The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1777-05-05 00:00:00, page 1

PHILADELPHIA.
C„ ^ letter from Lord CORNWALLIS to Graral
WASHING rON,^BßUNswicK,^ri/3 1777.
Sir,
lINCLOSEI INCLOSE to yen a paper which IFat. Col. Wolcott
di4v#tcd ~frday to Lieut. Col. Harriion, and
which Lieutenant Cwlenel Barrifee did not then think
proper to iccciva. I am, Sir, wi b ufpa. y« nr aloft
c&dieat bumble fervent, CORNWALLIS,
Gsieral Washington, &c< &c. &c. (~°PJ )
Dt^^d, &c. bLieu! Col. Walcott Atril 2, 1777, !/'
RETURN of PRISONERS.„
WHEREAS Gee. Washington did, in his bt
mo: General H^e,b^i^ dat<t the thirtieth
day of July, 1776, declare that he wai auihorifed to
propofa, cad h^ did i* the Lid letter accordingly pro
pafi, a genual exchange of all prifonm es war, in the
manner n^d o,oa the ter^s fluorite viz. officers for
officers rs equal rank, folder fcr fuldier, and citizen
fir citizen." To which prcphfal Hit Excellency
Gen. Sir William Ho^, did, in hit aufwer of the firft
of August following, accede a^d agree. And where-
Mg, in puriuauce of this agreement, Gen< Sir William
Howe, rekiag upon the honour end good fails ©f
Gen. Washington, for the due and punctual perform
ance thereof oa hit part, hath, mt several times, feat
and delivered over to Gra. Waihing^n, as will fully
appear from the lids with them transmitted, a number
of officers on their parole, and upwards of two thsu
faud two hundred privates, of the enemy, hirpifcn
eri ; led who, as writ officers'#? priv.4ci, are ftili to
be confident as fetch unax the/ /hall be regularly ex
changed, officers far officers of iqual rank, a^d the
private by a'iike number cf th.b mow in the poffef
fian of Gen. Wafliington; font of whom, having
been Ukrn before, or about the tine of concluding
the agreement, have, ia direct violation thereof, been
detained as pfifonur^ for full tight months,a&d ethers
tskan the lunar end rfDecember and in the beginning
of January left, have been in the like condition cf
prisoners tor three months ; nbae, or vary few cf
whom, hA^hithe^o been fins in, in return er ex
change o ' "> e number es prisoners tat by Gen. Hawa
to GA.Wafhi&gion. I Lfrut. Col. William Walcott,
vo^ed with full powers for this among other purpefas,
do therefore, in to* most pefiriva and peremptory man
ner, squire and demand cf Gen. Washington the full
and dus performance ^f the agreement above recited;
and caufeqv'ady,th^ f t e+dy ^nd immediate reieafe of
all priio^^rs of war, whether Briftfh, Htffimo, Wal
decker:, Provincials or Canadians, as well officers as
fen lierh, new in his peffiffian, or so fcr as they (hall or
may go towards th^rchange cfthefe sent and deliver
ed over Gen. Washington. And whereas there are
frill in possession of G Sir William Howe a very
„confidetable number of officers, and a number cf pri
"vates^ of the enemy, prif^'s, u^xchanged ; I do
farther require and demand cf General Washington,
that so fo°c *# 113 Shall h * v « completed the exchange
es thofs already delivered over to him, agreeable to
ray requisition and demand fer that purpose, he Shall
proceed to the exchange oftheft left mentionedefficcys
a^d privates, i^ conformity to th. garment of the
30th of July and ift of Au7uft, 1776 ; to th^ Fx«cufci
<.n of which ths grcoudlefi end u^pre^cent^d ob
jesiu^s offered ^n the past of General W&fhi*g@ by
Lieut. Col. Harrison, c^uot with any degge of rea
-lor coafifteztiy with common firfe, be allowed or
ad^hted tuobfiitUs. Thorns tbet “ ^he whole cf
the prihaers ^tai^d in the Ce^^ ff^ft rifts, and
driim^d over to Go. Walhb %^% Should not be
acc^u^d fir. because m-s, <f riera died m heir
return to ^ pUce of t^ir defli<ation, and mary im
diately aLcr tlrri* arrival.” Poirier therefore cem
ftff diy, ficin he cbj i&ca rift f,3 bet d, to thrir be
ing delivered ever to G^, W^firirgton. AU cFwhcaa
therefor# must b% aid HI of whom, this cbj dien
notwiebftandin, 1 de #£<3 requite &rd demand to be
exchanged, accor i^g to the ex, £ ©fs ft:ms if agree,
m % nt, "foidirr f r lo'd-.sr," fer every man delivered
over t^ the pe foa vho received tkra for a^d ^ behalf
n f Gauert W-Shingles: The o her, "Th cf< f
Lisut. Col. Lee,” whole meafe General Wrihi^g^R
might with greater propriety demand whenever, ^ ith
• in the terms of the said agreement, " officers fer effi.
c^rs of equal rank,” ha shall have in hh peffi ffion ^
officer cf tank sq^l te the reputed tank of the gentle-
M O.N DAY, May^ 1777.
CONNECTICUT
AND
WEEKLY
Containing the Frelheft ADVICES,
Printed and Published by EBENEZER WN7SON, near the GREAT BRIDGE.
man in question; but until that happens, the demand
and objection upon this futj & are at least premature.
I do moreover txpe& and demand, that art immediate
and categorical aMfwer ffiall be given to thafa just a&d
reasonable rsquifitions and demands. GW& at the
hoafe of the Rev Mr. Beech, in the township cf Hillf
borough, the fecund day of April, one theuland seven
hundred and seventy seven.
W M . WALCOTT, Lieut. Col.
To General Washington, &c. &c.
Sir, Moris To<vi* tyb A,ril, r 777.
T Take the liberty cf tranfaittihg yeu t co>y of a
1 paper addrtfcd to me by Lieut. Col. Walcott of
your army, which came inclefed in a letter ir m
Lieut. General Lord Cornwallis Lis with peculiar
regret, lam co^ftraimed toobfervet, that this illiberal
performance cfCel. Walcott is obviously calculated to
aniwer a left generous purpose th^n that cf merely f f
feaingan exchange--contsins a grefs misrepresentation
cf fx&, and is a palpable deviation fmm that delicate
line, which I expeded weald raaik his condu& as a
man efeandou? and ingenuity.
That gentlemen has confuted two articles insisted
on by me through Lieut. Col. Harrison, at their meeting
on the 10 h ult. as grounding, unprecedented, and ia
confiftent with a^y degree of reafon,or common fsnfe,
though founded, as I conceive, in the deleft princi
ples of eq tit, and jaftice.-.-Ner contenting himfelf
with this, which would have given me no concern, he
has assumed the privilege of mutiletiß% and miftatiag
those articles, in such a manner as .^change their
meaning, and to adapt them torthe unfair conclufiop
he wished to establish.
Having preraifed these things, and bein% charg
ed in dire& and positive terms by Col. Walcott,
who a&ed nuder your authority, with a violation of
th# agreement made between us for the exchange of
prifanejs, and called upon far a performance of the
fame ; I think it necefLry to explain the motives cf
my coadud, and the grounds on which those articles
er @bje&ions stand.
In refpsa to the firft, I fceeiy repeat, that I do not
hold myfelfbound either by the spirit es the agree
ment, or by the principles.cf justice, to account fcr
those prisoners, who, f ora the rigour and severity cf
their tTtment, weiein so emaciated and languishing
a state hi the time they came cut, as tn render their
death almost certain and inevitable ; and which, in
many ifftances, happened while they were returning
to their horc^s and in many others after their arrival.
Yen must b^ f ^fible, that eur engagement, as well as
all othersof ^he kind, though i^ letter it expresses
only an equality of rank and number, as the rule of
exchange yet it peceffarily implies a regard to th* ge
neral principles of mutual com penfation and advan
tage. This is inherent in its nature—is the voice es
reason, and no fti,ulation,as to the condition in which
prifo^ers fhjuld be returned, was reqvifite. Humani
ty dlfUftd, that their treatment should be such as
their health and comfort demanded, and where h@r
laishiv# bv*n duly refpeded, their condition ha#
b^n generally good.—Nor L this the language cf
hummity alone-- jufiice declare the feme. The ob
jeri f ev^r, cartel, or fimilur agreement, is the bene
fit if the prifo^ers thefafelves, and th^tif the contend
idg powers- oh this footing it eqnn 1, rxaas, that
they ffieuld be well treated, as 'hat they should be ex^
chiaged : The reverse ir # therefore ^n^vide^t infra&i
oa, aadosght to fubjeft the partv, on whom it is
cb r^ebk, to all the damage end id confeqmmcas re
fulring f fr *rit. Nor can it be sx,a«d. that these
unfi ted for future service, by sRs f fiverity in diied
violation ofa ermpad, arc proper fabj^a# far an ex
change. In such case, terra.urn ethers not in the
fame predicament, would be to givewitheut receiving
an equivalent, and would *ff)rd the greatsift encowr
• agement to cruelty and inhumanity. '1 he argument
drawn from the m«ra circumfience of the priftners
havLgbeee received, is of mo validity. Though feom
tbrir wretched filiation, they could not at that time
be kerned proper f>r ua exchange, cur humanity re
quired that they Should be permitted to returnam&ngft
It may perhaps ba fairly adopted, whether an ap
preheufi^n of their death, or that efa great part of
them, did not centribut fomewhate to their bti^glent
out when they were. Such o event, whilst they n-
THE
: i& ^ ^:
CT raz
Both FOREIGN and DOMESTIC.
gained with you, would hare been truly intereflings
because it would have defiroyed every Ihadew of
claim for the return of the prisoners in ear hands,
and therefore policy, concurring with kumsnity, dic
tated that the raeafur^s Ihould be adopted. Happy
had it been, if the expedient had be^a thought of be^
fcr# these ill fa:ed men were reduced to such extremi
ty. It is cenfeffed however on all sides, that after
their delivery they fill continued our prisoners, and
wwto ba so, till rrgu'ar'y exchanged. I acknow
ledge that I ibeuld be, and I have been, always wil
ling, notwithflamding thia Corerffion, to account fcr
every man who was in a proper condition, and fit ts
be exchanged at the rime they came cut so far as ths
proportion of prifoers with us would extend.---With
whzt propriety, or upon what foundation efjuflice,
can more be d^mandad ? This has been propefed,
or what is the fame, was reoft clearly implied in ths
firft article, or olj &iom, made by Lieut. Col. Har
rifan, and illiberally rrj ded since, as inconfiftaM
with any degree of reason or common sense. Painful
ns it is, I am compelled to confider it, as & faft not to
be qaaftioned, that the usage cf our prisoners whilst
in your peffaffiou, the privates at least, was such as
could not be jaffifud. This was proclaimed by th^
concurrent teftimeny of all who came out -their ap
pearance fanaifird the assertion --and melancholy
experience, in the speedy death of a large part of them
stamped it with infallible certainty^
In rsfpe& to the fecund article insisted on.--- Ycur
diferiFrinating M jor General Lee from other cap
tive officers beTgUg to the American ariry, demand
ed ay particular attention. I was aotlorized to con
clude from laying him under p^ticu ar refiraints,
and from your letter cf *ha 23d of Jaruaay left, that
yoa considered him in a singular peint cf vis% and
m^ant to exclude him from the coir mcQ ight ts ex
change, stipulated for all officers in gforai terns.
This diftin&ion, the more injurious and unwanauta.
ble as you aever excepted him, trough you knew him
to be an officer in our army at Retime, a*d long before,
the agreement was entered into, made it ay duty to
effort his right in an explicit manner, and to entire
ver to put the matter in 10 unequivocal a fueling at to
infur# his unlaregmeut, whenever an officer of rqaal
rank, belonging to your army, ffisuld be in gw power.
This was attempted by the article, and nothing more
nor is any other inference to be drawn from it It 1$
true a propofitiem was i^a^e since his captivity, to gfag
a certain number of officers of inferior raak in &x
---chvge for him, but it was not claimed as a matter cf
right.- -What name then dees that proceeding merit,
by which itis fuggsfied that the immediate reletle of
Gen. Lee had been demanded, without having m e f m
ficer of equal rank to give for him ? The fuggeften
cannot be supported by the m.# tar'u ed expefijon,
nor will it hu,e ©edit where cancer is deemed a vir
tue, and wo es prefers their form and meabirg.
As to the charge cf delay in mat r^nuning the pri
fonets in cur hae.tis--.ihe difpeifed fi uaticn of ihofe
taken at a more a&^iar period of the war, through the
different fates, arising frem the circumflance# of their
captivity, and a regard to thair accommodation,
made their detention far a cemfier&bb time unavcida
ble. When the agreement fubfiflir^ between us tc<k
place, the fceedieft ciu&ious were given to hsve them
oolir&ed, that an exchange nail hr be effected. Thi#
was done in part, a&d atajo&ure when motives of
policy oppeftd the meaferst, but were made to yie'd to
rigid maxims cf g^d frith- We were perfuia^ U 2
exchange, at d cor tinned cur exertions te ace. mpTh
it, till the miftrabk appearance, indicating an &p.
preaching cataftrephe, uf^hofe far t e u , £, y i% mace
itimproper. For feieg th^t a difficulty might &A f %
and that it might be exuded I fficuld recount for
he whole cf them, wiich I by no moats' thought *
quibble it became »ec&ff^ry that the matter fhend
lerdjufted, and th® due proper ion fettled, for which
I ought to be refpcnfibic, before any thi r g farther
could be done en my part. Upon this ground floods
also the detention of those who have been fine©
captured.
Added to theft coafi derations---the difcrimipaifcn
fat up in the infance cf General Lee, is to he regard
ed asutterly irreconcile Uph to the tanor ofeuz agree
intent,and an infurmeuaublc vl flack to & compi^fe
with your demands.
RDM BE R 641.
COURANT,
HERTFORD
INTELLIGENCES