Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1813-11-25

has received orders from his royal highness
the Prince Regent, through tie Once Of
the right hon Lord Bathurst, secretary of
State, to announce without delay to major
general Dearborn that he had transmit
ted to his government a copy of that letter,
and that in consequence he had received in
structions to give explicit notice to major
general Dearborn, that his excellency had
been commanded by his royal highness
the Prince Regent, to forthwith closely i'm
prison and detain forty six American Off
GERS and non commissioned Off eers, as hos
tages for the safety of the twenty three Bri-
fish soldiers who have been closely con.
fined by order of the American government.
AT the same time his exccllency is directed
to give notice, that he Is authorised in ease
any of the said British soldiers should suf-
fer death under the pretext that the SOL
diers now prisoners in England, and whom
not only the laws of Great Britain but Of
every independent state placed under the
same circumstances would condemn, have
been found guilty and in consequence been
executed, to select from among the Anne.
rican officers and non-commissioncd officers.
who are prisoners, double the number OF
British soldiers who shall have been so I'M
justly put to death, and to Immediately
execute the said officers and non commits
stoned officers.
And his excellency is further authorised
to make known to major general Dear
born, that the commanders Of the armies
and of the fleets of his mojestv on the A.
merican coasts, have received orders to
prosecute the war with unintermitting rigor
against all the towns, cities or villages, be-
longing to the u. States, and against the
Inhabitants thereof. if after the due commu-
| nication of these presents to major Gen
Dearborn, and the grant of o reasonable
time for transmitting them to the Ameri-
| can government, that government should
unhappily refuse to abandon its design of
| taking away the lives Of any of the soldiers
| who are at present, or who may hereaf
| ter be kept as hostages for the causes men
toned in the letter of major gen. Dearborn.
His excellency the commander of the
forces, in announcing to the troops the or
| ders of his ROYAL highness the Prince Re-
| gent, flaiters himself that they will be
sensible Of the paternal solicituac which his
/ royal highness has shown for tile protec-
ton Of the person and honor Of the Bril-
| fish soldier, which, in contempt Of Justice,
of humanity, and the law of nations, have
been grossly outraged in the persons of %
soldiers now closely confined as hostages
for an equal number of traitors. who have
been guilty of the infamous and unnatural
crime of raising their paricidal arms a.
gainst the country which gave them birth,
and who will be tried according to the
equitable laws of their offended country.
The British soldier will view this out
rage, which is an abandonment Of all prin-
ciples, and an aggravation of the afro
c,ous insults, and cruel barbarities daily
and malIciously practised on many of his
unhappy comrades, who have fallen into
the hands of the enemy, as an additional
Indictment to confirm his resolution never
to yield. but with bis life, his liberty TO
an enemy vino is stranger to every
principle of honor, of justice, and ofthe
laws Of war.
EDWARD BAYNES.
Adj. Gen British, North America.