The Irish standard., 1890-03-15
THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD
English Atrocities Practiced in Amer
lea During the Struggle for
5s Freedom.
REVELATIONS OF HISTORY.
The Evacuation of Boston Began on
st. Patrlck's Day,
1876,

Gu0 l0tu VI apIIl, 1sSO' AO SesoSAD Va
Bunker's Hill was fought on the 18th Of
June in the same wear. With this
battle hostilities may be said to have
been fairly inaugurated between Eng
land and her American colonies. AS
England was neither prosecuting war
of conquest nor intlictlng retallatorJ
punishment, for merely chastislng her
rebellious colonies into subsection, this
being, at least. her ostensible purpose
of the war, one would naturally expect
on her part the amenities of civilized
warfare, but those amenities are no
where to be found. The truth is that
during the course Of the war she per-
petrated series of the blacklist atroci-
ties on the American people, and out
ragged their sense of decency in every
possible way.
The fortunes of war soon brought pri-
soners of war into the hands of either
party. The Americans treated their
prisoners in spirit of humanity, char
acteristic of brave and noble people.
The English did the reverse. Gen.
Gage was the commander-in chief of
the EnglishrY in America in 1875. He
performed no single act of bravery
during. that year. His mind was EN-
Uttered bY brooding spirit of disap-
pointment. He vented his ill-hum0r
on the unhappy prisoners that had
fallen into his hands. He threw officers
of high rank into felons' iail. to Ian
guish of wounds, and even to undergo
amputation. Washington demonstrated
with him on this account, and wished
to have an understanding that prisoners
should pe treated with kindness and
humanity on both sides, but Gage
scorned to promise reciprocity to rebels
as he styled the Americans, and
threatened vengeance for any barbarity
shown to British prisoners by way of
retaliation, and thus further replied:
sBritons, ever preeminent in mercy,
have overlooked the criminal in the
captive; your prisoners, whose lives, By
the laws of the land, are destined to the
cord, have hitherto been treated with
care and kindness; indiscrimately, it is
true, for acknowledge no rank that is
not derived from the king" In these
few sentences the British commander
expresses bragadocia, mendacity and
insult. He holds the Britons up as pre-
eminent in mercy We shall endeavor
to show t.eir atrocious conduct at this
period. Let the reader judge how far
they deserve that character. Washing
ton replied to Gage with his accustomed
dignity. He professed the purpose Of
retaliation, as he sent British prisoners
into the interior; but he privately
the order, and allow ed
the officers liberty on parole. This
lenity was very i'll requited, as one of
those officers. Stanope by name, was
base enough to forfeit his honor.
The siege Of Boston dragged slowly
and painfully along during the latter
part If 1875 and the early part of l776.
xu0 DIltlSuly WOlC 0uAOyCu 0U NCluA
hemmed in by what they termed a
rustic rout. They vented their feelings
on everyone and everything within
their reach. The same scornful
SPIRIT writes Washington Irving,
prevailed amongst them that the Gava-
Tiers of wore INDUCED in towards coyen
anters.'' AS specimen Of their barbar-
ity we may cite their Dissertation Of
churches. Considering episcGpacy, their
only loyal faith, they insulted and desc
Grated '.sectariann churches. One Of
those was turned into riding school for
the cavalry, aud the tire in the stove was
kindled with books from the library Of
the pastor We challenge history for
similar specimen Of unadulserated
black guardism. .
Boston was not the only place at this
timethAt had to suffer. Several New
England towns rendered themselves
obna xiOus By resisting exactions levied