lock 1/2 Lule 48

AN ENTERTAINING
N, A R R Α Τ Ι V B
Of the cruel and barbarous Treatment and
extreme SUFFERINGS of
MR. JOHN DODGE
DU RI N G
H IS
CAPTIVITY
OF MANY MONTHS AMONG THE
B R. IT IS H,
AT DETROIT. TO
N
WHICH IS
ALSO
CONTAINED,
A particular Detail of the SuFFERINGS OF
a Virginian, who died in their Hands.
Written by Himſelf; and now publiſhed to ſatisfy the Cu-
riofity of every one throughout the UNITED STATES.
THE
SECOND EDITION.
DANVERS, near SAL E M : Printed and Sold by
E. RUSSELL, nê xe the Bell-Tavern. M.DCC,L***.
At the ſame Place may be had, a Number of new Books,
&c. fome of which are on the Times--Cala paid for Rags.

IT
IT is worthy of remark, that
the three perſons who make
a principal inglorious figure in the
following NARRATIVE, viz. Go-
vernor Hamilton, De Jeane and Le
Mote, were afterwards taken by the
brave Colonel CLARKE, of Virginia,
at Fort St. Vincent, and are now
confined in irons in a goal in Virgi-
nia (by order of the Legiſlature of
that State) as a retaliation for their
former inbuman treatment of priſo-
ners, who fell into their hands, par-
ticularly Mr. DODGf, who has the
pleaſing confolation of viewing his
Javage adverſaries in a ſimilar pre-
dicament with himſelf when in their
power----though it is not in the
breaſt of generous AMERICANS to
treat them with equal barbarity,

A
N A R R Α Τ Ι V E, "c,
I
SOMETIME ſince left the place of
my nativity in Connecticut, and, in the
year 1770, ſettled in Sanduſky, an Indian
village, about half way between Pittſburgh
and Detroit, where I carried on a very bene-
ficial trade with the natives, until the unhap-
py diſpute between Great-Britain and Ame-
rica reached thoſe pathleſs wilds, and rouſed
to war Savages no ways intereſted in it.
In July, 1775, Capt. James Woods called
at my houſe in his way to the different Indi-
an towns, where he was going to invite them,
in the name of the Congreſs, to a treaty to be
held at Fort-Pitt, the enſuing fall; I attend-
ed him to their villages, and the Savages pro-
miſed him they would be there. Capt.
Woods alſo invited me to go with the In-
dians to the treaty, as they were in want of
an interpreter, which I readily agreed to.
Soon after the departure of Capt. Woods,
the

6 Mr. JOHN DODGE'S
the Commander of Fort-Detroit fent for the
Savages in and about Sanduſky, and told them
that he heard they were invited by the Ame-
ricans to a treaty at Pittſburgh, which they
told him was true; on which he delivered
them a talk to the following purport: “ That
"he was their father, and as ſuch he would
" adviſe them as his own children ; that the
66 Coloriſts who were to meet them at Pittſ-
“burgh were a bad people; that by the in-
dulgence of their Protector, they had grown
a numerous and faucy people; that the
great King not thinking they would have
the aſſurance to oppoſe his juſt laws, had
kept but few troops in America for ſome
years paft; that thoſe men being ignorant
of their incapacity to go through with
" what they intend, propoſe to cut off the
few regulars in this country, and then you
"Indians, and have all America to them-
“ felves; and all they want is, under the
“ fhew of friendſhip, to get you into their
" hands as hoſtages, and there hold you
"until your nations ſhall comply with their
“ terms, which if they refuſe, you will be
66 all mafſacred. Therefore do not go
any means ; but if you will join me
" and keep them at bay a little while, the
King, qur father, will ſend large fleet
66
and

N ARRA TI V E. 7
.
** and armies to our aſſiſtance, and we
" will foon fubdue them, and have their
plantations to ourſelves."
This talk fo diſmayed the Indians, that they
came to me and ſaid they would not go to the
treaty, at the ſame time telling me what the
Governor of Detroit had ſaid to them. On
this. Mr. James Heron and myſelf having
the cauſe of our country at heart, aſſerted
that what the Governor had ſaid was falſe,
and told them that the Coloniſts would not
hurt a hair of their heads, and if they would go
to the treaty, that l, with Mr. Heron, would
be ſecurity, and pledge our property, to
the annount of four thouſand pounds, for
their ſafe return. This, with the arrival of
Mr. Butler with freſh invitations, induced
ſome of them to go with me to the treaty. I
In the fall I attended a number of them
to the treaty, where we were politely receive
ed by the Commiſſioners ſent by Congreſs.
The council commenced; the Indians, who
are always fond of fiſhing in troubled water,
offered their affiftance, which was refuſed,
with a requeſt that they would remain in
peace, and not take up the hatchet on
cither ſide. On the whole, theſe Indians
were

8 Mr. John Dodge's
were well pleaſed with the talk from the
Congreſs, and promiſed to reniain quiet.
The Commiſſioners thinking it proper,
ſent the Continental belt and talk by fome of
the Chiefs to the Savages who reſided about
the lakes. Theſe Chiefs being obliged to
paſs Sanduſky, in their rout, Mr. John
Gibſon, Agent for Indian affairs requeſted
me to accompany them, and furniſh them
with what they ſtood in need of; on which
I took them home. adica
On my arrival at the village i found
the Savages in confuſion, and preparing
for war, on which I called a Council and
rehearfed the Continental talk, which,
with a preſent of goods to the amount of
twenty five pounds, quieted them. This
I informed Congreſs of, agreable to their
requeſt, by expreſs, and that the Gover-
nor of Detroit was ſtill urging the Indians
Soon after this, a party of Savages
from the neighborhood of the lakes, came
to my houſe on their way to the frontiers
to ſtrike a blow: I aſked them the rea-
ſon they took up the hatchet ? They re-
plied, that the Governor of Detroit had.
pold them, that the Americans were going
to war.
to

NARRATIV E. 9
to murder them all and take their lands;
but if they would join him, they would
be able to drive them off, and that he
would give them twenty dollars a ſcalp.
On this I rehearſed the Continental talk,
and making them a ſmall preſent they re-
turned home, believing as I had told
them, that the Governor was a liar and
meant to deceive them.
On this I thought proper to write the
Governor of Detroit, what he was to ex-
pect ſhould he continue to perſuade the
Indians to take up the hatchet. He was
ſo enraged at the receipt of this letter, that
he offered one hundred pounds for my ſcalp
or body, he ſent out ſeveral parties to
take me without effect, until having
ſpread an evil report of me among the In-
dians, on the fifteenth of January, 1776,
my houſe was ſurrounded by about twenty
ſoldiers and favages, who broke into the
houſe, made me a priſoner, and therz
marched me for Detroit.
It was about the duſk of the evening,
when, after a fatiguing march, I arrived
at Detroit, and was carried before Henry
Hamilton, late a Captain in the fifteenth
regiment, but now Governor and Com-
B
mandant

то Mr. JOHN DODGE'S
mandant of Detroit; he ordered me to cloſe
confinement, telling me to ſpend that
night in making my peace with God, as
it was the laſt night I ſhould live ; I was
then hurried to a loathſome dungeon, iron-
ed and thrown in with three criminals,
being allowed neither bedding, ſtraw or
fire, although it was in the depth of win-
ter, and ſo exceeding cold, that my toes
were froze before morning.
ABOUT ten o'clock the next morning,
I was taken out and carried before the Go-
vernor, who produced a number of letters
with my name figned to them, and aſked
me if they were my hand writing ? To
which I replied they were not. He then
ſaid, it was a matter of indifference to him
whether I owned it or not, as he under-
ſtood that I had been carrying on a corref-
pondence with Congreſs, taking the Sa-
vages to their treaties, and preventing their
taking up the hatchet in favor of his Ma-
jeſty, to defend his crown and dignity
that I was a rebel and traitor, and he
would hang me. I aſked him whether
he intended to try me by the civil or mili-
tary law, or give me any trial at all ? To
which he replied, that he was not obliged
to give any damn'd rebel a trial unleſs he
thought

N A R R Α Τ Ι ν Ε. II
thought proper, and that he would hang
every one he caught, and that he would
begin with me firſt. I told him if he
took my life, to beware of the conſequence,
as he might depend on it that it would
be looked into. What, ſays he, do you
threaten me you damn'd rebel? I will ſoon
alter your tone; here take the damn'd rebel
to the dungeon again, and let him pray to
God to have mercy on his ſoul, for I will
foon fix his body between heaven and earth
and every ſcoundrel like him.
I WAS then redelivered to the hands of
Philip De Jeane, who acted in the capaci-
ty of judge, ſheriff and jailor, and carried
back to my dungeon, where I was ſoon
waited on by the Miſſionary to read pray-
ers with me; but it was ſo extremely cold,
he could not ſtand it but a few minutes at
a time. In converſation with him, I told
him I thought it was very hard to loſe
my
life without a trial, and as I was in-
nocent of the charge alledged againſt me.
He ſaid it was very true, but that the Go-
vernor had charged him not to give me
the leaſt hopes of life, as he would abſo-
lurely hang me.
I REMAINED in this diſmal fitua.
tion three days, when De Jeane came and
took

I 2 Mr. John Dodge's
took out one of the criminals who was in
the dungeon with me, and held a ſhort
conference with him, chen came and told
me, the Governor had ſent him to tell
me to prepare for another world, as I
had not long to live, and then withdrew.
I enquired of the criminal, who was a
Frenchman, what De Jeane wanted with
him ? But he would not tell me.
THE 'évening following he told his
brother in diſtreſs, that De Jeane had
offered him twenty pounds to hang Mr.
Dodge (meaning me) but that he had
refuſed unleſs he had his liberty ; De
Jeane then ſaid, that we ſhould both be
hot under the gallows.
BEING at laſt drove almoſt to de-
{pair, I told De Jeane to inform the Go-
vernor I was readier to die at that time
than I ſhould ever be, and that I would
much rather undergo his ſentence, than
be tortured in the dreadful manner I then
He returned for anſwer, that I
need not hurry them, but prepare my-
felf, as I ſhould not know
my
time un
til half an hour before I was turneâ off.
Thus did I languiſh on in my dungeon,
without a friend being allowed to viſit me,
denied
was.

N A R R A TI V E. 13
denied the neceſſaries of life, and muſt
have periſhed with the cold, it being in the
depth of winter, had not my fellow-priſoners
ſpared me a blanket from their ſcanty ſtock.
Thus denied the leaſt comfort in life, to-
gether with the unjuſt and ſavage threat-
ning I received every day, brought me fo
very low, that my inability to anſwer De
Jeane's unreaſonable queftions, with which
he daily tormented me reſpecting innocent
men, obliged him to notice my fituation,
and no doubt thinking I ſhould die in their
hands, they thought proper to remove me
to the barracks, and ordered a Doctor to
attend me.
The weather had been ſo ex-
treme cold, and my legs had been bolted in
ſuch a manner, that they were fo benumb-
ed, and the finews contracted, that I had not
the leaſt uſe of them; and the ſeverity of
my uſage had brought on a fever, which
had nigh ſaved them any further trouble. .
AFTER I had lain ſome time ill, and my
recovery was deſpaired of, De Jeane called
and told me that the Governor had alter-
ed his mind with reſpect to executing me,
and bid me be of good cheer, as he be-
lieved the Governor would give me my
liberty when I got better ; I replied it was
a matter of indifference to me whether he
gave

14 Mr. JOHN DODGE's
gave me my liberty or not, as I had much
rather die than remain at their mercy :
On which he faid, “ You
nay
die and
be damn'd," and bounced out of the room.
WHEN I had ſo far recovered as to be a-
ble to ſet up in my bed, my nurſe being a-
fraid I ſhould inform her huſband of her
tricks in his abſence, told the Governor
that I was a going to make my eſcape
with a party of ſoldiers, that I was well
and could walk as well as the could
though at that time my legs were ſtill fo
cramped and benumbed with the irons
and cold, that had kingdoms been at ſtake
I could not walk.
On this information, De Jeane came and
told me to get up and walk to the dunge-
on from whence I came. I told him I was
unable : « Crawl then you damn'd rebel,
or I will make you." I told him he might
do as he pleaſed, but I could not ſtand,
much more walk : On this he called a par-
ty of ſoldiers, who toſſed me into a cart
and carried me to the dungeon : Here, by
the perfuafion of the Doctor, who was ve-
ry kind and attentive, I was allowed a bed
and not ironed. By his care and the wea-
ther growing milder, I got rid of my fever
and began to walk about my dungeon,
which

15
NARRATIVE.
which was only eight feet ſquare; but even
this was a pleaſure too great for me to en-
joy long, for in a few days I was put in-
to irons. The weather now growing
warm and the place offenſive, from the
filth of the poor fellows I had left there,
and who were afterwards executed, I re-
lapſed. By perfuafion of the Doctor who
told them unleſs I had air I ſhould die, a
hole about ſeven inches ſquare was cut
to let in foine air.
I REMAINED ill until June, although the
Doctor had done all that lay in his power;
he then let the Governor know, that it
was impoſſible for me to recover unleſs I
was removed from the dungeon, on which
he fent De Jeane to inform me, if I would
give ſecurity for my good behavior, that
he would let me out of priſon. Being by
my uſage and fever, reduced to a ſtate of
deſpondence, I told him that it was a matter
of indifference what he did with me, and
that his abſence was better than his compa-
ny: He then publiſhed it abroad, and ſeve-
ral Gentlemen voluntarily entered into two
thouſand pounds ſecurity for me, and I once
more was allowed to breath the freſh air, af-
ter fix months confinement in a loathſomie
dungeon, except eight or nine weeks that I
lay fick at the barracks.
ON

16 Mr. JOHN DODGE'S
On my going abroad, I learned that all the
property I left in the woods, to the amount
of fifteen or fixteen hundred pounds, was
taken in the King's name, and divided a-
inong the Indians. As I had but little to
attend to but the recovery of my health,
I mended apace.
As ſoon as I could walk
abroad, Governor Hamilton ſent for me
and ſaid, he was forry for my misfortunes
,
and hoped I would think as little as poſſi-
ble of them, that I was in a low ftate, he
thought I had beft not think of buſineſs,
or think of what I had left, as he would
lend me a hand to recover my loſſes.
This ſmooth diſcourſe gave the but little
ſatisfaction for the ill uſage I had received
at his hands ; however, I was determined
to reſt as eaſy as I could, until I had an
opportunity of obtaining redreſs.
As ſoon as I found myſelf ſo far recover-
ed as to be able to do bufineſs, which was
in September, I applied to the Governor to
go down the country, but he put me off
with fine words, a permiſſion to do buſineſs
there, and a promiſe of his affiſtance. I
now ſettled my accounts with the perſons
with whom I was connected in trade, and
found myſelf ſeven hundred pounds in debt.
My credit being pretty good, I ſet up a
retail

NARRATIVE. 17
I
retail ftore, and as many of the inhabitants
pitied my caſe, they all ſeeming willing to
fpend their nionev with me. My being
niaſter of the different Indian languages
about Detroit, was alſo of ſervice to me, fo
that in a ſhort time I paid off all my debts,
and began to add to my ſtock.
In the ſpring,cf 1777 I heard there was like
to be a good trade at Machilimakanac, on
which I applied to the Governor, and with a
great deal of trouble got a paſs, went and met
with good trade. On my returnGovernor Ha-
milton by ſeveral low arts attempted to pick
my cargo, which as it would ſpoil the fale of
the remainder, I could not allow. As he had
no pretence for taking them from me by force,
it once more provoked him to wrath againſt
me; he greatly retarded my fales by denying
ing me a permit to d aw iny powder out of the
magazine ; alſo ordered myſelf and two fer-
vants to be ready at a moment's warning to
march under Capt. Le Mote on a ſcouting
party with Savages : I told him it was againſt
my inclination to take up arms againſt my
own fleſh and blood, and much more ſo to go
with Savages to butcher and ſcalp defenceleſs
women and children, that were not intereſted
in the preſent diſpute: He faid it was not any
of my buſineſs whether they were intereſted
in the diſpute or not; and added if you are
not

18 Mr. JOHN DODGE's
not ready when called for, I will fix
you.
Lucky for me he was ſoon after called down
the country, and ſucceded by Capt. Mount-
preſent as Commander, who ordered Le Mote
to ſtrike my name out of his books; but
my fervants with their pay, I loft entirely.
The party of Savages under Le Mote went
out with orders not to ſpare man, woman or
child. To this cruel mandate even ſome of
the Savages made an objection, reſpecting the
butchering women and children, but they
were told the children would make ſoldiers,
and the women would keep up the ſtock.--
Thoſe fons of Britain offered no reward for
priſoners, but they gave the Indians twenty
dollars a ſcalp, by which means they induc-
ed the Savages to make the
poor
inhabitants,
who they had torn from their peaceable
homes, carry their baggage until within a
Thort diſtance of the fort, where in cold blood,
they murdered them, and delivered their
green ſcalps in a few hours after to thoſe
Britiſh Barbarians, who on the firſt yell
of the Savages, flew to meet and hug them
to their breaſts reeking with the blood of
innocence, and ſhewed them every mark of
joy and approbation, by firing of cannon, &c.
ONE of theſe parties returning with anum-
ber of women and children's ſcalps, and three
priſoners, they were met by the Commander
of

N A R R Α Τ Ι ν Ε. 19
of the fort, and after uſual demonſtrations of
joy delivered their ſcalps, for which they were
paid ; the Indians then made the Comman-
dant a preſent of two of the priſoners, reſerv-
ing the third as a ſacrifice to the manes of one
of them that had fell in the expedition. Be-
ing ſhocked at the idea of one of my fellow-
creatures being tortured and burnt alive by
thoſe inhuman Savages, I ſought out the In-
dian who had loſt his relative, and to whom,
according to the Indian cuſtom, this unhappy
man belonged; I found him, took him home
with me, and by the aſſiſtance of fome of my
friends and twenty five pounds worth of goods
I perſuaded the inhuman wretch to ſell his
life to me. As the reſt of the gang had taken
the priſoner about two leagues diſtance, and
were making merry over him, we were obli-
ged to lay a ſcheme to deliver him from their
hands, which we did in the following man-
ner, it being midnight and very dark, the In
dian, myſelf and two ſervants, croſſed the ri-
ver in a batteaux to where they were carouſ-
ing around this unhappy victim. The In-
dian then went to his companion, and under
a pretence of taking the priſoner out to anſwer
a call of nature, delivered him to me, who
lay at ſome diſtance, and I carried him to the
batteaux. As ſoon as he found himſelf in the
hands of his deliverer, his tranſport was too
great for his tender frame; three different
times

20 Mr. JouN DODGE's
times he ſunk lifeleſs in my arms, and as of
ten by the help of water, the only remedy at
hand, prevented his going to the land of ſpi-
rits in a tranſport of joy. None but thoſe who
have experienced it, can have an idea of the
thoughts that muſt have agitated the breaſt
of a man, who but a few minutes before faw
himſelf ſurrounded by Savages, whoſe diſmal
yell, and frightful figures, heightened by the
glare of a large fire in a difrnal wood, which
muſt have harrowed up the ſoul of an uain-
tereſted byſtander,much more one who knew
that very fire was prepared for his execution,
and that every moment the executioner was
expected to arrive. --The executioner arrives;
he advances towards him ; he loſens this un-
happy victim from the tree to which he was
bound, no doubt as this
young man imagined
to be led to the ſtake; but as it were in an in-
Itant, he finds himſelf in the hands of his de-
liverer and fellow-countryman. This, as I
faid before was too much for him to bear
however I got his almof lifeleſs corpſe to
my houſe, where I kept him hid: The In-
dian, according to our agrement in an hour
or two after I was gone, returned feemingly
much fatigued, and told his fellow Savages
who were impatiently waiting to begin
their brutal facrifice, that the priſoner had
efcaped, and that he had in vain purſued him.
Annie sime after this I found an opportunity
i
and

N A R RAT I V E.
2
and made an agrement with the Captain of a
veilei going to Michilim kanac, to take my
unhappy inmate with him, but one of my fer-
vants being tempted, by a large reward that
was offered for retaking the above priſoner,
informed De Jeane, that he was hid in my
houſe, on which my habitation was ſoon fur-
rounded by a party of ſoldiers under the com-
mand of faid De Jeane, and myſelf, the young
man and four ſervants were made priſo-
ners, and having demanded my keys, which
I delivered, we were hurried to goal and con-
fined in different rooms. Here this unhap-
py young fellow, in high expectations of
ſeeing his friends, was once more plunged
into the horrors of impriſonment,
REPRESENTATION of the Indian Manner
of burning an Engliſh Prifoner.

22 Mr. JOHN DODGE'S
I was ſent for and carried before the Com-
mandant, where, on being examined who was
the perſon in my houſe, I frankly told him it
was a young man whom I had bought of the
Indians when they were going to burn him,
and that I meant to ſend him to Canada to
*be out of the way of the Savages, but De
Jeane, like other men of bad principles,
thinking no man could do a good action
without finifter views, ſaid that he believed
I had purchaſed him to ſerve my own ends,
and that he would find them out, which the
Commandant ordered him to do as ſoon as
poſſible, and I was ordered to priſon,
De Jeane then took my fervant, who was
his informant, ironed him, put him in the
dungeon, and after keeping him three days
on bread and water, the lad aimoft fright-
ened out of his ſenſes, fent for
and told him that the day before I was ta-
ken up I had wrote ſeveral letters, and on
his bringing a candle to ſeal them, that I
ſaid, if he told any one that I was writing
to Pitburg, that I would blow his brains
This fuiting De Jeane's purpoſe, he
made the lad ſwear to it, and then ſet him
with the reſt of my ſervants at liberty.
I WAS now once more called before the
Commandant, who told me he underſtood I
out.
was

23
N A R R A TI V E.
was going to ſend an expreſs to his Majeſty's
enemies, in conſequence of which he had ta-
ken an inventory of my effects, and meant to
fend me to Canada. I told him he was
mifinformed : He then taxes me with what
De Jeane had forced from my fervant; aſked
me where I was writing the day before I was
taken? I told him to my correſpondents in
Montreal ; and luckily for me a neighbor
of mine, having been at my houſe, was pro-
duced, who declared the truth of what I
faid, and that I being hurried, had given
him the letters to carry on board the veſſel :
This with ſome other falſe accuſations be-
ing cleared up, I was once more releaſed
on giving freſh ſecurity.
THOUGK myſelf and ſervants were, for
+ want of a pretence for detaining us, ſet at
liberty, it was not ſo with the unfortunate
young man whom I had purchaſed from the
Indian; he ſtill remained in priſon, daily tor-
mented with the threats of De Jeane, that he
would deliver him to the Indians, which ſo
preyed on his ſpirits, that in a ſhort time it
threw him into a fever. I then applied to
Capt. Montpreſent, the Commandant, who
gave me permiſſion, and I removed him to
ſick quarters, where I hired Jacob Pue, of
Virginia, his fellow-priſoner, to attend him
:
I

24
A Mr. John Dodge's
I alſo, when leiſure would permit, attended
him myſelf, but De Jeane, who ſtill haunted
him, had ſo great an effect on him, that one
day when I vifited him, he called me to his
bedſide and ſaid to me, that De Jeane had juſt
left him, that he told him to make haſte and
get wel, as the Indians were waiting for him.
Pray Sir, (ſaid the young man to De Jeane)
for God's fake try to keep ine from the In-
dians, for if they get me they will burn me.
Keep you from them, ſaid De Jeane, you
damn'd rebel you deſerve to be burned, and all
your damn'd countrymen with you, ſo you
need not think Dodge can ſave you ; Gene-
ral Hamilton is now come up, and he will
fix
you all. I tried to comfort him, and told
him to be of good courage : Oh ! replied he,
I am almoſt diſtracted with the idea of being
burnt by the Savages ; l had much rather die
where I am, than be delivered into the hands
of thoſe horrid wietches, from whom I fo
lately by your hands eſcaped, the recollection
of which, makes me ſhudder with horror.
He could ſay no more ; he funk under it,
and in a few hours after, death, more kind
than his cruel tormentors, releaſed him
from his troubles. I paid the laſt tribute to
this my unhappy Countryman, and had his
corpſe decently interred, attended by the
Miſſionary and moſt of the principal Mer--
chants of the town.
A.S

N A R R Α Τ Ι Ο Ε
25
As Hamilton was arrived, I had everything
to expeã that his malice could invent, more
eſpecially as De Jeane, to whom his ear was
always open, had told him (as I was informed)
all and more than what had happened during
bis abſence. About a month after the death of
the unhappy young man above related, I had
occaſion for ſome of my powder out of the ma-
gazine : I wrote an order to the conductor,
according to cuſtom, and waited on the Go-
vernor to have it figned ; on preſenting it to
him, he looked at it, and then looked at me
with a ſarcaſtic ſmile ſaid, It is powder you
want,

36
Mr. JOHN DODGE's
want, you damn'd raſcal is it? At the ſame
time tearing my order and throwing it in my
face : You have behaved yourſelf very well,
have you not ? After my granting you your
life, you would not go with Le Mote, would
you not ? ſays, he and ſtarting up in a great
paffion as though he would ſtrike me, put
himſelf between me and the door. What,
{ays hé, you have a damn'd deal of influence
with the Indians; you can purchaſe priſon-
ners without iny approbation can you ? you
damn'd raſcal. Sir, ſaid I, I am no raſcal; not
a word out of your mouth, fays Hamilton, go
about your buſineſs and take care of me or I
will fix you : I replied it had always been
my ſtudy to take care of him; not a word, ſays
about your buſineſs, and bleſs your
Stars I was not here inſtead of Capt. Mont-
preſent, for I would have fixed you, you
damn'd ſcoundsel. Here I took my leave,
went home, and determined to think as lit-
tle of Mr. Hamilton and his uſage as poſſible,
until I had an opportunity of getting redreſs.
Notwithſtanding the hatred of Hamilton
and De Jeane, I ſpent the forepart of the win-
ter very happily, until the 25th of Jan. 1778,
when feveral Merchants of the town got per-
miſion to go to Sanduſky to trade, and as they
propoſed
he go

NARRA TI V E. 27
propoſed encamping about two leagues from
the town, myſelfand ſeveral others in afriend-
ly manner, propoſed and did accompany them
in our fleighs to their firſt ſtage ; but on our
return, I being a head, was challenged by De
Jeane, at the head of thirty or forty ſoldiers,
by aſking who came there? To which I re-
plied, John Dodge ; he then ordered the fol-
diers to ſeize me and the two gentlemen in
the ileigh with me, and forced us to return
to the encampment we had juſt left, where he
ſeized the whole of the gentlemen who were
going by permiffion to Sanduſky, with their
goods, feighs, &c. and carried the whole of
us the next morning back to the fort, and
charged us with ſending out goods to ſupply
(as he politely termed it) the rebels.
After being detained three days in priſon
I was taken to De Jeane's houſe to ſee my
papers, books, deſk, &c. examined. They
broke open my deſk pretending to have loſt
the key. On ſearching, they could not find
any thing worth their notice, or what they
expected to find. De Jeane then gave me my
keys, and told me to fend for my deſk and
take care of myſelf as he would watch me ;
I told him, as he had taken it from
my
houſe
and broke it, he fhould mend it and ſend it
home

28 Mr. JOHN DODGE's
home before I would receive it : Stop a little
faid he, I will ſpeak to the Governor and fix
yon yet if I can; he then gave me into the
care of the guard, and ordered me to goal.
About the fifth day after this, not hearing
any thing from him, I fent for my violin, and
was diverting myſelf, when Governor Ha-
milton paſſed by, and inquired who was play-
ing on the violin, to which the Corporal of
the guard anſwe dit was me. The next day
De Jeáne -waited on me with a Blackmith,
who foon clapped on a pair of hand-bolts ;
and now, ſays De Jeane, I have fixed you,
you may play the violin until you are tired ;
I aſked him what I had done to be treated
thus ; for that you muſt apply to the Gover-
nor ſaid he for itishis pleaſure that you are fo:
He then threatened to put on my leg bolts; on
which I told him I did not value his irons,but
if he kept me priſoner, I ſhould look to him
for my property, (about 3000l.) Yes, ſays he
we will fix you and your property too, and
'then left ine. About fix days after, I was ta-
ken to my own houſe, where two Engliſh and
two Frenchmen, by order of the Governor,
took an inventory of my goods, and ſoon af
ter fold the whole at vendue, for about 1900l.
New-York currency. Thas being a ſecond
time robbed of my property, I lay a priſoner
as

NARRATIV E.
29
as contented as poſſible, without any thing
material happening until the firſt of May.
On the firſt of May, 1778, I was put on
board a veſſel to go down to Quebec, and by
Some of my friends furniſhed with proviſion
and neceffaries for the voyage; but of theſe
I was robbed by De Jeane, and had it not been
for ſome gentlemen, paſſengers in the ſame
veſſel, I muſt have ſuffered with hunger. On
the firſt of June I arrived at Quebec, where
I was conducted to Mr. Printices the Pros
voſt Marſhal! Ha, ha, ſays he, Mr. Dodge,
are you here? I have often been told you
were a damn'd raſcal, doing all you could
againſt government; it is a pity Governor
Hamilton did not hang you when he was
about it, as he would have ſaved govern-
ment a great deal of trouble. From hence
I was conducted on board the priſon ſhip
Mariah, with a number of Farmers, taken
off their plantations by the Savages.
Two days after I was put on board the pri.
fon fhip, we were viſited by Mr. Murray,
Commiſſary of Priſoners, to whom I gave an
account of my capture and ill uſage ; he
told me, he would ſpeak to the General, and
give me an anſwer. Two days after, he came
on board, and told me, as it was very diffi-
cult

Mr. JOHN DODGE'S
cult times, I could not have a hearing at
preſent; I told him I wanted nothing but
what the Engliſh conſtitution allowed,
and if I could not get that in Quebec, I
would apply to England; to which he re-
plied, I had better be eaſy, for if I did not,
he would put me in irons again.
I remained on board the priſon ſhip until
the begining of Auguſt, when Mr. Murray
came on board, and informed me that I was
not to go with the priſoners; but if I would
give my parole, I ſhould be allowed the li-
berty of Quebec. I aſked him the occa
fion I could not be ſent with the other priſo-
ners ; he replied it was the Governor's or-
ders: I aſked him if I was to be allowed any
fupport; he ſaid, not any
I told him it was
very hard to be dragged from my houſe, rob.
bed of my property, deprived of my liberty,
fent 1200 miles in irons, and fill be held a
prifoner in the town of Quebec, without any
allowance for ſupport : All my applications
were in vain, I was fet on ſhore under pa-
role the fourth of Auguſt, and the ſhip
failed with the other prifoners ſoon after.
The cauſe of my detention, as I was after-
wards told by Mr. Murray, was, that Gover-
nor Hamilton, of Detroit, had wrote the
General
1950

31
N A R RATIVE
General not to ſend me round with the other
priſoners ; for if I got into the United States,
he knew I would come immediately upon
him, and as I knew the country, was well
acquainted with the languages of the differ-
ent Indians about the lakes, and had great
influence among them, ſhould be the means
of their lofing the fort, which would be
much againſt the crown.
On my enlargement, I foon got acquaint-
ed with a number of gentlemen, who were
friends to the United States, and the cauſe in
* which they were engaged. Some days after,
going on ſhore, I fell in company with a Mr.
Jones, who happened at that time to be
reading a letter ſent by General Montgomery,
while he lay before Quebec, to Gov. Carlton,
and on concluding it, ſaid he hoped General
Montgomery was in hell, and that all the re-
bels would ſoon be with him ; to this I made
a reply, words enſued, and then blows ; he
drew on me, but I parried his thruſt with
my cane, ſo that I only got a ſmall wound
on my knee: He then made a complaint, and
I was ſent for by the General, who threat-
ened to put me in confinement, if I did not
find ſecurity ; this I foon found, and bonds
were given for me før two months ; at the
end

32 Mr. John Dodge's NARRATIVE.
end of which, as they neglected renewing
them, and left me without parole or fecuri-
ty, I hised an Indian guide, and on the ninth
of Otto. quitted Quebec. After a fatiguing.
march through the woods, on the 20th of
Nov. I arrived at Boſton, where I was kind-
ly received and politely treated by General
Gates, who ſupplied my wants and forward-
ed me to his Excellency General Waſhing-
ton; I waited on him, was politely received,
and ſent on to Congreſs, having ſome mata
ters relating to Canada, worthy their hearing.
Had the love of my country no ways
prompted me to act againſt the tyranny of
Britain, I leave it to the world to judge,
whether I have not a right to revolt from
under the dominion of ſuch tyrants, and ex-
ert every faculty God has given me to ſeek
fatisfaction for the ill uſage I received ; that
if I had ten thouſand lives, and was ſure to
loſe them all, I thiök thould I not attempt
to gain ſatisfaction, I ſhould deſerve to be a
Lave the remainder of my life..
N I S.
mas
ollsburg
hiszoch
mosch
18721