The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-03-19
The journal Of a Hessian BaTo-
ness.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.

where We had so often lOnged TO be. but
we did not come as conquerors, as We
had expected. We were received by the
good General Schuyler and his wife aud
daughters, not as enemies, but In the
kindest manner and they showed the
greatest attention 10 US, and to General
Burgoyne as well, though he had had
their beautiful furnished houses burnt
down, and, as every one said, without any
real necessity. But they behaved like
people who knew how to forget their own
losses in the misfortunes of others. This
generosity touched General Burgoyne
greatly, and he said to General Schuyler,
How can you show 20 much kindness to
me who have done You so great az lnjuryi
oh, that is the fortune of war; replied
the noble man. Let Us say no more
about it.
1--WE stayed with them three days, and
they were reluctant to let us co.
Though the perlls OF war were now
over for our baroness, aud her family, they
had by no means said good by to all dis
agreeable adventures. They travelled
slowly from Albany TO Boston, where they
we're to spend the winter. To keep off
the cold the baroness had had her car
rage covered with coarse panied linen,
which gave It thc 1prcc-ca-- of4-~ -
peast cart of a travelling menAgerle. This
so aroused the curiosity OF the people OF
the villages through which she passed
that she was often obliged TO descend
from her carriage and show herself, to
crafty their curiosity to see the Hessian
generals wife. This she did with great
good-humor, finding it only a source OF
amusement {; but to her husband, already
depressed by ill-health and a gnawing
sense of failure and disgrace, it added n
pang more to the bitterness of his cap
tivity.
Her impressions Of Boston were not
very favorably. The family were lodged
in the house of a countryman, and were
all crowded into one room under the roof;
sleeping on str,w, which they strewed
on the floor. AS a favor, their host per
mitted them to take their meals In his
room, where all the family ate and slept.
The woman of the house, to revenge her
self for the trouble they gave her, always
took occasion, while they were at dinner,
to comb out her children's hair, and was
deaf to all entreaties to choose another
time for the operation. The baroness
pronounces Boston a very pretty city,
''but inhabited by ardent patriots, and
full of disagreeable people"
They remained here three weeks, and
then were removed to Cambridge, where
they were sumptuously lodged in one of
the finest houses in the town, which had
formerly belonged to a wealthy r~oyalist.
In this house they spent a comfortable
and pleasant year, at the end of which
they were ordered to Virginia. During
this journey they endured many priya
tions, often being quite without food,
owing to becoming separated from their
provision-wagon.
In Virginia, she says, ''we crassed
through the most picturesque scenery,
but so savage in its wilderness that it
made me shudder and we often risXed
{ our lives in passing over the breakneck
roads, where we suffered greatly from
the cold, and, what was worse, from wan
of food. When we entered Virginia,
and were only a days journey from our
place of destination, we had nothing left
but our tea and a biscuit apiece, and
could not get anything. One man gave
me a handful of dried fruit, on the way.
At noon we reached a house, where ]
begged for something TO eat. The peo-
pie refused it with hard words, saying
that they had nothing for dogs of royal
lists. The roads were frightful, the
horses overloaded, my three children
quite white aud f~ainting with hunger, and
for the first time l felt quite discouraged
....At length an adjutant obtained from
a guide a small piece of old bread, which
, had been gnawed all round, as it was too
J hard to break....
Zone evening We came to a pretty
place, but our provision wagon was III
able to follow US, and we could not endure
our hunger any longer. AS | saw ar
abundance of meat in the house where
7 we had taken shelter, | begged the host.
T ess to let me have some. 1 nave al
l kinds she replied there is beef anC
veal and mutton My mouth watered as
she spoke. Give me some | said, and
) will pay you WE'LL She snapped her fin
= gers in my face, and said, You shall no,
: have a bit of it. " by did you come on,
of your own country to XII us and to de-
your u substance? Now you arr
prisoners, and it is our turn to tormenr
, you But see these poor children
pleaded they are nearly dead with hun
GER She remained unmoved but wher
my three years old Caroline went up t.
r her, took her hand, and said to her il
English, Good woman, | am very hun
cry she could hold out no longer, bu
took her into the kitchen and gave he
an egg. No. said the little girl, L hav,
two sisters The woman was touchet
by this, and gave her three eggs, saying
/ am ashamed of myself, but I can
resist the child She afterwards soften
E ed so far as to offer me some bread ane
! milk"
Such scenes were o ffrequent occurrence
on the journey. The family reaches
Cole, their destination, in the middle o
February, l779.
A lack of space precludes the POSSIBLE
Q ity of giving many details of the life 0
j the captives in Virginia, where they bull
them a house and we're surrounded by
y pleasant circle of friends, among whom
p were Madame Garel and General Wash
ington's family. General Won Riedesel'
e health suffered from the climate, and hi
spirits from the CALLING sense of captiv
Z ity while his wife was always busy an,
4 CHEEKY, saddened only when anythin
8 wen wrong with her husband and chill
z dren.
8 In August of that same year, they tray
3 eled to New York, with the expectat,o
D of being exchanged visiting Madam
y Garel at her plantation on the way. Her
Z Madame Won l.iedesel was much struc
! by the beautiful aspect presented by tn
: vineyards, which were planted on til
slope of a hill the vines alternating wit
d roses and ~amaranths, making a perfet
n bower Of bloom. Madame Carols hu.
band did not please her so well as tn
vineyards. as he proved brusque and an
amiable.
q They had scarcely arrived in New Yor
when it was announced to them that til
exchange had not been effected, and the