burden, 
 and ligged like a lugger. 
 
204 REvdfuTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 We weighed anchor about sunset, but, as 
 it was foggy, our progress was at Ikst rather 
 slow. After a sail of three days, we ap ^ 
 proached the island of St. Domingo in the 
 night, and lay off till the next day, when, 
 the wind proving favorable, we --un into 
 port, and dropped anchor in the t^arbor of 
 Cape Frangois, now Cape Henri. 
 
 During this short voyage, we received 
 much kind treatment from the captain and 
 crew, being plentifully supplied with provi- 
 sions, and permitted to enjoy as much rest 
 as we desired. 
 
 With recovered strength and spirits, we 
 prepared to leave the vessel ; and, with grati- 
 tude to the captain for his kindness, and to 
 God for his mercies, we went on board of 
 the American frigate Flora, of thirty-two- 
 guns, commanded by Henry Johnson, Esq., 
 of Boston. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 205 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 In the year 1778, Count d'Estaing, with 
 his fleet, approached Newport, II. I., with 
 the intention of attacking the British, who 
 were in possession of that place. The Brit- 
 ish destroyed their frigates in the harbor, to 
 prevent their falling into the hands of the 
 enemy. The Orpheus, Lark, Juno, and 
 Cerberus frigates, they burned ; the Flora 
 and the Falcon they sunk. The Americans 
 afterwards raised the Flora, and fitted her 
 up for service against her former masters. 
 This frigate 1 found anchored in the harbor 
 of Cape Henri. 
 
 The sight of the thirteen stripes and stars, 
 floating over an American frigate, gave ani- 
 mation to our thoughts and actions. We 
 felt sure of safety and protection. With 
 much exultation and satisfaction, we stepped 
 upon the deck of the Flora. We could 
 hardly realize that we were the same men, 
 who, a few days before, were fleeing through 
 18 
 
20G REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 the woods of Jamaica, like beasts of night, 
 avoiding the Hght of day, and afraid of the 
 sight of a negro. When we compared our 
 present condition with what it had been 
 during the greater part of the past year ; in 
 confinement on board of that " floating hell," 
 the "Old Jersey;" in garrison, serving the 
 enemy of our country, with feelings of dis- 
 gust and despondency; fugitives from that 
 enemy, under circumstances that rendered 
 our escape almost hopeless, with the cer- 
 tainty of death in case of detection ; when 
 we thought of all this, and found ourselves 
 standing erect, among our own countrymen, 
 upon the deck of an American frigate, we 
 almost doubted our personal identity; our 
 feelings may be more easily imagined than 
 described. 
 
 Captain Johnson received us kindly, and 
 was willing to employ us for the voyage at 
 a compensation of ten dollars per month; 
 but, when my comrades were informed that 
 the vessel was not going directly to Boston ; 
 that she would visit France first, and might 
 stay there some time, they declined engag- 
 ing in her service. Two of them belonged 
 to Connecticut, one to Rhode-Island, and 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 207 
 
 the other was an Irishman. They suc- 
 ceeded m finding a vessel that was bound 
 to some port near home, and whose voyage 
 would be less circuitous than that of the 
 Flora. I was the only one of our little 
 party, who had suffered so much together, 
 who entered into the service of Captain 
 Johnson. I was as anxious to get home as 
 my companions ; but there was a degree of. 
 safety on board of the Flora, which 1 could 
 not expect on board of a merchant ship. 
 
 I likewise felt some desire of visiting 
 France ; and I entertained some hope that 
 we might make some captures in the course 
 of the voyage ; for I had not yet rested long 
 enough after my sufferings to cultivate the 
 Christian spirit of "forgiveness to my ene- 
 mies." I felt willing to encounter the haz- 
 ard of an engagement, for an opportunity to 
 pay off some old scores, which I fancied 
 were then their due. 
 
 I received from our noble captain two 
 months' wages in advance, and, being des- 
 titute of everything necessary for the voyage, 
 excepting the miserable clothes which I 
 wore, I was permitted to go on shore to 
 make the purchases that I thought requisite. 
 
208 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 As my companions had determined not to 
 engage in the service of the Flora, but to 
 seek for a berth on board of some other ves- 
 sel, I knew that I must experience the pain- 
 ful task of separation from those who were 
 endeared to me as fellow-sufferers in afflic- 
 tions and dangers. The ties of friendship 
 which united us, were too strong to be 
 easily broken. The circumstances which 
 had engaged us in one common cause, had 
 created a fraternal feeling in our breasts too 
 deep to be soon obliterated. We concluded 
 to grace our parting with a farewell supper. 
 We adjourned to a pubhc house, and gave 
 directions for a sumptuous repast; and.^ 
 while it was preparing, we regaled our- 
 selves upon a few bottles of claret, in order 
 to elevate our spirits to a proper degree, that 
 the gloomy thoughts of our separation might 
 not allow our supper to be a melancholy 
 one. By the time the feast was prepared, 
 our spirits were raised to a proper state for 
 enjoyment ; and a happier or more jolly set 
 of fellows never assembled around a table, 
 than we were that night. 
 
 The sufferings we had endured, and the 
 6 angers we had passed, were fruitful sub* 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 209 
 
 jects for conversation. We eat and drank 
 till a late hour, when we arose from the 
 table, and, grasping each other by the hand, 
 and with feelings that touched our hearts, 
 we said to each other, •• God bless you — 
 farewell." To me this was a final farewell 
 to my companions; from that time to the 
 present I have never seen one of them, nor 
 have I ever heard what became of them. 
 
 As they were all older than myself, it is 
 not probable that any of them are now 
 among the living. If they are, I repeat the 
 farewell wish, which I gave fifty-six years 
 ago — '* God bless you ! " 
 
 The next day, after I had purchased 
 what articles of clothing I thought necessary 
 for the voyage, I went on board of the 
 Flora, and reported myself ready for duty. 
 
 This ship, as I have observed, was for- 
 merly a British frigate, but, after she was 
 raised by the Americans, she was fitted out 
 as a letter-of-marque, and sent by her own- 
 ers on the present voyage. 
 
 With mingled feelings of happiness, grati- 
 tude and pride, I entered into the service 
 of my country once more, and stepped with 
 IS* 
 
210 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 much satisfaction upon the deck of this fine 
 ship. CaptaLi Johnson was an excellent 
 officer; very affable and courteous in his 
 manners ; and much beloved by his officers 
 and crew. 
 
 If anythmg could add to the satisfaction 
 I experienced in finding myself on board of 
 an American ship, commanded by agreeable 
 officers, and surrounded by a crew princi- 
 pally of my own countrymen, it was the 
 circumstance of finding several Bostonians. 
 with whom I had formerly been partially 
 acquainted. Among these was Mr. Na- 
 thaniel Craft, of Roxbury, who afterwards 
 died at Bordeaux ; and Samuel G. Perkins, 
 Esq., of Boston, then a young man, brother 
 of the Hon. Thomas H. Perkins, distin- 
 guished for his philanthropy and benevo- 
 lence. How different is the character of 
 this last-named gentleman from that of 
 many others, who have lived apparently for 
 the sole purpose of leaving to their heirs the 
 inheritance of a bloated fortune ; to quarrel 
 about its division, and then perhaps to dis- 
 sipate, in a {q\v years, what has cost their 
 fathers the labor of a long life to accumu- 
 late! Of these all that can be said is, — 
 
 i^ 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 211 
 
 they lived — they died, — and their names 
 have perished with them. 
 
 " Even half a million 
 
 Gets him no other praise" 
 
 He toiled and moiled, 
 
 Poor muckworm ! through his threescore years and ten, 
 And when the earth shall now be shovelled on him, 
 If that which served him for a soul were still 
 Within its husk, 't would still be dirt to dirt. 
 
 Having amassed a princely fortune, Mr. 
 Perkins manifests the benevolence of his 
 heart in the liberal use he makes of it ; not 
 in op^tentation and parade, but for the bene- 
 fit of his fellow-creatures. He enjoys the 
 ?jatisfaction of doing good, and of seeing the 
 fruits of his goodness while he lives. He 
 does not wait for his works to follow him; 
 he has the pleasure of seeing them go before 
 him. He does not wait for his children to 
 ''rise up and call him blessed;" he hears 
 the blessings of grateful Iiearts, and feels a 
 consciousness of having been a faithful 
 steward. 
 
 When I pass through Pearl-street, and 
 look upon his noble bequest, " The Institu- 
 tion for the Blind," ^ and reflect upon what 
 p. vast amount of happiness he has conferred 
 
 * Since removed to South Boston. 
 
212 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 upon those unfortunate beings, from whom 
 the blessing of light has been shut, I cannot 
 but think that he will receive a more glori- 
 ous reward than he enjoys on earth ; a wel- 
 come into mansions of rest where peace and 
 righteousness forever reign. 
 
 To return to my narrative : There were 
 lying in the port of Cape-Francois, while 
 we were there, several Spanish and French 
 ships of war, in want of men, waiting till 
 they could obtain their complement, with 
 the intention of sailing in quest of the Brit- 
 ish fleet. 
 
 The Sunday previous to our sailing, I, 
 with several of the crew, obtained permission 
 to go on shore. It was customary then in 
 foreign ports to allow the sailors to make 
 use of Sunday as a day of recreation. 
 While we were enjoying ourselves 'over a 
 bottle of wine in a public house, a large 
 press-gang of Frenchmen suddenly entered, 
 and, seizing upcn all of us, hurried us off 
 mto their boat ; and, notwithstanding our 
 protestations against this outrage upon 
 Americans, conveyed us on board of a 
 French seventy-four. We immediately made 
 known to the captain that we belonged to 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 213 
 
 the Flora, and demanded to be released. 
 But he showed no disposition to comply 
 with our demands, saying that he was m 
 want of hands, and that we should receive 
 ^s good pay and treatment on board of his 
 ihip as in our own. 
 
 This was poor consolation for us. It was 
 provoking as well as distressing to be thus 
 {mprisoned, as it were, in sight of our own 
 ship; but, having no communication with 
 her, we could not give any information of 
 our situation. We knew that the combined 
 6eet was to sail in a few days;* and 
 although we had no objections to fighting 
 our old enemy, the British, we yet had 
 some choice as it respected the company 
 we fought in, and had but little desire to 
 obey the orders of French officers, or to 
 mingle our blood with that of their crew. 
 
 My desire to get away from this ship was 
 as great as it had formerly been to escape 
 from the British at Kingston ; and the diffi- 
 culty of eifecting it appeared about as for- 
 midable. It was vain to regret that I did 
 
 * The combined fleet sailed shortly after, under the com- 
 mand of the Count de Grasse, and were nearly all taken oi 
 •lestroyed by the British fleet. 
 
214 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 not spend the Sabbath on board of the 
 Flora, instead of carousing at a public 
 house on shore. My regret was sinceie; 
 and I resolved never to be guiUy of such 
 imprudence again, were I once more safe 
 on board of our good ship. 
 
 Of our impressed party, consisting of four 
 or five, not one could swim except myself. 
 We conferred together, and came to the 
 conclusion that the only chance we had for 
 escape consisted in my attempting to swim 
 in the night to the Flora, Avhich lay about 
 a quarter of a mile from the seventy-four. 
 I had no fear of not being able to swim that 
 distance; the only danger I apprehended 
 was from the sharks, which were very 
 abundant in those waters. 
 
 I agreed with my companions, that this 
 appeared to be the only practicable method 
 of escape; and, after some urging on their 
 part, and some flattery of the honor I should 
 gain by the achievement, I concluded to 
 undertake it that night. 
 
 Late at night I went on deck, accom- 
 panied by one of my friends, and, finding 
 the sentinel asleep, we went forward, and 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 216 
 
 divesting myself of my jacket, but keeping 
 on my hat, shirt, and trousers, I slid down 
 by the cable quietly into the water, and 
 struck out for the Flora. 
 
 Of all the dangers to which I had been 
 exposed in the course of my adventures, I 
 consider this the greatest. The horror of 
 mind I experienced, whilst swimming, is 
 indescribable. My agitation was so great, 
 that I wonder that I did not sink, through 
 fear of being devoured. I imagined a shark 
 at my feet every time I threw them out. I 
 exerted myself with so much vigor, that in 
 a very short time I was alongside of the 
 Flora, but in so exhausted a state, that I 
 could hardly raise myself over the side 
 of the boat which floated alongside of 
 the ship. I threw myself into the bottom, 
 from which I was scarcely able to move for 
 some time. 
 
 After I had recovered a sufficient degree 
 of strength, I ascended the side of the ship, 
 and, findmg no one on deck, I lay down in 
 my wet clothes, and putting my hat under 
 my head, slept soundly all night. 
 
 When I awoke in the morning, I found 
 
216 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 that I was unable to move in consequence 
 of my clothes adhering to the pitch, which 
 the heat of the climate caused to ooze from 
 the seams in the deck. By using considera- 
 ble exertion, and rolling one way and the 
 other, I at length liberated myself from my 
 confinement, and stood erect once more on 
 the deck of an American ship. 
 
 I immediately communicated to Captain 
 Johnson the cause of my absence and the 
 situation of my companions, and their great 
 desire to be again on board of his ship, and 
 the hazardous undertaking I had accom- 
 plished to give him information of the cir- 
 cumstances. 
 
 Captain Johnson immediately sent an 
 officer with his boat, and demanded the 
 release of his men. The captain of the 
 French seventy-four gave them up and 
 made many apologies, in the polite manner 
 of a Frenchman, for " the mistake that was 
 made in impressing his friends the Ameri- 
 cans." Thus I had the satisfaction of be- 
 ing the instrument in restoring my country- 
 men to their ship, and of finding myself 
 safe in the protection of our excellent com- 
 mander. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 217 
 
 Having taken in our loading of sugar, 
 and everything being ready for sea, we 
 hoisted anchor, and set sail about the mid- 
 dle of May, 1782. The first few days after 
 leaving the Cape, we had but little wind; 
 afterwards we made good progress, and 
 continued on our course without mterrup- 
 tion for about a fortnight ; when we fell in 
 with a British brig from Liverpool, bound 
 to New York. We took possession of her, 
 and, putting an officer and prize crew on 
 board, ordered her for Boston, where she 
 arrived. I afterwards received thirty dol- 
 lars as my share of the prize-money. 
 
 We continued on our voyage, and, in 
 eight days after, captured a large ship 
 bound to Quebec, loaded with munitions of 
 war and clothing for soldiers, a very valua- 
 ble prize. She was ordered for Boston, but, 
 unluckily for us, never arrived there, being 
 afterwards recaptured, by a British ship of 
 war, off the Banks of Newfoundland. Had 
 she arrived safely at Boston, my share of 
 the prize-money would have amounted to a 
 considerable sum. 
 
 It was nearly three weeks after, when 
 19 
 
218 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 we arrived off the coast of France, and, 
 having taken a pilot on board, our ship was 
 carried up the Garonne to the city of Bor- 
 deaux, where, on account of the rapidity of 
 the current, she was moored both head and 
 stern. 
 
 Our ship was soon unloaded, and stripped 
 of her sails and rigging, as preparatory to 
 her being laid up till orders could be re^ 
 ceived from Boston. Part of the crew were 
 paid off and discharged ; the remainder, that 
 chose, were permitted to remain on board 
 upon small wages. Captain Johnson hired 
 a house in the city, where he lived with his 
 servants in a style becoming the dignity of 
 the commander of a fine American ship. 
 
 As the Flora was a fast-sailing vessel, 
 our captain was in expectation of receiving 
 orders from home to fit her out as a cruiser. 
 In the hope of having another cruise, and 
 anticipating an abundance of captures with 
 the naturs' consequence resulting, — an enor- 
 mous ainonnt of prize-money, — I was will- 
 ing to remain in the ship, with the expecta- 
 tion of being one of her favored crew. We 
 remained at Bordeaux about nine months, 
 ani began to grow impatient at not receiv- 
 
OF tBENEZER FOX. 219 
 
 ing any directions from home respecting qui 
 future operations. 
 
 When we arrived at Bordeaux, we found 
 in the harbor, which is very capacious, five 
 or six hundred vessels, bearing the flags of 
 various nations, among which our stars and 
 stripes held a conspicuous place. As we 
 had but little work to perform on board of 
 the ship, much of our time was spent on 
 shore. 
 
 With the improvidence characteristic of 
 sailors, our money was spent freely; and in 
 a few days almost every one of the crew 
 graced his pocket with a watch, from which 
 a formidable chain was suspended ; and, to 
 complete the equipment, adorned his head 
 with a new hat trimmed with a broad band 
 of gold lace. 
 
 When we made a visit on shore, we were 
 very careful to return to the ship before 
 dark, partly on account of the patrol that 
 paraded the streets at night, but principally 
 in consequence of the danger of being on the 
 river after dark. The current of the Ga 
 ronne is extremely rapid. With the help 
 of the tide, we ascended the river to Bor- 
 
220 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 deaux in three or four days; anchoring 
 every time the tide ebbed. The tide rises 
 twice a day to the height of four or five 
 yards, and the velocity of the current some- 
 times exceeds three yards in a second. Bor- 
 deaux, from its commerce and importance, 
 ranks among the first towns in the kingdom, 
 and its harbor is capable of containing a 
 thousand ships. 
 
 One night, a number of our crew, after 
 having spent the day on shore, attempted to 
 return to the ship after dark. The boat 
 pushed off with four oars, directing her 
 course for the head of the vessel. She 
 arrived at the starboard bow, and was cross- 
 ing it so as to bring up on the larboard side, 
 when she unfortunately ran upon the cable, 
 and was immediately drawn under the ship. 
 A boat was let down as soon as possible, and 
 all the men picked up but one, who was 
 drowned. The boat floated off, but was 
 found the next day and brought back to the 
 ship. 
 
 Having visited nearly every part of the 
 city, and seen all the wonders of the place, 
 and spent nearly all our money ; we began 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 221 
 
 to grow tired of our monotonous life, and 
 were desirous of being engaged in active 
 service, or of returning to our native land. 
 Twelve or fifteen American vessels were 
 then lying in the port, waiting for orders 
 from home. Among these I recollect the 
 large ship which was commanded by the 
 renowned John Paul Jones, in whose service 
 the American seamen were desirous of 
 engaging 
 
 19* 
 
222 REVOLUTIONARY ADYENTUEES 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 We began to grow impatient with ouf 
 long stay in France, and became anxious to 
 return home. 
 
 An end was soon put to our anxieties 
 upon this subject. Early in the spring of 
 the year 1783, news arrived of the peace, 
 and that Great Britain, after a contest of 
 seven years, had acknowledged the Indepen- 
 dence of the United States. This news 
 ought to have produced as much joy and 
 satisfaction among the Americans in Bor- 
 deaux, as it did among their fellow-country- 
 men at home. But this news, so highly 
 prized in the United States, produced much 
 misery and distress among the seamen in 
 foreign ports. A small number of them 
 only v/ere necessary to navigate the ships 
 upon their return ; the remainder were of 
 course discharged, and left destitute oi 
 means to enable them to return to their own 
 country. He considered himself fortunate 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 223 
 
 who could obtain a passage home for the 
 iabor he might perform, without receiving 
 any other compensation for his services. 
 
 Our excellent captain, Johnson, made 
 great exertions to procure passages for those 
 of his crew whom he did not wish to detain 
 till he received orders respecting the future 
 destination of his ship, and who were anxious 
 to get home. There happened at this time 
 to be on a visit to Bordeaux, the captains of 
 two American brigs, lying at Nantes, bound 
 for Boston, who were in want of hands. 
 These gentlemen wished to obtain sixteen 
 or eighteen American seamen, and Captain 
 Johnson kindly offered to recommend me 
 among that number. 
 
 We engaged in the service of these cap- 
 tains, and made a bargain with the captain 
 of a French lugger to carry us to Nantes. 
 We immediately repaired on board, and 
 proceeded slowly down the river, as the cur- 
 rent is so swift that it is necessary for a 
 vessel to go down the river stern foremost, 
 dragging an anchor all the time from her 
 bows to retard her too rapid progress. We 
 were nearly three days in getting down the 
 
224 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 river, and about as much longer in our pas- 
 sage to Nantes. 
 
 Nantes, which held the second rank, after 
 Bordeaux, as a commercial city, is on the 
 right bank of the Loire. It is admired for 
 the regularity of its streets, the elegance of 
 its public buildings, and the magnificence 
 of its quays. 
 
 The verdant banks of the river, and the 
 many islands scattered in differejit directions, 
 give Nantes a picturesque and beautiful 
 appearance. 
 
 After our arrival at Nantes, we took lodg- 
 ings at a boarding-house for a few days, 
 until everything was arranged for our recep- 
 tion on board of the brigs. 
 
 In a few days the vessels were loaded, and 
 ready to sail. We weighed anchor, and 
 set sail in April, 1783. 
 
 We were two days in getting down the 
 river, and anchored for a few days at Paim- 
 boBuf, a town situated on the left bank of 
 the Loire, about thirty miles below Nantes. 
 
 We then weighed anchor, for the last 
 time, with a joyful " Yeo-a-hoi," and set 
 sail for our native land; — a land of free* 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 225 
 
 dom, where I anticipated, with emotions 
 that cannot be described, the pleasure of 
 meeting with relations and friends, from 
 whom I had been so long absent, and where 
 I hoped to enjoy the sweets of liberty, with- 
 out anything " to molest or make me afraid." 
 I had endured much hardship ; encountered 
 many dangers on the ocean and upon the 
 land ; and I trust that I had felt grateful for 
 the support and protection I had experi- 
 enced. 
 
 After all my wanderings, I found that I 
 coveted rest, in my dear native land, more 
 than all other things. In the morning of 
 life, as I then was, full of health and strength 
 and buoyant spirits, the idea of once more 
 seeing home gave so much animation to my 
 feelings, that I was enabled to perform my 
 duties with a degree of alacrity scarcely 
 equalled by any of the crew. Every little 
 service I could perform was a pleasure to 
 me, as I was conscious that it helped to for- 
 ward my onward course to the object of all 
 my wishes — Home. 
 
 " There is a spot of earth supremely blest, 
 A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest, 
 
22(5 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 ^Vhere man, creation's tyrant, casts aside 
 His sword and sceptre, pageantry and pride. 
 Here woman reigns ; the mother, daughter, wife, 
 Strew with fresh flowers the narrow path of life. 
 Where shall that land, that spot of earth be found? 
 Art thou a man ? a patriot 7 look around : 
 Oh, thou shalt find, howe'er thy footsteps roam. 
 That land thy country, and that spot thy home." 
 
 Our voyage was a pleasant one, and 
 nothing uncommon occurred, till we arrived 
 on the American coast, when we fell in 
 with six or eight British ships, bound to 
 England. 
 
 Their decks were covered with the well- 
 knoAvn ''red coats," who had survived the 
 attempt to conquer our country. 
 
 As our flag of stripes and stars was con- 
 spicuously displayed, they knew that we 
 were "Yankees," with whom they showed 
 no desire to continue an acquaintance. 
 
 Our captain hailed them to know "whence 
 they were from, and whither bound?" but 
 no answer was returned. Again he repeated 
 his question ; but his Yankee curiosity was 
 not gratified. He once more put his trumpet 
 to his mouth and roared with a voice like 
 
 thunder, " Go and be , we neither leva 
 
 nor fear you." 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX 227 
 
 Our course was directed to Boston^ and, 
 sliortly after our captain's friendly saluta- 
 tion, we anchored in Nantasket roads, and 
 in a few days arrived in Boston. 
 
 I stepped ashore on Long- wharf, in the 
 latter part of May, 1783, after an absence 
 of about three years. 
 
 As soon as I could get released from the 
 vessel, I visited my brother James, at Mr. 
 Tuckerman's, where he had lived during 
 my absence, to obtain information respect- 
 ing my good mother and my brothers and 
 sisters. 
 
 From him I received the pleasing intelli- 
 gence, that the family were all in good 
 health; but that my mother had given up all 
 hope of ever seehig me again on earth. 
 While walking over Boston Neck to Rox- 
 bury, where my mother still resided, my 
 brother and 1 arranged a plan to introduce 
 me to my mother as a sailor, who had just 
 arrived from a foreign port, Avhere he had 
 seen her son Eben., and had some interest- 
 ing information to communicate concerning 
 him. We soon arrived at the house, and I 
 was formally introduced in the manner pro- 
 
228 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 posed. Time, hardship, and exposure to 
 various cHmates, had produced such an 
 alteration in my personal appearance, that it 
 is no wonder that the eye of maternal affec- 
 tion did not recognize me. The good old lady 
 received me very kindly, and manifested all 
 the interest, which it is natural for a mother 
 to feel towards one who has seen and con- 
 versed with a long-absent son. 
 
 After having conversed with her for some 
 time, and endeavored to answer a multitude 
 of questions, which soon grew too minute 
 for my ingenuity to invent answers satis- 
 factory to her, I could no longer conceal my 
 impatience to make myself known, and 
 exclaimed, as I arose to embrace her, 
 " Mother, don't you know your son 7'^ 
 
 Her joy may be more easily imagined 
 than described. I was at home. The alter- 
 nate hopes and fears, that had so long 
 agitated her mind, were now all over. She 
 saw me alive and well. It was sufficient ; 
 she was satisfied and happy. 
 
 She shed tears of gratitude and joy, and 
 we both blessed God that we were permitted 
 to be united in a family circle once more. 
 My four brothers and three sisters, as well 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 229 
 
 as my mother, were all anxious to hear me 
 relate my adventures, with which 1 gratified 
 their curiosity as soon as I was able, and 
 which produced many exclamations of fear, 
 of horror, of amazement, and joy. 
 
 My story was related at that time to all 
 my acquaintance, and it has been so often 
 repeated in the course of my long life, that 
 all its incidents are so strongly impressed 
 upon my mind, that, at this distant period, 1 
 can bring them up in my thoughts with all 
 the freshness of recent transactions. 
 
 While I was on board of the ship Flora, 
 in the harhor of Cape Frangois, I wrote a 
 few lines to my mother, informing her of 
 my escape from Jamaica, &c. ; and this was 
 all the information she had ever obtained 
 concerning me, excepting a knowledge of 
 the fact of my having left the '' old Jersey" 
 and enlisted in the British service. 
 
 A circumstance transpired, during my 
 absence, highly gratifying and flattering to 
 my feelings, as it served to show me that 
 the poor, wandering boy had friends at 
 home, who manifested a lively interest in his 
 welfare. 
 
 20 
 
230 REVOLU'j lONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 Before I enlisted on board of the Protector. 
 I had recommended myself to the notice of 
 many respectable gentlemen, who were cus- 
 tomers to my master, and have reason to 
 think that my services were acceptable to 
 them. 
 
 These gentlemen had received inform.ation 
 of the manner in which I had left the prison- 
 ship, and had knowledge enough of my 
 character to conjecture what my motives 
 were for such a proceeding. They had 
 likewise heard that I had been carried to 
 Jamaica, and was performing garrison duty 
 there. 
 
 A subscription paper was carried round 
 for the purpose of raising a sum of money, 
 sufficient to purchase my discharge from the 
 British. The names of the gentlemen, who 
 evinced the kindness of their feelings towards 
 me by the liberality of their benevolence, I 
 shall ever remember with gratitude; and, 
 as they continued to be customers to my 
 master after my return, I am able, at this 
 remote period, to pay this humble tribute to 
 their memory. They are as follows : — 
 Col. Joshua Davis, Dea. Caleb Davis, GeiL 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 
 
 231 
 
 Amasa Davis, Capt. Robert Davis, Ephraim 
 May, Samuel May, Col. John May, Edward 
 Tuckerman, Capt. Nathan Curtis, Wilham 
 Allen of Dorchester, subscribed two guineas; 
 Ebenezer Wales, Ebenezer Dorr, Joseph Dorr, 
 and many others, whose names I do not 
 remember. All of the above named gentle- 
 men are numbered with the dead, and I 
 trust are enjoying the high reward which is 
 promised to those who practise deeds of love 
 and benevolence on earth. 
 
 The money, thus raised, was entrusted to 
 the care of a gentleman named Perry, then 
 living on Jamaica Plain in Roxbury, and 
 who was about sailing to the island of 
 Jamaica. 
 
 My letter to my mother, from St. Domingo, 
 arrived before Capt. Perry sailed on his 
 voyage, and rendered unnecessary the execu- 
 tion of this benevolent intention for my liber- 
 ation. No act of kindness, which I have 
 ever experienced, has impressed my mind 
 with more heart-felt gratitude, than the 
 generous act I have related ; and, whenever 
 I have met the descendants of my benefac- 
 tors, some of whom now reside in the south* 
 
232 REVOLUTIONARY ADVENTURES 
 
 erly part of Boston, they have had my 
 secret but sincere wishes for their prosperity 
 and happiness. 
 
 I returned to the service of Mr. Bosson,* 
 and remained with him till I was twenty- 
 one years of age, when I established myself 
 in business in my native place, where I 
 have remained to this day. I commenced 
 business in the practice of the trade I had 
 learned ; but, after a few years, I relinquished 
 it, and opened a store for the sale of crockery, 
 glass, and hard-ware, in which business I 
 continued till the year 1837,f when, finding 
 my infirmities, especially my deafness, in- 
 
 * My share of prize-money was eighty dollars, all of which 
 Mr. Bosson took. As I was his apprentice, and not free, he 
 had a legal right to it ; but, as I remembered his agreement 
 was to give me one half of the prize-money and wages I was 
 to receive, and as he retained the whole, I thought I would 
 make an offset by keeping about thirty dollars, my share of 
 the proceeds of a prize, taken while I was on board of the 
 Flora, and what wages I had not expended in France. This 
 money I loaned to a friend, who never found it convenient to 
 repay it. Such was the pecuniary result of my three years' 
 suffering. In justice to the memory of Mr. Bosson, it is pro- 
 per for me to state, that he said that the prize-money he 
 received became of no value in his hands, as he took it in the 
 paper currency of the times. 
 
 tin the year 1831, I was appointed Post-Master, at Rox 
 bury, which office, after four or five years, I resigned. 
 
OF EBENEZER FOX. 233 
 
 creEsing, I thought it time to quit all active 
 employment; and to ride at anchor the 
 remainder of my days. 
 
 NOTE BY THE PUBLISHER. 
 
 The subject of the preceding pages died in Roxbury, the 
 *4lh of December, 1843, in the full possession of his mental 
 faculties to the last moment of his existence. The following 
 obituary notice appeared in the Boston Mercantile Journal. 
 
 "Died in Roxbury, on Wednesday, Ebenezer Fox, Esq., 80. 
 Mr. Fox was actively engaged in the revolutionary conllict, 
 and was probably the only survivor of the crew of the ship 
 Protector at the time she had a tremendous action with the 
 British ship Admiral Duff, which resulted in the blowing up 
 of ^he latter Mr. Fox was an honest man, and much 
 roBpected." 
 
 20* 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 August 24, 1838, I visited my old shipmate,* Luther 
 Little, Esq., at Marshfield, Mass. This gentleman, it 
 will be recollected, was severely wounded in an action 
 with the " Admiral Duff." We had not seen each other 
 for fifty eight years ; and the feelings we experienced at 
 meeting, after so long a separation, maybe better imag- 
 ined than described. At the last time I had seen him, he 
 was twenty-four years of age, and I was seventeen. 
 
 What a change time has made in our appearance ! 1 
 never before was so forcibly struck with the truth of the 
 )bservation, that " time makes ravages."' 
 
 I found the mental and bodily faculties of Mr. Little 
 mcommonly perfect. 
 
 He informed me, that, at the time of our capture, he 
 vas placed as prize-master on board of the prize we had 
 in tow ; in which he escaped, and arrived at Boston, and 
 thus was so fortunate as to be saved from a long and 
 painful captivity. He did not, after that event, enter iafo 
 the naval service ; but continued his profession on the 
 ocean, as commander of a merchant ship, till he was 
 forty-one years of age, when he retired from his occupa- 
 tion, and devoted himself to agricultural pursuits, on the 
 farm where he was born, which was originally occupied 
 by his great-grandfather, then by his grandfather, whom 
 he distinctly remembers, afterwards by his father, and 
 finally by himself. 
 
 A singular instance of stability and attachment to 
 place for the roving sons of New England. 
 
 Mr. Little is remarkably active for a man of his years, 
 his sight and hearing being very good, and, surrounded 
 by agreeable and intelligent children, is in the enjoyment 
 of every blessing necessary to make old age comfortable 
 and happy. 
 
 My visit was rendered as agreeable to me as the kind 
 and hospitable treatment, prompted by a warm and gen- 
 erous heart, could make it. 
 
 *This gentleman died on the 11th of March, 1842, aged 
 86 years. 
 
APPENDIX. 235 
 
 From Mr. Little I received information, that his brother 
 George, our first lieutenant, with Captain Williams and 
 the other officers, were carried to England and confined 
 in prison ; — that his brother, with some companions in 
 suffering, bribed a sentry ; made their escape ; crossed 
 the British channel in a small boat, and arrived in safety 
 in France. 
 
 Captain Williams remained a prisoner in England, till 
 peace was made. 
 
 Mr. Little had supposed, till this visit, that he was the 
 only survivor of all whose who once composed the crew 
 and officers of the ship Protector ; and we presume that 
 none are now living, who ever fought on board of that 
 ship, excepting ourselves. 
 
 George Little, Esq., after rendering his country signal 
 service in the performance of many daring achievements, 
 commanded the frigate Boston, well known in our naval 
 history, and died in Marshfield, in a good old age. 
 
 On page 95, I have given from recollection a single 
 verse of a song at the ratification of the Federal Consti- 
 ution by the Massachusetts Convention, concerning Cap- 
 ain John Foster Williams. I have since seen an old 
 •ewspaper of the year 1788, m which the song is con- 
 tained ; and, as it may gratify some young reader, here 
 insert it entire. 
 
 MASSACHUSETTS CONVENTION. 
 
 Tune, ^^ Yankee Doodle J* 
 The 'Vention did in Boston meet, 
 
 But Stalehouse could not hold 'em ; 
 So then they went to Fed-'ral-street, 
 And there the truth was told 'em. 
 
 Yankee doodle, keep it up ! 
 
 Yankee doodle dandy j 
 Mind the music and the step, 
 And with the girls be handy. 
 
 They ev'ry morning went to prayer, 
 And then begun disputing, 
 
236 APPENDIX. 
 
 Till opposition silenc'd were 
 By arguments refuiing. 
 
 Yankee dooale, <scc- 
 
 Then 'squire Hancock, like a man 
 Who dearly loves the nation, 
 
 By a conciliatory plan 
 Prevented much vexation. 
 
 Yankee doodle, &c. 
 
 He made a woundy fed'ral speech, 
 
 With sense and elocution, 
 And then the 'Vention did beseccM 
 
 T' adopt the Constitution. 
 
 Yankee doodle, &c. 
 
 The question bemg outright put, 
 
 Each voter independent, 
 The Fed'ralists agreed t' adopt, 
 
 And then propose amendment. 
 Yankee doodle, 6cc. 
 
 The other party, seeing then 
 The people were against 'eni; 
 
 Agreed, like honest faithful men. 
 To mix in peace among 'em. 
 Yankee doodle, Ace, 
 
 The Boston folks are dejiced folks. 
 And always full of " notions ;" 
 
 The boys, the girls, their marms and dnoa 
 Were fiU'd with joy's commotions. 
 Yankee doodle, &c 
 
 So straightway they procession made| 
 
 Lord ! how natioji fine, sir ! 
 For every man, of every trade, 
 
 Went, with his tools, to dine, sir. 
 Yankee doodle, &c. 
 
 John Foster Williams, in a ship^ 
 Joined with a social band, sir, 
 
 And made the lasses dance and skip 
 To see him sail on land, sir. 
 Yankee doodle, <5cc. 
 
APPENDIX. 237 
 
 O then a ivhappvig feast begun, 
 
 And all hands went to eating, 
 They drank their toasts, shook hands, and sung 
 
 Huzza for 'Vention meeting. 
 Yankee doodle, &cc. 
 
 Now politicians of all kinds, 
 
 Who are not yet decided, » 
 
 May see how Yankees speak their minds, 
 And yet are not divided. 
 
 Yankee doodle, flee. 
 
 Then from this sample let 'em cease 
 
 Inflammatory writing, 
 For Freedom, Happiness, and Peace, 
 
 Are better far tkmi fighting. 
 Yankee doodle, &c. 
 
 So here I end my Fed'ral song, 
 
 Composed of thirteen verses. 
 May Agriculture flourish long. 
 
 And Commerce fill our purses. 
 Yankee doodle, &c. 
 
 CUDJOE MEN. 
 
 As some of my young readers may not understano 
 what is meant by " Cudjoe Men" on page 179 of the 
 preceding narrative, I may be excused for giving the 
 following short account of them. 
 
 The island of Jamaica was captured from the Span- 
 iards in 1655, during the Protectorship of Oliver Crom- 
 well, by an English armament under Admiral Penn and 
 General Venaiiles. The Spanish inhabitants had in 
 their possession on the island at that time about fifteen 
 hundred enslaved Africans, most of whom, upon the 
 surrender of their masters, retreated to the mountains, 
 from whence they made frequent attacks on the British 
 plantations, giving no quarter to the settlers, and carry- 
 ing ofi" 'heir booty to the woods and fastnesses in the 
 mountams. They were called Maroons ; the word ma* 
 roon signifying, among the Spanish Americans, hog 
 hunters j the woods at that lime abounding with the will 
 
238 APPENDIX. 
 
 *)oar, and the pursuit of them constituting the principal 
 employment of runaway or fugitive negroes. Blarrano 
 is the Spanish woni for a i/ounn pig. 
 
 This petty warfare contuiued from 1655 to 1738, fi 
 period of eighty-three years. The IMaroons knew every 
 secret avenue of the country, and stole into the distant 
 or new setyements by night, killing the whites, setting 
 fire 10 the cane-fields and houses, and carrying the slaves 
 into captivity or forcing them to join in the war against 
 their English masters. 
 
 During this long period of hostility, the British gained 
 many victories over the Maroons ; penetrated into the 
 mountains ; and established forts near their secret haunts. 
 They trained their own slaves to repel and fight them 
 from garrisons and barracks on the mountains or m their 
 neighborhood. Each barrack was furnished with a pack 
 of dogs, trained and provided by the whites. These an- 
 imals' were called Spanish dogs, or bloodhounds, and 
 proved extremely serviceable to the English, not only 
 in guarding against surprise in the night, but in tracking 
 the enemy to his secret haunts in the mountains and 
 caves. Notwithstanding all these means of annoyance, 
 the I\Iaroons increased and became more formidable in 
 1730, under an able black general, named Cud^oe, who 
 gained great renown among them. 
 
 In 1737, the British embarked from the Musquito 
 shore two hundred of the Blusquito tribe of Indians, and 
 landed them at Jamaica, to hunt down the Cudjoe men 
 after their own mode of hostility, "bush-fighting," or 
 ambuscade. 
 
 In 1738, Governor Trelawney made overtures of peace 
 to the IMaroons, who, worn down by famine, fatigue, and 
 the assaults of their numerous foes, accepted the English 
 proposals The articles of pacification commenced in 
 the following words : — 
 
 " In the name of God, amen. Whereas captain Cud- 
 joe, captain Accompong, captain Johnny, captain Cuffee, 
 captain Quaco, and several other negroes, their depend- 
 ents and adherents, have been in a state of war against 
 our sovereign lord the king," &c., &c. The treaty con- 
 sisted of fifteen articles, in which fifteen hundred acres 
 «f land were allowed to one body of the Maroons, wha 
 
APEENDIJ. 239 
 
 settled at Trelawney ; and one thousand acres to another 
 Dody of them, settled at Accompong, Cra^^ibrd town, and 
 Nanny town. 
 
 They spoke a sort of broken English and Spanish, 
 were extremely ignorant and superstitious, and, like the 
 negroes of Guinea, believed in the prevalence of Obi, a spe 
 cies of pretended magic, and the supernatural power o. 
 Obeah men. 
 
 From their mode of life and constant exercise, they 
 posse.ssed great bodily perfection, seldom beheld among 
 any other class of African or native blacks. 
 
 Such was the situation of the Cudjoe men in 1782, 
 when I escaped from Jamaica. 
 
 I may as well add what has since befallen them. 
 
 An article in the treaty of pacification with Captain 
 Cudjoe, in i"38, had made the Maroons amenable to the 
 British lav? in cases of murder, theft, dec, committed 
 against the buckras, or whites. In 1795, soon after the 
 dreadful scenes in the island of St. Domingo, now called 
 Hayti, two Maroons were tried for theft, convicted, and 
 punished by being publicly whipped at Trela^vney town. 
 This occasioned an insurrection, which threatened a rep- 
 etition of the same scenes in Jamaica, which had taken 
 place at St. Domingo. The English negro slaves, how- 
 ever, hated the Cudjoe men or 3Iaroons too fervently 
 even to join them in endeavoring to gain their own free 
 dom. 
 
 The Maroons in 1795 consisted of about 1600 men, 
 women, and children ; but the insurrection was limited 
 to the Trelawney 3Iaroons, the descendants of Cudjoe 
 and the negroes under his command, who were particu- 
 larly called Cudjoe men. 
 
 The whole of the Accompong Maroons declared in fa- 
 vor of the whites, or refused to fight the huctras. 
 
 Fifty-eight years had elapsed since the pacification 
 ttith Gen. Cudjoe; yet this long perio<i of peace had not 
 enfeebled the Maroons, who resumed. the war with fresh 
 vigor and cruelty. But the British established lines ex- 
 tendmg twenty miles in length through glades and over 
 heignvS, till the Cudjoe men were reduced to great straits, 
 and pent up in their principal strong hold, called the 
 Cockpits ; a sort of valley or dell, surrounded by steep 
 
240 APPENDIX. 
 
 precipices and broken rocks, and by mountains of pr, 
 digious height; in the caverns of which they had secre- 
 ted their women and children, and deposited their ammu- 
 nition. The Cockpits could be reached only by a path 
 down a steep rock, one hundred and fifty feet almost in 
 perpendicular height, and totally inaccessible to the 
 whites ; but the Cudjoe men, having been habituated to 
 employ their naked feet in climbing up trees and preci- 
 pices, easily surmounted this obstacle. Their principal 
 suffering was from want of water. This they supplied 
 for some time in the leaves of the tillmidsia maxima, or 
 wild pine. This is not a tree, but a plant, which takes 
 root on the body of a tree, commonly in the fork or great 
 branches of the cotton tree, and, from the conformation 
 of its leaves, catches and retains water from every show- 
 er. Each leaf resembles a spout, and has at its base a 
 natural bucket or reservoir, which contains about a 
 quart of water, — a wonderful provision of Divine Provi- 
 dence. 
 
 But even this resource was at length exhausted ; and, 
 to add to the terror of the Maroons, forty chasseurs, or 
 Spanish hunters, chiefly people of color, with about one 
 hundred Spanish dogs or bloodhounds, arrived from Ha- 
 vana. These dogs, though no larger than an English 
 shepherd dog, were much dreaded by the Cudjoe men, 
 the whole of whom surrendered to the British troops, in 
 March, 1796, about one year after the commencement of 
 this second and last war. The Spanish dogs, whose keen- 
 ness of scent, and long training, had made them thus for- 
 midable, were formerly used to get rid of the aboriginal 
 Indians of Cuba, &c., who were cruelly hunted down and 
 exterminated by the Spaniards. They are now general- 
 ly employed in Cuba and South America in the pursuit 
 of wild bullocks, which are killed for their hides, — the 
 dogs driving the cattle from the heights and forests into 
 the plains, where they are slaughtered by the chasseurs, 
 or hunters. 
 
 In June, 1796, ships having been provided for the oc 
 casion, six hundred Maroons or Cudjoe men, the remnant 
 of these restless and cut-throat blacks, were transported 
 from Jamaica to Halifax, for settlement in Nova Scotia, 
 New Brunswick, and Canada. 
 

 
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