The New-England chronicle — Boston [Mass.], 1776-08-08 00:00:00, page 1

.THE
NEW-ENGLAND CHRONICLE/
PHILADELPHIA.
In CONGRESS, July 10, 1776.
TH E Committee to whom the cartel be-.
tween Brigadier General Arnold, and
Captain Foster, and the several papers thereto
relatingw^re committed, having had the fame
under their consideration, and made diligent
Inquiry into the falls, have agieed to the fol
lowing report:,
They find that a party ofthree hundred and
ninety Continental troops, under the command
of Col. Bedel, was polled at the Cedars, about
forty-three miles above Montreal ; that they
had there formed some works of defence, the
greater part of them piquited lines, the rest a
bread-work of earth, with two field pieces
mounted.
That on Wednesday, the fifteenth of May,
Col. Bedel received intelligence that a party of
the enemy consisting of about fix hundred re
gulars, Canadians and Indians, were on their
way to attack his post, and were then within
^ine miles of it—-that Col. Bedel thereon let
out himielf for Montreal to procuie a rein
forcement, whereupon the command at the
Cedars devolved on Major Butterfield.
That on Thursday a reinforcement under the
command of Major Sherburne, marched from
Montreal for the Cedars, while a larger detach
meat Should be getting ready to proceed thither
with Brigadier Gen. Ai nold. '. ,
That on Friday the nineteeth the enemy, uri
-er the command of Capt. Foster, inyefted the
'oft at the Cedars, and for two days kept up a
icofe, Scattering fire—that Major Butterfield
proposed from the very fitft to Surrender tlf
post, and refufed repeated Solicitations 'from his
officers and men to permit them To Sally out
on the enemy. . ,
I hat on Sunday afternoon, a flag being fedt
in by the enemy, Major Butterfield agreed to
surrender the fort and garrison to Capt. Foster,
cap ; ,mating with him (whe her verbally or in
writing does not appear) that the garrison
Should not be put into the hands of the Sava
ges. and that their baggage ihould not be plun
dered. ~O.Q
That at the time ofthe surrender, the gemy
confided of about forty regulars, one hundred
Canadians, and five hundred Indians, and had
no cannon ; the garrison had fullained n<rin~
jury from the fire, but they having one man
wounded—they had twenty rounds ofcar
tridges a man, thirty rounds for one field piece,
five for another, half a barrel of gunpowder,
fifteen pounds of musket ball, and provision
Sufficient to have laded them twenty or thirty
days; Major Euttertieici knew that a rein-orc,
ment was onits way, and moreover was so near
dr main body of the army that he could not,
aot tof being Supported by that.
'hat immediately on the furnnder, the gar-
Ton was put into the custody of the Savages,
who plundered them ot their baggage, and even
Gripped them of their clothes.
That Major Sherburne having landed, on
Monday the twentieth, at Quid zechenes, about
nine miles from the Cedars, and marched on
with his party confiding then of one hundred
men, to within four mites thereof, was there
attachedly about five hundred ofthe enemy—
that he maintained bis ground about an hour,
and then, being constrained to retreat, per
formed the fame in good order, receiving and
returning a-corftant fire for about forty mi
nutes, when the enemy finding means to pod
advanced parties in such a manner as to inter
cept their farther retreat, they also were made
prisoners of war.
That they were immediately put into the
custody of the Savages, carried to where Major
Butterfield and his party were, and dripped of
iheir baggage and weaving apparel.
BOSTON: Printed by POWARS and WILLIS, at their Office opposite the new C^urt-House, Queen-Street,
(Vol. IX.)
THURSDAY, August 8, 1776.
That two of them were put to death that
evening, four or five others at different times
afterwards, one of whom was of those who
surrendered on capitulation at the Cedars, and
was killed on the eighth day after that surren
der. That one was did lhof, and while re
taining life and lenladon was roasted, as was
related by his companion now in possession of
the Savages, who himfelff., the fall, and that
several orneis, being w^rn down, by fatigue
and cruelty, were left expefed in tin inland
naked and periling with cold and hunger.,
That while Major Sherburne was in custody
of the enemy, Capt. Foster required ofhim and
the other officers to Sign a cartel, Stipulating
the exchange of themselves and their men for
as many of equal condition of the British
troops in our po&ffion.. And farther, that
notwithstanding the exchange, neither them-
Iches nor men Ihould ever again bear arms,
against the Britilh government. And for the
performance of this, four hostages were to be
delivered, which they, being under the absolute
power of the enemy, did sigh.
That on Sunday the twenty-sixth, the prifop
ners were carried to Juningrehener, when it
was 'discovered that General Arnold was ap
proaching and making dispositions to attack
them. ,
That Capt. Foster, having desired Major
Sherburne to attend a flag which he was about
to fend to Gen. Arnold for confirmation of
the cartel, carried him into the Council of the
Indians then fitting, who told him, " that it
was a mercy never before Shewn in their wars,
that they had put to death so few ,of the, pi ifo
peas; but that hc^muft expert and so i^o;^
Gene. Arnold that they Should certainly kill
every man who fhoulduJuneaftcr fall into their
hands/ ' IThaif'Capt.; Fefer joined in desiring
that this bloody message ft juid be delivered to
Gen. Arnold and morev^f that he Should be
notified, that if he rejected the cartel, and at,
tacked him, every man of the prisoners would
be pat to inftaht death.
That "General Arnold was extremely averse
from entering into any agreement, and was at
lengQ. induced to do it, fy no other motive
pan tjftj of Saving the prisoners from cruel
and inhuman death, threatened in Such terms
as left ip dotfbt it was tote-perpetrated ; and
that he did in the end conclude it after several
flags received from Capt. Foster, and a relin
quishment by him of the unequal article re-
Iti aining„our Soldiers from again bearing arms.
Thai the prifonersfo Stipulated to be given up
to the enemy, were notin the poSleffion of Gea,
Arnold, nor under his direction, but were, at
th;:; ti??€? distributed through various parts of
the continent, un^er the orders of this House.
I hat four homages were' accordingly deliver
ed to Captain Foster, who.were immediately
plundered and Stripped hy the'Savages ; and on
his part were delivered one Major, four Cap
tains, sixteen Subalterns and three hundred and
fifty-five privates, as Specified in a certificate of
Capt. James OSgood, and others, of whom np
Specification by their names or number has
yet been transmitted ; that he retained twelve
Canadians, 'alledging, in his juftification, ex
press orders so to d'o; and that living in a mi
litary government, .they were to be considered
even in a worse light than deserters from his
Majesty's armies. Theie he carried away in
irons, but afterwards released; that he permit
ted the Indians to carry into their countries se
veral other natives of the United States, 'for
purposes unknown.
shat during the time of their captivity, not
halffood was avowed the prisoners. They were
continually insulted, buffeted, arid ill treated
by the Savages; and when the firft parties of
them were carried off from the Shore, ^0 be de
livered to General Arnold, balls of mud were
fired at them, and at the last parties, mufke:
balls.
Whereupon the Congress came to the fol
lowing resolutions:
Resolved, That all a&:s,contrary to good faith,
the laws of nature or the custom of civilized na
tions, done by the officers and soldiers of his
Britannic Majesty, or by foreigners or Savages
taken into his Service, are jo he co ili^red as
.done by his orders, ualefs indemnification be
made in cases which admit iedenmificafyn and
in all other cases, unless immediate and efflßive
measures be taken by him or his officers for
bringing to condign punishment the authors,
abettors, and perpetrators of the afhl
Resolved, That the plundering the baggage of
the garrison at the Cedars, Stripping them of
theirclothes, and delivering them into the hands
of the Savages, was a breach of the capitulation
on the part of the enemy, for which indemni
fication ought to be demanded.
r Resolved, That the murder of the prisoners
of war was a grass and inhuman violation of the
laws of nature and nations; that condign pu*
niOiment Should be inflicted on the authors a^
bettors, and perpetrators of the fame; and that
for this purpose, it be required that they be de*
livered into our hands.
Resolved, That the agreement entered into b.
Gem. Arnold was a mere fponfion on his part,
he not being inverted with the powers for dif
poling of prisoners not in his poffiffion, noc
under his directions, and that therefore it &
fubje& to be ratified or annulled at the diferet^
on of this House.
Resolved, That the Shameful surrender of the
post at the Cedars, is chargeable on the corah
manding officer. That such other of the pri
soners, as were taken there, Shewed a willing
nets and desire to fight the enemy; and that
Major Sherburne, and the prisoners taken with
him, though their difyariy of numbers was
great, fought the enemy bravely for a confider
,able time, and surrendered at last, but on ab
solute neceffit, , on which considerations, and
on which alone, it is resolved that the said f:on~
fion be ratified, and that an equal number of
captives from the enemy of the fame rank and
condition be restored to them as Stipulated by
the said fponfion.
Resolved, That previous to the delivery ofthe
prisoners to be returned on one p?rt, the British
.Commander in Canada be required to deliver
into our hands the authors, abettois, and per
petrators of the horrid murder committed on
the prisoners, to Suffer such punishment as their
crime- delves ; and^w 10 :?^Ce &|cmni£o,
tion for the plunder at the Cedars, taken con,
trary to the faith of capitulation ; and that, un
til such delivery and indemnification be nude
the said prisoners be not delivered
Refolved^ That if'the enemy Shall commit any
£o thei violences by putting to death torturing,
or otherwise ill treating the prisoners retained
by them, or any ofthe hostages put into their
hands, recqurfe be had to retaliation, as the foie
means of flopping the progress @f human but,
chery ; and that for that purpose punishments
of the fame kind and degree be infli&ed on an
equal number of the captives from thence ia
our poffffion, till they Shall be taught due
Sped to the violated rights of nations.
Refolded, Ibat acopy of this report be trans
mitted to the Commander in Chief of the Con
tinental forces, to be by him lent to Generals
Howe and Burgoyne.
, By Order of the Congress.
.JOHN H ANCOCK,°%ffr
TAKEN up by Michael Nj,
chols andStephenStod,, on the Third of July
lag, near the Brewster the Bottom of a Hull
of a Small Veflcl that has been burned, and car
ried the fame into Cobaffa
(Numb. 416.)