Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1814-01-11
adiatcnt Generals Office, Head
Quarters, MONTREAL, Decem-
Der 12th, 1913. -
GENERAL ORDER.

u
! Der 18th, 1913. -
/ GENERAL ORDER.
| His FxceIleDey the Governor in
! Chief and Commander of the Forces
has TO announce to the troops under
his command, that he has received
a communication from Major Gen.
| Wilkinson. commanding division
| Of the army Of the United States OF
| America, by order Of the Govern
! menf. Of which the following is an
extract:
The Government Of the United
States adherinS unalterabiy to the
principle and purpose declared in
the communication Of General Dear
born to you, on the subject of the
Twenty three American Soldiers,
prisoners of war. sent TO England to
be tried as criminals; and the con-
fiucment Of like number Of British
soldiers, prisoners Of war, selected
to abide tue fate Of the former, has
in consequence Of the step taken by
the British government, as now COM
municated, ordered Forty-siy British
officers into close confinement, and
that they will not be discharged frcm
their confinement until it shall be
known that the Forty-six American
officers aud non-commissioEed officers
in question are no longer confined"
ltwohld be superauous to use any
Argument TO reCute an assumption so
extrayagaut, Bninst, and unprece-
denied, as TO deny the right Ola free
nation TO bring 70 legal trial, in
due course Of law. her own natural
born subjects taken in the actual
commission $ the most benious Of
fence that man eau commit against
his King. his country, and his Con,
that ofraising his parricide arm
gainst his allegiance 10 his country
men, by leagRing with their enc
mics. a crime held in such abhor-
renee by every civilized nation in Eu-
rope, that summary Death by the
Law martial, is its ayowed rewad.
and is inflicted with unrelenting Sc.
verify by France the ally Of the q.
States. This prctension must APP
pear to every unprejudiced and up
right mind, as Ubiquitous and unjust,
as is the retaliation which the go
Of The United States
has adopted, by placing in close cen
finementfIlrce and twenty British
soldiers, as hostages for an equal
number Of infamous wretehes the
unworthy offspring of Great Britain (;
whu, when drawn from the ranks of
the enemy, solicited to be suffered to
expiate their their treason by tarn-
ing their arms against their recen: !
employers. These rebels have,
with the contempt they merit been !
consigned to the infamy and punish
ment that awaits them from the Just |
laws of their offended country.; while |
the government of the United States
docs not blush to claim these out
traitors as their own, and outrage the
custom Of civilised war, in the per. /
sons Of honorable men, by placing
them on par with rebels and de-
sePters. ~
Ne alternative remains to the |
Commander Of the forces, in the |
Of his duty to his King,
his country, and his fellow soldiers,
but to order all the American sficers, /
prisoners Of war, without exception
Of rank, tc be Immediately placed
IL Gloss confinement, as hostages for
the torfy-six British officers 50 con-.
fined, by the express commands Of the
supreme authority in that country. |
until the humber of forty-six be
completed, over and above those
now in eonfine ment.
his excelleney directs that this
general order, together vitkthat is
sued on the 9th October, be read to
the troops, that the British soldier
map be sensible Of the terms onSj
which America has determined to |
wage tliis war, confident, that he
will meet them with proper sI,iritA !
indignation !; for should he become