The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-11-16 00:00:00, page 4

NARRATIVE of Colonel Ethan Allen's
treatment during bis Captivity.
^Continued from our last.)
UPON which I replied, that we had been too well
used on board to murder the officers ; that 1 could
by no means reconcile it to my confidence, and that in
fad it fhbuld not be done ; and while I was yet (peak
ing, my friend Lovel confirmed what I had said, and
farther pointed out the ungratefulnefs of such an aft ;
that it did not fall short of murder, and in fine all the
gentlemen in the birth, opposed Capt. Burk and his
colleague: But they Urenuoufly urged that the conspi
racy would be found out, and that it would cost
them their lives, provided they did not execute their
design. I then interposed spiritedly, and put an end to
further arguments on the fubje&, and told them that
they might depend upon it upon my honour, that I
would faithfully guard Capt. Smith's life: If taey at
tem; t 1 the assault, I would affidhim, (for they desired
me to remain neuter) and that the lame honour, that
guarded Capt. Smith's life, would alm guard theirs;
and it was agreed by those present not to reveal the con
spiracy, to the intent that no man ih mid be put to death,
in tonfequence of what had been projected ; and Capt.
Burl: and his colleague went to Rifle the matter among
their associates. I could not help calfng to mind what
Capt. Smith laid to me, when 1 irft came on bond :
" fbis is a mutable voorld, and one gentleman never knows
" but it may be in bis poiver to help another," —Captain
Smith and bis officers kill behaved with their usual
courtesy, and I never heard any more of the con
spiracy.
We arrived before New-York, and cast anchor the
latter part of Odober, where we remained feveia: days,
and where Capt. Smith informed me, that he had re
commended me to Admiral Howe and General Hr Wil
liam Howe, as a gentleman of honour and veracity,
and desired that I might be treated as such. Capt. Berle
was then ordered on board a prison-ship in the harbour.
1 took my leave of Capt. Smith, and with the other
prisoners was lent on board a transport ship, which lay
in the hat hour, commanded by Capt. Craig, who took
me into the cabbin with him and his Lieutenant ; Ifared
as .hey did, and was in every refped well treated in
confeqien< eof directions fiom Capt. Smith.
In a few weeks after this I had the happiness to part
with my friend Lovel, (for his fake, who the enemy
aftded to treat as a private; he was a gentleman of
merit, aid liberally educated, but had no commiihon;
they maligned him on account of his unshaken attach
ment to the cause of his country.) He was exchanged
for a Governor Philip tokene of the British. I was con
tinued on boardtnis ship till the latter part of Novem
ber, where I contracted an acquaintance with a Cap
tair of the British his name has flipped my menioiy )
He was what we mycall a genteel, hearty fellow. I
remember an expression of his over a bottle es wine, to
this impou : " That there is giennefs of foul for per
" tonal friendfllip to funfid between you and me, as
" we are upm opposite sides, and may at another day
" be obliged to fare each other in the fieid " (I am
confident that he was as faithful as any officer in the
British army.) At another fitting he offered to bet a
dozen of wim, that fort Washington would be in the
hands of the British in three days. I flood the bet,
(and wo^d had 1 known that that would have been
the Case) and the third day afterwards we heard a pro
digious heavy cannonade, and that day the fort was ta
ken litre enough. Some months alter, (when I was on
parole)he called upon me with his usual humour, and
mentioned the but. I acknowledged I had loft it, but
he said he did not mean to take it then, as I was a pri
soner ; that he would another day call on me, when
their army came to Bennington. I replied that he was
quite too generous, as I had fairly 101 lit ; besides the
Green Mountain Boys would not fuffer them to come
to Bennington. This was all in good humour. I
Should have been glad to have seen him after the defeat
at Bennington, but did not.
It was cullomary for a guard to attend the prisoners,
which was often changed. One was composed of tories
from Com^&icut, in the vicinity of Fair,field and Green
Farms. The sergeant's name was Hoin They were
very full of their inve&ives against the country, swag
gered of their loyally to their king, and exclaimed bit
terly again'd the " cowardly Yankies," (as they were
pleated to call them) bat finally contented themselves
with faying, that when the country was overcome, they
should be well rewarded for their loyalty, out of the
ehates of the Whigs, which would be conciliated. Th/s
i .ound to be the general language of tories, after I ar
rived from England on the American coall. 1 heard
sundry of them relate, that the British Generals had en.
ga^eJ them an ample reward for all their losses, difip
points cuts and expenditures, out of the forfeited rebels
ehates.
Some of the last days of November, the prisoners
were landed at New-York, and I was admitted to parole
with the other officers, viz. Prohor, Houland, and
'I his language early taught me what to do with tories
eflates, as far as my influence can go. For it is really
a game of hazard between whig and tory : The whigs
mud inevitably have loft all, inconfequence of the abic
lities of the tcries, and their good friends the British ;
and it is no more than r>ght the tones should run the fame
risk, in conlequence of the abilities of the whigs : But
of this more will be observed in the sequel of this nar
rative.
PHILADELPHIA-. Printed aad Sold by JOHN DUNLAP, in Market.^
Taylor. The privates were put into the filthy churches
in New-York, with the distressed prisoners that were
taken at fort Washington ; and the second night sergeant
Roger Moore (who was bold and enterprizing) found
means to make his escape with every of the remaining
prisoners that were taken with me, except three who
were soon after exchanged : So that out of thirty one
prisoners, who went with me the round exhibited in
these sheets, two only died wj<h the enemy, and three
only exchanged ; one of whom died after he came with
in our lines ; all the rest at different times, made their
escape from the enemy.
I now found myfelf on parole, and reftrided to the
limits of the city of New-York, where I loon projected
means to live in some measure agreeable to my rank,
though I was defiituce of chh.-My constitution was
almost worn out by such a long and barbarous captivityj
The enemy gave out that I was crazy, and wholly un
manned, but my vitals held found, (nor was I deliri'
Ous any more than 1 have been from my youth up;
but my extreme circumstances at certain times, render
ed it political to aft in some menfure the madman) and
in confeqnence of a regular diet and exercise, ray blood
recruited, and my nerves in great measure recovered
their former tone, frength and ufefulnefs, in the course
of fix months.
I nextly invite the reader to a retrofpeßive fight and
consideration of the doleful feene of inhumanity exer
cised by General S'r William Howe, and the army un
der his command, awards the prisoners taken on Long-
Island, on the twenty.tev&itn day of August, 1776;
sundry 0: whom were in an inhuman and barbarous
manner, murdered after they had surrendered their
arms; particularly a Cen. Odel, (or Woodhul) of the
militia, who was backed to pieces with cutlafies (when
alive) by the light horiemen, and a Capt. Fellows, of
th^ Continental army, who was thrift through with a
bayonet, of which wo. nd he died instantly.
Sundry others were hanged up by the neck till they
were dead; five on the limb of a white-oak tree, and
without any reason assigned, (except that they were
fighting in defence of the on y bluffing worth preser
ving :) And indeed those who had the misfortune to
fall into their hands at fort Washington, in the month of
November following, met with but very little better
usage, except that they were reserved from immediate
death to familh and d;e with hunger ; in fine the word
rebel applied to any vanquished persons, without regard
to rank, who were in the continental service, on the,
27th of Aug,ft aforebid, was thought (by the enemy)
fufficient to fandity whatever cruelties they were pleas
ed to mfli&, death itfelf not excepted ; but to pass over
particulars which would (well try narrative far beyond
my design.
The private soldiers who were brought to New-York
were crowded into churches, and environed with Ila.
vifh fldhn guards, a people of a strange language,
who were feat to America for no other design but cruel
ty and desolation ; and at others, by merciless Britons,
whose mode of communicating ideas being intelligible
in this country, served only to tantalize and insult the
helpless and perching ; but above all the hellilh delight
and triumph of the tories over them, as they were dy
ing by hundreds: This was too much for me to bear as
a Ipec'tator ; for I saw the tories exulting over the dead
bodies of their murdered countrymen. I have gone in
to the churches, and seen sundry of the prisoners in the
agonies of death, in confeqwence of very hunger, and
others ipeechiefs and near death, biting pieces of chips;
others pleading for God's fake, for something to eat, and
at the fame time shivering with the cold. Hollow groans
saluted my ears, and despair seemed to be imprinted on
every of their countenances. The filth in these churches
(in consequence of the fluxes) was almost beyond dc
taiptioH. The floors , were covered with excrements.
I have carefully fought to direct my steps so as to a
void it, but could not. They would beg for God's
fake for one copper, or morsel of bread. I have seen
in one of these chuiches seven dead at the fame time,
lying among the excrements of their bodies.
It was a common practice with the enemy, to con
vey the dead from these filthy places, in carts, to be
slightly buried, and 1 have seen whole gangs of tories
making derision, and exulting over the dead, faying
there goes another load of damned rebels. I have ou
ferved the British loldim to be full of their black guard
jokes, and vaunting on these occasions, but they appear
ed to me less malignant than tcries.
The provision dea't out to the prisoners was by no
means fufficient for the support of life : It was deficient
in quantity, and much more in quality. The prison
ers often pre fenced me with a sample of their bread,
which 1 certify was damaged to that degree, that it was
loathsome and unfit to be eaten, and I am bold to aver
it, (as my opinion) that it had been condemned, and
was of the very worif fort. I have seen and been fed
upon damaged bread, (in the course of my captivity)
and observed the quality of such bread as has been con
demned by the enemy, among which was very little so
effectually spoiled as what was dealt out to these prif
eiiers. Their allowance of meat (as they told me)
was quite trifling, and of the basest fort. 1 never saw
any of it, but was informed (bad as it was) it was swal
lowed almost as quick as they got hold of it. I saw
some of them fucking bones after they were speechless ;
others who could yet speak, and had the use of their
reason, urged me in the hrongeft and molt pathetic man
ner, to use my interett in their behalf, for ttey plainly
fee (fay they)that we are devoted to death and deduc
tion; and alter I had examined more particularly into
their truly deplorable condition, and had become more
fully apprised of the essential fads, I was persuaded
that it was a premeditated and systematical plan of the
British council, to destroy the youths of our land, with
a view thereby to defer the country, and make it sub
mit to their despotism; but that I could not do them
any material service, and that by any public attempt
for that purpose, I might endanger myfelf by frequent
ing places the moil nauseous and contagious that could
be conceived of. I refrained going into the churches,
but frequently conversed with such of the prisoners as
were admitted to come into the yard, and found that
the systematical usage hill continued, The guard would
often drive me away with their fixed bayonets. A
Hessian (®ne day) fallowed me five or fix rods, but
making use of my legs, got rid of the lubber. Some
times Icould obtain a little conversation, notwithstand
ing their severities.
1 was in one of the church-yards, and it was rumour
ed among those in the church, and sundry of the pris
oners came with their usual complaints to me, and a
mong the red a large bened tall young man, (as he told
me from Pennsylvania) who was reduced to a mere Ike.
leton; said he was glad to fee me, before he died, which
he had expelled to have done lad night, but was a lit
tle revived; he furthermore informed me, that he and
his brother had been urged to enlist in'othe British, but
had both resolved to die firfl ; that his brother had died
last night, in consequence of that resolution, and that
he expected shortly to follow him; but I made the 0-
ther prisoners Hand a little off, and told him with a low
voice to lift ; he then asked, whether it was right in the
fight of God ? I assured him it was, and that duty to
himfelf obliged him to deceive the British by enlihing,
and defecting the firft opportunity ; upon which lie an
swered with transport, thrt he would lift. I charged
him not to mention my name as his adviser, led it
Should get air, and I should be closely confined, in con-
sequence of it.
The integrity of these buffering prisoners iffhardly
credible. Many hundreds, lam confident, fubmixted
to death, rather than enliftinto the British ferv ce,
which (I am informed) they mod generally were pres
sed to do. I was astonished at the resolution of the two
brothers particularly ; it seems that they could not be
stimulated to such exertions of heroism from ambition,
as they were but obfeure soldiers; strong indeed matt
the internal principle of virtue be, which, supported
them to brave death, and one of them went through
the operation, as did many hundred others. I readily
grant that instances of public virtue are no excitement
to the sordid and vicious, nor on the other hand, will
all the barbarity of Britain and Hefhland awaken them
to a sense of their duty to the public; but these things
will have their proper effed on the generous and brave.
The officers on parole were most of them zealous, if
possible, to aftbidthe miserable foldiary relief, and often
confu'ited with one another on the fabjecl, but to no es.
fed, being destitute of the means of fubfiflance, which
they needed; nor could the officers project any mea
sures, which they thought would alter their fate, or so
much as be a means of getting them out of those filthy
places to the privilege of frefh air. Some projected
that all the offiers should go in procession to General
Howe, and plead the cause of the perishing soldiers -
but this proposal was negatived for the following rea
sons, viz. because that Gen. Howe mud needs be well
acquainted and have a thorough knowledge of the state
and condition of the prisoners in every of their wretch
ed apartments, and that much more particular and exaft
than any officer on parole could be supposed to have, as
the General had a return of the circumstances of the pri
soners, by his own officers every morning, of the num
ber which were alive, as allo the number which died e
very twenty-four hours, and consequently the bill of
mortality, as collected from the daily returns, lay be
fore him with all the material situations and circumflan^
ces of the prisoners; and provided the officers should
go in procession to Gen. Howe, according to the projec
tion, it would give him the greatest affront, and that he
would either retort upon them ; that it was no part of
their parole to inftru& him in his conduct to prisoners ;
that they weie mutinying against his authority, and by
affionting him, had forfeited their parole ; or that mote
probably, inflead of faying one word to them, would
order them all into as wretched a confinement as the sol
diers whom they fought to relieve; for at that time, the
British, fromt he General to the private centime), were
in full confidence, nor did they so much as hesitate bu^
that they Should conquer the country. Thus the con
futation of the officers was confounded and broken to
pieces, in consequence of the dread, which at that time
lay on their minds, of offending Gen. Howe; for they
conceived so murderous a tyrant would not be too good
to destroy even the officers, on the least pretence of an
affront, as they were equally in his power with the fol
d:ers ; and as Gen. Howe perfedly understood the con
dition of the private soldiers, it was argued that it was
exactly such as he and his council had devised, and
as he meant to destroy them, it would be to no pur
pose for them to try to dissuade him from it, as they
were helpless and liable to 'the fame fate, on giving
the least affront; indeed anxious apprehensions dis
turbed them in their then circumstances.
(To be continued.)