^ ^ v^ \> IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I ^1^ tii ^ 1^ 12.0 iy& 1-25 lU 1.6 < — 6" ► ^ M /A w '/ Hiotographic Sciences Corporation \ ^ s^^ <^ t\ 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. U5S0 (716) 873-4503 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreprcdiuctions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques \ '4f July, A. Dv 1827, in the fifty-first year of the Iiulepe|pid»nce ot^e Unit«dtS||tea ol America, G. & C« Canritf^ 'ttie Mud district, have depcmud ia this office the titib of a ^jjljil^ the right whereof they qkim tis pro< prietors in the words following, ix> wit : ^ \ "Letters and Memoirs relating j^ the Way d^ American IndC' pendenoe, and the capture of me' Gmetam9ifV90pa at Saratoga. By A^ame de Jtlidesel. Translated firom the otiginal^Qerman. — ^ V^brare O^estioa facta.'* In conformity to the A^t V :9^ ' ■ A. •*■■■ ^ i^ Whnhersoeter your destinie shall dryre you, foiher by tSf fhri6us wav«|^ of the great oceane, os by the niani- Mde aod horrible dangers of the lande, I will surety ; ^: beareyou company. Tkere can be no pfiyll dbaunce to me so terrible, nor aaylsfv^e of deathe so cruell, that ' ' ^ shall not be much easier for me to abyde, than to five so farre separate from yovi"r^Hope Leslie^ voL lf]f. 223. ^ f ^ ■■.eft ■- .' i- - »vv ^ /,*£-■.• -^- ■ -•■ -^xliL'*^' .... ,^ ^ -:• .^. , :,^. •• ; 4' - i^T. '■,:.•;■ ■.■:^-^^;-..'l ■^'' - ^ ' ':... :tv s----' ■•*•• ■-• :!■:«!:, •^.■.■:r-r cv^> -■ ■ ' - ■'rj -.'X-- %-v-'*.' ■,, ,"v ■■'". ": -. ^ ■ • -. / ■ > ■■ ■■■■ ■'^-■' ' ^ •' ■ ■ • :i^'» '''-^?^r-'%..cW ' '^^^ ^ ■ ' ■* ■■' -^ ■^■- • . ' ■• ■ ' ■ 'W::4«'«J''^* .(•.»-*■■:..,- ■■ ,.„■,■*.•*■■'•■ '•■..■ • ■y *^'.T^.W '■■■ ii^'^r^ ^- .■ ";f^-^^ . ti:^-- -%'':■ _ .i-*' •'.^." k "^'' , ' '-^ '•■■i^- « ' 1* ■? ■f''* *• ^-t'.^-*. iiM- ■ A '- .■"^ «vW .^$■* .;>> s'^- t* "■».•■ ft- -^ i, sjKf.; Y- |l< . ■ I. r ■* . ^^C- ■.'. .K? ■ '•v: '„j>#k:' >^^r^-(i)»«i^<«^i ■■ .*■■ ■ w t 5^t' ■■ »' m. *'-^^"%- *^' ' % .%J '^J •*■■■ :4». %^ «V^J^ Jf'H H '*1( :-*r*,: ,f>"«. i '.! ^'i f^ r p % b> *^i» '^ \ ->rt :.^'' A •■••#,.-' • '^.^,C ^'' 4- ■^"' .i..4dfafc.***--;^:4j.. ?><,■''' V-: -.. , , • "»-*CHE ■I ' '■» i TRANSL ATOA'S IPREl^E. ii0 The Baroness de Riedesel , departed from Germany in 1776, to join her ^^ bandy' "the commander of the Brunnili^ troops incorporated.with the British army, then in Canada. Du^ring her vofage and residence in America, she addressed to her mother, the widow of the minister of state, Mr. de Massow, a detailed account, not only of all that occurred to herself, but bf the political events of the day. Tliese papers became aft^nvards the fH^or jp;{#^ pf Mad. de Riedesel's so --in-laiYi CaiptHe^r^ il|ii#the 44th, ^and b marshal an|lc!b||iiber|ain to the^ourt of Berlin. Du- ring it summei:i^ich ^bxs nobfeman spent with his lad|t%l^^0tits on their estate, he helpeJMiem to put into order thes§ inte^ K<5(*- -A, ^ "SSJ m ^ ■\ 9. i ^: f- A; e, 4 ^ ^'\ii resting family r^gnrds, with a ^i^ll^V'^^'' vingthem printed; but pn accouht^'lil^eir confidential and ftfivfte^. character, it vxfi^Bf at first, intended that thdlir circulation should kkot Vf-^aLtended beyond the circb of a few relatives and intimate friends ; and but a small ni^^'ki^r of copies were therefore struck 6ff. ^ At the sugg^tion, however, of Mr. Spener, an intelligent editor at J9lerlint tHpy were, at length, given to the public, in 1800, a^^w months after the death of Generftl^iedesel, un- der the title, " Voyage of Jf&ty to Ame- rica," &c. &ct , Fragments of this work were first pub- lished in English, by General Wilkinson, in the " Memoirs of my - own Times." They were afterwards, if we mistake not, copied into one or more periodical works; and all, or the greater part of them are also to be found, literaVjr transcribed from that former translation, in Professor Sil- liman's entertaining Tour to Canada. But th^ whole work had not as yet been trahf^^rred to the English^ fromS^ ori- ,'<\>f- ^ ■t ■■ ^^f'^ '^ .i ten an, when a fj^nd, for whose have a high regard, and who is, *^e knowledge ttdt leii of the German than EnglishiHerature, a coijnpetent judge ^ the merit of books in boftir lanl^uages, suggested the utility of adding to the lat- ter, A work more ^iJE^Qliarly interesting to the Mo nations^ who 'have that tie of mmon feeling, than to the Germans/ ho can merely fin4 in its fitges melan- chqjy me^'^i^als of- misfortunes, which no duty, no reaao^ble interest, no national, impulse led jJfMjrtion of their countrymen, very small, it is true, to ||icttr beyond the ocean.' I^f . I f^: The translation was begun with ^^M'^ alacrity that was soon succeeded by dis4| ^may, the reason of which needs not be in*^ imated to those who have been engaged" [in similar undertakings. ^ But works of an analogous character had been received ith much tkvour. The success of the * Recollections of the Peninsular War," nd the " Subaltern," and of other works*- of thojl^me authors, must always ,^' as> * * '*• # w I .M- ,*'^- ..>, 5ft> * ^: J. m- r^ 4^ •» giii|d||l|i^an, when a ij^nd, for whose taaliPlM have a high regard, and who is, ^|ue knowledge abi less of the German [than English literature, a copdpetent judge [4^ the merit of books in botlir lai^^uages, suggested the utility of adding to the lat- ter, a work more pii^oliarly interesting to [the f#o nations^ who 'have that tie of [Common feeling, than to the Germans/ ^ho can merely fin4 in its piges melan- ■ 1 ^ # ♦ ^ * * ' t 1 I /^ f? .^ c Up .rw' ■f 'r? cribed/in'a great degree, to the able exe- cution, as much as to the subject. But it may certaiiily be expected, thftt a delinea- tion of an eventful life, in the midst of military camps, will attract attention at a time, when the long and dreary epoch of wars is not yet so distant, that the thrill- ing emotions they excited ' Could be for- gotten, and when the world enjoys, at last, peace, and the prospects of its duration. *i The Adventures of a Young Rifleman," would otherwise have hardly found a pub- lisher, and certainly not such an editor as the title-page mentions. Mad. de Riede- sePs memoirs and letters may claim, in addition to an equal .interest with the works just mentioned, that, also, whilik belongs to the true picture of a conjugal devotion, of which there are few bHghter examples, whether in history, biographies, memoirs, or even in novels ; — of forti- tude, courage, and confidence in Provi- dence, of which there can never be af- forded too many examples for the eventu- -S' ■■€■ ■\-k. ■A -% 3\i ■»■ ..'.* al profit of the happiestt.or the support lof those who need encouragement and |cons61ation— |ind of success in ^ most ar- luhQUS but noble undertaking, which, also, lay be a lessOn to all who have duties to fulfil, that seeijii above tKehr strength. ^he moral of the story is more striking md impressive,' coming .from a female — lady, who by birth and rank was proba- bly the least prepared to encounter dan~ rers fit only toy the professional soldier. ^hatever may be thought of the political expediency of admitting into camps, in |he midst of actual w%By the sex whose ^rganiiation and whose duties are calcu- ited for the sunny season of peace, the kropptitude with which she hastened to rsverse the ocean, in order to share with ker hufiland, toils, sufferings, want, or feath, and the reflected courage with rhich she disregarded the chances of a [truggle, in which she had been told that lavages were a portion of the belligerents> n\\ ever be interesti^ as a new eicaPiplQ; *. • w ^^ 4* i^'^ u A- f .1 ^1 J i-\ w- ^ .^■m;|j4*>H' ^^' Hf-. I. (*V.. •# *^ 3fe; jt-\f t ^ '^' <•■- ./■# Vr, .1 ^* € M fv ^ 'V »>• of the strenuous exertions to which fe-l igsale tenderness can be exalte^* There has been, indeed, in recent ti^|| but one brighter exampfe of female fortitude andl ' afiection, Madame de Larochejaquelinl stands alone* in uninimitable grandeur andl K goodness, in the midst of cci^^nmstancesl which pot her 8|x to trials unknown bel fore, and w^^^.^i^e devoutly wish ma; never more refttfn to Wge even a heroine equally coura^eogs and amiable, upon th^ scene of civil wanrl For the public to w|^m this trans! atioij is presented, it has, nioreover, a nationi interest. Mad. de RiedesePs memoir j are a genuine appendix to American his] tory. They trace national events, and delineate the state of society, in this coun] try, at one of itsmoi^ momentous epochs] Names .that witi^^go down to posterity! with the memory of lofty actions anf events of a new, lasting, and far-sprea ■m^ *i... 't^>?. /!. n .:^ #■ ■^sM-5'- wfn «:*. ,% [thd^ofipanion, or, at least, "tfie acquaint*^ lance of their bearers ;' of Washington, .^ iGates, ^k^uyler, Carleton, Bu^goyne^^ *hi]h*p8, and the person »the nearest ^i^6r ^ lated to the JSpble authoress, Gegpral ^ iedeseL ^ '^ ;?, " Althougfar we are neither authcHti^m >or ^ncl^d to vouch for the eorr^^tiiGss of ^V lany anecdotes related Ifjr tlie authoress, lor the truth of thf.ijhtu^icters she traces >f some distinguished men, we think she leserves to be heard ^^1% Mtness for thi )pposite party; and thK reader or histo^ rian who shall o<^^re her relations with ^^f^ those of a still less dubious authenticity, ^ , " dll be able to determine its real value. ^neral BurgoyUe's reputatitib- generally Fas, we believe, that of an elegant writer, , good speaker, an^ an^iable and accom- )lished gentleman,./^^d:id% gallant officer, levoutly attached to** hie country, ambi- ious, but ambitious of distinction in the service of his sovereign, and who was hot tore successful in his great expedition, ^W n.^-. ^ st dt8tpi|;^ geflerals, and dev^t^ |i|ejNxtensive : to the preservation oif Her dominioii^-^t her ancient colonies. Thii^» in |pi H^^tes had) perhaps, only new troopfti ii vain ^as Washington in a mos^critict ' situation, at the sa>^%tiine that Gates, too] i^vas cooped up betweeii two armies,^ hetteo |orgaiiize4^ more amply proviiled, betteJ disciplijied and arme(it^jpid, perhaps, com] manded by more ei^^r^enoed officersJ *j|" ?pit whatever might have been thought o| ^, * .Bufgbyne, previous to, and after the inj '^ quiry before the House hf Commons, the charges brought, against him by M^d. dt vRiedesel, are the least known. We should not have . enlarged so much upoi *^^ Aw. lines of her work, did we not wisl to i^ove at once, by some sti^iking im stance, all doubt of the manner in whicii| we consider her testimony, in spite of thel ^ ^r ,*»"' I y ■**- ,»«. Ah .-i. »*f.' '% 4' - 1- «» * 13 & « « respect due to her sex, and to give cleart^jp to understand that we are mere transla- tors, and on no account vouchers of her statements ; and we say with Montaigne, I' As for the tales I borrow, I charge them ipon the conscience of those from whom , have them.** ^ • -*4ik For the passages which have been omit- ^ led in the translation, no apology will be ^^ jequired by those who can peruse the original. Whether right or -Wicongj (a luestion not now to be discusl^e'd,) the leading portion of mankind has becombx jo hostile to vulgarity, so delicate, in sonie .f [espect so fastidiously refined, that many "^ lings and words that were perfectly inocent and inoffensive, or only per- lertible by the sagacity of profligates [nd rakes, at a time not distant from lat of Fielding and Smollet, are now . msidered utterly disgraceful, and are * fholly banished from polite literature, ^e thought, however, that we might, upon le authority of Cervantes, name, " with- *^.- t *m % f I-- * * .J Q %f^ v^ ' ^^■■' %s «.&■ jr^H ■%^ *J?$e v\, zf %. '* » *4 n.- .■^'l M 'K^ .%. "(?;■■ t /• i' f % f ...••w 1 1 ■ .^ '^» W out begging pardon," the word hog or swine — " for so they are called," as the! immortal novelist humorously adds. Yet, for some expressions, and some details, alike '* unfashionable" or unpleasing, we venture to ask, in behalf of the authoress,] the reader's indulffence. , „ . » A- few short notes have been added:! there id but one in the original, whichi is^omitted in the translation. A longi quotation from Weld's Voyage to Northl America, relative to Brandt, the Indiaij qhief, which forms the appendix tol the German volume, would be useless to| the American public, and is omitted. Ii its stead, we give, through the kindness oi a most obliging friend, several original letl ters of General Riedesel to GenerarWashJ ington and General Gates. The author] of an interesting Life of Mr. Jefferson, ir the Memoirs of the Signers of the De| claration of Independence, has quoted letter of the latter, which proves, like those published in the appendix, that inl the midst of the Revolutionary war,— al ■ %.r *-• 4, i- > ..iMtt^Ji.t.*'* ■ »:^,-«':5.:,j«^* ,% t 'f .^v m > • ^ rar which, it might have been supposed, (would necessarily bear the stamp of the Istrongest animosities and incensed pas- |sions," peculiar to civil dissensions, not mly humanity, but urbanity, kindness, "* md genuine sympathy were shown to the •. [captives : — a sufficient proof that the tima #* ras not yet remote, when, as at Fonte- ^"^ lOi, the English and French guards took >fr their hats and saluted each other, bei ~ fore they began to fight a bloody battle. • [t is painful to remember how difFerent md iirore lamentable has been the fate, ^^ |n later times, of the vanquished, in other *^ countries. The American revolution, rhich was one of the most powerful prt)- lotersj, of thai of France — which has riven to other jii|trons the doubtful exam- )le of a waf for abstract principles — rhich revived, if it did not create, the > warfare with militia troops, free-corps, guerillas, " Landwehr," i .;-i « :*;■* '%l'' ^M " :^V .1* W"^: ■.:*, ^•Jif^aJc Sa ^- ■4^1- .-ip.*»^,j^ ■■f^- e»^^: ' ■?;■*. '■^ 4^ ^##^ l*i. :^ ■ iV ^.^ t.'*' 16 A '3f continuation of the charities of peace/ as far as it was possible : — and if no where, in apparently similar circumstances, there has yet appeared a second Washington, — w:- the peerless patriot, — there were, too, we , fear, but few Gates and _ Schuylers to mi- ^^tigate, in the heat of a civil war, the suf- '". ferings of the vanquished and the dying> ^and to gladden the sad hours of the cap- ^ ^rtive. ^^;; -'^r't. ■ -.-" -•: ■■'.■'-'-—"■' ^'^'■'-■'^y- ^^ General Wilkinson, who knew Mad. de Riedesel personally, calls her "the amia- ^^ble, the accomplished, and dignified ba- J' roness." — " I have more than once," says 'he, " seen her charming blue eyes be- , dewed with tears, at the recital of her sufferings." According to information imparted from Virginia, where she is yet , remembered, as she must be in some other parts of this continent where she has resided, she had much " embonpoint," a handsome face, and rendered herself an object of wonder, in riding in boots, and '^what was then called "the European fashion." She visited some of the princi-^ 5^ -i-^: •'«»;■':■ up- «,• '% *■ *•■ T' ;-Sf. , l .*«-*^-— •=-**.«»* -■■*■ V.^^tAtt.^ r- <• .^lA .'«£.», ^^:£^aMi,v'M.x!i'L^)ieiMLijtj!Jiiix:-. «!=>• ~j(^r }-J^ M' '-m. .*■ # 17 ■^^10 paf families in the neighbourhood of Char- lottesville. How far the circumstances in which she found herself, might have been a plea for the carelessness in her attire, it is not for us to say, who, as translator of her memoirs, may be permitted to con- fess, that we should be glad to represent ■.a;*.' ;,:•#« "^ .?>i ■ .;^*" ^^■ her as perfect as possible. Of the German captives, there are pro*^ bably many yet living in this country r' They were generally pleased with their situation in Virginia, — were industrious, active, peaceful, and liked by those with whom a singular fate had brought them into connexion. Lieutenant Auburey (author of " Travels through the interior parts of America," 2 vds. London, 1789) wondered at the preference which was shown to them over the English. The thing is easily conceived, if it was meant to say that the British prisoners bore their misfortune with less resignation. The.t^ German troops that were sent to this country, had neither great love for Eng- ^^ ■ 2* rfv ■M '9 ,0 «v n «>4 i ;^- <^si^. -<■■.; #■ ^S^a ■*: * my 't":; 'SS^Ji. '^.- ^^ ■,^" U w ^ * ''•V ^^%. * J- \. land, nor resiBntment figunst the Ameri- canj9. Little did a Brunswic soldier under- stand the sorrow of witnessing the sepa-l ration of a part of the British Jpamily, the| pain of losing vast regions, a|^liiV>humi> liation of nationl^ arms. TBie Duke ori Prinjoe received the subsidies ; regimentsl were organized ; officers, partly veteransj who had already begun to enjoy the! sweets of a military pension, were calledj f^ to head them : many of the men were en- listed by violence: — they embarked, andl '^ " fierce Germania's blue-eyed youth,"! % fera ccerulea Germanim pubesy with thcj heavy accoutrement which distinguished,! •until the late war of Germany, the equipage] of the troops of that country ; with haver- It sacks, long-skirted coats, long swordsj enormous canteens, grenadier caps, with! heavy brass ornaments, much powder and! pomatum in the hair, and clumsy queues] ^ jogged spiritless, through dense forests! and over impassable roads, heart-sick otj %a mercenary warfare, and longing afterl "'-^f>-.^ _,/■ •' ' I* . « * ?ftM '4 ^^#. the dear '< Fatherland." Lieatenant Au- burey says, " The Germans, to the num- I ber of twenty or thirty, at a time, will, in I their conversations, relate to each other, that tiley are sure they shall not live to see home again, and a|0 certain that they shall soon die. Would you believeit, af- ter this they mope and pine about, haunt- ed with the idea that n " Nor wives, nor children shall they more behold, Nor friends nor sacred home" * ,j«. '^1^ %■" [Nor qan any medicine or advice you can ^ ' [give them, divert this settled superstition, [which they as surely die martyrs to, as lever it infects them. Thus it is, that [men, who have faced the dangers of bat- ^^ tie and of shipwreck, without fear, (for they ire certainly as brave as any soldiers in the world,) are taken off a score at a time, )y a mere phantom of their own brain. > ^ 'his is a circumstance known to every . -" )ne in the army." . # f. %' M i M '^^v J*r, 'f'rf' -■**^ji' -^ "~-— MM-|I| 'l 4 jMin^'"**" ^ ik k * # If any one of these food Germans find pleasure in perusing this volume, he is fully authorized to think it particularly inscribed to him, by 'BiH '-' NOTES TO THE PREFACE. Note I — Page 11. %. 1 General Wilkinson ascribes Burgoyne's misad- venture, to the express order he had received to form a junction with Sir William Howe. He might otherwise have taken a safe position, within reach of his magazines at Fort George, and waited event0. Unappalled by the misfortune of Baum, or the discomfiture of St. Leger, he redoubled his activity and exertions to surmount the almost insuperable difficulties of deficient transport, and pursued his course with astonishing decision. "Indeed,'" says general Wilkinson, "the conduct ofBurgoyne, on this occasion, marked the soldier, regardless of personal motives, faithful to his profes- sion, and solely intent on the execution of his in- structions." — Memoirs of my own Times, vol. 1. p, 223. - - ^'^ • * Note H — Page 15. ^ " The English officers," says Voltaire, " saluted the French, taking off their hats. Count Chabanes *^'' t tfAt)t/s 0A ** *'» "O • ^^ Ik <>"■■ H ik i V i I f ■■V W^^ r 1* I ?■ i ^- I Ti^ i i u. •'# 22 \ trwl tff'^ duke of Biron, who had advanced in front of tii(^ line, as well as all the officers of the French guards, returned the compliment. Lord Ck-^rles Hay, captain of the British guards, cried : • Gentlemen of the French guards, fire.' Count Hauterochc, then lieutenuntof the grenadiers ami since captain, replied in a loud voice: 'Geuilo- men, we never fire the first: we expe« < your fire.*" — " Pr^ct* du Siicle de Louis XI y, -rJ Louis xr." M ^^m^ Note III — Pa^je 16. We cannot resist quoting a striking example of the prejudices to which bfilliant minds are some- times liable, and whose opinion of some men mitfh* have been generally adopted, had they not hud the good fortune to live long enough to con- tradict it in the most incontrovertible manner. There are those who outlive their own glory, and others whose mortal career Providence prolongs so as to remain immortal The following passage is copied from Horace Walpole's (earl of Oxford) Memoirs of the last Ten Years of the Reign of George n. from the or i; nil' manuscripts, (2 vol. 4|o. LoiiJon, 1822,) — a -AOi) < rare in l! is country, that this circumsta..cij uiouc could be a sufficient excuse for the length of this note. ^' ■ ss B %■■% kl "HV *i.^i .J*^*- 4^ iS 1754. " In August came flows of the defeat ji* major Washington, in the Greut Meadows, on the western bordui.^ of Virgunu; n trifling action, but remarkable for givitip' datfc "to the waf - The encroachments of tho French have been already mentioned, but in May they had proceeded to open hostilities. Major Washington with about fifty men attacked one of their parties, and slew the commanding ofHcer. In this skirmish he was supported by an Indian half-king and twelve of his subjects, who in tho Virginian accounts isi called a very considerable monarch. On tlio 3d of July, the French being reinforced to the lum- ber of 900, fell on Washington in a small fort, which they took, but dismissed the commai'der with military honours, being willing as they f^\- pressed it in the capitulation, to show that thoy treated them like friends. In the express which major Washington despatched on his preceding little victory, he concluded with the words, "1 heard the bullets whistle, and believe me there is something charming in the sound." On hearing of this letter, the king said sensibly, ' He would not say so, if he had been used to hear many.' Howtver, this brave braggart learned to blush for Mx rodomontade^ and desiring to serve general Braddock as aid-de-camp^ acquitted himself nobly. — Vol. 1. p. 346— -7. ^.iKf. •I •1 • \ '1: % :^^^- %*^ ^'■n 4 ■*. '.y p^' «' t. n CV '4>Jt'' « # iril ^ 'ti'.S.- ,!. J.,' '*!%' V Ai [•« 24 »1I U It is but justice to add the British editor's note to the passage printed in italics : " It is wonderful that Lord Oxford should have allowed this expression to remain, after he had lived to witness and admire the subsequent career of that great man, general Washington." There is in the next page a curious anecdote of | general Gates, who had just returned to London from Nova-Scotia, when the ministry received the news from Virginia. , " R*- ; f.} V, -fl^t \ I "^ #- ^ ■0 •«»»» m- ■•^. I ..'its;.' .\ .'^. iS^ h **. -,,,,.,.. , ^ .\ ■ - '■'^r.'- , V4' ■, • LETTERS. ^ LETTER I. ■m FROM GENERAL RIEDESEL TO HIS WIFE. Leifert, Feb. 22, 1776. My dear wife, — Never have I suffered so much, IS at our separation this morning. My heart was linking within me and could I have returned, who tnows what determination I might have taken. Jut, my dearest, it is God's will and I must obey ; luty and honour compel me to yield ; we must therefore take comfort and not repine. Indeed,i, )^our health, the anxiety arising from your situation, md the care of our dear daughters, alone give me uneasiness. Take the greatest care of the dear [iris, whom I love most fondly. I have reached this place in safety and in good health, though much fatigued, in consequence of Ihe anxiety which my mind has suffered for some (lays past. I hope sleep will refresh me and tliat flour's will be likewise beneficial to you. 3 *'■ ■V- -'♦>,■ ;¥ \r' *^ ^' .:.***■ ?% ./. ' r m- ^ --kn ■*mA- 'Ht'i nai ^ *; -*A ■■i»>,'^'' '• . -v'^i.,'-/-.' '^,:J^- 26 I have this evening been promoted to the rank of Major General. Be therefore pleased, Mrs. General, to be in good health and to join me as soon as your situation will permit. .f ^H: ^ LETTER II. FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME. 5" „.-■ ■f- *. ■-* Gifhom, Feb. 23, 1776. I have reached Gifhorn w^ithout any untoward accident, and, thank Heaven, we have had no de- serters. I could have enjoyed a good rest, had not my mind been so much occupied by thoughts] of you and our dear children. You did not observe and I was far from wishing that you sh©ul(^observc, how much I have suffered during the last four weeks, and how difficult it was to conceal my anx- iety. My duties have weighed but little upon my mind, in comparison with the mournful thoughts which oppressed it. The sacrifice is now made. It was the will of God . let His will be done. I have little doubt of the possibility of your joining I me, when you shall be able to leave your chamber. Take goodil^re of your own health and the infant's. I ^%: :fi l#^;- ■^■■^ *• '^ *Wti,V « ^^%mi4-. ^<*"'j^»v,'ii:-,-Tr?,"^^--,. ,'»nw:--T^ ^ % ^7 *i I believe our eldest daughter and Frederica will bear the fatigues of the journey well ; but you must not expose the youngest to such trials, what- ever may be its sex, nor must you injure it by ex- cessive tenderness. It is better to part with a child, for a short time, than to incur the self-re- proach of having occasioned its death. Neither must you depart, before knowing, by my first letters from America, where I am myself; and you must endeavour to procure good letters of introduction for England, in order to live there comfortably. Take care to travel slowly, and not to expose the children too much to the open air. u LETTER III. \M^- FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME. Haukenbiittel, Feb. 25, 177G. f I received this morning, my dear wife, your first letter, by which I see, thank God, that you are well and have begun to submit with patience to the sa- crifice which my duty and the will of Heaven have imposed upon me. Continue in this laudable dis- positHp, and by praying to God you will obtain ■^'.f 9^f ^- •■■'^ f •-*.' V~ . r»»« •• ««,#• ■-*'•. «* ■ »!> l i rti p^-ii^' '^pihB^ '"•'•S*-"'- \A:. 28 •*•,- > I the strength ne( essary to support you under your affliction. I am, thanks to Providence', very well, though I am still deprived of sleep, and my hetu't is loaded with a heavy burden. I feel the want of you and of my dear children. What does Gusta- va say ? how does Frederica do ? Give my com- pliments to Mrs. Paasch and her daughter, and say to the latter thafl expect from her (without your knowledge,) a letter full of news, respecting- your health and spirits. Kiss our dear children for me, and be assured tliat I shall ever be, &c. I. W LETTER IV. FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME. •Amelinghausen, Feb. 29, 1116. I will relate to you the occurrences of the day in a few words. You know that, on the 22d, I was at Leifert thoughtful, low-spirited, fatigued and de- prived of sleep. The 23d, I passed at Gifhorn : we had cold and unpleasant weathier ; I dined with General Bre- mer. We made a dav's halt at Haukenbiittel. -r vour s w: ^yp- •r^:;r^ H ^.>^.y^, i i Wn,« >« w i « <^iUaHt^ ^i #lii» I ■ii'"*>4 WPIPWiffe. -^^^Mtf ,-. • / 1 33 ^' favouraBle winds for England. We are mean- while in good spirite, and nothing is wanting to i , haj)piness except yoi^jr presence, which, I confess, I do exceedingly desire. * I send you for your amusement a short sketch of my present situation and movements. Our state-room is nearly as large as your room : on both sides is a small cabin, in one of which is my bed, and in the other that of captain Foy. In the state-room itself are four dormitories, on each side, for captains Hensch, Gerlach, and Cleve, and Lieutenant colonel Fricke. The cashier, the Pay-master General and the secretary are in the space reserved for the soldierfl^ a private cabin liaving been constructed for them. I rise towards 7 o'clock, after having said my prayers in bed. We immediately make our toilette, and breakfast, after the English manner, on tea and bread and butter. After breakfast, I go on deck to smoke a pipe, and that over, I write or read, drink coffee, walk up and down with the two Eng- lish officers, and spend my time in this way until dinner, that is, 2 o'clock, smoking occasionally one or two pipes more. We sit down nine at ta- ble, have three dishes, which take nearly an hour. When the cloth is removed, we drink healths for half or three quarters of an hour, viz.; 1. the King, 3. the Duke, 3. You and our Children, 4. Mrs. «V^«Ui ^#» .^ M ,*. Foy, 5. good voyage, and, 0. asucccsstul expedi- tion to America. At 4 o'clock the dinner is over. We drink daily four bottles of wine, and half a bot- tle of rum serves for our punch. I then drink cof- fee with the English officers : the other officers provide for themselves. After coffee I visit the other ships, and in the evening we play a game of whist. At half after eight we have some cold meat, wine for those who desire it, and beer. Lastly, at ten o'clock, we all retire to rest, and in this way, one day after another is spent. •<" • Captain Foy goes from Oover to London, to make his report to the King, and will join me at Portsmouth. I shall then be transferred to a man- of-war, where every thing will be more agreeably arranged. In this ship, general Gage returned from America. It had then eight small cabins, a state-room for t^e general, and a dining room, all which conveniences are to be again provided for me. But of all this, you may expect to hear more, by my letter from Portsmouth, as also of the state of things in America, and the means of our meeting again, in the safest and quickest way. •-d. i.' ¥ ^ ■.*iiis< n fr ai i n i w ..«t »» ^i-.. I j.m^ ii ii i n" ir 95 *^<: LETTER VIII. " ,; • FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME. On board the Palliis, March 22il, 1776, at sen, near th<' Red Ton, wher« the pilois leave thi-ir ahips. Wc are now on the vast sea. The pilots are de- parting, and through them, I address to you my last letter, from the coasts of Germany. Fear not, we are all well, and I hope we shall reach Spithead without suffering, and arrive in America in perfect health, after having once become accustomed to the sea. Foy gives me hopes of being near Spithead on Wednesday, at latest; and my first business will be to inform you of our safe arrival and of niv health. t 1 i ■i: LETTER IX. rnOM THE SAME TO THE SAME. On boanl the Pallas, opposite Dover, March 2G, 177G. I write you at the moment we come in sight of the British coast. Captain Foy, who goes from (V^i*.; : iiX^k : *,,/•.»• * ■ i J^ V -m i* .t hence to London, will put this letter in the Post Office. I rejoice to be able to assure you, that i have not been sick for a single moment ; that my appetite remains good, and that my sleep is sound and refreshing. My lervantH, however, and almost all the soldiers have been sick, and continue so. The cook is so much affected, that he cannot raise hi^ head, niuph less attend to his business. This Is somewhat troublesome, for Captain Foy and my- self are obliged to supply his place, the sight of j which would greatly amuse you. Let me now give you a brief account of our voyage. On Thursday we sailed from Stade for Fryburg. The beautiful villages on both sides of tho river presented a most deliglitfiil prospect. We left GlL'ckstadt, a fine Danish fortress, on the right. We were in excellent spirits, ate, and drank hearti- ly, and in the evening had our game of whist. On Friday we sailed for Ritzebiittel or Casha- ven, where we arrived in the evening, and imme- diately landed to take a view of the city, and after- wards played whist, as usual. On Saturday we got under weigh, with but little wind. We felt as well as if we were not at sea. We are all in excellent health, and eat with great appetite. From the Red Ton, where the Hanove- rian pilots left us, I wrote you my last letter. In the afternoon, fishermen from Heligoland ap- 1^ 37 ^ proachetl «is, and for two dollars I bought a largo oodfiHJi, twenty haddocks and four flounders, all of which I could not have had at Brunswic for ten dollars. The weather now became rainy. On S.inday morning we had a thick fog, and the sea became stormy. We fired two guns from our .ship, as a signal to the rest of the squadron. The vapours rose, the wind and the waves became more agitated, though wc had no real storm. Every body was now sick; the cook was unable to go to the kitchen, Miiller could not dress me, and Va- lentin could find nothing : — in short, we had much lamentation, and little cleanliness. I was hun- gry, but had nothing to eat, until at last captain Foy and myself set ourselves to prepare a pea soup, which we ate with cold roast beef, and that was our whole dinner. The soldiers took no meal. On Monday the weather became milder ; some [of our people got better, though most of them still continued sick. Captain Foy and myself were again busy in the kitchen, with a soup made (»f preserved bouillon, a haddock, with anchovy- sauce, a ragout of veal, and roast veal with po- [tatocs. On the following day, wc had the finest weather rnnaginable,and some of our people recovered their [health. The soldiers cooked for themselves, for 4 m'' i t . ■■ . I •<■ '»• 4 ^ '4. »■' " t- * < ' '■'^' • V ti' * .'»' **'i >ii »" 9 i i w i*« | i , i ji . " ■' :<-PMi4|Mr>w-' LSTo ri^Ti^-V ■'^f,* ■■S'tV- w 4:'. .^'^' 41 you a letter, whichj^^jth that hope, I shall con- ^ stantly keep ready.'^'^^ Let' me give you some advice. You must en- deavour to procure at Brunswic letters of intro- duction, in order to find at London private lodg- ings, in which all your expenses may be known and fixed beforehand. In a public inn, your ex-^.,. *• penses would be three times as great as in such '- , quarters. I paid twenty-two pounds sterling (nearly 132 dollars of our money) for seven days' lodging of my two aids, myself, and our servants, one dinner, and seven evening repasts, — the din- ner for twelve persons, the supper for four. This rule you will do well to observe in all your halting . places, where you intend to remain seve- ral days. If you go through Exeter, Plymouth, or Bristol, (in which latter city Mrs. Foy resides,) you must procuie at London' the addresses of pri- vate boarding-houses, where you may lodge. Such houses are not scarce in England. I advise you, also, to examine in London, or elsewhere,^ the vessels generally employed for the convey- iince of passengers, in order that yoiii may be able to arrange your plans for your accommodations beforeliand. You cannot take in your birth more than one child, another can remain with the maid, and the youngest must be kept in a hammock. ?. You must purchase, in London, portable soup» 4* . ^ "'■': ■:.:^^ 1 1 .;•** i) -%'• *"- I' ■ * I i V i i* i-?*- ^•^^i .'?». **.» ^W I-, }^. .-«W 42 ""A .•* .* ■'> ■ ■•it-- 'I. y4~ ^' 'fr. > •Kii. i\ ' *, tKat you and the children may not want a good bouillon, whenever your butcher's meat shall be spent. . \ ■- , ' I i^- LETTER XII. >X, FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME. ^i;_ On board the Pallas, April 24th, 177C. From the 4th instant, when we sailed from I Portsmouth, we have been on the open sea, havin^^j had alternately good and bad weather, and having] experienced, already three gales, which to us seem- ed a little like hurricanes. All our people were I sick, but I continue' to enjoy good health, and] bear admirably all inconveniencies. . We are now more than two thousand miles from! Stade, and twelve hundred from Quebec. In five or six days I hope to be in sight of the coast of | Newfoundland, and shortly afterwards, to find our- selves on the Saint Lawrence, where our naviga- 1 tion will be more agreeable, and the number of| our sick less. My best and dearest wife, notwithstanding my fond attachment to you, and my anxious desire to ., ■s,.,^..,|: • i-.,!** ' .,j*. p if ■;,Vf^>.,;|i'jj'. ^. 13 .$ ■^■ ^ <^- If r ;,* 4 see you again, as soon as possible, I should not advise you to undertake such a long voyage, espe- cially with your children, had I not given you nay word that I would consent to your rejoining me in America, before I knew all the difficulties con- nected with such a voyage. I confess that I tremble when I think of it ; but you have my word, and I must keep it, and live in the hope that God will sanction it by His blessing. Still you must npt leave Europe alone. Wait for Mrs. Foy, or some other lady of rank, with whom you may em- bark in the same ship, — ^but it must be a person who has already been in America, and knows all the precautions necessary in undertaking such a voyage ; and who may be able to advise and assist you, in case you or your children should be taken sick. You must know, my dear wife, that you and your children, and every one of your ser- vants, may be sea-^sick, if not constantly, yet du- ring strong winds. In my ship, there are not five persons who have not been sick for more or less I time, and every one wonders that my health has . continued good. You run, therefore, the risk of lying sick in bed with your children, without the least assistance, and without any thing to eat or to drink. A ship's company generally consists oi filthy and coarse -people, whose chief food is salt meat, half done, and scarcely eatable. The wa- ^.^ >^^ ^: f.. r .&. "h' ■ ■M .-r^ I 'P V f -V ■■'■ :,f^ I,- f * '4 *' 4f. 44 ' ^ I; tqr, after a short time, becomes so bad and nau- seous, that it is impossible to drink j^. You must, therefore, procure a stone for filtering it, and ac- custom the .children to drink beer, or have the water for your daily consumption, for awhile, near the fire. Unfortunately my poor cook is almost constantly sick. For many days we have been at a> loss on what to live. Our fresh meat is gone ; and we are reduced to salt meat and poultry. We shall soon begin to kill our sheep. The worst of it is, that through the sickness of our cook, j^o- body attends to the preservation of our victuals, and that, consequently, tliey are partly wasted, Und partly purloinej. In one word, I could not, without deceiving you, represent such an exist- ence as an agreeable one. It is still very fortu- nate for me, that I enjoy good health, and that J am able to. endure with patience so many incon- veniences. ■f-^M ■4m^*- n m. LETTER XIIL ^ 1 FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME. /^ On board the Pallas, two leagues from Quebec, June 1, 1776. ^ I cannot tell you much of our voyage j for what eari be said of nine weeks spent between heaven and -V- s :r.--'-7v-'- i ■• 1 ■ // ■^y ,.• M ."^•^^r -M^ #..*■ ^.', ^ if *. 45 'Jlf the deep ocean, where our days passed away pretty much in the same monotonous manner? We are now, after much suffering, two leagues distant from Quebec, where we shall arrive this evening, but where we shall not make any stay, general Carle- ton having, before our arrival, driven the rebels from the environs of Quebec, and being at pre- sent engaged in their pursuit. We shall, there- fore, continue our navigation up the river until we join the general. I cannot yet give you any di- rection with r^spec' to your voyage. Captain Fpy thinks that it is indispensable to know pre- viously where we shall be ourselves. I can, there- fore, only advise you not to embark alone, and not depart except in company with a lady of rank, be' it the wife of general Carleton, or Mrs. Foy, or any other lady. — I muSt conclude my letter, as it must be sent to the ship, where care will be taken that it is forwarded. As soon as I shall have joined general Carleton, I will give you more de- tailed information about myself, the situation of our affairs, and respecting your voyage. * R^ . itr- ■■\M^'' -M ,>.-«. ,-'i^ f'-m.s.mt^ i H » ■ « !» « •*» 1 «*^.<,.^.. .„.M*»W*#'»~--- «*>- '■i^ ^1 f ■-. •^ 46^ LETTER XIV. *;■? FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME. «-?d Between Quebec and Montreal, June 0, 1776. I shall now relate to you briefly all that has occurred since our arrival at Quebec on the 1st instant. We were near that city on that day, at C o'clock in the evening. I went on shore imme- diately to pay a visit to general Carleton, who re- ceived me with much civility and friendship, and invited me to dine with hini on the following day. To form an idea of his personal appearance, you need only recollect the figure of the Abbe Jeru- salem :* the same stature, the same countenance, the same carriage, the same voice ; and were the general dressed in a black coat, and had he a wig, there would be no difference between them. On the 2d, after having dined at the general's, I went to see the prisoners taken from the rebels. In the evening I waited upon commodore Doug- las, who conunands the squadron. On my re- O* '•' -ftA^^ Ti' * The father of the young man whose adventures served in part as the ground work of " The Sorrows of Werlhcr." See Goethe's memoirs of himself. n ii "^- 1 -% i " ni m '• •*— -™ — "IIPP" 47 ■^1 t.- tiring from his ship, a salute of thirteen guns was fired in honour of me. I passed the third, vhich was my birthday, on board my ship. I was not much pleased to re- ceive, from general Carleton an order to leave my dragoons and prince Henry's regiment in garri- son at duebec. — Captain Foy was this day ap- pointed adjutant-general and military secretary to general Carleton. On the 4th, the king's birthday, I waited, with all the officers under my command, on the general, to present him our congratulations. The guns of the fortress, and all the vessels, fired salutes, and in the evening we had a ball. The next day general Carleton conferred upon me the command of a separate body of troops. This was quite unexpected to me, and has excited much notice. On the sixth, I received my last orders from the commander-in-chief, and, the wind being favoura- ble, I embarked with my troops. We are now on the shore of Lake Champlain, but you have no- thing to fear for us from the enemy. He has dis- appeared, and we have seen no living trace of him this side of the lake. My dearest, no place would suit you better than Quebec. If you choose, you can go as far as Montreal, and there receive directions from mo. " % m # ■V-v i.*t- * ,'/' ■ -. I- f-.-- »^ A- ■■» u 4 r 48 ^1 m Tor your farther movements. In the latter city, you will find such means of conveyance as will enable you to move without difficulty, by land, from one place to another. I will take care that you shall find all possible conveniences in Mon- treal. You will be much pleased with Canada: there is not a finer country in the world. '%' %1 .^\ LETTER XV. FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME. »:*• La Prairie, June 20, 1776. I have lately given you a detailed account ol our arrival at Quebec. From thence we went to Three Rivers, but I, as well as all the other gene- rals, arrived too late for the encounter which took place near that city. We advanced farther I with our vessels, and landed at Vergennes. Our march was rather fatiguing, until we reached La Prairie ; but at present we enjoy some rest. All my baggage has arrived, and we live well, but expensively. We ordinarily sit down at table twelve persons, and have six dishes. This costs me at least two guineas a day. A bottle of wine ^: •^ ^'^ IV 49 costs a dollar of our money. I ain here alouf with all the German troops. General Carleton seems well disposed towards me ; he distinguishes me extremely, and, if things continue in this way, I shall hove reason to be well satisfied. I hope the war will not last long. We have alrea- dy conquered all Canada, and shall, as soon as the boats are ready, penetrate into New-England by way of Lake Champlain. New-England is the rendezvous of all the rebels ; but general Howe is there, and, it is said, has already obtained some advantages over them. I shall endeavour to carry you back in my ship, where you will be better accommodated in every respect, for I am now somewhat more conversant with the life at sea, and know how to remedy many evils connected with it. If you undertake the voyage, you will find at Quebec lieutenant-colonel Baum, with the dra- goons, who has already made arrangements to procure good lodgings for you. You will imme- diately write to me, and rest for some days at Quebec. After this you will set out for Throe Rivers, which is rather a pretty town, and where you will lodge in the same house which general Carleton has occupied. Three Rivers is thirty leagues from Quebec, and you are then at the same distance from Mo'^treal, where vou will see 5 i< V 'Ti' ■fcf,"' •* ;. r-s f>- '*•. 'i ' ■T > .d' f.xf- *» ^ -t '.^' ">' ^it rSh»r m r i'ij ^" *,>■ ■T^ 50 '• ^^ ^. fJSZy '# me, or find my farther directions. You will be delighted with that part of the country : it is a pity that the colonies are yet in such an infant state, that one can but seldom procure what is necessary for the table, as, for example, vegeta- bles, fruit, and such things ; but butcher's meat, poultry, and milk, can be had in abundance. The houses are but one story high, but are divided into many rooms, and arc, generally, very neat. An ordinary peasant's house is capacious enough for our whole family. The inhabitants are remarka- bly civil and obliging, and I hardly think that, under similar circumstances, our peasants would behave as well. I have nothing else to tell you. We are here very quiet. General Carleton is with part of the army at Chambly , /General Era- ser is at St. John ; and I am here, and travel in the neighbourhood, to make myself acquainted with the country. — I dine at 3 o'clock ; and, ge- nerally, go rather fatigued to bed. At 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning, I am again abroad. Near- 1 ly a month may yet elapse before we pass Lake Champlain. >) t ■ \i \ :^-'.^ ''i0' *: 5J ■4^' ^' LETTER XVI. j, FROM THE SAM£ TO THE SAME. '* ■*• Lu Savannc, Sept. I'i, 1770. Tlie army is encamped for the purpose of re- maining united. I occupy an excellent position, at a place called Savanne ; and, as I command a separate corps, I have always a great deal of work on hand, and must continually move about. This has a very good effect on my health. The nights begin to be cool : we think and even talk of our winter quarters already, into which we shall pro- bably enter within the next month. How much I should rejoice if I could then enjoy your society and that of our children ! I know, indeed, of no greater happiness. But where are you now? Perhaps at sea ; perhaps in great danger ! Oh ! how often do such thoughts occupy my mind du- ring whole niffhts ! I hope that God will soon end my an^ ties, and grant me the happiness of holding vou in my arms. On the 4th instant, af- ter the exercise of our troops, general Carleton, and the principal officers of the army, dined with me. We were thirty-six persons, and had twen- ty-six courses, served twice. My guests seemed gratified by the hospitality which I displayed on t *> ,* A ik-.% ;iK . . r, J^ii'L ... .. _ V*. -.;»■§• H' '*'^^ 52 I ^■ ■»: .'Sfe :t that occasion, for the honour of the king, and to gratify his majesty's army. My success is com- plete, i^t I am on a good footing with every ^ *.:i^ '^: V ■*- i im-^ r*. "^ <*f- iS**f: '■J.: FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME. ►■ ■ ■ , .'-J 'From the camp at La Savanne, Sept. 231, 1'Zl'e. I have at last received, my dear wife, your let-^ ters of the 9th, 13th, 20th, and 30th of April, and 12th of May. Each of them has given me a great deal of pleasure, and I thank God for the good health you and our children have enjoyed. I embrace you all most cordially. I was, also, very much gratified by the indirect news I re- ceived of you through England, and am thankful > that Providence has so far prospered your voyage. According to the news I have at present, you must have reached London, towards the 12th, and, on the 18th, departed for Bristol ; and you, as well as our children, were then in perfect health. O'Connel, who was despatched to London by cole- „ncl Specht, has conversed with the landlord of %.^'" % the inn vi Bristol oi don. I shall des country, liver it tc and to gi tranquilli val at Qi informati Rivers, w , >.=» We ha and tak( shall now is at an e where you with I should The wint ' . ■.,*tv» '■$it .i.«»'*N« > ««k4^^. '♦kW*^** - ■J^, (- / 53 '■#1 the inn where you lodged, and you had set out for Bristol only three hours before he arrived in Lon- don. I do not direct this letter to England, but shall despatch it by the first vessel bound to that country, with an injunction to the captain, to de- - liver it to you if he should fall in with your ship, and io give all the news which may contribute to tranquillize you about my health. On your arri- val at Quebec, Mrs Murray will give you farther /^L *^ information. My winter quarters will be at Three ? ^2 Rivers, where you may quietly-await my return. ^^ r _ jjj, ■ .'_ ■■■' * '. LETTER XVIIL ■•.»'; T*f:^ FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME. '■'K;>iic. .;>«!. ■0 ' Crown Point, on board the Washington, a vdsslfe- taken from the rebels, Oct. 26th, 1776. * We have destroyed the squadron of the rebels, and taken possession of Crown Point. We shall now go into winter quarters. Our campaign is at an end, and I shall return to Three Rivers, where I have my quarters, and shall wait for you with the greatest impatience. How happy I should be if you could yet join me this winter ! The winter-quarters will probably be undisturbed, 6* w ^ ^:'m ^ /s;^ ■'%. T - 1 i w /^., ■I*^>: . ^ijliJidtiiaaA^ia 1. -^'y # ^ '' "'"'A ' # 54 and I should be able to spend with you almost all my ^ime. /General Carleton has hercacally at- tacked the enemy's fleet, leaving behind him the whole army. He has carefully spared the fatlu.rs of families, and if the war is carried on in the same manner next year, I shall be in the midst of it, surer of my life, than when exercising the troops in the squares of Wolfenbiittel and Brunswic. -General Burgoyne, who takes charge of this let- ter, will do his best to cause it to be delivered to you at sea, if you are still on the ocean, but if you are in England, he will spare no pains to procure for you, next spring, a passage in a good ship, and you need only write to hu.i. I have been here for six days, as a volunteer. We have been very near the camp of the rebels, at Fort Carillon, and have made some prisoners. •■;^ FROM 1^': LETTER XIX. FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME.- Three Rivers, Nov. 10, ITTU. 1 have now little hope of seeing you during the ensuing winter, and, therefore, address you this letter, in order that, if you are still in England, you may not be without news of me. My o\ [made me I seem thai in some ness andl obliged, [disobey ^ -.-^r^^yf^.-r ■ 55 I am, thank God, well; but extremely anxious about you, not knowing where you are. I shall not, however, complain, if you do not come, what- ever pleasure I should have experienced in seeing you here. My uncertainty about your place ol" residence, in this season, is the principal cause of my uneasiness. I must conclude in order that my letter may go by the mail of to day for Que- bec. I entrust you to the care and protection of the Almighty, embrace you and oi-r dear little ones, and fondly indulge the hopc^, that you will he here next spring at latest. ; i ,> r :a'S'r^* LETTER XX. FROM MADAM BE PIEDESEL TO HER MOTHER. M Wolfenbiittel, March 8, 1770. My own dear mother, — Your last letter has I made me very uneasy. By some passages it would jseem that you are angry with your daughter; and, I in some others, you show me again so much kind- ness and affection, that I am very sorry to be I obliged, for the first time in my life, willingly to disobey you. Be assured that, had it been possi- ^-' *■* ■*-' ■-0' •■a ...i..^;. *i ' ' ■* tI , 56 r ■f. v/i^- ble to shake my resolution, it would have been through the delightful prospect of seeing you here. But I knew myself too well, not to foresee how painful it would be to leave you, and refuse you any thing ; wherefore, in my last letter but one, I omitted to entfeat you to come to see me. I could not, indeed, bear the thought of parting with you, especially for so long a time. Yet the I reflection that you should beg — command me to comply with youv wishes, made me shudder. ' On ! the other hand, it was impossible for me to remain here, while the best, the fondest of husbands had | consented that I should follow him. Duty, love, and conscience carried me away. Is it not tho duty of a woman to forsake every thing for her hus- band *? You know my love for you, as well as his for me and my children. '^ LETTER XXI. -^ 5^ > .^ TROM THE SAME TO THE SAME. Wolfenbuttel, May 3d, 177C. Oh ! could you know the pleasure I felt to sec by your letter, that you begin to be reconciled to the necessity of my leaving you. My satisfaction .1^ m*' ii^ A- 57 is now complete, and I have the approbation of u'l for obeying the calls of my duty. Yet I de- part with the strongest hope, that God, who knows my heart, and to whom all my thoughts are known, will protect me and my children. The only thing that troubles me is to pari frqm you, dearest, kindest mother ; but I trust that it will be but for a short time : perhaps Heaven will grant us again the blessing of peace, and then we may live with more quiet. May we have God^s bless- ing. If you pray to him, dear mother, for us and lour children, we shall surely prosper. On my 'part, my most fervent wishes and daily prayers will be, that the Almighty may preserve you, dear- est mother, and give you all possible felicity. Keep us in your love, and we shall ever remember you with the fondest attachment and deepest veneration. Have the goodness to write me once more, and assure me again of yoar affection. If you immediately grant me that favour, your let- ter would yet reach me before my departure, [which is fixed on the 18th insiant, if we keep our health. You will be pleased afterwards to ad- dress your letters to Bristol, where I shall wait for verbal intelligence from my husband, -#: ' -M #^; ^■M" - ±i^ 'i^*!* >^^ . ^ i i: \. 58 t,. '% Madam de RiedeseVs Account of her Journey from Wolfenhiittel to Bristol. 4fel departed, on the 14th of May 1776, at oi o'clock in the morning, from Wolfenhiittel, and notwithstanding my anxious desire to meet again with my husband, I could not but be alarmed ai the difficulties of my undertaking, especially as, for some time, I had constantly been kept alive to the dangers to which I exposed myself. M) « eldest daughter, Gustava, was four years and nine months <,'d; Frederica, my second daughter, was two years old ; and Carolina was born but ten I % weeks before my departure. I needed all my >^ourage and tenderness to keep my resolution ot following my husband. Besides the perils of the sea, I was told that we were exposed to be eaten by the savages, and that people in America lived upon horse-flesh and cats. Yet all this frightened me less, than the idea of going into a country] with the language of which I was not conver- sant. I had, however, made up my mind; and the'| prospect of seeing my husband, and the con- W ♦ ■r >, •'. -'-.;/; .%>■ "■^ ■■"/ T^-" jtj- #f ' W . J?fe- ^■!!^ ^*« 59 gciousness of doing my duty, has preserved me during my whole voyage from despondency. At our first halt, my good old Rocke]) observed to me, in a tone of serious, conviction, while he took the children out of the carriage, " You see, madam, how God prospers your journej our child- ren look better than ever." This man had been with us eight years, when my fs ther appointed him forester. As soon as he heard of my husband's de- parture, and of my intention of rejoining him, he forsook every thing to follow me in the capacity of a servant, and has not ceased, during our whole journey, to show us the strongest attachment and greatest zeal, especially in regard to the children, whom he considered it as his duty to take care of, and bear in his arms. In the first inn where we were to dine, I met with an extremely rude land- lord. While tlie horses were in the stable, I took a beer-soup, for which he asked ten " groschen."* To my observation on this exorbitant demand, he answered saucily, that it was the price, ai:d that nobody had obliged me to alight at his inn; that I might think he was insolent, but that I should find ruder ones, who would ask six tim^s as wi i it^^r "t f# ''^ Twenty-foiU' groschen make a Prussian dollar. "«4-- .. -* *"■ '^.'■«1Ea L&:, Y» V ^W ■ ^ ■ 60 > i «lf- much as he did. A fine consolation for one who had determined to spend as little as possible! At Maestricht I was advised to be on my guard, the roads being infested by robbers, one hundred and thirty of whom had been recently taken and execu- ted. There remains yet a band of nearly four hundred men, any of whom, who should be seized, would be hanged without much ceremony, even on the high road. This news was not a little alarming to me, and I determined not to travel by night; but the horses which could be procured being ^ very bad, I was obliged to pass the forests at dusk, when all at once something fle^/, as it were, in my face, through the glasses of my carriage. I stretched out my hand, and feeling that it was something rough, I inquired what it could be. On examination, it was discovered to be the corpse of a hanged man, with his woollen stock- ings on. My terror, at this discovery, became still greater when my postillion suddenly st jpped be- fore an insulated house in the woods, declaring that he would go no farther. The name of that spot was Hune, — a namis which I shall never for- get. A man of a suspicious appearance re- ceived us, and conducted us into a remote room, which contained no other furniture than a single bed. The weather being cold, I caused a fire to V3 % ^ r 61 be made in the large chimney. Our supper con- sisted of tea and coarse bread. My faithful ser- vant approached me with a very perplexed counte- nance, saying, " Things are not quite right in this place. I observe there a closet full of arms, and apprehend that most of the inmates are absent, and they are surely robbers. But I will lie the whole night before the door of your room, and they shall pay dearly for any attempt on my life." I seated myself on a chair, and laid my head on the couch that was assigned to me. However, I fell asleep ; and how great wr.s my joy when, on awaking, I was informed that every thing was ready for our departure ! I stretched my head out of the window, and saw the wood peopled with nightingales, which, by their agreeable song, soon effaced from my memory all recollection of for- mer anxieties. My journey was upon the whole very fortunate. I passed through Brussels, Tour- nay, and St. Omer; at which latter place I ar- rived on the 31st of May, at 1 o'clock in the after- noon. Between the two hotter cities lies Cassel, near which is a mountain, from which I could sur- vey two and thirty towns, exclusive of villages. It is one of the finest landscapes that can be ima- gined. Immediately after my crrival at Calais, I sent for a ship-captain, to make my arrange- 6 r « :l ** »■* ^ .'^.. .*#■ _,iy*.j-'^^./.j.r4ii,i . ^»• r-Tiu G2 !•■ it' irt tncnts for my passage to England. I was advised to aire a packet-boat for ourselves ; and I left my carriage at Calais, because I was told that I should be obliged to pay at Dover a tax of thirty or sixty guineas, if I entered England in a coach built in a foreign country. Contrary winds detained me for two days at Calais. At last I was sent for from the ship. At that moment, I confess, the palpita- tions of my heart were rather stronger than usual. My two eldest children were quite merry ; for I had told them, with a view to increase theu: cou- rage, that they would see their father, as soon as we should be on the other side of the channel.. I affected great courage ; and we went in our car- riage to the embarking-place, where the boatmen already waited for us, and taking the two eldest children in their arms, carried them immed ately on board the ship. I held the babe in my ow.vj arms, and my servants followed me on foot. When I looked around for the man with my children, I saw them already on board the jhip, sporting with the sailors. The youngest one was then carried on board, and, from that moment, the vessel lost in my eyes all its terrors. The ship was, besides, very clean and neat, and the sailors looked happy. I had a very neat cabin, provided with eight births : all the furniture was of mahogany, inlaid with ?^^ A L>::ff.¥i ■■■/.. :¥,juj.u ■: 63 bronze, and so well polished, that one could al- most use them for mirrors. We were invited, my children and myself, to lay ourselves on the beds, but we preferred walking on the deck, and ate and drank with excellent appetite. My daughter Frederic a became soon so well acquainted with the sailors, that when she wished to go down or up, she called out to any one of them, " Friend, your arm." These people are very fond of child- ren, and understand well how to attend them. One of them took up little Carolina, carried her about, and took care of her. It was diverting to see him, a tall, weather beaten fellow, with a little girl constantly laughing in his face. We all re- mained in good health. The captain said, that, for a long time, he h.id not had so fine weather. Yet the wind, though favourable, was rather strong. We made our passage in five hours. As the tide would have prevented our landing, until 8 or 9 o'clock, we determined to take a small boat, which carried us on shore in six minutes. My heart was filled with thankful feelings toward God, who had so highly favoured our voyage, and kindled at the inward thought, " You will carry your children in good health to your husband." But they cried for their father, which damped my joy. I tranquillized them, by saying, that we must first embark again j upon which they teazed mo, j-.-nRu -?Ji I. T A. ■f v'; ■,f- »«»-••-* ^j^' 1 I ■■■■ \ Gi ' I and could not be kept quiet whenever th% saw j ship. On our landing at Dover, we received many congratulations, on having supported so well the fatigues of so long a voyage : but this cost money, I was accosted by more than thirty innkeepers, who all begged me to take lodgings at their houses. I gave the preference to a French hotel, and was much pleased with it. It was a splendid establishment, and particularly remarkable for' its extreme cleanliness. The custom-house officers came to visit the baggage, which was rather an irksome busines • but I was provided with letters for the collector, who, as soon as he was informed that the purpose of my voyage was to rejoin my husband in America, politely observed, that it would be very rude to vex the wife of a general, who had gone so far for the service of his king. This settled the matter. Having been obliged to leave my carriage at Calais, I found it necessary to take here a post-chaise for my journey to London — a mode of travelling, which is very expensive, as the transportation of the baggage is regulated ac- cording to its weight. I reached London on the evening of the 1st oi June, and found many of my acquaintance there, among whom were general Schlieffen, Mr. de Kurtzleben, and Count Taube. My husband had t--. ..»*. .'..' -«.« ..«R. ..t-,.^^ I'*., fv 65 written to tho latter, begging him to pre sure for ine privnt^' lodgings ; but, for fear I should not come, he had given himself no trouble about it, by which I might have had bftter and cheaper accommodations. I was, however, happy to see how much interest my husband had taken in my voyage', and how sure he was that \ should keep my resolution, and I rejoiced so much the more that I did not yield to the apprehensicms with which somte persons endeavoured to impress me. I must now mention a circumstance, which ren- dered my lodgings here rather disagreeable. ) had trusted entirely to my landlord at Calans, to whom I had been recommended ; but now i think that he abused my confidence, by sending over 1o England many things at my expense. He p.'so ad- vised me not to depart without being acconphnied by some trusty man, because I should otherwise be exposed to great dangers ; and he seemed to take much pains to procure such a person for me. He at length came with a well-dressed man, whom he introduced to me as a nobleman, a friend of his, who was willing to accompany me to London. I received him with great civility, and felt at a loss how to acknowledge his extreme politeness. In the carriage I '>vyged huu ♦o take his seat next to me, and kept the children oppo- site to me ; thus endeavouring, by all means, to 6* 'Vi' ^^> ■^ r sm- -. \--'-^.. '># .'■;?!"rrT" %.^ '^' '"S^ r^;>;-- ■.■* 66 prevent them from being troublesome to him. He affected the manners of a man of much con- sequence, and ate at my table during the whole journey. I observed, however, that the servants in the inns were on free and easy terms with him ; but I did not reflect much upon it, the obligation under which I thought I was to him, blinding me al- together. But I could not help feeling some aston- ishment when, at the hotel where we alighted, on our arrival in London, I was ushered into a mise-. rable room in the fourth story, though I had asked for a good apartment, and had been assured by Mr. de Feronce, of Brunswic, that I should find splendid lodgings. I imagined that I could not have a better room because the house was already full, and general Schlieffen, and the other gentle- men who came to visit me, and, particularly, the ladies for whom the hereditary princess, now duchess of Brunswic, had given me letters of in- ti oduction, wondered that I was in so bad an abode. On the following day, the landlord came with an abashed air, and the most reverential demean- our, to ask me, whether I knew the man with whom I had arrived, and whom I had so particu- larly desired him to provide with good lodgings ? (I had not thought proper to have him at my table in London.) I answered, that he was a nobleman, who, on the request of Mr. Guilhaudin, my land- ^- ^^ '.j*-*'^. * i* ■^ •»' ' *>■■ 67 lord at Calais, had been kind enough to accompa- ny me on my journey. " Ah !" cried the landlord, " that is one of his tricks. The man is a footman, a ' valet de place,' a rogue, through whom he is glad to promote his own interest. Seeing him sit- ting next to you in your carriage, when you ar- rived, I could not, I confess, believe that you were the lady you pretended to be, and thought that these rooms were good enough for you. But I sec now, by the persons that visit you, how much J was mistaken, and I ask your pardon, madam, and beg that you will follow me into another apart- ment, for which you shall not pay more than for. that which you now occup} , for I really wish to atone by all means for my error." I thanked my liost, and requested him to rid me of my compa- nion as soon as possible. I was, however, obliged first to pay him four or six guineas (I do not re- member the exact sum) for his company. I could never forgive Mr. Guilhaudin thi^ trick ; and ho did not behave much better concerning my car- riage. It was he who told me that it was prohi- bited to import carriages into England, and ad- vised me to leave mine in his care. I was after- wards informed, that his pur'iose was to do with it, what he had already done with other vehicles entrusted to him, namely, to hire it to travellers on their way tx> Germany. But this I prevented^ M' ■T. * I /4 r ,^v 68 f^< rl by soliciting of Lord North permission to bring it over to England, free from duties. The mini- ster immediately complied with my request , and though this detained me a few days, I found it much to my convenience and comfort to have waited for my carriage. On my arrival, my eyes were so weak, from the fatigues of the journey, that one of them became much inflamed. General Schlieffen insisted upon my consulting an oculist, and brought me the pne who attended the queen. He seemed alarmed, but encouraged me to hope. He took some sort of powder in a quill, and desired me to open my eye, which I did without hesitation, little aware of what I was to suffer. But when he had finished the operation, I experienced such excruciating pains, that I have never since been able to submit again to that experiment : and, even when I wa? most resolute upon it, my eye closed itself invo- luntarily. However, I found myself much better | for it. The pl^y wuan gave me another prescrip- tion, and I was obliged to pay him three guineas, which did not please me much ; but general Schli- effen told me that T could not give him less, as he was the queen'? oculist. While at London, I lodged in Suffolk-street, and found every thing very dear. As I intended to remain only two days, I did not make any agree- A ■I '•t < i r- •*^ ■:*^ 69 •T-J^ ment ; but when the first week was over, I called for my bill. I took, in my carriage, short rides through the city ; which I could not extend far on account of my little child, wliom I nursed myself; but I pro- mised myself to see more of London on my re- turn. I went, however, twice to St. James' Park, and had a near view of the king and queen, who were in their sedans. The park is a delightful promenade: from five to six thousand persons walk there every day. I met with an unpleasant accident during my first stay in London. I iiad been advised to buy a short cloak and a hat, without which, I was told, I ought not to go into the street. One day, after a dinner at the Hanoverian envoys, Mr. de Hina- ber, his lady proposed to me to take a walk into St. James', but forgot that our attire was not ac- cording to the English fashion. My Gustava, dressed in the French style, had a " panier," and a neat little cap. I observed that some people stared, and almost pointed at us, and I inquired what it meant. Mad. de Hiniiber replied, that it was on account of my fan, which it was not the fashion to wear with a hat ; that my little girl was too finely dressed J and that we. were, therefore, taken for French women, who were generally ol' ill repute. I went the next day to the same place. '*' m ^ r- ■•V 70 and as we were all dressed in the English fashion. I thought that nobody would notice us. Yet I heard some cry again, "French v/omen, pretty girl!" I asked our "valet de place," why we were taken for French people 9 and was told that it was because my children wore ribands. I im- mediately tore them off, and put them in mj pocket; upon which I was the more stared at, and at last discovered that it was only on account of the form of the children's hats. I was thys led to know how important it is to conform to the manners of the country, in order to live peacea- bly, for the mob is soon gathered together, and if one ventures to dispute with them, it is at the risk of still greater insults. My plan was to go to Bristol, and there wait for an opportunity to embark for America. All those to whom I had been recommended, endeavoured to dissuade me from it, because they thought I could not so well receive intelligence in Bristol, respecting the sailing* of the ships : but I wished to conform myself to my husband's directions. I therefore left London on the. 10th of June, and ar- rived the next day at Bristol. When I stopped at the inn, the rabble stared and laughed at the Ger- man style of the steps of the carriage, and at the two guns which my servant had fastened under the driver's seat. They touched them, and lifted ■^ «f : V 1 r:-:-. im * '* ^ <\». ■.»7 ■■V '^'T .'•'■'■" f. T^ p ■ i i •^ f Mi .« t T^^% ■* ^'- V . .i^M^. •T: t" ^:rl.*' ¥' 11-. I (*,j^ # -»- 10 ^ST' 4 'i;-^- ** 72 Residence of Mad. de H'mlesd at Bristol^ Poris- mouth, and London, and her saiiirig from Ports- mouth. I became aware, ioon after my arrival at Bris- tol, hov.' disagreeable it is, to live among people whose lavigiiatre one does not krovv^. My servants \cere ouL of spirits and 1 v/as obliged to conceal from them vtliat I ielt on xis t account. I often passed whole iiours weeping alone in my chamber. But at last I resolved to overcome all my present difficulties, I spared therefore no pains to learn the English language, and in six weeks acquired sufficient knowledge of it, to be able to ask for al! I wanted, and to read the newspapers, which at that time interested me extremely, particularly such as contained i;ews from Quebec, where my husband then resided. I was soon obliged to change my lodgings, my landlady having opposed the washing even of the children's linen in her house. In my new lodgings I enjoyed a delightful prospect of the whole " College-green ;" which was the rendezvous of numerous visi teri:> ; and children were not excluded; my own were much there. H Bristol W4 society w .sailors th: unpleasar ess urged delightfiil dow, I be with the ^ ning from Little ace retired int avoid heai blow whic this city I that in Lo gown trim seemed ou walking oi dred sailor out, "Fre as quickly something dispersed. a dislike gave it to i\Qw. Ab( place calle ly of Wem '*1ff 78 ■■■>;: ■i;> If Poris- n Ports- at Bris- y people ' servants ► conceal I often chamber. y present s to learn acquired isk ibr all which at rticularly ^here my lodgings, ling even In my ospect of was the children ch there. Bristol would be a very agreeable residence if the society were better composed ; but the crowd of .sailors that one constantly meets, renders that city unpleasant. On the day after my arrival, my host- ess urged me to look at what she called " a most delightfiil spectacle." When I reached the win- dow, I beheld two naked men in the act of boxing with the greatest eagerness. I saw the blood run- ning from them and fury was painted in their eyes. Little accustomed* to such a hateful exhibition, I * retired into the remotest corner of the house, to avoid hearing the shouts of the spectators, at every blow which either of the combatants received. — In this city I met with an adventure very similar to that in London. I was indebted for it to a chintz gown trimmed with green taffeta. This probably seemed outlandish to the Bristol people, for on walking one day with Mrs. Foy, more than a hun- dred sailors followed us, and pointing at us, cried out, " French w !" I retreated into a shop as quickly as possible under pretence of buying something, and while I remained theVe the rabble dispersed. This adventure, however, gave me such a dislike to my gown that on returning home, I gave it to my cook-maid, thot gh it was yet quite mw. About three miles from Bristol is a bathing place called Hot- Wells, which reminded me strong- ly of Wendefurth, near Blankerburg in the Hartz, 7 M # m? .V' ^flEi '%' 74 if' 3^' i«k ■•«■ •*i. r.' 1* 75 ^ was a student at Caroline College in Bninswic. He mentioned Mr. Ireland with much regard and respect, and assured me that I should be much gratified with his acquaintance. Although I put at first but little trust in the recommendation of so young a man, I forwarded my letter to the banker, '"^i . who lived about seven miles from town. Imme- % -. diately after I was waited on by an old gentle- , man with a very beautiful lady, whose friendship I was fortunate enough to gain so promptly, that they entreated me to pay them a visit. I went and *■ dined with them. Their residence was a splendid ' country seat, in a most beautiful situation, and adorned with gardens. They had two charming little girls on whom they doated with parental fondness; yet they wislxed for a male heir. They were wealthy and their establishment correspond- #> ed to their fortune. This excellent family showed me much kindness, and on my departure to /Ports- mouth, in expectation of a passage to America, I was obliged to promise them, that, should tl ship be detained, as it sometimes happens, I would not embark after the middle of October. Having afterwards missed the time of departure and having returned to London at the end of September, from whence I wrote them in the spring, that I was about finally leaving England, these excellent /^ people travelled about eighty miles tomec . \n • liondon, and repeat their offers of service. 1 had 4^ ir . At :% '»W >'■-; *: -f V-. * ■' «. A. ■J*'-''*." ^.-^ -f. •» '% ^,'>^. #**'-» ^ . J^ - 4r*-, % .>'f-::^" . «»■ -fe - » now jio occasion Ifer them, but could not refuse letters of recommendation for all the ports where contrary winds might oblige me to enter, and here they wished their friends to be service- able to me. When on my arrival at Quebec, these letters had become useless, I opened them and could not help feeling deeply moved at dis- y^Jfi^coverinff that they had requested their friends to 4 ad.uiice nie as Liach money as I should ask. The birth of a son afforded them another opportunity , to give me a mark of regai'd which is not slightly bestowed in England. They chose me for god- mother. I have often wished that the young man of whom I thus became the sponsor, might visil Brunswic, that I might be able to show him my gratitude for the favours I received from his pa- ^ rent?, and which will never be obliterated from my memory. I spent three or four months in Bristol, d de- sired nothing so much as to rejoin my husband es- pecially since I knew that Quebec was oci . ^aod by the English. But T could never prevail on Mrs. Foy to hasten our departure. She always said she 'uist first receive letters from her husband. In tiie meanwhile, winter approached; I wrote therefore to lord George Germain, begging his ad- vice. He replied very politely, that indeed the winter wms coming on, and that I had reasQiji to bo •^r. vJT. J* venienc< i ■p- ►TTf, / V ^ '''$F ■V ^ 77 «• anxious to rejoin Hi fiusband, especially as lie ur- ged me to come, but us he at the same time had requested me not to depart without Mrs. Foy, and he (the minister) believed mc disposed strictly to obey my husband's wishes, he did not know well what advice he could give me ; but he offered me, at all events, a passage in one of the packet-ships, and suggested that I should persuade Mrs. Foy to profit by the same conveyance. But with her all my entreaties were in vain, until she received the long expected letter. Then my impatience was at its very height, but still not so great as Mrs. Foy' irresolution. I at length over- came her hesiiation, and wrote again to lord Ger- main, who immediately answered that a packet- ship was in readiness to depart, of all the cabins of which I might freely dispose for my own con- venience, and that of the persons belonging to me; and that Mrs. Foy could therefore accompany me. He added, that I should find every thing prepared for our reception, and that it gave him great pleasure to be serviceable to me. I was af- terwards informed, that by his express orders, pro- visions, and even a cow, (to provide my children with milk,) had been put on board. Yet on our arrival at Quebec, the captain of the packet-ship demanded payment from my husband ior all these articles. -.' .4-^- IJ* '\ 'I* ^Z ,- .1 .. # 7» As the moment of oui departun^ opproachcjl, Mrs. Foy became less willing to go. She loved her comforts, and could not endure the ideaof lea- riring her handsome and elegantly furnished house. •'But at last we set out for Portsmouth, where we were to take our passage. Mrs. Foy and her sis- ter had many old acquaintances in that city among the officers, and spent the evening pleasantly in their company, while I had enough to do, to put my children to bed. These officers assured Mrs. Foy that the season was too far advanced; that the voyage would be extremely unpleasant; that it was a real pity that such handsome ladies should expose themselves to such dangers; — and much more of the same import, which, however, I could but guess at, from my imperfect knowledge of the language. Suffice it to say, that she declared to me, in the course of the evening, that she was de- termined to return to Bristol. I entreated her to consider of it, and retired, while she returned to ^ her company. The next morning at 8 o'clock, i received a message that all was ready for our de- parture. I then again besought Mrs. Foy ; I even wept, but all in vain ; for she knew that my hus- band had insisted that I should not depart without her. She had already despatched our coachman with our baggage for Bristol. I knew not what to do ; — the carriage was ready and I was obliged to .'■'■^^m '■•^'^ '■■■ --.-■.;■■ ^ .-^ :. -f--^ ag--- -r * ' 'i*»'. •.% 79 yield. While we were driving through tlie city, I observed a great waggon escorted by a soldier on horse-back. I inquired what sort of a vehicle that was. My English maid (whom I had engaged in Bristol for my voyage) informed me that it was a waggon containing money, which was to bo ship- ped on board our packet. This news fell like a weight on my heart, and I observed to Mrs. Foy, that the season could not be so very dangerous, when so much money was shipped. "Well," re- plied she, "if you still reason in this way, why don't you embark?" "Because you have prevented me from doing it," cried I, "by sending our bag- gage back to Bristol." She then rejoined, in a tone of raillery; "With so much courage as you have, you might embark with the few things you have with you, and I will send you all the rest by some other vessel." She had naturally a mild temper, but was on this occasion misled by her sister, who, besides being not as good as she, was really alarmed at the dangers of the voyage. The; manner in which she had behaved, however, in- spired me with new courage, and I resolyed to re- turn to Portsmouth to wait for the vessel, which, it must be observed, had not yet arrived. It was expected every minute, and I doubted so mucii the less of its immediate arrival, as I yet knew but little pf the dilatoriness of sea-people, and the 4 '♦' IS- ^ r I ^v- •w '■' ^■ 'l^'.' J» ^ **•*■ V, 80 frequent delays in the sailing of a vessel. I or- dered my faithful "Chasseur," Rockel,to run after the carter, ivho fortunately understood a little German, and was, therefore, more easily persuaded to unpack his charge and deliver my baggage. When this was done, I bid adieu to Mrs. Foy, and jreturned to the place from whence we had set out, and where I was determined to wait, as long as the season left me any hope of a passage, accord- ing to the promise I had made my good friend Ireland; especially as the friends of admiral Douglass, whose acquaintance I had made, when in Bristol, and some other persons assured me, that we might yet reckon on good weather for two weeks. Even the officers who had dissuaded Mrs. Foy, were now of the same opinion, and excused themselves to me, for having spoken otherwise, by saying, that they had found that lady and her sis- ter so alarmed at the dangers of a voyage, that they thought they could not please them better, than by humouring their reluctance to undertake it. I dined often with the Douglasses. Not be- ing yet very conversant with the manners of the country, I was continually apprehensive of being Jike the romp in the comedy, " Ninette introduced to the count." Thus, for instance, I could never eat vegetables merely boiled in water, until at length I observed that they eat them with a good .A 'W *..;«^ *^r' 4 ■^^. 81 sauce of butter. I then followed their example, and was much better pleased with that manner of serving vegetables, than with ours. However, vegetables are so excellent in England, that one can eat them with pleasure, even when only boiled, with salt. The manner of drinking, also occa- sioned me some perplexity. Several persons pro- posed to me to drink with them; a custom, of which, I had long before been informed, and I knew that it was considered a rudeness to refuse. But I did not know how to act, while I was wean- ing my little Carolina and I could not taste any wine. At first, I durst not decline, but as I fear- ed it might injure my child, I asked frankly, if it would be an offence, if I returned the compliment by drinking water. They smiled, and told me that half-bred, or ill-natured people, might take it very ill; but that in good company nobody would ever be offended by such a trifle. I was thus re- lieved from another embarrassment. In the English church, the congregation repeat in a loud voice, the service, the Lord's prayer and the commandments. I was, at first, much struck by the noise which ensued, and was once near running away : at length I did as the others. ,^f- Women, in England, are obliged to keep their bonnets on when in church, and they would be pointed at, if they came without such a gear. On ■». I'v^.' m %^- ,-(*/ I It*.-. 'i^'^m.^ i-*^*. ,i3|fcj5*»« _, '. ..:■ -^.i;. !J,«.i'<^>-J;■ ■.^ ^ #■ 82 '* r ii: #' -' i#». iiiy return to Germany, when I and my daugliter.< entered the church with our bonnets, all eyes were turned upon us. Now, they are worn in several ways. Such is the fate of every new fashion. ] remained three weeks at Portsmouth, waiting for a ship, until at last I was assured that I risked too much, chiefly in regard to my children, by em- barking at that late season ; and that there were ti hundred chances to one, that I should find the St. Lawrence frozen, and, consequently, the entrance to Quebec shut, even if I departed this year. This was, indeed, a sad prospect, and my tender- ness for my children forbade me longer to think of my departure. It would have been quite otherwise had I been alone. Portsmouth is an agreeable seaport, and mucli enlivened, as it seemed to me, by the daily arrval *of vessels, which announce their approach by sa- lutes. There is then always a great running to the shore, to know whence they come. Ships are also built here, and the dockyard is very fine. The naval academy is a splendid establishment. [n no other school had I ever seen so much neat- ness and good order. The admual's mansion is beautiful, and the view from it grand. The town is surrounded by walls, with fine walk^ on theii tops. There are more handsome houses in Ports- mouth than in Bristol, and the inhabitants, though i, ;. t fe; 4- V t; "»."*t'K ■■ t- ^_^-' .^•*^*'^ m 4 ♦"f 83 >> for the most part sailors, are more polite. The admiral kepi a watchful eye over them, and pu- nished severely all disorders, but was withal an amiable and kind gentleman. My money was now almost gone, as I had provided myself only with as much asJ thought would be necessary in order to prepare^ for my voyage. But my journey to Portsmouth, and residence there, had been more expensive than I had anticipated, and had nearly drained my purse. I was, therefore, glad to meet, at my inn, with friends, from whom I could expect assistance in case I should need it. These were a captain Young, and his wife, who had arrived from Tabago. The captain had been, during the seven years' war, aid-de-camp to our duke, who was then hereditary princ e, and was much attached to him ; and, as he was well acquainted with my husband, he proposed to me to go with him and his w'fe, to London, and to lodge with them, at proportional expense. He was a middle-aged man, and his wife was about thirty years old, by no means pret- ty, of a sallow complexion, but with a very pre- possessing countenance. I thanked God that I had met with them ; and seeing that it would be impossible for me to reach Quebec during this y«^ar, 1 promised to follow riiem to London, which [ did a few days afterwards. On my jo\ ney, I Slopped in a small but neat town, the name of •4- ^ I. •>! tjt .■^^ ■#■■-,.♦;..; ~-V>X|M,i^ --S- "^'^ -■S3^iSt>~^--"^'^-SL h-* 8>Si M u'»^ ' 1 ; Ml ill :*' # , ; ,^ «#. ,„which has escaped my memory. For fear that every thing might be as expensive here as in Portsmouth, I contented myself with a small room,, and with mutton chop and potatoes. The inn was spacious, and all the furniture very elegant. The corridors, galleries, and, in one word, the whole house, was adorned on the outside with plants and shrubs, between which hang globes of glass, filled with birds and fishes. I was fright- ened at all this splendour, on account of my purse, and the more so, when I was ushered into the most elegant rooms, and had five or six palata- ble dishes. When the , landlord came to serve himself, I thoughi inwardly, " This costs a guinea more." At breakfast 1 saw my servants feasting on chocolate, coffee, cakes, and other such luxu- ries, and could not forbear chiding them some- what, for living so splendidly, when they knew that I had but little money. They protested they had only asked for tea, but that the landlord had answered, that sucii honest servants, who were willing to follow their masters to America, de- served to be well treated. In a word, no atten- tion or civility was spared towards me. I asked at last, with fear and trembling, for my bill, and Iiow astonished was I when T heard that it was only 1 shillings. I told the landlord that he must be mistaken. " No, madam," replied Ik', " that is [.y.. 4' ^-•^mm^tOi^ .4 Ht m 85 w«. "Mr--- more than it cost me; and I am happ- to'^sfi you that there are honest people in England. I admire your fortitude, and wish to convince you that my admiration is sincere." On entering my carriage, I found the inside trimmed with flowers and shrubs, and on accident- ally putting my hand into one of the pockets, I found it filled with apples and cakes, a present, undoubtedly from the good landlord to the child- ren. I reached Lond6n towards the end of Sep- tember, and' was not a little vexed at being short- ly afterwards informed that the ship for which I had waited so anxiously, had touched at Ports- mouth, and immediately departed for America. I was, however, assured, that I should have risked much by embarking at that late season. The vessel, nevertheless, arrived safely at its destina- tion; but another, within a few days of the same lime, had met with a sad accident; she struck against the ice, and the crew alone escaped. In London, I was elegantly lodged with my friends, the Youngs, and had an excellent table. When I alluded to paying, they answered that they were very happy to enjoy my company. This was rather perplexing to me ; but as I supposed them to be extremely wealthy, and inferred that they woald not accept any money from me, it came into my mind, that I could ixot better sJiow 8 v'« , f j i Ji%: J- j^i i r..* %■• ^^ >^ .4- 86 them the sense I entertained of their hospitality, than by presenting Mrs. Young my portrait in a diamond bracelet, and as I had the latter, I hoped I should in this way acquit myself towards my host and avoid expense to my husband. I spent most of my time with Mrs. Young, who was of delicate health, and a melancholy disposition, and with our landlady, Mrs. Bohlen; and, upon the whole, had reason to be pleased with my situation. Mrs. VJ'oung made all this while seve»-al acquaintances, expended much money on her toilette, bought dresses and caps by dozens, and kept the house constantly full of niilliners and mantua-makers ; and when she was thus well provided, she begged me to accompany her to the public resorts and private company. I excused myself on the score of my youngest •;hild, and pleaded besides my anxiety on account of my husband, who was so far from me. I confess, that I feared, moreover, to expend too much money. "You know," said J, " that I wait for money from Germany, and though my husband has not restricted my expenses, I should be sorry to abuse his confidence." She seemed much displeased with my answer, for she was anxious to walk about, and imagined that she could do it witli more decency, accompanied by a lady, than alone. She was now nearly as rude as she had formerlvbecn civil : and the worst was, that ^-» li't-' -B \':'-^ 87 * .\^ her husband spoke in higli terms of my attach- ment to my children, for whose sake I preferred to remain at home. One day she came to ask me if I had found a lodging ! Tiieir repeated entrea- ties to remain longer with them, had made me for- get to seek one; but I replied that I had taken measures to procure one. She replied, that she could recommend me one, and would accompany me to see it. She then carried me to a miserable house, situated in a remote and dirty street. I confessed that such lodgings would not suit me, and that I would rather dispense with other things than with good lodgings, which ( wished to be de- cent enough to receive some distinguished ladies for whom I had letters of introduction. She re- plied, scoffingly, that I was so saving and so fond of remaining at home, that she thought these would answer my purpose. On our way homeward, I saw an advertisement on a house in a convenient part of tlie town. I alighted from the carriage, and met with apart- ments, rather small, but neat and decent; the rent of which was four pounds a week. I observed that this was more than I couM afford ; but that I could promise, that if I could have the apartments at a reduced price, I would always be at home early in the evening, so that the house could be shut at 10 o'clock. The landlady looked at my itr It ■,x. -T .St ■ , 'f 88 children, and when she was informed of my histo- ry and mishaps, she said to her husband, "Look; we have no children of our own, and these would supply their place, and that is better than a few guineas.** She then offered to rent me the apart- ments for three pounds a week ; furniture, kitchen- ware and linen included. I immediately took leave of Mr. and Mrs. Young, and went to my new quarters, where I was very comfortable, not only with respect to the lodging itself, but from the kind manner in which my hosts treated me. I candidly confessed that I intended to spend as lit- tle as possible, that though my husband had left me unrestricted as to expense, I was the more in- tent on living with the greatest economy. I told them also, that at that time, my whole capital con- sisted of ten guineas, and that six weeks might pass before I should receive a fresh remittance. "Well," replied Mrs. Russel, my new landlady, "I will be your housekeeper, and buy the bread and meat you may want; all the rest you shall have from ourselves, and you can pay for all, whenever most convenient to yourself." These good people amused themselves with teaching my children En- glish, and I left them to their care when I went out. When I was about to depart the next spring, I found the honest landlord uncommonly dejected, and as it were, careworn. I inquired what ailed . •..'». t0' •9. V I.**. viSf* ,,.^r ,.«■„. .■,iis||P*'"^'^'^,,M,. y "Sr- 89 him. "He is distressed on account of your de- parture," answered his wife; "but principally on that of your little Carolina, and he has desired me to beg of you to leave her to our care." "What would y ; do with her," said I, "in case I should die." "Fiom the moment of your departure," she replied, "we would consider her as our adopted child, and make her heir of all we pos- sess." As often as I thought of buying some trifle for the children, the good landlady always asked me whether the expense would not exceed the limits which I had set to myself. I felt quite hap- py to live with these excellent people, and I had. so much the more reason to thank Providence that I had rid myself of Mrs. Young, as she was in the sequel, on the point of being arrested for debts, apd all her property was seized, after her husband had left the country from the same cause. She was obliged to depend, at last, upon the humanity of her friends. How much uneasiness have I es- caped by separating myself from these people ! I cannot enough commend the behaviour of the English, in general, towads me. Persons with whom I had no friendship, »,iTered to lend me as much money as I shoula want; and when I ex- pressed my astonishment at so much liberality, and told them they were wrong to make such of- fors to a person who might have assumed a re- 8* % l£ :« '^ r'4- *• V Wi 90 I "^n'*» %, spcctable name: they replied, tliat sv 'i o suspi- cion was effectually precluded by my retired mode of living, and the tenderness which I showed for my children. I WM advised to present myself at court, thn Queen having expressed a desire to see me. 1 ordered therefore a court-dress, and Lady George Germain introduced me to her Majesty. This was on the first of January, 1777. The saloon seemed to me to be very ugly, and the furniture old-fashioned. The ladies and gentlemen wero all in attendance in the levee-room. At length the King entered, preceded by three Chamber- lains. Then came the Queen, her train born by a lady and followed by a Chamberlain. The King went round to the right and the Queen to the left, and neither passed any one without addressing- some words. At the end of the saloon their Ma- jesties met, exchanged low obeisances, and return- ed to the side from which they had entered. I asked Lady Germain how I must behave, and whether (as I had been told,) the King gave a kiss to each lady who was presented to him. She answered that it was only the usage with English Marchionesses, and that I had nothing to do, but to stand quiet in my place. I was, therefore, much astonished, at receiving that attention from his Majesty ; and unexpected as it came, I could not I -Mr ,!»" ^ 4 "! 'TJ. M • 91 ure you," said the ■r" hi althy and tho 'f ine again a gra- i round. I whis- hclp blusliing. His Majesty immediately asked me, if I had received letters from my husband. I answered that my last were ui)der date of the 22d of November. " He is well," said the King, " I have inquired about him; ev( rv body is satisfied with him, and I hope that ' o will not suffer from the cold." I rejoined that 1 too indulged in that hope the more rea<' 'y '^e w', born in a cold climate. " I can nior o\ King, "that the cou air very pure." He ii cious bow and continm pered to Lady Germain that tlie King had natura- lized me by his salutation. The Queen approach- ed and showed me also great affability. She asked me how long it was since I arrived in Lon- don.'* I said "two months." "I thought," return- ed the Clueen, " that it was longer." — " I arrived in England seven months ago," said I, " but have been in London only two months." — " How are you pleased with your residence here ?" asked the dueen. " Very well, madam," I answered, " but nil my thoughts are bent on Canada." — " Have you then no dread of the sea ?" asked her Majesty again, " I do not like it." — " Nor I, madam," I re- plied ; " but as there is no other means of meeting my husband, I shall cheerfully embark." — " I ad- mire your spirit and resolution," said the Qneen^ .*^l •i ■'*,». I. / .??£•"■ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A % /- r^ "^ 1.0 I.I ■^■M 12.5 |5o ~^~ Hl^H 2.0 I m [1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" ► J^ V] 7 f w '^J-, '^ «> 7 Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716) 872-4503 ■s «^ ^^ r* 'S'^-. r > i X-^- I- / ',•; f^. W^ ^^' m 92 u for it is a great undertaking, especially vvitl» three children." ^^ I naturally inferred from this conversation, that the Queen had heard of me, and I was therefore, the more pleased that I had paid my duty to her Majesty. After the levee I saw all the Royal in- fants, except one, who was ill. They were ten in number, and every one of them was wonderfully beautiful. The kind reception, with which I had been ho- noured, encouraged me to pay my duty to their Majesties several times. In the spring, when I was on the eve of departing to Portsmouth in or- der to enabark, I took leave of the Q-ueen ; and her Majesty asked me again if I was not afraid of the terrible voyage I was to undertake. I re- plied that as it was the wish of my husband, I should do it with courage and pleasure, in the hope of fulfilling a duty, and that I was sure her Majesty would act in the same manner, if placed in a similar situation. " Yes," replied the Queen, " but a correspondent of mine informs me that you go, without the knowledge of your husband." I replied that her Majesty, as a German Princess, was surely convinced that I could not do it with- out his consent, for I should want the necessary money. " You are right," said the Queen, " and I .approve of your determination and wish you all ,.^ 't*" -^ K. W^. d3 imaginatiffi success. What do you call your dhip? I will often i||}uire about you, and I hope thit on your return to England, you will come and see me.'* — She was as good as her word : and npt on- ly inquired aft^|jne, but sent me often her gracious compliments. \^j. . • i -v^- /^^ /;*i I I m •jfcr' •■'<• ^^«fe.' other ship-owner, though at the same time, a ves- sel fitted out in that way is obliged to fight, if met by the enemy. Mr. Watson accompanied me, to the ship, and introduced me to the captain and the .whole crew, and told the latter, that whoever should commit any offence againsLpe, n^ould in- cur the same responsibility, as if the offence were committed against himself; and that any person of whom I should corn plain, might be sure of be- ing immediately dismissed from his employment. The ship was s^pacious, and of the first rate; and all the accommodations which I desired, were presently made. * ;r. 1 v :.■ :;v ; \ ■* ' To gratify my husband, 1 wrote to Mrs. Foy, and proposed to her to liccompany me. She ac- cepted my offer, and all past differences were soon forgiven and forgotten. We met at Ports- •mouth; and on the 15th of April, at 4 o'clock in tb^ afternoon, we embarked. We passed the evening in arranging our things, and separated foi the night at 9 o'clock. ; . . •-: -■# ^«v '> ,■*=■ .^.■.■,, ib--ijk>,' •.^,' ■'■^-■''*'*i^>ms'^mmm-^ I ■■i.,• ^^): FROM GENERAL RIEDESEL TO HIS WIFE. • \ • V -^ * > . ; - ■ j, Three Rivers, April 16, 1777. What a sudden transition from happiness to sor- row ! At the Isle aux Noix, I received, at the end of our late campaign, the agreeable intelli- gence, that you and all our children were arrived in safety at Quebec. I was transported with the prospect of passing an agreeable winter in your company, and in the enjoyment of domestic bliss. But how great was my disappointment upon my arrival here, when, instead of finding you, I re- ceived the letter wnich you sent me by the ship London, informing me' that you had postponed your departure till spring. This was, indeed, like a thunderbolt ; and my only consolation was, t# ;* thank God that you and our deai children were iri;* good health. • The ship London, which should tiave conveyed you to thi^ country, reache^ Quebec on the 8th of December, without having met with any accident. i*i- I I r; r M' ^r ■%„ ^v .»-. .*^' V •■v» 96 1, ^ji i^-,. I had procured neat lodgings for you and your lit- tle ones, and furnished them as well aj^I could, We might thus haye spent a most delightful win- ter. That is now gone ! It was the wiU, of God ; and we must not^omplain, but submit to his dis- {^sations. I have in vain endeavoured to alle-' viate my sorrow by dissipation. Ilflmained from the 30th of December until tlie 16th of January in duebec, to pay my duties to general Carleton ; and was loaded with civilities and attentions. Since my return, I have given a dinner, a ball, and a supper, in celebration of the queen's birth- day ; and afterwards continued, like the other ge- nerals, to give once every week a supper and aii entertaihmeiit, partly to gain the good will of the inhabitants, and partly to provide the officers with innocent pleasures, and thus prevent them from indulging in those which are to be found in pub- lic* places and bad company. General Phillips paid me a visit in February. I have inspected our regiments several times in their winter-quar- ters ; and, in the beginning of March, I received ji visit from general Carleton, who passed all our troops in review, and seemed very well satisfied. I accompanied him to Montreal, where I spent a week with him at general Phillips'. On his way homeward, he passed two days more at my house. From tha|^ time I have made many excursions to '# ft.. :l i ■,.p w inspect our regiments. The week after Easter, I spent alone in the country, the better to fulfil my religious duties ; and now that the weather begins again to be fine, and we may hope for some ar- rivals from Europe, and to be able to despatch vessels, I nr^e haste to write to you, inasnrach as I am yeiignorant when you will come, if, in- deed, you come at all, and am unwilling that you should be without news of me. Yet I should be glad to find that I have written the letter unne- cessarily, if I might enjoy the pleasure of seeing you arrive by the first ship. I have already written you a brief account of all my doings during the last winter ; and I must only add, (to give you an idea of the rapidity with which we travel here in sledges,) that from the 20th of February till the 10th of April, I have travelled over five hundred and eighty French leagues, or four hundred and thirty-five German miles, partly on the snow, but chiefly on the St. Lawrence. I cannot yet tell when the army will be put in motion towards New-England. If you come, as I still hope you will, pray remain a few days in Quebec, where you will find your lodgings ready, at my worthy friend's, Mr. Murray, whose wife is an accomplished woman, and will please you, and should we be already on our march, you may go to Three-Rivers, where you will find my 9 . .A:- ^r I I •*i* '^'tl f> ■ * ■ •■:m i$."^jS!iKtsi « ''^W--', ^' r. «v r>»'f '1- » ;*» t*- .^^■ >» (quarters in readiness and vacant, to which end 1 propose leaving there a part of my baggage. The grand-vicar, Mr. Saintonge, will hand you the keys, and he, as also. the Tonnaucourts, will pro- vide you with every thing that you may want. You will find the garden pleasant for walking, and excellent for the kitchen ; and^'Vou m&y re- main at Three-Rivers until we obtain a footing upon the sea-coast of New-England, when I will take care to provide a large ship, commanded by an intelligent officer, for your voyage thither, due- bee may possibly not please you, and general Carleton's wife will not be much to your taste, for she is far too haughty. But Mrs. Murray is aworthy woman, and all our officers think that she resem- bles you, on which account I have always found her more agreeable than all the other ladies. In Three-Rivers you will find three families, who will be very attentive to you, and do every thing in the world to please you : first, that of the grand-vicar, who has a cousin of the name of Cabenac, a girl of much understanding, and who, t am sure, will please you; secondly, Mr. Tonnaucourt, who is colonel of the militia, and a widower, with three daughters, who have received a good education, and will be very agreeable companions to you • and thirdly, the whole nunnery, which is, at the same time, a school for girls, and where our two Ai m- m^ ■:s£f^.^ i'p M ■A If .■*f "U 'M:'» '-ft .H.; ?',.^-' ^iL^ r' \ ^ oldest daughters would make pleasant acquaint- ances. I think you will prefer Three-Rivers to Quebec on the score of cheapness. Every thing there costs one half less th9|i in Quebec or Mon- treal. "• '* I send duplicates of this letter, one to England, in case that you have not embarked, and the other to Quebec, to the care of Mrs. Murray. ' « - .^. •'^, f. ..▼ >. .« %■ ■^- K . LETTER XXIII. FROM THE SAME TO THE SA.ME. . , t Three- Rivers, June 5, 1777. My dear wife, — On the 6th ult- General Bur- goyne arrived here from England and brought me the agreeable news that you were about taking passage on board Mr. Watson's ship. I have there- fore been anxiously waiting for you, through the whole of the last month, and am now oblige^, in consequence of the tardiness of your vessel, no leave this place without having enjoyed the plea- sure of seeing you, which grieves me extremely. But as we cannot help it we must submit, without murmuring, to the will of Providence who disposes .^- :<■!•. ,i^i.. .4- ?«'' 2g!W^w-ii¥' u. ■^ •i Mry , «'*«T^.'*'*» ■ 4 ■■':■:" -^ rTVifrr"^-^?' 4,- ) Is 100 ivery tiling lor tlie best, and more for our convo- nience than we are often aware of. "*' * I depart this moment for St. John, from whence we shall proceed through Lake Champlain to New- England. I leave it to you to determine whether you will do better to remain at Quebec, Three- Rivers, or Montreal. I still believe that Three- Rivers will suit you the best, because every thing is so much cheaper there, and because you will find a furnished house and will enjoy the society of Germans ; Lieutenant-colonel Ehrenkron is the conmiander of the place. Besides, you are then nearer our treasury and will never be without mo- ney. I leave you a good provision of wine and se- veral other things, and commission the " Captain d'Armes," Biihring to assist and advise you in your domestic arrangements. Your attendants can take their rations from the provision office. I am sure that the inhabitants will be very kind to you, inasmuch as I flatter myself that I generally stand well with them. > Whenever you wish to drive out with your chil- dren, you need only order post-horses, and you pay but one shilling for the French league. Be with- al sure that I will not leave you long here, but that I shall send for you as soon as the situation of our affairs will permit. Adieu, liiy dear wife. My heart sinks within mo [■<*- ?y1-^ % • ■' .y ^,»»»r'! f 4 103 ^:...T5S^;, !9fS9" 'J /; .♦ # i r« •• ... < M • ••- *?^| ^ •»''■ I y 1^ •a • Diary of Mad. de Riedesel during her voyage from ' fortmouth to Quebecy untHJIiffj^ arrival at the latifry. , place. « - •* \ ' i On the 16th of April', 1777, when the signal had ** been given from the Blonde, we departed, thirty- one sail strong, from Spithead for St. Helens, to meet there the other man-of-war, the Porpoise, J^ destined to escort the convoy. We were all of us sick the whole day, especially while at anchor ; for I thirik the motion of the ship is then much more disagreeable than at other times. ''%■ ■ *^'« On the 17th, the wind became stronger, and on the 18th, at 6 o'clock in the morning, on a second signal, we set sail, to the great satisfaction of us all. . . \ , ^'^ 'V: On the 19th, we passed Plymouth, with a fa- vourable wind. Most of us had recovered our health, and I and my children were as well as on land. • The weather was so fine, that we danced on the deck. Our orchestra consisted <^ two drummers and an excellent fifer. '•f^ '^^ J!^- ;■•»»' ^^ From the 20th until the 23d inclusive, we had contrary winds, heavy seas, and cloudy skies, ,-v - -^ 1. .■ ' K ' '^^', ' I It- '^^■J >.# f- Hi* r'-.*> ^i •■V*. ^*- , ,.t jtv: . .,i»t^ ,- -• . .1^ ■-*/ € •r-^^; ^^fifj: ' 4 ,104 Every body was sick, except myself, who wanted time to partake of the general calamity, aa my servants were among the most afflicted, and I was obliged to attend to my three children. I verily believe, that the beit remedy for sea-sickness is constant occupation; Ibr on the first day I sufer^ ed as much as the others;, but wheji I saw my children sick and without assistance, my whole thoughts were bei^ upon diem, and from that mo- ment I mended^ and soon regained a gotid appe- tite*^: In fact, OB^\ life, durmg a voyage, passes with eating and drinking: we had daily four, and sometimes five or six excellent dishes. On rising, I took my breakfast in ray cabin,^ washed and dressed my children, made my own Coilet, and then went on deck. Whenevel^ nothing prevent- ed! I worked. We dined at 2 o^clock, took tea at 6, and at '8 I put my children to bed. After this I supped, and at 10 retired to rest. My eldest daughter, Augusta, was for two days very sick, but after that she enjoyed better health than ever ; the two others were but very slightly affected by the sea, and all the three had an excellent appe- tite. . . ■ O]^ the 24th, the weather was fair, but cool, and the wind feeble. On the 25th, we had scarcely any winid, and made 110 progress. Our rudder broke, but the captain, who un repairec Perht gave m( did not picted i venture! acted a( fectly fr would c dear hus servants dence, a them, fo a belove ren, wh< verest si main or being si( Onth and we Onth edifying knees, p evening increase but not 1 topplei 105 who understood his business, had it immediately repaired. We had then made only 250 miles. Perhaps the h jpe of shortly seeing my husband, gave me uncommon spirits; but indeed the sea did not seem to me so dreadful as some had de- picted it; and I felt not the least regret at having ventured myself upon it. Conscious of having acted according to the dictates of duty, I was per- fectly free from anxiety, trusting in God that He would conduct me in safety to the arms of my dear husband. I would gladly have sent back my servants, who had much less courage and confi- dence, and were of no us^: to me. I had pity for them, for they had not the prospect of recovering a beloved and excellent companion. The child- ren, when I asked them in the midst of their se- verest suffering, whether they would prefer to re- main or return, answered, " We do not care about being sick, if we can only go to papa." On the 26th, the wind became again favourable, and we made our way. On the 27th, we had divine service. It was an edifying spectacle to see the whole crew on their knees, praying with fervour. In the course of the evening the wind changed, and the ship's motion increased so much, that we were all again sick, but not so much as at the beginning of our voyage. J toppled several times, and one of my daughters ^■' •t ■»»r- ^^f^^ 106 -f*' .* d a finger bruised by a door that was unKihjg^d, and the other had her chin wounded. ^V ^ \>On the 2d of May, we were 650 miles from Portsmouth. From the 3d till the 6th, we had contraVy winds and squalls, and on the 4th we had no divine ser- vice, on account of the continued bad weather. — The ship was so much tossed by squalls during the night, from the 5th to the 6th, that we could not sleep a moment, and I was in a continual dread of crushing one of my children, for they were all in my birth. Frederica never went to bed without praying for her father, and once she said; to me "I long to see papa." I asked her what she would pray for after she should have en- joyed that pleasure. "Oh!" cried she, "I would pray to God every day of my life, never to be se- parated again from my father." I looked on the child with deep emotion. On the 6th towards noon the wind changed at last, and we had it very fair the next day and made 130 miles in 24 hours, upon which every body on board was mightily gay, and visits were exchanged from one ship to another. On board the Henry, which conveyed one hundred and thirty men of our troops, they had the courtesy to hoist the co- lours and to shout, " Long live our general and his lady." I answered, " Long live the passen- ■-■■A .1 . ,,,,. ^- -f . rf . .■^- ■_»*■♦ i%ft^,t^--*^:- A\ ,.^...<^$^. m ,i, Jki^ ' *> ',\ f . Henry," holding up my three chil- dren, to show my greatest treasure. Thereupon they broke out into huzza ! . huzza ! and throwing themselves on their knees, they sang hymns. How could I have been otherwise than deeply moved at this scene .'* The Porpoise, approach- ed our vessel almost every day, to inquire after my health and to tender offers of services. The cap- tain of that ship had carried my husband to Cana- da, and was indebted to him for his promotion to the rank of captain. He had now amongst his passengers a colonel Skin, governor of the pro- \ vince of Georgia, and his son, whose acquaintance I had made in Portsmouth, and who had offered me a loan of two hundred guineas if I wanted them. Although I had no occasion for accepting their offer, I cannot but remember their kindness with gratitude. We met on the 8th with a sail which at first we took for an American. Tliough we had nothing to fear, I was nevertheless somewhat uneasy, for a naval engagement was not amongst the specta- cles that I was the most desirous of witnessing. The Blonde lost three men in consequence of the part- ing of a rope ; another who fell likewise in the sea, was saved. On the 9th we had made a thousand miles, or the third part of our voyage. f- '& i^ ^' iS 1-, J •!st» 'K ::>- i'~' . ::^-;y ;-f 'i '">~-^ 108 We had fair wind until the 11th, and went on that day at the rate of one knot the hour. Divine service was performed, and our soldiers were drawn up in parade. ' On the 12th, the weather was fair, but the winds ahead ; it became better on the 13th, but on the 14th it was changeable and the atmosphere sa fog- gy during the night, that the vessels were continu- ally in danger of running foul of each other. On the 15th, it rained the whole day, and it was very cold ; yet until noon the wind was fair ; but then it changed, and we had from the 16th until the 21st, contrary winds, generally bad and very cold weather, and what was still worse, the cap- tain of the Blonde, one of the ships of war which conveyed us, having no practical knowledge of this part of the Atlantic, had sailed too far to the north, by which we ran five hundred miles in that direction and were obliged to wait for a northerly wind to reach the Banks of Newfoundland. On the 22d, with full-moon, the wind became favourable, which gave us all great joy. On the 23d, the wind was again unsteady. We saw the Banks but could not reach them. I thought of the fox and the grapes in the fable and could have wept. We had been now five weeks at sea and had not made more than 1660 miles. The weather was so dark that the ships of war were ■*»f 109 t * : ubliged to fire guns every hour to keep the convoy together. One of the transports, the Silver-Eel, lost one of her masts, and during the night she separated entirely from us, with the Porpoise, which made me somewhat uneasy, for my whole baggage, my husband's wine and regimentals were on board of that ship : but they joined us again on the 30th. On the 24th and 25th, the sky was very clear but the wind still unfavourable. The wind having become fair, we reached, on the 26th, the Banks. Our cook caught and presented me a large cod-fish. Our captain, who was an old intimate acquaintance of Mrs. Foy, was not much pleased with that preference shown to me, and snatched the fish from my hands and fiung it into the sea; but I rewarded the good fellow's civility with a guinea. We caught no- thing more the whole day ; but I had the joy of receiving from the captain of the Porpoise four cod-fishes, bound on a board and fastened with a string, so that they could be thrown again into tho sea. I treated on them the whole ship's company, as if nothing had happened; but the captain seemed so much the more ashamed at his incivility towards me. This was not the only displeasure which Mrs. Foy caused me ; and I had, on the contrary, fre- 10 ?!»■ ^^- 110 4' i- I quent occasions to regret that I had urged her to accompany me ; for her sister, who was with her, did not behave in a very lady-like manner, and was besides very capricious ; and for her old inti- macy with the captain, Mrs. Foy could not avoid the liberties which he was used to take with her. Her maid, a most beautiful girl, had embarked only to leave a country where she already was" too much known, and in hopes of finding among the sailors that sort of friends whom she liked best. One day a theft was discovered in the captain's wine store ; and my poor Rockel was suspected of it : I felt deeply for that honest man. But fortu- nately, one night, when Miss Nancy (for this was the maid's name) was pilfering the captain's wine, the ship tossed, on a sudden, with such a violence, that she fell down with two bottles in her hands, and uttered such a cry as to make the people run towards her, upon which her theft was discovered. She alleged that the leader of the soldiers had di- rected her to bring him some wine. This man was an old sot, who often spent with her whole nights in the fore-cabin, and generally on Satur- days, when it was usual to spend the evening in drinking the health of " wives and sweethearts.'' Fortunately I had won the good will of the lieu- tenant, the inferior officers, and the pilot, by sha- ring my meal with their wives and children. They \ SHl.:, Ill all canie to ine one night, when the maid and her drunkard made the most noise, and protested that tliey felt deeply for me, but they had kept an eye upon them ; and had these wretches dared any thing against me,, they would have run to my as- sistance ; and they volunteered to watch likewise on the following Saturday. I could not help be- ing grateful for their kindness, and felt since, less uneasiness. • - From the 27th to the 29th, the weather was fine and the wind fair. On board the Blonde, they caught about a hundred fish, mostly cod, some of which weighed fifty pounds, and all very fine. They were cured and put to dry about the rigging, so that they were preserved. ^„ On the 30th, we had the finest weather imagi- nable, but not a breath of wind; it was a glorious sight to see about thirty ships on the sea, which was like a mirror. We had now passed the great Bank, and had accomplished two thirds of our voyage, being 2112 miles from Portsmouth. We saw a great number of whales close to our ship, the smallest of which were from 35 to 40 feet in length. On the 31st, we had the joy of seeing, for the first time, land again. It is called Chapeau Rouge. My heart throbbed with delight. We passed in the afternoon Isle de St. Pierre. \ 1 -'■^,. 3 )»fc. %" 112 On the 1st of June, the weather was rainy, but the wind fair. On the 2d, we had, at first, calm, but afterward good wind, and passed the Isle of St. Paul and Cape Breton. On the following day, we entered the gulf of St. Lawrence, and saw Port islands, which are a mass of rocks. — This was my husband's birth-day. My heart was filled with mixed feelings of joy and anxiety, and fond yearnings at the thought of see- ing him soon, of holding him in my arms, and of presenting him our dear children. On the 4th, we entered the river St. Lawrence, and saw on our left a hilly shore. We met with a multitude of vessels, which were making sail towards Europe, but the wind blew so fresh, that we could not speak to them. Some persons in our vessel thought they had seen soldiers on their decks, which made me very uneasy until we reach- ed land, for the idea of going to a distant country, from which my husband had just departed for Eu- rope, was indeed dreadful. We passed the island of Anticosty in the night, of the 6th. On that day, we saw already valleys and mountains on our right and our left, and were now as far as two thousand seven hundred and sixty miles from Portsmouth. My impatience in- creased hourly, and I worked the whole day to di- ..ViMXid^' ( ^ 113 vert my anxieties. I had already knit a double night-cap, two purses, and several caps, fbr myself and my children, and made many other little things of that sort. We had, on the 7th, contrary winds. On the 8th, the wind was fair again, and wc were now within 160 miles of Quebec. On the 9th, we had calm weather, and anchored at the island of Pot de Brande. On the 10th, at 4 o'clock in the morning, we weighed our anchors, and we had now passed all the dangerous places. Both banks of the river present here a beautiful landscape : the houses, the falls of Montmorency, and afterwards Que- bec, within the sight of which we were. On the 11th, at 10 o'clock, my whole frame was in commotion at the delightful view of the long wished-for end of our voyage. The sight of Quebec, at a distance, is very fine ; and while sur- veying the noble scene which was lying before nie, I remembered the captivating description which Mrs. Emily Montagu has given of it in her K;tters,* and which is very exact. But the inte- .4- 1 ^4 •■ ■« M •;.)f^i ffi- i : M * Mad. (le Riedesel means Mrs. Brookes' " Emily Monta- gu."'* The author of the " Travels through the interior part of America, in a series of Letters," (lieutenant Auburey,) who had 10* *•■■•??• all^ .«* I f.ri^'HOk.i.H^'.i. J.e 4 . • iifj^* f h, m \ 4t^ i"4 hU v J .r^- ii Ft- f *> rior of the city is as unsightly as possible, and one is much* fatigued at walking through its streets, on account of its mountainous situation. There are, besides, few handsome houses ; but the inhabi- tants are civil. While we anchored, I had an ad- ditional pleasure. Our captain who had behaved ill towards me, in consequence of the relation^ in which he stood to Mrs. Foy, but who was, upon the whole, a good sort of man, came to beg my pardon, and asked of me to intercede for exempt- ing his sailors from impressment, for an order had been given to examine every ship at its arrival, and if the crew was more numerous than neces- sary, part of them were taken for the king's ships. I made an application to that effect, and with good success. As soon as they heard of my arrival in Quebec, all the vessels which were in the harbour fired salutes, and at noon, we saw a boat approaching, manned with twelve sailors dressed in white, and with sil- ver helmets and green sashes, who came for me, and brought me a letter from my husband, inform- reached Quebec but a few months before Mad. de Riedesel. thought that, in consequence of the devastations occasioned during the last siege, Quebec " would by no means answer the beau- tiful description given by that elegant writer Mrs. Brookes, in her *♦ Emily Montagu." Vol. 1, p. 150. life- ^W I W"* ? ' 115 ing me that he had been obliged to join the army. This intelligence, of course, made me very uneasy, and grieved me, but I soon determined upon fol- lowing him, if it were but to spend with him a few (lays. I went into the boat with all those who be- longed to me, and I asked leave to take also Mrs. Foy and her sister, by which I had the gratifica- tion to make them feel ashamed of the displeasure they had given me : and we landed safely, about one o'clock, after a voyage of eight weeks. A vehicle with one horse, was waiting for me. Lady Carleton liad sent it, with a message, requesting me to take my lodgings in her house, and to dine with her. I accepted of the latter invitation, because I was determined to set out immediately to join my hus- band. At general Carleton's, I was received by every body in a very affectionate manner, and all seemed at a loss to express to me the pleasure which my arrival gave them, and assured me that my husband would feel happy at it. As soon as lady Carleton was informed of the approach of the convoy, and that I was on board of one of the ships, she had despatched a messenger to sir Guy, to apprise him of my arrival, in order that he might inform my husband. They had seen at Quebec no German women, except some soldiers' wives, dressed with jackets, short cloaks, round caps, and they fancied that this was our national cos- ^ h ..te,i'- ■I V f II 5 * no ^1 imru (||i»y were much astonished at tinding hk dressed like an English woman. The Canadians of the lower <:lnsse8 wear large clonks of sr.arlel cloth : the wealthy Indies have cloakb of thp same si/c, bill ^f silk ; and they never go abroad with- out that article of dress. The latter wear, be- sides, a covering for the head, with large knots of different colours, which may be considered as n sign of nobility, and upon which the ladies of ran' pride themselves so much, that they could find it Im their hearts to tear it from the head of th ,tle- bian woman, bold enough to wear it. Tht largt cloaks cover sometimes very ordinary and mean dresses. The female garb consists, besides, ot frowns and jackets, with long sleeves, and (for the street) large hoods, which cover not only the head, but almost the whole face, and which, in tlu winter, are stuffed with down. At 2 o'clock, we sat down to dine at lady Carlo- foil's. f) / *■•;.* ¥% im^ < t 117 nding inc Canadians of s»«r^ >«»MM >lwM, ■"^HV'T- Sti^ :■:*; i — '-W' %' ■'0; M' 124 \ ^' ■ ^'' ^ hftrdly breathe, and the jolting of the vehicle, added to my being obliged to hold my children, made me feel as if all my joints had been dislo- cated, so that the first thing I did, whenever we made a halt, was to stretch out my arms, and to walk up and down awhile, to restore the circula- tion of my blood. Two roads lay before me to go to Chambly, where I was told I might yet find my husband. I chose that of Montreal, where I arrived the 13th, in the evening, and passed the night, and from whence I departed again early tiie next morning. Upon reaching Chambly, I saw several of our oflicers, and my coachman, whom my husband had left here. I ran towards the latter to inquire after Mr. de Riedesel. " He is on his way to meet you," replied he, " between here and Berthieux; (fifteen miles from Chambly.) I was not a little chagrined at my ill-luck. How- ever, general Carleton, who was one of the offi- cers present, approached, and assured me that my husband would certainly be back, at the latest, on the following day. He then took leave of me and » returned to Quebec, after having surrendered to * general Burgoyne the command of the army. One of my husband's aids-de-camp remained with me, and the time, until the next day, seemed to . .me uncommonly long. Meanwhile my children, f and the honest Rockel, watched on the road, in '**-. "^'• »» * ■rf i '1^ ' ./ ' ■*«- ;^i' .St. - .** !!^ •* *u * 125 '.i^p the hope that Mr. de Riedesel might yet arrive that evening : and, indeed, a chaise was at length seen advancing up the road, and a Canadian in it. I saw the vehicle stop, the traveller alight, ran to- wards my children, and fold them in his arms. It was my husband ! not having yet got rid of his fever, he wore (though it was summer) a blanket coat or gown with ribands, and the usual blue and red fringes, in the Canadian fashion. With my baby in my arms, I ran as quick as I could to join the beloved groupe. My joy was inexpressible, though I beheld with painful feelings the sickly and wearied looks of my poor husband. I found my two daughters bathed in tears ; the eldest from joy to see her father again, and the second, be- cause he wore a dress so different from that with which he was represented in the portrait she was wont to see, and from which she had conceived that he was as elegant as handsome. " No, no ! this is an ugly papa," cried she in English , "my papa is pretty :" and she would not go to him. But as soon as he had thrown oif his Canadian coat, she jumped upon his neck. My husband had stopped to dine with co- lonel Anstruther, and was accidentally inform- ed that a female had arrived at that place from Berthieux. She was. sent for, and aske4 what was the news at Berthieux. "Nothing,'* 11* , . .^j* f^ fr /I 'lf.(% 1 *m »-^ ■^\ ♦* l •'* *-4* # ■^ ^.■ ~'jf^^''^if~" -•»% jT' '*»faM|»'«flliKtt»^ ^ ■zp^^ **^ ■"***.;? ♦V .. , " "> #■ » i" Ik *"^^v' 4 -ft , * ''-k^ ■S'' ^ ' f 0^ '%^ 126 answered she, " except that a German lady has arrived with her children, who is said to be the wife of the German general." — " How many children did you say?" inquired my husband. — "Three," said the woman. Mr. de Riedesel did not want to know more ; and he thus accident- ally learned that his children were alive and had arrived, for he had not received any intelligence of us during the whole winter, and our vessels were the first by which news from Europe could be received. We spent two liappy days together. I wished extremely to follow my husband, but he would not consent to it, and I was obliged to re- turn to Three-Rivers, with so much the more re- gret, as the army was marching in search of the enemy, and I went alone with my children to live in the midst of a people entirely strange to me. I travelled, therefore, in a depressed situation of mind. How different were now my feelings from those which accompanied me on my journey hi- ther ! I was now in no hurry, and the aching of my heart increased with every mile we advanced. On passing a wood, I was suddenly roused from my reveries, by something that seemed like a cloud before our carriage, until I discovered that it was a flight of wild pigeons, of which there are such an abundance in Canada, that they are for many weeks the exclusive food of the inhabitants, who p?*f :«, ,. *■ ■»■'— - *-''---^,.J..^--- *• ♦4f .# '• 127 * -1? • 'jt *'*^ ■t>'fr •!. i)hoot them with fowling-pieces, loaded with the smallest shot. Upon perceiving a flock, the Ca- nadian hunter shouts, which makes the pigeons start all at once, so that by shooting at random^ sometimes two or three hundred are wounded, and afterwards knocked down with sticks. The hun- ters sell a part, and keep the remainder for their own use ; and these birds furnish soups and fricas- sees, which are usually dressed with a cream sauce and small onions, (chives.) During the shooting season, pigeons are on every table. — The peasants are very hospitable, and generally live in good houses, with spacious rooms, and cur- tained beds. Each house has a large entrance- hall, and three or four chambers. On the mar- riage of a daughter, the Canadian usually asks his son-in-law -whether • he wishes to live in his company; and if the offer is accepted, he causes a house and a stable to be built close by his own, and the surrounding land is put into cultivation, by which means agriculture flourishes apace with population. All the houses are whitened on the outside, and present a most pleasing prospect from the St. Lawrence, through the embellishing aid of distance. Each dwelling has a little or- chard : in the evening, the returning herds add a new and picturesque feature to the landscape. Hog^ and eow| are, throughout this country, dri- K Vv *■> V ! ■f m '' ''h. • *l *-* .-^ \,:i' ^: '*^ 128 . :^ ven into the wood, and return homeward at a cer- tain hour, when the latter are milked, and care is then taken to provide them with some food, for *they would otherwise not regress to the stables. It often happens that sows remain absent for iome time, and at once return witJi a new lit- ter. They would soon die if they were kept shut up in sties, as in Germany. They are fine ani- mals, and seem to be of a mixed breed, being partly tame and parly wild. I reached Three-Rivers in an unecsy and anx- ious state of mind. My usual con.(>any in that town, consisted of the grand- vicar and his "soi-dis- ant" cousin : — as such, at all events, she was in- troduced to me by my husband; she was cheer- ful, and talked agreeably. The grand-vicar was not inferior to her in either respect, and moreover a man of good understanding. I was afterwards informed, that all the gentlemen of his profession had in their company pretty cousins, whom they call their house-keepers. I was always sure of company in the convent of the Ursulines, who are also called "charitable sisters," and justly, for they give almost all their time to the sick of the hospital, annexed to their establishment. Ofi my first visit to the nunnery, and while I pass- ed before the hall of the sick, a man threw him- self at my feet, crying, "Save me, Madam: have /*,. * f i:- ■ifr. ^. :¥^^fe4 .. -al:^ lfa;».?^flli.tir|-;Jih3>l l^ 129 me killed, that I may return to Germany." The man was mad : I gave him some money, and made haste to get out of his reach. Many of the nuns were very amiable, and I spent with them many agreeable days. They had a great regard for my husband, who had often sent them wine and roast meat. I followed his exam- ple, and from my sex, had it in my power to be still kinder to them, for I often ordered my dinner to be brought to the convent, and ate in company with the nuns. From the excitement arising from their wish to keep up my spirits, from our free conversation, and perhaps also, the wine we drank, the good sisters grew sometimes so merry, that they disguised themselves, danced a sort of Cos*, sack dance, or dressed me in their garb. A young novice had conceived a particular affection for me, and thought that in the religious dress I re- sembled so much to a picture of the holy virgin, that tlie best I could do, would be to take the veil forever, I replied, that I had no objection, if they would make my husband their prior, in or- der that he might live in our company. She knew so little of the world, that she imagined this could easily be done : she ran away, and after a little while, I found her kneeling before a crucifix, pour- ing out thanks to God for my conversion. I sent for my children ; Gustava wept when she saw me •i •* "— . .._»ii» tt ftl^^^W '^^^^H^^^t^ ■ ■■->, of-;i)>>iiiiiinr •«■ ' i- f ! 1 i ^ 132 9' we suffer more, while absent from those we love, and whom we know to be in danger, than when we are near to them. I begged and besought my husband to permit me to join him ; I assured him that I had sufficient health and courage for such an undertaking, and that he should not hear any com- plaint from me, whatever might happen, and that I flattered myself that in many cases I should prove a useful companion. He answered me that he would not make any difficulty, wheneveaF it should be possible for women to follow the army ; shortly afterwards he informed me that my wish would soon be fulfilled ; and while I, in conse- quence of these tidings, kept myself ready to set out on my journey, and waited for that moment with impatience, captain Willoe arrived at last with the order to accompany me. I need not say that he was welcome. ''# ^ •, We departed together, two days after his arrival. A boat which belonged to my husband, and an- » other small one, carried us to Three-Rivers. The detachment of soldiers which was on board the pinnace, was under the command of an honest sergeant called Biirich, who did all he could i^}?^ S^ ••*> -..<^*r-^ - .^ -*5" t. 4 '#' '*»- Eisy*^^ ' 'r:»t:i ■WS; »iw. -y4l\-. iiisSl'f ..^" m^.- ■i^-^*; .-^J >:if t- ->^ -h ji^-- .m: ,r i 4 ■^gg-i- 134 *--i. When, the nexl morning at our Breakfast^ which was served up on a large stone, I asked the cap- tain, who had slept in the boat, what had caused the noise, he confessed that we had been in great danger, because the place where we were was the Rattlesnake Island, (Isle a Sonnettes,) a name which had been given to that spot on account of the great number of that kind of serpents which it contained; — that he had not been aware of it, before we landed, and had felt uneasy when he heard it, but that it was too late in the night to take boat again ; — that the only remedy he could devise, was to prevent the rattlesnakes by fire and by noise, from approaching us ; — and that he had not shut his eyes during the whole night. I was much alarmed, and observed to the captain, that we had been exposed to great danger, as we had slept on bushes, wliere the snakes are apt to conceal themselves. He told me that if he had known it, he would have taken care that the house was cleared of all such brambles, or that he would have proposed to us rather to sleep in the boat. He knew nothing of the spot, until the second transport reached us, which was much later than our arrival. We saw many traces of those venom- ous creatures; skins and slime: and we were there- fore not long at our breakfast. We afterwards crossed lake Champlain, and reached at noon Fort ■v*^ ■"K^ m ^ ^ ^y'li ^1 #- ^^. •■■V »^ ■V. * # 135 John, the commander of which received us with much kindness and attention. We were every where welcomed in a most flattering manner, for my husband had won the good will both of the English and the natives. We embarked again to meet with a cutter, on board of which we reached WolPs island, and passed the night in our vessel, notwithstanding a thunder storm, which presented a very awful scene, as we were encircled with mountains and large trees. On the following day, we passed Ticonderoga, and arrived towards noon at Fort George, where we dined with colonel An- struther, the kind and gallant commander of the 62d regiment. In the afternoon we set forward on our -journey in a chaise, and reached on the same day (14th August) Fort Edward. My hus- band had left this place, on the preceding day, with the army, but as soOn as he received intelli- gence of our arrival, he came back (on the 15th,) and remained with us till the 16th, on which, day he was obliged to rejoin his troops. But in con- sequence of the unfortunate engagement which shortly afterwards took place at Bennington, I had the pleasure to see him again on the 18th, from which day we passed three weeks in delightful tranquillity. A few days after my arrival, news was received that we were cut off from Canada. Had I not, therefore, availed myself of a fortunate ^y ^ '»«>. ■\M ■•■fe '^ k .*►*. ■**-'*su: ■Hf^^f^ 1^ k "■^ ^•- y^ :« ■*■ '-^ •fr*^^' r i# ^ • IT- ■ 136 opportunity, I should have remained three years in that country, separated from my husband ; and that opportunity was occasioned by lady Harriet Ackland's arrival at the army, upon which general Burgoyne observed to my husband, that he ought also to send for his wife, and he immediately des- patched captain Willoe. We passed very hap- 'pily the three weeks together. The country around us was beautiful, and we were in the midst of the encampments of the British and German troops. We had for our lodgings a dwelling called the Red House. It consisted of one room for my bus- band, myself and our children, a small study for my husband, and an entrance hall, in which my female servants slept. When the weather was fine, we. dined under the trees, and. if not, in a barn, where planks were laid upon some casks, to serve as a table. Here'I tasted, for the first time, bearV flesh, and found it delightful. We often were in want of every thing, and I was neverthe- less very happy and content, for I was with my children, and was sure of the attachment of those who surrounded me. There were, if I remember right, four or five aids-de-camp. While the gentlemen played cards, I took care that my child- ren retired to rest. 9L *'* ■' * I ' * •" > "»»^ '» '»riti i ii„ i > ", i - m mfm n Be years nd; and r Harriet I general he ought Ltely des- ery hap- ry around Ist of the in troops, tailed the .r my hus- study for which my ither was not, in a ! casks, to first time, We often neverthe- with my t of those emember hile the my child- > V" lilK .j^j#;^v»,, ■W ^ h 137 .% V .V ^m a**„H t ■-. "^. ■V '^m Abstract from a Military Memoir, concerning the Campaign of m 7,* ;^ , From the beginning of 1777, general Riedesel was never permitted to take a part in the delibe- rations held by the British generals in their coun- sels of war, in regard to the military operations, nor was he ever made acquainted with the instruc- tions which general Burgoyne had received from his government, on that subject. General Riede- sel desired, from an early period, to obtain the command of the vanguard of the army, or, at least, as far as circumstances would allow, of a separate eorps; and this was, from time to time, granted to him. The general endeavoured, by all means, to execute general Burgoyne's orders with the utmost exactness, to maintain discipline among the troops entrusted to him ; to promote a good understand- ing between the British and German troops; and to secure to the latter all that had been promised them by the treaty of subsidy, and apcQrdi^iiLio ^ '*V * Written by general Riedesel. 12* % % w *M'-i : .*■■ .Ml .4 *. 'X^\ ,#•• %•■*! '■■■"'■» ^ •^ I- V -if^E--*'' "is . *,.. , ^ 138 <;• •.V. «-» ■* iff- rank, the full enjoyment of the privileges which were granted to the national troops of England. Although bickerings arose occasionally among the soldiery, in consequence of the difference of language, and the misunderstanding which thence resulted, they had never any serious consequences, at least, when general Riedesel was with his. re- giments.* 'I',- * * . *:- •^ ,'<^tS % ♦ We copy the following lines from general Burgoyne's " State y ' of the expedition from Canada, as laid before the House of Commons," &c. &c. London, 1780, 2d edition, page 132. " The mode of war in which they (the German troops) were engaged, was entirely new to them ; temptations to desert were ia themselves great, and had been enhanced and circulated among them by emissaries of the enemy with much art and industry. Jealousy of predilection in the allotment of posts and separate commands, ever subsists among troops of different states ; and a ' solid preference of judgment in the commander-in-chief, often ap- pears a narrow national partiality. '^ I confess, I was much assisted in maintaining cordiality in an army thus composed, by the frank, spirited, and honourable cha- ' meter I had to deal with, in major general Riedesel ; — a character ^which was very early impressed upon my mind, and which no ^^trials of intricacy, danger and distress, has since effaced ; but ad- ' dress was still requisite to second his zeal, and to diffuse it through the Ge man ranks, and I studied to throw them into situations that might give them confidence in themselves, credit with their prince ^ and alacrity in the pursuit of an enterpnse, which, when its diffi- culties were considered, in fact required enthusiasm.'* '*Si . v/^- 4^, t :jfi. % ■« , ♦'it ■^ *- -'^ i^ H '■■'^■ ^ 139 Under such auspices, the army had broken up their winter quarters, on the 3d of June. On the 6th of July, the Americans evacuated Ticon« deroga; and on the same day, general Riedesel was sent off with three German battalions to sup- port brigadier general Eraser, in the pursuit of the enemy, who were retrograding towards Hu- berton. While on the 7th, he was within an hour's march fro*^. brigadier Fraser, the latter, without waiting ior the junction of the other forces, had engaged himself with the enemy. A brisk fire was kept up, and things were in a criti- cal situation until general Riedesel arrived with his vanguard, and made a fresh attack on the nght wing of the enemy, which produced such a change, that the enemy was beaten, and experienced a considerable loss; and brigadier general Fraser, and all his officers, expressed to general Ried- esel, in the liveliest terms, their gratitude for his aid. >*^ -.^m^^ ■^'' -^ ■ "^^- ■ After this affair, general Burgoyne rallied the arr^y near Skeensborbugh. On the 12th, gene« ral Riedesel was detached with six battalions, tO post himself in the neighbourhood of Castletown, in order to induce the enemy to make a demonstra- tion on the Connecticut river. Meanwhile, gene- ral Burgoyne caused the roads to be repaired, and V - it- .«s r^if 'f^ ■■% s * •■■■■^ M 41 ^M ij.^^ ,v:_ , J**H|»»=W» ,-f^ 1 ■'«'»*■*— 1«<«l. IWK Ml*. ,. *■ i^:. "*/ Jimf' . iv 140 -**' .>?' ■•■•% made preparations to advance by Fort Anne, to- wards Fort Edward. While he was on his march, general Riedesel received orders to follow the En- glish in that direction, and rejoined the army, on the 3d of August. f i^i. Here general Burgoyne resolved to detach a body of troops under lieutenant colonel Baum to- wards Bennington, in order to seize a considerable magazine of stores, disregarding all the reasons which general Riedesel had earnestly urged against that enterprize; — and that detachment being thought not sufficiently strong, lieutenant colonel Breymann was sent to its support, with an equal disregard of the general's objections. The affair near Bennington.; on the 16th, had a most unfor- tunate end. The enemy was four or five times , stronger than the English. Lieutenant colonel ^ Breymann had been prevented by the march he had to perform, from reaching the place of action sufficiently early ; and thus both detachments, one after the other, were defeated. Both the men and their officers, were very brave; — but they were too distant from the main body of the army, to keep up communications with it, or avoid the fate which they met with. . This unfortunate event paralized at once our operations. From St. George we could receive ¥ \% .#<■ ' .**■' ,.«>' « > e- Vn iirfiiij<"^i]'aiiitf'' >-. , , maMmim ^ "— .■m«ii?*%'»* '% .V**. . »': ■ .^ii'. .:••* 141 5 reasons .« 'V neither boats nor provisions; the army was con- sequently prevented from advancing, while the enemy, recovering suddenly from their depression, increased their numbers daily. On the 8th of August, general Riedesel was de- tached with three battalions to John's Farm, which lay between Fort George and Fort Edward, to protect the communications with Fort George, and to accelerate the departure of the convoy for the army. He entrenched himself in his camp, with a firm resolution of defending himself to the last extremity. The whole army was, in the mean- time, stationed at Edward's house and Fort Miller; and one battalion had charge of protecting the communications with Fort Edward. It was natural to expect, that when the army should advance to- wards Albany, care would be taken to construct some works on the intermediate space, along the Hudson, to maintain the communications with Fort George; but general Burgoyne, apprehensive of thereby weakening his army, followed quite a different plan. He determined to march towards the enemy, with stores for forty days, and a propor- tionate train of artillery, to endeavour to beat the enemy, and thus by force, effect a communication with the army which was said to be advancing from New-York, and to abandon entirely the com- '^ -«7' "^ ^•■«- ''«.V m' :'i^ ^, .v "^: ^,*^:' Vf" ►^ • I ,. .- >?V: 142 :\- inunications with Fort George, Ticonderoga and Canada; but all this was kept secret. '■ When the provisions and all other necessaries were ready, the army set out on its march, on the ' 11th of September. On the 13th, it had com- pletely passed the Hudson, and on the next day it encamped on the heights of Saratoga. On the 1 6th it marched to those of Dovogat, and on the 17th arrived at Sword's house. All these marches were very fatiguing, for it was necessary to repair the roads and bridges, and to make reconnoissances continually. Besides, as the mountains extend at unequal distances from the banks of the river, in order to direct the march of the columns, so as to occupy the heights and road close to the river, they were always separated from each other more than half an hour's march, and often without any possibility of effecting their junction. Meanwhile, in consequence of the unfortunate action at Bennington, and the successful attempt of the American general Arnold to raise the siege of Fort Stanwix, (which had just been commenced by the British lieutenant colonel St. Leger,) the courage of the enemy was roused to such a wonder- ful pitch, that the militia flocked in from New- Hampshire, and the other parts of New-England, independently of three brigades of the armies of .%. -t ■* i"flii»< .■r%. /...j!**Js»'IBww*^ ■ *ir*-. .in- ': '^♦> sroga and lecessaries ch, on the ' had com- next day it I, On the and on the !se marches ry to repair moissances ts extend at he river, in ins, so as to the river, 1 other more [without any " ' unfortunate ful attempt ise the siege commenced eger,) the chawonder- from New- iw-England, le armies of z ' ^\ r 3^ k Ir, ♦s* 143 Washington and Putnam ; and general Gates wan sent by general Washington to take the command of the army, which, though it consi8i«?d of but four or five thousand men at the end of July, at the beginning of August could muster from four- teen to twenty thousand. With this respectable force, general Gates marched, at first, to Stillwa- ter, and then three miles on this side, to Behmus' heights, where his right wing rested on the Hud- son. Before the front of the army was a marshy ravine, and behind it the troops were covered by an Abattis. The left wing rested upon a height where there was a school-house, and was also co- vered, on the declivity of the hill, by a breastwork of logs. The ground was equally steep before and behind the front, and the American army was entrenciied on these heights, waiting for our arri- val. On the I9th of September, about 11 o'clock in the morning, our troops marched in three co- lumns from Sword's house ; that on our left, con- sisted of four German regiments and the 47th of the British, which covered the batteaux. These troops, with all the artillery and baggage, were under the command of general Riedesel. On the heights on our right, at an interval of half an hour's march, all the other English regiments defiled under the immediate orders of general Burgoyne, and the third column, which marched on the ex- \ ■* .' '•;- *f -H ■•^-. -.1 r "^ k .1 ■^.^4^- . i * - id I •«! ■ ■* 4 ■^. 1 w 1 '• '."" i%..¥^ "X,. ( 1 1^, .»., ■, ' A nk *-^«. iP-', ■?K '» 144 trcmc right, consisted of brigadier general Fra- ser's and lieutenant colonel Breymann's corps, and was commanded by the former of these two offi- cers. They advanced slowly, because they were almost incessantly obliged to make bridges, to fell trees and clear the road. About 1 o'clock, a brisk cannonade and fire of musketry was heard, and general Riedesel presumed that general Burgo.yne's column was then engaged with the enemy. The fire again commenced to- wards 3 o'clock, and became much hotter. Gene- ral Riedesel finding himself without any intelli- gence from general Burgoyne, despatched captain Willoe to him. This oflicer returned in about three quarters of an hour, and brought orders to general Riedesel to take the best measures to preserve the artillery, baggage and batteaux, and to repair immediately afterwards to general Burgoyne's relief, with as many troops as he should be able to take along, and to attempt an attack on the right flank of the enemy. General Riedesel immediately took his infanti\ legiuient, and two companies of the Rhetz regi- ment, and passed through the wood, in the direc- tion from which the cannonade was heard. On clearing the wood near Freeman's Farm, he per- ceived both armies engaged, and found himself i'ompletely on the right flank of the enemy. The :^K % - "4. V, -■•■'♦., •1-m- .. ■,r^,»,»MU|i»*' .#»*>!? j^a#»-*'^ ^'. ♦, ^' aral Fta- }rp8, and two offi- hey were es, to fell nd fire of presumed [I engaged lenced to- ;r. Gene- ny inte Hi- ed captain I in about ght orders t measures [ batteaux, to general ops as he attempt an lis infant!} Ihetz regi- the direc- leard. On ., he per- ind himself lemy. The 145 left wing of the English was just preparing to re- treat, but general Riedesel drew up hastily his se- ven companies, and attacked the enemy briskly. As soon as the British observed that movement, they rallied, and in a little while the enemy was completely beaten ; and but for the approach of night, they might have been followed into their camp, into which they retired in great disorder. The troops passed the night on the field of action, and general Riedesel returned along the river side, to the Jeft wing of the army. On the 20th, our troops occupied the position of Freeman's Farm, down to the end of the hill towards the river. Re- doubts were thrown up on the heights which over- looked the valley, a bridge was thrown over the Hudson, and a work erected on the other side; and the whole army intrenched itself within lines and redoubts, which, in the most convenient positions, were strengthened with batteries. Both armies rem a lied in that position till the end of Septembtr. Our pickets were from time to time attacked, we were obliged to furnish strong escorts to our foraging parties, and forage became very scarce. We often sent detachments to reconnoitre the right flank of the enemy, but could never acquire a due knowledge of his camp. He also did not neglect to send occasionally detachments in the direction of our right flank, and beyond the 13 ♦ •«J! ^ * .•**^' i i • I t .* « '¥ f * C I* u '■*'/ M 1% ■v-i- M K • '>■■ 146 river towards Battenkill. We were here ako in- formed that be had made an attempt on Carillon, through Skeensborough, but without success: except that he had fallen by surprise upon four companies of the 53d regiment, near the saw- mill, and made them prisoners. We were so short of supplies, that the daily rations were reduced to one pound of fresh beef and one pound of bread, at which, nevertheless!, the soldiers did not mur- mur. Our situation becoming, however, daily more critical, and the enemy being too strong, as well by his numbers as by the position which he occupied, to attack him, general Burgoyne sent, on the 4th of October, for generals Phillips, Riedesel, and Fraser, to consult with them oh the measures which were to be taken. He proposed to leave the boats and the stores for a few days to the care of about eight hundred men, who were to remain intrenched ; and turning the left wing of the enemy, to attempt an attack. But as we did not know the nature of the country, nor the posi- tion of the enemy's left wing, three or four days might pass before we could begin the attack, and it would be dangerous to leave our stores for so long a time under a feeble protection : these dif- ficulties and other obstacles were taken into ma- ture consideration ; and a second conference was held on the evening of the 5th, when general ,•'■>* ^ 'i it- . 3»*i'." #^'S. "W'ln' it,,^ ' F": re ako in- i Carillon, success : upon four the saw- re so short B reduced i of bread, not mur- jver, daily strong, as which he [oyne sent, s Phillips, hem on the e proposed few days to , who were eft wing of as we did Qr the posi- r four days attack, and tores for so these dif- jn into ma- ference was len general J|flPPt?.piyil Ml r^'-i-'- ■(*: ft 147 Riedesel positively declared, that our situation was so critical, that if we did not march against the enemy within a day, attack him, and bring about a favourable change in our affairs, it would be better to return to Battenkill, for after having passed the Hudson, in the r^ar of Battenkill, we should not be in dangef of again being cut off from Fort George, and might wait until we should hear of general Clinton's movements towards act- ing in concert with our army. General Fraser approved of the latter plan ; general Phillips re- flised to express any opinion, and general Bur- goynej who was not much pleased at this idea of retreating, declared that he would make, on the 7th, a reconnoissance as near as possible to the left wing of the enemy, with a view of ascertaining whether it could be attacked with any prospect of success. He would afterwards attack the enemy, on the 8th, or return to the position at Freeman's house, and begin, on the 11th, the retreat in the rear of Battenkill. This being his final resolu- tion, there remained nothing to be done but to conform o it. — During the 6th, foraging, parties were s^nt but, and provisions were distributed for four days in advance. On the 7th, at 10 o'clock in the morning, the fifteen hundred men destined for the reconnoissance, marched out of the camp with eight pieces of cannon, under the immediate command of general Burgoyne, who was accom- •t^ >!• ':i- # •<*^>l^oaHM^. .^* •-^i / ■fi 4 * *•* ^■'. i-^ J- Jf « •^ 148 %i i-M. panied on that expedition by generals Riedeset, , Phillips, and Eraser. Formed in three columns, they advanced within about a quarter of a mile of y the enemy's left wing, where we met one of his detachments occupying Weisser's house; and after having driven him from that place, the neighbour- ing heights, which were almost surrounded with «^ WQods, were occupied. Whilst we were ponialt- mine upon the best manner of pursuing our recon- "fioissance, the enemy impetuously attacked our left wing : and the British grenadieis posted in th.e wood were defeated. Lieutenant-colonel Specht, tirlio commanded the centre, made a good standi and would have maintained the conflict stilf long- er, had not lord Balcarras, who was on his right, been recalled through some mistake. Bein^ now assailed in front and on both his flanks, he was obliged to retreat with his three hundred men. From that moment, the enemy rushed forward from all sides; upon which general Burgoyne gave order to retreat to the great redoubt, on the right wing of general Fraser's division. The troops had scarcely arrived there, when the enemy began their attack on the redoubt with the utmost impetuosity, but could not carry it, and we remain- ed in possession of it during the night. However, Breymann's corps, reduced to two hundred men, and simultaneously assailed on all sides by the enemy, gave away goon after its leader was killed. mi ' ^^K0w^^t^^^^K^^t99^f^^' -Mfi'~' . i^- I ' ^.*u \ edeset, lumns, mile of of his td after [hbour- id with lOiuHilt- recon- Led our i in th.e Specht, i 'stan4» ilf IciUi- s right, iijg now he was »d men. forward irgoyne on the The enemy utmost remain- owever, 3d men, by the killed. W ■^ ?>"^«^ w* % 149 Oeneral Burgoyne determined now, but unfor- tunately too late, upon retreating to Battenkill. On the 8th, before daybreak, we left our position, and defiled into the plain, where our stores were, but were obliged to make a halt until the evening, because the hospital could not be sooner removed. In the evening we continued our retreat, general Riedesel forming the vanguard with four bafef talions, to cross the Hudson, and take post behind Battenkill. But the general had scarcely reached Dovogat, when he received orders to stop. To our great amazement, a day was again unneces* sarily lost. In the evening we set out, and passed Fishkill, near Saratoga. The enemy ha- ' ,; ;|lready posted himself on the bank of the •ri :ri on, near Battenkill, general Burgoyne thought it dangerous to pass that river* The army, therefore, (on the 10th,) took up a position near Saratoga, which was strong enough on the left flank, towards Fishkill, but which, on the other flank, and in the centre, was so defective, that it was impossible to defend it. In the even- ing, the whole ajmy of the enemy came up. We had, on that day, detached two regiments under the command of lieutenant-colonel Sutherland to this side of the Hudson to reconnoitre the road towards Fort Edward, and captain Twiss, of the engineers, accompanied tliis detachment to repair the bridges, 13* ' ,' ■"■ '.«*, ;-.^ s- ■ rf ■^ .r-*^ m ''» ■') r^T' ^>;*\ .% ;*^» w*-; *; .. ^ .>•■ .*■ -f- ^ti^ *#; 150 Sutherland got as far as an hour's march from Fort Edward, and began repairing^ the principu! bridge, when unluckily he received an order to retire. On the 11th, in the morning, this enemy passea the Fishkill with three brigades, in order to attack the rear of our army. He succeeded so far as to take our boats, an officer with thirty men, and a great number of boatmen. A brisk fire being kept up there, the enemy were obliged to repass the Fishkill; but the batteaux and a great portion of our stores were lost. During the whole day, our army was cannonaded in front and in the rear, and the outposts fired on each other incessantly. In the evening, general Burgoyne sent again for generals Riedesel and Phillips, to consult with them ; and being himself of opinion, that it was impossible to make a successful attack, and to maintain our position, either in the centre, or on the right flank, Mr. de Riedesel pro- posed to sacrifice the baggage, and to retreat during the night, to this side of the Hudson ; — not towards Fort Edward, but to ford the river four miles below that point, and then to advance speedily to Fort George, which might yet be ac- complished, the enemy not having yet occupied the road on this side of the river. But nothing was definitely concluded upon that evening. Things continued in the same state the followinp^ m^ K •^ Tl fr t *.;,. ■X '"^m' 151 a dc.y (the 12th.) The enemy occupied the posts along the river to Fort Edward, and, also, ex- tended more along our front. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, we had again a conference, to which the brigadiers Gall and Hamilton were invited. General Riedesel urged most diligently, and in the strongest language, the necessity of the retreat, and recommended a plan, which he considered still practicable, but which the least movement of the enemy would render impossible. The retreat was, at last, resolved upon; but when nothing seemed wanting to ij;s execution, it was discovered that the order for dis- tributing, on the next morning, provisions for six days, in advance, had not been executed. The commissariat was directed not to delay any longer, and it was determined that the retreat should be- gin between 10 and U o'clock, when it was thought the provisions would be distributed. Ge- neral Riedesel was to lead the vanguard, and ge- neral Phillips the rear. ^,. At 10 o'clock, general Riedesel sent word to general Burgoyne, that the commissariat had per- formed their duty ; but, to his great astonishment, he received for answer, that it was now too iate, and that the army should remain quiet. On the 13th, in the morning, our situation was jTveatly altered. Surrounded by the enemy, and obliged to pass a marshy ravine, and to ascend a ( / ^ t '? Wi m 'd^a >^ 152 ,'* 1^ «f»-. steep hill to ^ each them, we, on the other hand, would have removed from the river at such a dis- tance, that the enemy could easily have advanced from the other bank to attack our rear ; conse- quently, the fit moment of retreating was past, and the retreat itself imi)r8Cticable. We had provisions only for five days. General Burgoyne called, therefore, the commanders of the batta- lions in^'> a general council of war, where he ex- plained the situation of our army, and the force and position of the enemy. He stated, that he saw no mode of attacking the enemy; and should we, against all probability, beat him, the want of provisions would prevent us from reaching Fort George; that e retreat seemed impracticable in any other mannei than that each individual should make his way as well as he could, through almost impassable forests ; that we could, indeed, main- tain ourselves, in our actual positions, five days longer with the provisions wo had, but, after that time, our situation would be worse ; that our po- sitions in the centre, and on the right fiank, were altogether untenable ; and, consequently, the de- feat and dispersion of our army not only proba- ble but certain. After' a short pause, intended to leave the officers time to reflect upon what he had told them, general Burgoyne solemnly declared, that he alone would be responsible for the present situation of the army, as he never hud asked any •t'' I )r hand, ^h a dis- dvanced ; conse- as past, We had lurgoyne le batta- re he ex- he force that he id should want of ing Fort icable in al should h almost 3d, main- ive days ler that our po- ink, were the de- ^ proba- ended to at he had eclared, B present _sked any 153 «r « t advice, but required a submissive obedience to his commands. General Riedesel could not but approve of a public declaration so well calculated to convince every body, that he had in io man- ner participated in the preceding meatuses; and he begged all the British officers to testify the same, whenever he should be called to an account on that head. General Burgoyne then laid the following queries before the council of war : '. 1st. Whether military history offered prece- dents of any ariny having capitulated in such a situation? — •■_ -u .,■;. «£s:, -^ "•■■-.' .-•vr^ . 2d. Whether a capitulation, under such circum- stances, would be dishonourable *? * 3d. Whether the army really was in such a si- tuation as to be obliged to capitulate ? , • --^^ On the first proposition, it was generally an- swered, that the situation of the Saxon army at Pima, of general Fink at Maxen, and of prince Maurice of Saxony, had been less unfortunate and forlorn than that in which our army was plac^^d ; and that nobody could have blamed generals who should have capitulated at such a juncture, \n order to save their armies, although the king ( f Prussia cashiered general Fink, bn^ chiefly .0 gratify his personal resentment, "'i^^:-.,^-^','^^^ On the second question, the general answer was, that the capitulation could not be dishonour- 1 I ity- ^ .-■-•Vfrtifr ', m m WW t^ ill ^^•ifm-m^JIkt ■*m.- ■'■^^Ik^- .■•^^-"^fc j..*-n' ■.•,- ^''.. . w . J^.- "•Si * fi f(^ i. i '■^*w 154 able, on the ground already stated in the ahswci to the first query : * And on the third, all the officers replied, that if general Burgoyne should see any possibility of Huccessfully attacking the enemy, they were ready to sacrifice their lives in the attempt ; but that, on the contrary supposition, they thought it ad- visable rather to preserve to the Iiing his army, by means of an honourable capitulation, than by a protracted hesitation, after all stores should be exhausted, to surrender at discretion, or, on the first attack from the enemy, in such an untena- ble y jsition, to be dispersed and separately de- stroyed. • ^ I After this unanimous declaration, general Bur- goyne exhibited the heads of a treaty, which be- ing deemed advantageous, were approved of with- out any dissent. General Burgoyne then deter- mined to send a flag of truce to the enemv's camp, to inform them, that an oflicer would be despatched, on the following day, to treat with general Gates, .; ^ (the commander of the American army,) on some business of great moment, and to agree upon a suspension of hostility, in the mean time : general % Gates inmiediately acquiesced. . - On the 14th, at 10 o'clock in the morning, ma- jor Kingston* was sent to the Americans with ge- * He was deputy adjutant-general. ^. l^^ ^ *MlH*"* --^ ■ 5i»*(' T%* A ■^■•.^ ^»^: ^.-s;-. . in the aiiswci 155 ^ iierarwurgoyne's proposals to surrender our armv, upon condition that it should be conveyed to Eos- ton, and from thence shipped for England, under an engagement not to bear arms against the Ameri- cans in the present contest, or before an ex- change. ;--/'t H-^ •- ; General Gates rejected these conditions, and sent counter-proposals, consisting of six articles, by the first of which it was required that the army should surrender as prisoners of war ; and by the last, that the troops should lay down their arms in the intrenchments which they actually occu- pied, and march afterwards to the points which should be indicated to them. General Burgoyne convened anew a council of war, and read general Gates' proposal^. The officers declared, unanimously, that they would rather die than submit to such dishonourable con- ditions. General Burgoyne rejected them, there- fore, and assured the enemy, that no other condi- tions would be agreed to, thari those whicli he had proposed. • The suspension of hostilities ceased in consequence. But to the great astonishment of every body, general Gates sent, on the 15th, in the morning, new proposals of capitulation, in which he acquiesced to all that general Burgoyne had stipulated, except some immaterial things, but e ^■"** h *<■- .. n f ^^' I Si ■ tf I Ir ■ if ' ^ i I •'.♦' 156 insisted that the army should leave its actual po* sition, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Such a sudden change, and especially the new article, created fresh doubts. The council of war was again convocated, and it was resolved that general Gates' proposals should be accepted ; but as they were but preliminary articles, and many subsequent arrangements were to be made before general Burgoyne could sign the capitulation, the proposed delay, it was alleged, was too short. It was therefore suggested, that a commission should be appointed, to be composed of two staff officers from each army, who should treat together re- specting the additional stipufations, and prepare the conditions to be finally acted upon. Lieutenant-colonel Sutherland and captain Craig were accordingly sent on our part. The commissioners remained in session until 1 1 o'clock in the evening, and, at last, all our propositions were accepted by the enemy. Tnere were, re- spectively, orders asked and sent, on points of lit- tle importance, but as the commissaries of the enemy consented to all that ours proposed,,, the latter thought that they were fully authorized to conclude the treaty, and promised, upon their own and general Burgoyne's word, that it would be re- turned with the general's ratification the next morn- ing. They rejoined us at midnight. Not long capitula staritly were pu 1st. \ commiss promisee of the II 2d, W sufficient advantag actual 9it 3d. W tend its ai On the against, concl^dei whicKonc I required Uen> •4|S*'^ al po* le new of war 5d that d; but I many before ion, the ort. It 1 should officers ther re- prepare 157 -if ■■(i^ afterwards, a deserter informed us that he had heard thatgeneral Clinton had not only taken the intrench- mentft on -the Highlands, but that a week ago, |ie had advanced with his troops and his fleet to JDsopus, and must, in all probability, have reached Albany, by that time. General Bt^rgoyne, and se« veral other officers, were so much elated with this news, that they began .to think of breaking the capitulation. Another council of war was in- stantly eonvoned, and* the foUowing questions were put to them : . * • Ist. Whether a treaty definitively settled by commissi *^*' •:i^j»/.'"«.;j'<^*5f;.3*t''.'"-;7-^,::'J^ir"- 14 ?<■*'■■■': ;iiV5:-;.»; t, f 4 ■=^/!:-A '4e « J. ■0 -# t^ 'h r r ■f- 158 iM' The opinions were, also, divided upon the second ^ question. Those who were in the negative, were in- t .x> fluenced by the consideration that the intelligence ' received was mere hearsay. It would be very different, said they, if general Clinton had sent a despatch, or if the informer had arrived from that general's army ; and, even if the general was at ^sopus, he would yet be. too distant to relieve us from our desperate situation. ' To the third question, the officers of the left wing answered in the affirmative; but the rest stated, that although ■ they were convinced that the soldiers would d- 'play the greatest courage, should we attack thu <^nemy, still, as they were aware of the inconveniences of our position, it might be? apprehended, that they would not so well sustain an* assnult. To gain time, general Bui'goyne resorted to the expedient of writing to general Gates, early in the morning, to tell him that he had been informed, thrpugh deserters and others, that general Gates had detached a considerable portion of his army to Albany, and this during the course of the negotiation on the treaty ; which, he added, Was contrary to all princi- ples of fair dealing and good faith, and he could not sign the capitulation, unless he was assured that i the American army was three or four times mote] numerous than the English; that general Gates > \x rt A W T^ Vl-t *'--K' i t. iC^ ii -I. ti *' 159 it^ should, therefore, show his forces to the officer whom general Burgoyiio should deHpatch for the purpose; and should it appear from Ins report, that such is the relative strenirth of the two armies, he would immediately sign tiie capitulation. Major Kingston was th(! b»mrer of this letter, and brought back general Gates' answer, that general Burgoyne might depen :#' 1 160 ■7^- I ,).: In consequence of this communicatrori,' ahbt^er council of war was summoned, and, in this meet- ing, those who had voted for the rupture of the capitulation changed their opinions. General Burgoyne ' took generals Riedesel and Phillips aside, and requested their friendly advice. Both remained silent for a while, until general Riedesel declared, that if general Burgoyne should be call- ed to An account in England, it would oftly be for the movements by which the army had been brought into such a* situation, and, perhaps, on the score, that the overture for a capitulation had first come from him, and for not having early re- treated so far as to remain master of the commu- nications with Fort' George ; but that, after all the steps which had been taken, he considered it as still more dangerous to break the treaty on the ground of news which were so uncertain.and unau- thentic. Brigadier-general Hamilton, who joined our ^ittle circle, was of the same opinion. But general Phillips contented himself With saying, that things were in such a situation, that he was unable to offer either advice or help. After much deliberation, general Burgoyne resolved to ratify the capitulation, and he forwarded *it by m^- jor Kingston. On the 17th of October, the army set oflf, and all the conditions of the treaty were fulfilled. jGe- ■"^ P**^-*?!''**'^??^^ ;'.„*■ 161 •*■■ neral Gates ordered his whole army, which \Vas on this side of the Hudson, to be drawn up on the other side of the Fishkill. Some officers, who were commissioned to muster it, declared it to be from 23 to 24,000 men strong. — General Riedesel ordered that no colours should be surrendered with the arms ; that the staves should be burnt, and the flags carefully packed up: by means of which, each of the German regiments remained in pos- session of its colours. , ;^7^, ■'"'^' « .N <- • * •>•,». The Memoir from which the preceding account is extracted, was dated from Stillwater, on the next day after the slirrender at Saratoga; that is, the 18th of October, and signed and certified by all the officers who had commanded the several Ger- man regiments and battalions. It may be added, that after the captive army had reachfed Cambridge, near Boston, the American Congress refused to ratify that article of the capitulation by which it was stipulated that these troops should be shipped from Boston for England : and that they were con- sequently obliged, contrary to the treaty,, to re- main in America as prisoners of vv"ir. This gave rise to much debate in Congress. On the question whether in regard of that article, V ■i . JFw ■4 -! Ofe 1 r ..>V »• ii ■■ ,1 ■if. r # ■^ M:i^ "%*t w It it 4: Mi 11 I %,: -.- t, >ip* & # ■^t it the treaty should be strictly executed, variouaoJ)i- nions existed, and it was only through the inter- position and suggestions of general Lafayette, that it was deeded, as already said, to the preju- dice of the English and Oennan troops; for he could easily foresee, that a war would soon break out between France and England, and he wished to prevent the latter from employing these forces elsewhere. To overcomri ail the hesitations of Congress, Lafayette referred to the example which ,4he English had given in the seven-years war, respecting the capitulation of Kloster-Seven. When general Burgoyne showed the first draft -ir p^ Jhe capitulation, general Riedesel advised him to propose to general Gates, that the troops should return to Canada, tvithout their arms, and under an engagement not to fight against the Ameri'cans, during the present war, unless exchanged ; but general Burgoyne thought that the enemy would ne^r agree to it, and therefore proposed that the troops shouli^ be sent to Boston, and shipped from that port to England. When this was afterwards a subject of conversation, »• taring the march, ge- neral Gates' adjutant general intimated, that ge- neral Riedeselis propositions would have been ac- cepted, on account of the great difficulty of pro- viiding die captive troops with proVisions, on their Li '^■% .* I *• 163 nii|irch to Boston. Had the generaPs advice been followed by general Burgoyne, the army, instead of being lost to England, could have been employ- ed elsewhere, and would have escaped many suf- ferings. ' • , . w • • • > ► .'•%:''*^t» ill ^ .n- $. .i. »■ % i^ at. t # ^ ^1.) -.'•r'p^- '4^' 1^' .^ 164 f*' !J ?»^. f||^f iSW'*^"'?'',"' Continuation of Mad. de RiedeseVs account of her residence in America. .'■M- '■I'lf- if When the army broke .up, on the 11th of Sep- tember, 1777, I was at first told that I must re- main behind ; but on my repeated entreaties, and as other ladies had been permitted to follow the army, the same indulgence was extended to me. We advanced by short journeys, and went through many toils; yet I would have purchased at any, price the privilege thus granted to me of seeing daily my husband. I had sent back my baggage, and only kept a small bundle of summer dresses. In the beginning, all went well , we thought that there was little doubt of our 'being successful, and of reaching "the promised land"," and when on the passage across the Hudson, general Burgoyne exclaimed, "Britons never retrograde," our spirits rose mightily. I observed, however, with aittrprise, that the wives of the officers were beforehand in- formed of all the military plans; and I was so jnuch the more struck with it, as I remembered With how mueh secrecy all dispositions were made in the annies of Duke Ferdinand, during the se- ,!■ ■Mr ..*» 163^ M ven-years* war.* Thus the Americans anticipated ail our movements, and expected us wherever we arrived : and this of course injured our affairs. Oh the i9th of September, an action took place, which ended to our advantage; but we were in consequence obliged to halt at a place called Freeman's Farm. I witnessed the whole action, and knowing that my husband was among the combatants, I was full of anxiety ^nd care, and trembled at every shot— and nothing escaped my ear. I saw a great number of wounded, and what was still worse, three of them were brought into the house where I was. One of them was a major Harnage, whose wife-'; was with us; the second a lieutenant, whose wife^ was of our acquaintance; and the third a young En- glish officer, called Young. The major occupied, with his wife, a room <;lose by to that where I was. *' Lieutenant Aaburey made a similar remark, \^hen the army was yet in Canada : " We have more dangerous enemies at home, than any we have to encounter abroad ; for &11 the transactions that are to take place, are publicly knowrt, long before they are offi- cially given out in orders ; and I make no doubt, but you will be as much surprised as the general (Burgoyne) was, when I tell you, that the whole operations of the ensuing campaign were canvassed for several days before he aiYived, who no doubt suppcsed, that in giving out his orders, he was communicating an entire i yret." -[Montrpal, May 20(h. 1777. Vol. 1, p. 203.] Great secrecy, observes the same writer, was, aa the contrary, observed in the American arm V. ^ * '" -;?%'• ■k :;>ffc^- »jj^>»>-ll • '\i<^l S--4.- *• .,-^fie t vs'i^^^l .1; : -t I V . \ i^L -.,1 \<» '...> 166 f ■ «.i ■ ■. ( ' lie liad received a shot through his bo^, and suf- fered exqi'isite pains. A few days after our arri- val, I heard groans in another* room, and was told that the ydung officer, whom 1 have j»i3t mention- ed, was lying there, and tihyr ids rocovfry was very doubtful. I took mu* h hitorest in Ivir i as a family of his name 'Md sh vvn mti grc»wn in Englaifd. He lamented for his parents' yake, but said nothing of his sufferings. He had lost much blood, and the surgeon advised hirri to submit to the amputatiofs of his wounded Ifeg; but he would not consent to il though the limb had be- come gangrenous. I sent jjim pillows and "blan- kets, and my maids gave him their mattrfess. I took more and more care of him, and visited him daily ; for which he thanked me .a thousand times. At last, the amputation took place, but it was too late, and he died a" few days afterwards. My room being close to his, and the walls very thin, I heard his last moans. I occupied a tolerably good house and had a large room. The door and the w:ainscot were of cedar. ■^'', " t. % ♦■ r-' '^:; mf a sort of wood which is found in abundance here : insects are driven away by the smell" of it, when it is burned; and :i is often used for that purpose; but some people believe that the . smoke of it is injurious to the nerves, and principally to females in certain situations. For our farther march, I had caused a calash to be made for me, in which I could take, not only my children, but also my tirtcr female attendants: and thus I followed the army in the inidst of the troops, who were in. great spirits, and sang and longed for victory. We marched through endless forests, and a beautiful district, though deserted by the inhabitants, who ran away at our approach, to reinforce general Gates'; army. They are na- turally soldiers., and excellent marksmen, and the idea gf fighting for their country and their liber- ty, increased their innate courage. My husband was encamped with the rest oftlie army : heing myself about an hqur's ride behind the army, I went every morning to pay him a visit in the camp, and some- times I (Uped there with him, but generally he took his dinner in my quarters. There were daily skirmishes with the enemy, generally of little im- portance. But my husband could never sleep without his clothes. The weather having already grown rougher, colonel Williams of the artillery thought our mutual visits were rather too fatiguing. il n 5 A"-' k I flu. vt ^t 'i^P- .f ^^ I* K* for^^8,ai]id, proposed. |o havis a hoiM|Pi|)Vl<;iy ine with ,i^,i;)yiii^^y, whi<^i should fiot Copt Jliple. than five or si^^guineas^a^d which I Citi||}jdiiiiii»terrupt- edly ipbabit. I ai^epted of hni i>^arr JMld ^^^^ buildiQg) which ^%to be about t>Yeiij^||!»jtiuiwire, was bogun.. ^uch a d#irl|ing is called a block- )i|l^use, for which logs nearly ol equal diameter are put together; and if Uje iijter»tic«a are fill- ed up with clay, ijt is not oplyvery solid,, but very wam> I was to take possesiiKM) jQ^ it on the next d^jr : and I fejpiced i^ it the more, as the nights vk^ere damp and coldv and it being cjose to the canqpl^y husband, would beabji^. to be with me. But ^1 at.Qnce^;.«tti ihe .7tb of October, he marched away with the whole ^aif, md then eur niisfertui^jG^s began.. While .breakfasting with my husboiid, I heaird^that somethiiig was uadei; ©on- templatipn. General Fraser, and I believe^ gene- rab Burgoyne and' Phillips were to dj^ine witk me on that day. I remarked much;move]|aeiit-in the camp. My husbpud told ine that it was ;a mere Teconn(»6sance ; and as this was frpqiMpt, I was not much alarmed at it. On my way homeward, hI met a num^ of Indians c laedMth guns, and elail in their war dresses. Havi% asked them where they^^ where going, they replied, '^ War, war;" by which, they mjant that th^y were about tofight. JI:J^^«^i.\^^v^^^^ -# 1 had P '*^- . - -,* ■4^Jtm I Mu 17tt requested to have him buried on the next day, m 6 o'clock in the eck in the afternoon, I saw the house which liud been built for me, in flames, from which I in- ferred that the enemy was near. We were in- l^imed, that general Burgoyne intended to com- j. . with general Eraser's last request, and to have him buried at 6 o'clock, in the place which he had designated. This occasioned an useless delay, and contributed to our military misfortunes. At 6 o'clock, the corpse was removed, and we saw ^dl the generals, with their retinues, on the i»il), as- sisting at the funeral ceremony. The English V V.-. .5^ ^ %• ♦^ 172 chaplain, Mi. Brudenel, officia't.;. Cannon-ball^ flew around and above the assembled mourners. General Gates protested afterwards, that had he known what was going on, ho would have stopped the fire immediately. Many cannon-balls flew close by me, but my whole attention was en- gaged by the funeral scene, where I saw my hus- band exposed to imminent danger.* This, in- deed, was not a moment to be apprehensive for my own safety. >C* Orders had already been issued, that the aftny should break up immediately after the funeral. * General Burgoyne has described tliis scene with his usual felicity of expression and eloquence, and in a much more graphi- cal style than our authoress. Wo beg leave to copy the following passage : ♦' The incessant cannonade during the solemnity ; the steady attitude and unaltered voice with which the chaplain officiated, though frequently covered with dust, which the shot threw up on all sides of him ; the mute but expressive mixture of sensibiUty and indignation, upon every countenance ; these objects will re- main, to the last of life upon the mind of every man who wa« present. The growing duskiness added to the scenery, and tht whole marked a character of that juncture that would make oao of the finest subjects for the pencil of a master, that the Aeld ever exhibited. — To the canvass, and to the faithful page of a more im- portant historian, gallant friend ! I consign thy memory. There may thy talents, thy manly virtues, their progress and their pe- riod find due distinction ; and long may they survive ; long aftci the frail record of my pen shall be forgotten !'' — Slo.le of Ihf Ej- ■pedilionfrom Canada, kc. Scc.p. 160. ^t, V '•' > '■».'■' QurncrH. lat had lid have lon-balls was cii- my hus- rhis, m- isive for he army funeral. [\ hia usual lore graphi- lie following the steaJy in officiated, hrew up on sensibility cts will re- n who wa« ry, and tht d make one lie field evcf a more im- jry. There vd their pc- ; long aftci c of the Ex' ^t - ^ 173 and our calashes were ready. I was unwilling to '•!--.\ • Jr i ^*»»f« 174 A ^; > -■ hours upon my shoulder. In the mean time, captain Willoe brought me his pocket-book, con- taining bank-notes, and captain Geismar, a beauti- ful watch, a ring, and a well-provided purse, re- questing me to keep them, which I promised to do to the last. At length we recommenced our march ; but scarcely an hour had elapsed, before the army was again halted, because the enemy was in sight. They were but two hundred in number, who came to reconnoitre, and who might easily have been taken, had not general Burgoyne lost all his presence of mind. The rain fell in torrents. Lady Ackland had caused her tent to be fixed up. I again suggested to her the propriet} of rejoining her husband, to whom she might be of great service, in his present situation. Yield- ing to my advice, she sent a message to general Bargoyne, through his aid-de-camp, Lord Patter- son,* to beg his permission to leave the army. 1 ^ - i^told her that she need only insist upon it, and she * General Burgoyne had two aids-de-camp,— captain lord Pe- tersham and lieutenant "Wilford. The Baroness probably mistook the name of the former, who was afterwards earl of Ilarrinoton viscount Petersham, and colonel of the 29th regiment of foot. Hci spelling of English names is very incorrect ; which, however, is lesF astonishing in a German, than in Hamilton, whose Warmestre, oiif of the heroes of count de Grainmont'i: Memoirs, is yet an unknowi; personage. t- ^ ■«•-.».,. ».**>:;„>;* ■ ¥ I time, k, con- beauti- rse, re- lised to ced ouv , before enemy dred w lo might ;urgoyne n fell ill r tent to propriety night bo . Yield- 3 general d Patter- army. 1 , and she lain lord Pe- ably mistoolv Ilai'rington. of foot. Hci wever, is les^ irmestre, one an unknowi; 175 T, would certainly succeed. . The Rev. Mr. Brude- nel accompanied her, and they went together in a boat with a flag of truce, to the enemy. There is a Well known and fine engraving of that event. I afterwardis met with lady Ackland at Albany, when her husband was almost entirely recovered ; and both thanked me for my advice. On the 9th, it rained terribly the whole day ; nevertheless we kept ourselves ready to march. The savages liad lost their courage, and they walked off" in all directions. The least untoward event made them dispirited, especially w^hen there was no opportunity for plunder. My chamber-maid ex- claimed the whole day against her fate, and seemed mad with despair. I begged her to be quiet, unless she wished to be taken for a savage. Upon this she became still more extravagant, and asked me, " If I should be sorry for it"?" — " Sure- ly," replied I. — She then tore her cap from her liead, and let her hair fall upon her face. " You lake it quite easily," said she, " for you have your liusband ; but we have nothing but the prospect of being killed, or of losing the little we possess." I observed, that with regard to her losses, I would promise to repay them, as well as those of the other maid, who was also much afraid, but was too good-natured to say any thing. We reached Saratoga about dark, wJiic'i was > ,^x-r ii m 1^ f 176 ^■ but half an hour's march froin tlie place where \vc had spent, the day. I was quite wet, and was obliged to remain in that condition, for want of a place to change my apparel. I seated myself near the fire, and undressed the children, and wc then laid ourselves upon some straw. — I asked general Phillips, who came to see how I was, wli] we did not continue our retreat, my husband ha- ving pledged himself to cover the movement, and to bring off the army in safety. " My poor lady," said he, " you astonish me. Though quite wet, you have so much courage as to wish to go farther in this weather. What a pity it is that you are not our commanding general ! He complains of fa- tigue, and has determined upon spending the night here, and giving us a supper." It is very true, that general Burgoyne liked to make himsel) easy, and that he spent half his nights m singing and drinking, and diverting himself witli the wifr of a commissary, who was his mistress, pnd who was as fond of Champaign as himself 1 refresh- ed myself at 7 o'clock, the next morning, (the lOth of October,) with a cup of tea, and we all expected that we should soon continue our march. General Burgoyne had given orders to set fire to ge- neral Schuyler's fine buildings and mills at Sarato- ga, foi the purpose of securing our retreat. An lilnglisli officer brought me some good soup, and I - ^ Jf^ 177 insisted that I should partake of it. After this, we continued our march; but only for a short time. There was much misery and disorder in the army. The commissaries had forgotten to distribute pro- visions, though we had an abundance of cattle. I saw more than thirty officers, who complained bitterly of hunger. I gave them coffee and tea, and every thing eatable that I had in my calash. My cook was a great rogue, but a man of infinite resources. He availed himself sometimes of the darkness of the night, to ford brooks and steal poultry, sheep, and hogs, and put them upon his bills, as if he had bought them ; a manoeuvre, of which it was a long time before we knew any thing. But my provisions were now exhausted, and regretting deeply my inabi'ity to assist those who came to complain of hunger, I called to adju- tant-general Patterson, (lord Petersham,) who ac- cidentally passed close by me, and said, with all the indignation which I felt at that moment, "Come, sir, see these oflScers, who have shed their blood for the common cause, and who are in want of every thing, because they do not receive what they ought to receive. It is your duty to call the general's attention to all this." He seemed much affected, and ihe consequence was, that, in less than a quarter of an hour, gent ral Burgoyne came towards me, and thanked mo « n Mi t ~Mv^- '■_*.'"•*' ^-Jh-^fc/ *«».... is^Btli 'i*' 'i 178 t f ii ■m most pathetically, for having reminded him of his duty. He added, that a general whose orders were not obeyed, was much to be pitied. I replied, that I begged his pardon, for having meddled in affairs with which a woman had nothing to do ; but that I could not forbear saying what I liad ex- pressed, when I saw so many gallant officers in need of every thing, while I was destitute of the means of assisting them. He thanked me again, (though I really believe he has never forgiven me,) and, addressing the officers, said, that he felt much re- gret for their sufferings, and that he had given or- ders to remedy them, and asked why they had not called on him, as they must know, that as long as he had any thing to eat, they might dispose of it. They replied, that British officers were not accus- tomed to intrude themselves into their general's kitchen, and that they had accepted, with mucli pleasure, the least morsel that I had given them, for they were sure that it was oifere^i with real 'vindness. He then gave new orders to the com- misisaries, to be, in future, more attentive to then duties. But this did not much inend our situation, though it caused a longer delay. The geneni' went to eat, and our calashes remained in readi- ness to depart. Every body advised a retreaf. and my husband pledged himself to effe^.t that juovement, if no time was lost. But general Bin 179 goyrie, who had been promised an Order, if he should effect his junction with general Howe, could not be persuaded to it, and lost every thing by his dilatoriness. About 2 o'clock, we heard again a report of muskets and cannon, and there was much alarm and bustle amo)ig our troops. My husband sent me word, that I should immediately retire into a house which was not far off. I got into my calash with my children, and when we were near the house, I saw, on the oppo- site bank of the Hudson, five or six men, who aimed at us with their guns. Without knowing what I did, I threw my children into the back part of the vehicle, and laid myself upon them. At the same moment the fellows fired, and broke the arm of a poor English soldier, who stood be- hind us, and who being already wounded, sought ii shelter. Soon after our arrival, a terrible can- nonade began, and the fire was principally di- rected against the house, where we had hoped to find a refuge, probably because the enemy infer- red, from the great number of people who went towards it, that tliis was the head-quarters of the i^enerals, while, in reality, none were there except women and crippled soldiers. We were at last obliged to descend into the cellar, where I laid myself in a corner near the door. My children l>ut their h^ads upon my knees. An abominable SfM'"* •■ •'*^ ^f I '*"'^'i^^ **" ' 180 ^■^ smell, the cries of the children, and my own an- guish of mind, did not permit me to close my eyes, during the whole night. On the next morning, the cannonade begun anew, but in a different di- rection. I advised my fellow-sufferers to with- draw, for a while, from the cellar, in order to give time to clean it, for we should otherwise in- jure our health.* On an inspection of our re- treat, I discovered that there were three cellars, spacious and well vaulted. I suggested, that one of them should be appropriated to the use of the officers who were most severely wounded, the next to the females, and the third, which was nearest to the staircase, to all the r{:M of the company. We were just going down, when a new thunder of cannon threw us i gain into alarm. Many per- sons, who had no right to enter, threw themselves against the door. My children were already at the bottom of the staircase, and every one of us would probably have been crushed to death, had I not put myself before the entrance, and re- sisted the intruders. Eleven cannon-balls passed through the house, and made a tremendous noise. .\ poor soldier, who was about to have a leg am- putated, lost the other by one of these balls. All '■ Mad. de Ricdesel is here too particular in her narrative. .'<< >•/. 181 own an- my eyes, [norning, erent di- to with- r to give wise in- f our re- e cellars, , that one ISO of the , the next IS nearest company. V thunder Many per- hemselves already at one of us leath, had and re- Is passed ous noise, a leg am- )alls. All arrativc. liis comrades ran away at that moment, and when they returned, they found him in one corner of the room, in the agonies of death. I was myself in the deepest distress, not so much on account of my own dangers, as of those to which my husband was exposed, who, however, frequently sent me messages, inquiring after my health. Major Har- nage's wife, a Mrs. Reynell, the wife of the good lieutenant who had, on the preceding day, shared his soup with me, the wife of the commissary, and myself, were the only officer's wivei at present with the army. We sat together, deploring our situation, when somebody having entered, all my companions exchanged looks of deep sorrow, whis- pering at the same time to one another. I imme- diately suspected that my husband had been killed. I shrieked aloud ; but was immediately told that ! othing had happened to my husband, and was oiven to understand, by a sidelong glance, that the lieutenant had been killed. His wife was soon called out, and found that the lieutenant was yet alive, though one of his arms had been shot off, near the shoulder, by a cannon-ball. We heard Ills groans and lamentations during the whole night, which were dreadfully re-echoed through the vault- ed cellars ; and in the morning he expired. My husband came to visit me, during the night, which served to diminish my sadni^ss and dejection in 16 '^- #\ J -*■ ' ' /■■? 1 1 ^.^,ur ...--.: t-4j*iPf-- '\ ji'fj V , H^': some degree. On the next morning, we thoughts of making our cellar a more convenient residence. Major Harnage and his wife, and Mrs. Reynell, took possession of one corner, and transformed it into a kind of closet, by means of a curtain. J was, also, to have a similar retreat ; but I prefer- red to remain near the door, that I might escapf; more easily in case of fire. I had straw put un- der my mattresses, and on these I laid myself with my children ; and my female servants slept near us. Opposite to us were three officers, who, though wounded, were determined not to remain ; - <" Ijehind, if the army retreated. One of them was ^ captain Green, aid-de-camp to general Phillipsi ''■\' -ilk ^^'^ ^ ^'^•'y ^iTiiable and worthy gentleman. All ' J three swore they would not depart without me, in '■ ** case of a sudden retreat, and that each of them ,> would take one of my children on his horse. One of my husband's liorses was constantly in readiness for myself. Mr. dc Riedescl thought often of sending me to the American camp, to save me from danger; but I declared that nothin" would be more painful to me, than to live on good terms with those with whom he was fighting; upon which he consented that I should continue to fol- low the army. However, the apprehension thfil he might have marched away, repeatedly intruded itself into my mind ; and, I crept up the staircase, «*^. ?« '> ,.,a;^ V 41^ i^. rr- T^: ■ft. ^i^> •> ! thought Bsidence. Reynell, formed it irtain. J I prefer- tit escape; V put un- yself witli slept near ;ers, who, to remain them was l1 Philhps; man. All lout me, in h of them his horse, [istantly in cl thouglil 1 camp, to lat nothing ve on good iting ; upon inue to fol- snsion that ly intruded e staircase, 18a sbi more than once, to confirm or dispel my fears, and when I saw our soldiers near their watch-fires, I became more calm, and could even have slept. I was, also, uneasy on account of the articles whicii had beei: entrusted to my care.* Our cook procured us our supplies of eatables, but we were in want of water, and I was soon obliged to • drink wine to quench my thirst, and to give the same to my children. My husband, too, had no other drink, which made our honest Rockel inti- mate to me one day, that he feared that his mas- ter used so much wine, because he was afraid of falling into the hands of the enemy, and, there- fore, weary of life. The danger in which my husband was, kept me constantly in the most un- pleasant state of mind. Being the only one who had not lost her husband, or whose husband had not been wounded, I asked myself very often, "Is so much happiness reserved for me alone*?" — a reflection so much tlie more natural, as he was day and night in the very jaws of death. He ■*" Our authoress hero becomes, again, loo ,>articular in her nar- rative, and says too much respecting ht- toilette,— the gallantry of the ■wounded olficers who were in the cellar, while slie (tressed herself, — and their ingenuity in diverting her children, by imitating the bellovi^ing of bulls, and the bleating of sheep, by which tlio elder were greatly amused, while the ycinger fell n^lrep. ^ r%. . — .^ , # * I ' ^ 'i( if^ i> \^ 'li^ •"a: of. P*«i»*~ ■H#!*J(^^ •* 184 •l< I. never passed a whole night in his tent, bur -dt by the watch-fires, which alone, considering the coldness and dampness o** the ground, may be thought sufficient to have ! .iled him. The want of water continuing to distress us, we could not but be extremely glad to find a soldier's wife so spirited as to fetch some from the river, an occupation from which the boldest might, have shrunk, as the Americans shot every one who ap- proached it. They told us afterwards that they spared her on account of her sex. I endeavoured to dispel my melancholy, by con- tinually attending to the wounded. I made them tea and coffee, for which I received their warmest acknowledgments. I often shared my dinner with them. One day a Canadian officer came creep- ing into our cellar, and was hardly able to say that he was dying with hunger. I felt happy to offer him my dinner, by eating which he recovered his health, and I gained his friendship. On our return to Canada, I became acquainted with his family. I also took care of major Blomfield,* wh6 was 1 -H 'A ,^ ^ * The German laJy calls him Plumpfiekl. Major Blomlieiit was, according to general Wilkinson, in 1816, member of parliament for Plymouth, major-general in the army, lientenant-colonel of tli' royal artillery, chief equerry, anil clerk-martial to the kinj,'. ■*■ Ik ' '»7*' f-. .'^ / TV ! ■ ■ ■ '■ '' ' - -.11 ::'f U' idt by ring tlu; may be iss us, we soldier's river, aii ght,have ! who ap- that they f, by con- ade them • warmest nner witli ae creep- le to say happy to ecovered On our with his \\\i6 was :)!• Blomfielil )f parliament olonel of 111' t \ 185 I new friend, .ii''l-l of cares ^ iiave weigh- )ne of these wounded by a musket-ball which passed through botli cheeks, knocked out his teeth and injured his tongue. He could retain nothing in his mouth, and soup and liquids were his only nourishment. Fortunately we liad some Rhenish w ino, and in the hope that the acidity would coptribuiv; to heal his wound, I gave him a bottle, 186 strutted as much as they could. We remained six days in this doleful retreat. At last a capitu- lation was talked of, in consequence of having lost, by useless delays, the opportunity of effect- ing our retreat. A cess^ition of hostilities took place, and my husband, who was quite exhaust- ed by fatigue, could now, for the first ,time, take some rest under a tolerable shelter. He slept quietly in a little chamber, while I reti- red with n»y children and the maid-servants into the adjoining room. Towards one o'clock, a person came and asked to speak with him. I was very reluctant to awaken him, at that hour of the night; and I soon observed that the errand did not much please him, for he imme- diately sent the messenger back to the head quar- ters, and laid himself down again, out of humour. Soon after this, general Burgoyne sent for all the generals and field-officers to attend a council ot war, early next morning, when he proposed to break the capitulation, in consequence of some ground- less information he had received. It was, however, decided that this step was neither advisable nor practicable ; and this determination was very fortu- nate for us, as the Americans told us afterwards, that had we broken the treaty, we should all have been cut to pieces. This they could easily have done, '""•iNr *i|% :f >• ■J. .*• •%Vi ■J '•■ ■■;* • V 187 •; >.-<.,' ^ t»f . » ■~».».- . ~.-.i.— «« «5»y .,..—;,— -^B^--*** >p.'"'***»S, t . / *> ■4 t t:v general Burgoyne would also be his ^ucst. ] sent to ask my husband's directions, wlio advised me to accept the invitation. As we were two days' journey from Albany, and as it was now five o'clock in the afternoon, he wished me to endea- vour to reach, on that day, a place distant about three hours ride. General Schuyler carried his civilities so far as to solicit a well-bred Frencli officer to accompany me on that first part of my journey. This gentleman commanded the re- connoitering party of which I have made mention. As soon as he saw me safely established in the house where I was to remain, he went back to the general. I met here with a French surgeon, and with an officer of the Brunswic troops under his; care, who was mortally wounded, and died a few days afterwards. The patient spoke in the highest terms of the doctor's humanity, who was perhaps very skilful in his profession, though very silly in his general deportment. He was in a great ecstasy to find I knew French, and began to address mo with impertinent Speeches, varnished with many fine compliments. Thus he told me that he did not believe I was the wife of a general, because he thought it impossible that a lady of that rank should follow her husband into the camp ; and when once among military people, he thought it was wiser to prefer the vanquishers to the van- d^ -2' *# % -l*?*-"*"'"?'"**-- 191 (luished. I was disgusted by this impertinence, though I dared not show him the contempt which [ felt, because I had no body to defend me. When night approaiched, he begged me to share Ills room with him : and when I told him I would watch the patient, he became still more forward and profuse in his gallantry. At this moment my husband entered, followed by his aid-de-cnmp. 'There is my husband," cried I, and my look ex- pressed all the scorn and contempt I felt for the Frenchman. He immediately retired, with much confusion, but had presence of mind or politeness ftnough to offer us his room. On the next day, we reached Albany, where we had so often wished ourselves ; but we did not enter that city, as we lioped we should, with a victorious army. The reception, however, which we met with from gene- ral Schuyler, his Avife and daughters, was not like the reception of enemies, but of the most intimate friends. They loaded us with kindness ; and they behaved in the same manner towards general Bur- goyne, though he had ordered their splendid es- tabUshment to be burnt, and without any necessi- ty, as it was said. But all their actions proved, that at the sight of the misfortunes of others, they quickly forgot their own. General Burgoyne was so much affected by this generous deportment, that he said to general Schuyler, "You are too # #■ 9 « ♦' •V Irl ^- i* r*/*""- •- .nw.«.,. -.'-.»•- •V-.*-.tr^- .>.^-.*-.-. 'J r >4l i \ I ..% 192 kind to me, who have done you so much injury." " Such is the fate of war," replied he ; "let us not dwell on this subject." We remained three days with that excellent family, and they seemed to re- gret our departure. Our cook had remained in town with my husband's baggage, all of which was lost on the second night after our arrival, though it was under the guard of ten or twenty American soldiers. I preserved only my bed and that of my children, and the little I had kept with me for daily use. This was the more unfortunate, as it was at a time when we were in pressing want of many things which we could not have pro- cured, even had we been furnished with plenty of money ; and my husband was obliged to board his aid-de-camp, his quarter-master, (fee. &c. Each of the English officers, or as I should rather call them, our friends, for such they proved them- selves to be, during the whole time that we were together in America, supplied something for our relief; one gave plates, another spoons, xainple which the gentlemen had net them. They seated themselves before the gate, and drank so many toasts, that they grew tipsy ; in consequence of which, Frederica had a fever, accompanied with convulsions : my alarm was the greater, because I did not know what had been the cause. At last, 1 discovered it; and, of course, chid the girls severely, who replied, that they also loved the king and the queen, and could not forbear drinking their health. We passed three weeks in this place ; and were then transferred to Cambridge, where we were lodged in one of the best houses of the place, which belonged to Royalists. Seven families, who were connected by relationship, or lived in great intimacy, had here farms, gardens, and splendid mansions, and not far off orchards ; and the buildings were at a quarter of a mile distant from each other. The owners had been m the habit of assembling every afternoon in one or an- other of these houses, and of diverting themselves with music or dancing, and lived in affluence, in good humour, and without care, until this unfor- tunate war at once dispersed . them, and trans- formed all those houses into solitary abodes, ex- cept two, the proprietors of which were, also, soon obliged to make their escape. None of our officers were permitted to enter Boston. Desirous of seeing the daughter of ge- .*" ■;*■ ''^¥ ''•^m-v- ^^ ,.V...--^^tt.:'4'^ <«»«i8E::.r "'"^•^ 190 neral Schuyler, Mrs. Carter, 1 went to town, ami saw her, and dined witli her several times. Bos- ton is quite a fine city, but the inhabitants were outrageously patriotic. There were among them many Wicked people; and the persons of my own sex were the worst : they gazed at me with indig- nation, and spit when I passed near them. • Mrs. Carter resembled her parents in mildness and goodness of heart ) but her husband was revenge- ful and false. They came often to see us, and dined with us, and in company of our generals. We endeavoured, by all means, to show them our gratitude ; and they seemed to feel much firiend- Bhip for us ; though, at the same time, thw wicked Mr. Carter, in consequence of genertl Howe's having burnt several villages and small towns, suggested to his countrymen to cut off our gene- rals' heads, to pickle them, and -to put them in small barrels ; and as often as the English should again burn a village, to send them one these bar- rels ; — but that cruel plan was not adopted. I had, during my residence at Bristol, in Eng- land, made the acquaintance of a captain Fenton, whom the Americans claimed at the beginning ol the' war, but who remained faithful to his sove- reign, and refused to go to America. Upon this the infuriated rabble seized his wife, who was a most respectable woman, and a daughter of the «»> %: Ki ^H!gf»r-^ -i ._* l-6j»llt,:*»-i 197 age of fifteen, who was very beautiful, and 8trii>- |)cd them both of their dresses, without regard to their moral worth, their beauty, and their delica- cy; and after having besmeared them with tar, and covered them with feathers, drove them through the city. What had one not to fear from people maddened to that degree of hatred ! I heard, also, of two brothers, who had been extremery attached to each other, but who took different sides in regard to the political affairs of the country. The one, who had embraced the royal cause, asked permission to pay a visit to his brother, and having obtained it, went to see him. He was received with great demonstrations of joy. '*How happy I am to sc ; you return to the good cause," cried the republican. "No, my brother," rejoined the royalist, " I remain faithful to my king ; but this shall never prevent me from loving you." Upon this, the republican rose with fury, seized a pistol, and threatened to kill him, if he did not instantly depart* His brother's re- peated protestations, that their different senti- m'ents in politics should never alter his attachment to him, were in vain. The other cried, "Nothing but the love which I bear you prevents me from killing you instantly ; every royalist is my enemy :" and he would have killed him, if the other had not retired. Few families lived in good harmony ; 17* « *.. .% ^ *-^- ■* :h'...:.. if^^'^^'>^-<'^^, t, .« '^■j-^r *•• iN?'-"' 4i ■ly^ ■»v> 198 %| and I saw here practically demonstrated, Ih^t no- thing is more dreadful than a civil war. We had, no other alternative but to live with auch people, or in perfect solitude. I preferred, oC co'^rse, the latter. "^ * " : "^ General Phillips remained unto the last a good and sincere friend of ours, and visited us fre- quently. Our house was always full of English gentlemen, from the moment we had been in- formed, that we were expected, in courtesy, to ask them to come again : previously we had some- times been at a loss to conceive why some of them, whose society was very agreeable, and whom we had received with civility, had not re- turi\ed to see us. We found this usage quite convenient for an intercourse with those persons with whom we were the best pleased. There were, however, some who were not so nice in regard to this rule, but favoured us with their vi- sits rather more frequently than we desired. I saw, in Cambridge, a whole house transported on some large logs, provided with small wheels. '^k^i^On the 3d of June, 1778, 1 gave a ball and sup- 'per, in celebration of my husband's birth-day. I had invited all our generals and officers, and Mr. and Mrs. Carter. General Burgoyne sent an apology, after he had made us wait for him till 8 o'clock. He had always some excuse for not vi- *%. 4 ^ ,S- ,;i^*.i,.i,i/. .-V'..:' '■-S' ,:ii'-"'-'iMi '*%*"" r J 199 4 siting us, until he was about departing for Eng- land, when he came and niade me man3r'apolo' gies ; to wjbich I made i^ other reply,, than that I should be extremely sorry, if he had put himself to any inconvenience for our sake. The dance last- ed long, and we had an excellent supper, to iv2lich more than eighty persons sat down. Our yard and garden were illuminated^ The king's birth- day falling on the next day, it was resolved that the company should not separate before his ma- jesty's health was drank; which was done with feelings of the liveliest attachment to his person and to his interests. Never, I believe, was " God save the king" sung with more enthusiasm or with ieelings more sincere. Our two eldest girls were brought into the room to see the illumination. We were all deeply moved, and proud to have the courage to display such sentiments in the midst of our enemies. Even Mr. Carter could not forbear participating in our enthusiasm. When our guests retired, the house was surrounded with people, who struck with the many persons that succes- sively entered the house, and with the illuofima* lion, began to suspect that we had planned a con- spiracy, and the least disturbance would have .cost us our lives. When the Americans wish to call their troops together, they light torches on some surrounding heights : and that telegraphic order ^. .% i> ♦#*■ A- '■ l*^- ft I \ \ '*•'-; *» 200 IS strictly obeyed. We were vvitix<5i^ses of » on the occasion when general Howe Ittemp* . to rescue the troops detained in Boston. The iiiha- bitants were, as usual, informed long before-hand of thai plan, and immediately planted theii torches, whereupon a crowd of people, without either shoes or stockings, and their rifles on their shoulders, flocked together ; and it would, there- fore, have been extremely diflicult to effect the landing. ** . We passed our time at Cambridge quietly and happily, and should have been glad to have re- mained in that place, as long as our troops were to continue in captivity; but, towards the ap- proach of the winter, we received orders to set out for Virginia. On that occasion, it became incum- bent on me to devise new means of preserving the colours of the German regiments, which we had made the Americans believe we had burned. They did not seem to take this well, though they did not say much about it afterwards. We had, however, only sacrificed the staves, and the co- lours had been carefully concealed. My husband having told me this secret, while we were pre- paring for our journey, and desired me to takr care of them, I shut myself up in my room with an honest tailor, to make a mattress, into whicli we introduced them. Captain O'Connel, under v V* <• -f 201 pretence of ilttoie commission, was sent to New- York, and he took the mattress in lieu of a bed ; and he did not part with it until his arrival at Halifax. There I received it again, while we were on our voyage from New- York to Canada, and, in order to avoid all suspicion, if our ship should be attacked, I kept it in my cabin, and slept, during all the rest of our passage, upon these honourable badges. While making the preparations for our journey, I discovered that our cook, whose expenses I paid^very day, and whose vouchers I happily had kept, had paid nobody, and bills to the amount of a thousand dollars, were presented to me for pay- ment. My husband had the cook arrested ; but he escaped, and went into general Gates' service, who found, however, that he was too expensive, whereupon he engaged with general Lafayette, who, long afterwards, told us, "that he was a cook only fit for kings." My husband liked him for his skill in the mysteries of the kitchen ; but the rogue never liked me, for he saw well that I watched him close. I never doubted that he had been a partner in the robbery of our baggage at Albany. When we met him in New-York, he was in a state of abject wretchedness. My husband complained often of the disordered state of his nerves, and of drowsiness. His only 4^ ( vi • i , 1^ I w'lj*^.^'* •»■;! . I *»l y < m »» #" t l l l>i i» «> »i i < i i M ii > .li«»i» ■'■■^..l. i P ■ .# V, amusement was to m^A in the garden, and to walk about, and for that reason I took care, as often as we removed to some new quarters, to ar- range a little garden for him, which I always found means to provide for, without much ex- pense, as almost all our soldiers understood more or less of gardening, and were eager to gain some little money. I was now, more than ever, glad that I had followed my husband to America. The sorrows of captivity, the painful situation of our troops, and the deprivation of news from home, distressed him extremely: but how much jiiore would he have suffered, if nobody had been with him to dispel his melancholy, while six months, and longer intervals, passed sometimes without receiving any letters ! How much do I rejoice, even now, as my recollections carry me back to the time, when I stoutly resisted all those who en- deavoured to prevent me from fulfilling my duties/ and following the dictates of the tenderest at- tachment, or to that when I faithfully shared his cares and sufferings ! We received the order to depart for Virginia, iu the month of November, 1778. My husband bought for me an elegant English coach, that I might travel more conveniently. My little Gus- tava had requested one of my husband's aids-de- camp, captain Edmonstone, not to leave us. He H t f t ,f*^i.Sk w^.^^^4, ■^♦^lfca*ifcA.«.*--w-t#*'***J* ^h»a,i*'*fy;''*'^'y*'Wi'»^ **;»■ . . ■* ' <;>i^'^'* '■" — * 203 seemed much affected wftil that innocent display of confidence and attachment : he promised to do as she wished, and was as good as his word. I journeyed always with the troops, and sometimes over roads that were almost impassable. The captain, who rode on horseback close to ou^ car- riage, and who was very strong, was often obliged to alight, and hold up our vehicle. Our old chasseur, Rockel, who accompanied me, a,nd to whom such an assistance was very welcome, being himself worn out with fatigue, often remained quietly on his seat, and cried only for the cap- tain's help -f a call which never remained unan- swered. I upbraided Rockel constantly for ta- king such liberties ; but captain Edmonstone took it all with good nature, and begged me not to chide the poor old man. We had always provisions in our baggage-wag- gon ; but as this moved more slowly than our- selves, we were often without food. Every fourth day we made a halt, and being detained in that way, at a place called Hartford, we met with ge- neral Lafayette, and my husband invjted him to din- ner, because he would otherwise have been much embarrassed to find it elsewhere. This perplexed me not a little ; for I knew that the general was fond of a good dinner. At last, however, I found means to have my provisions prepared in such a ^f. ) n 1. • *'- *-■ >9^ *\ \( ;»*. » 204 way, as to answer his expectations. He was so civil and affable, that we became all much pleased with him. He had many Americans in his suit, who did not seefH liluch pleased to hear us speak French. It may be that they feared, on seeing us on such friendly terms with him, that we might at- tempt to dissuade him from their cause, or that he might tell us what they did not wish we should know. I could not forbear asking him, how he could find it in his heart to accept so many dis- tinctions from the king, on the eve of his departure for America, and then fight against his troops. He seemed at first somewhat embarrassed, but soon replied, " Indeed, such scruples were not far from my mind : and one day when the king offer- ed to cause his fleets to be shown me, I answered, that I expected to see them on some future day. I retired directly, to avoid the awkwardness of my situation, should I be obliged to refuse anew such a gracious offer." Some persons, nevertheless, suspected him of having been a spy in England, whence he departed for America. We reached one day a pretty little town ; but our waggon remaining behind, we were very hun- gry. Seeing much fresh meat in the house where we stopped, I begged the landlady to sell me some. "I have," quoth she, "several sorts of meat: beef, mutton and lamb." Enraptured with » 1«..4^wr^6.*fc 4MI1 tk --».-*.* Au«i»ft ■_,j^i^-~-"'~.Mf-,..„^,^^ . *.*.' 205 this answer, I told her, "Let me have some, I will pay you liberally." But, snapping her fingers, she replied, " You shall not have n morsel of it : why have you left your country to |la^ us and /ob us of our property? now that you are our prisoners, it is our turn to vex you." "But,** rejoined I, "see these poor children ; they are dying of hunger." She remained still unmoved; but, when at length my youngest child, Caroline, who was then about two years and a half old, went to her, seized her hands, and told her in English, " Good woman, I am indeed very hungry," she could no longer re- sist, and carrying the child to her room, she gave her an egg." " But," replied the dear little one, "I have two sisters." Deeply affected by that remark, the hostess gave her three eggs, saying, "I am loth to be so weak, but I cannot refuse the child." By-and-by, she softened, and offered me bread and butter. I made tea, and the hostess looked at our tea-pot with a longing eye, for the Americans are very fond of that beverage; yet they had stoutly resolved not to drink any more, the tax on tea, as is well known, having been the immediate cause of the contest with Great Britain. I offered her, however, a cup, and pre- sented her with a paper case full of tea. This drove away all clouds between us; she begged me to go with her into the kitchen, and there 1 18 ^i^ .m * *■ ...i *mf' 1^ •^' '^'' •^- 1 y^ #• u ) 1* ■■^, 206 • found her husband eating a piece of pork. Tlie woman went into the cellar to bring me a basket of potatoes. When she returned into the kitchen, the husband offered her some of his dainty food; she tasted it, and returned to him what remained. I was disagreeably struck with this partnership and common enjoyment; but the man probably thought I was envious of it, on account ol the hunger I had manifesi«d, and presented mc with the little which both had left. What could I do.'' I feared, that by refusing, I should offend them, and lose the potatoes. I accepted, therefore, the morsel, and having kept up the appearance as if I eat it, I threw it secretly into the fire. Wo were now in perfect amity ; with the potatoes and some butter, I made a good supper, and we had to ourselves three neat rooms, with very good beds. We continued our journey the next morning, and excited the curiosity of the inhabitants. Ha- ving reached the bank of the Hudson, we were lodged in a skipper's house, where we, with mucli difficulty, obtained a half-finished room without windows; so that we were obliged to hang blan- kets before the openings, and io sleep upon straw. In consequence of an accident which happened to our waggon, we had neither our mattresses, nor coffee, tea and sugar, which were of great service ^o us, during our journey. Our hostess, who was ii ,^ '■> t. ^ '' -^ ■%.'. ■A-" ^■■^._&^: ii,.^ '.*.«. A- ,;.-■{" ^ ,»■. 20: Tlic basket itchen, y food; nained. nership robably mnt ol" ited me could I id them, ore, the ance as e. Wo toes and e had to )d beds, norning, ts. Ha- ve were ith much without ng blan- )n straw, pened to s.ses, nor t service ho was ii real termagant, permitted us at last, on the follow- ing morning, when our baggage had arrived, to breakfast in her room, as it was now the month of December, and we could not have a fire in the room where we had passed the night. But we could not obtain a table to ourselves, and we were not allowed to sit at hers, before she and her chil- dren and servants had finished their meal, which consisted of remnants of the preceding evening's repast, of cabbage, ham, and other things of that sort, and coffee with brown sugar. They left us then the dirty table, in all the disordei" of a finish- ed breakfast. They requested us, nevertheless, to put all things to rights, after we had finished ours. And when we ventured the least remark, they gave us directly to understand, that we had better be off". The woman behaved in this way only for revenge, as she was a stanch republican. Un- luckily, the weather was stormy, and the wind ahead, so that it was dangerous to cross the river, as the boatman himself informed us. The shrew insisted, notwithstanding, on our departure, and all we could obtain from her, after many entrea- ties, was, that we might remain two days longer. On the third day, her husband came to tell us, with a perplexed mien, that it was time to depart. I begged him to consider the danger we were exposed to, and that he would accompany us af* ;i««> "Sfr I! » ■♦"■• *.-*>^ 208 ■» ^ '%! least, as I should then be less afraid to embark. He promised to go with us; and we went on board a small boat, carrying one mast only; but in the same instant that he shoved it off, he jamped ashore, and left us alone with one sailor Qiily> who was but an indifferent steersman, so that, what with his ignorance, and what with the contrary wind, we were tacking to and fro for more ^ than five hours, until we at last reached the opposite shore, after much fear and anxiety. We were then obliged to wade through mire, before we arrived at the house of colonel Osborn, a rich gentleman, where we were to lodge. We had two rooms, which were rather small, but neat, for me, my husband, my children, and my two maid- servants, and at dinner and supper, the general's aids-de-camp. These latter wished, to warm iheniselves in the kitchen. But our host soon followed them, and, taking them by their arms, said to them, " Is it not enough that I give you shelter, ye wretched royalists?" He had jiist re- turned from his fields, and frightened us by his coarse dress and his long beard. But his wife was more amiable. On the following day, which was Sunday, she invited me to drink coffee with her, afler our dinner. Scarcely had I taken a seat, when her husband, who now looked much more " deol^t, entered. Deeply impressed yet with the .#•' ^tf i"* 209 scene of the preceding evening, I rose, and wuh about to retire ; but he shut the door, and asked me, "Are you afraid of me?" — "No, sir," cried I, "I fear nobody, not even a figure as ugly a« you were yesterday." — "Do I not look better to-day?" — " Yes, sir ; but I wish to avoid new incivilities." Instead of waxing wroth, he softened ; and taking me by the hand, he begged me to sit down again, next to his wife. "I am not so .rude as you ima- gine," said he, "I like you, and if I were not married, T cannot tell but I might fall in love with you." — "Do you believe that I would encourage your affection?" — " As for that, we should see: I am very rich ; this whole estate is mine ; my wife, you see, is old: you will do well, therefore, to re- main here." From that hour, my host would have given me all that I asked for; and the good host- ess seemed quite glad to share with me all that lier household could alVord. We remained here a week, the passage of our troops across the river suffering much delay, on accoimt of the scarcity of boats. On the third day after our departure, we stopped at the house of a German, who gave us good lodgings and good fare. Our host, who was very old, happened to be the son of one of count Gortz's coachmen. His father having punished him one day for some youthful slip, he determined upon deserting 19* • '-^ ' i (ii * tm,"" w- r.4fejr.''%» T^'f^iJiim^''"' .'^^i^^ -, \ \ 210 %• t I .!, ills home, and went without much premedita- tion to England ; wence he was sent to America, with a number of people, who were drawn to set- tle in the colonies. It was his good fortune to fall into the hands ol' a generous master, who took him in kindness, put him to school, and afler ha- ving kept him among his menials for some y^arn, he gave him a small tract of land to manage and live upon, agreeably to ♦ho '-u-.tom which then existed in this country .n i» au i i.o such servants. Being industrious nnd fu'tivf he soon found means to procure a lease W'^m his master, who, observing how every thing prospered by his diligence, married him at last to his daughter. He had now several sons, who were, also, farmers ; and the only thing that disturbed his happiness, was the self-reproach of having deserted his home : but he often made remittances to his father. As he knew that my husband's family lived in the neighhourhood ol count Gortz, and in great intimacy with him, he felt happy to have us under his roof, and sincere- ly regretted our departure. .^^^ • We slept, at another time, in the house of one colonel Howe, to whom I meant to pay a compli- ment, by asking him if he was a relative of the general of that name. " God forbid," replied he in gr'^at anger, "he is not worthy of that honour." 'ili;! o >iinel wa«< c man ^f a very fair reputation; iiKi yftat in husoandry, the time which he was ■f-'*" *J'J'*'^W»».^»rt"»-f .;»..■•'<« >M"T"t?Jft.' >Si>*i» i^l It 211 not obliged to devote to the military service. Ilr had a daughter, who was about fourt»^»'n years old, md quiU; pretty, but very ill-natured. Sitting with her near the fire-side, she Hatd, on a sudden, staring at the blaze, " Oh ! if I had here the king of England, with hc»v\ much pleasure I could roast and eat him !" I lookeii at her with indignation, and told her, " I am almost ashamed to behu^ to a sex, which is capable .)f indulging such ta - cies." I shall never forget that detestable girl . and I was impatient to leave her, though wt had very good accommodations. Before we passed the Blue Hills, we made n- other halt of eight days, tor the sake of the soldiers. In the mean time, it ha<' snowed so much, that we were obliged to have four men on horseback, bt fore our carriage, to clej«r the road. We pas^e* through a picturesque ct/untry, but of so wild a character, that it left awful impressions. The travelling was dangerous, the roads being almost impassable ; and we suffered besides wot onlj from cold, but from want. After our arrival in Virginia, and when we wer< a day's journey dis- tant from the place of our destination, we had, for our last meal, tea, and a piet e of bread and but- ter fo^ each. This was the end of our little stock, and we could here procu "-e nothing, either for our present or future wants, except some fruits, ■.-^, E-?*^ -"•f? :':■':■ ;i :-|'^^:^ .« 212 r I • .. . \ which a peasant gave us for our journey. At noon, we reached a house, where we begged for some dinner; but all assistance was denied us, with many imprecations against the royalists. Seeing some maize, I begged our hostess to give me some of it, to make a little bread. She re- plied, " That she needed it for her black people : they work for us," she added, " and you come to kill us." Captain Edmonstone offered to pay her one or two guineas for a little wheat. But sh( returned, " You shall not have it even for hun- dreds of guineas ; and it will be so much the bet- ter if you all die." The captain became so en- raged at these words, that he was about to tak( the maize ; but I prevented him from doing it. thinking that we should soon meet with more cha- ritable people. But in this I was much mistaken, for we did not see even a solitary hut. The road^ were execrable, and the horses could hardly move. My children, starving from hunger, grew pale, and for the first time lost tiieir spirits. Cap- tain Edmonstone, deeply affected at this, wen! ubout asking something for the children, and re- ceived, at last, from one of the waggoners who transported our baggage, a piece of stale bread. t>f three ounces weight, upon which many a tootli had already exercised its strength. Yet to my « liildrcn, it was, at this time, a delicious morsf^l. ^jRlB&ibfi^a. -?■, .'^»^^fcr»-n»w^'.iWfn, ? 'H-fi.-- '","'' ^.y^- ....■,,|,, 213 1 broke it into pieces, and was about giving the first piece to the youngest ; but she said, " No, mama ; my sisters are more in want of it than 1 am." The two eldest girls, with jio less genero- sity, thought that little Caroline was to have the first piece. I then endeavoured to distribute to each her small portion. Tears ran down my cheeks,^nd had I ever refused to the poor a piece of bread, I should have thought that retributive justice had overtaken me now. Captain Edmon- stone, who was much affected, presented the gene- rous waggoner who had given us his last morsel, with a guinea, and when we were arrived at our place of destination, we provided him, besides, with bread for a part of his journey homeward. The place of our destination was Colle, in Vir- ginia, where my husband, who had advanced with the troops, already expected us with impatience and anxiety. This was about the middle of Fe- bruary, 1779. We had passed, in our journey, through the provinces of Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland ; and had travelled, in about three months, six hundred and twenty-eight miles. The house where we lodged, and, indeed, the whole estate, belonged to an Italian,* who hired it to us, as he was about Probably Mr. Mazzci, -i«j^ji«»" •"••■> ♦,■♦ i .. f ^ 214 setting out upon a voyage. We looked impatient- ly forward to the time of his departure, and that of his wife and daughter, on account of the small- ness of tlie house, and the scarcity of provisions. In respect to the latter, our landlord voluntarily assumed a kind of tutorship over us. Thus, when he killed a calf, he gave us, on the first day, only tlie head and the tripe, though we represented that this was not enough for twenty persons. He , replied, that we could make a very good soup of it. He then added to the meat two cabbages, and some stale ham ; and this wa.s all we could obtain from him. - In the expectation that the troops would have arrived sooner, a great number of horned cattlo and swine liad been sent to the butcher ; and salt being very scarce here, there were no other means of preserving it, but to lay it under earth, and to dress it over with ashes, which seem to have the same qualities as salt. Yet, the weather being sometimes very hot hero, even in the month of January, the meat which was laying uppermost, was spoiled. Our rations were brought to us on wheelbarrows ; but we were often obliged to throw it away, or to salt it and have it smoked. One day, when we had scarcely enough for our- selves, I saw eight officers suddenly arrive, a lit- tle l)cforo dinner. What could we do but shaiv ■,V V''---"!"^'"'- ■^T^' ■^«.- 41 *t, 215 with them the little we had 1 The troops were at Charlottesville, three hours' ride from us, and the road thither ran through a fine wood. At first, they suffered many privations: they were billeted in block-houses, without windows or doors, and but poorly defended Ifrom the cold. But they went diligently to work to construct bet- ter dwellings, and, in a short time, the place as- sumed the appearance of a neat little town. In the rear of each house, they had trim gardens and enclosed places for poultry. Afterwards, when the old provisions were consumed, they received fresh meat, and fl6ur to make bread; and as this latter was of wheat, they could even make cakes and pies. They wanted nothing but money, of which the English sent but little ; and as it was difficult to purchase any thing on credit, the soldiers were in many perplexities on that account. In the middle of February, the fruit trees, were already in blossom ; but the night frost killed them. As soon as the weather would permit, we caused the garden and the fields to be cultivated ; and as our landlord left us within three weeks after, we took into our care all thr poultry, &-C. iSoC. We had turkeys which weigh- ed fifty pounds, and were perfectly tame, but, on ihe aj)proach of spring, they flew off" to hatch their esa'^ii which tliev iiad laid in tho woods. •i.) n « #• % "^ ii ■'(»■ ^ 216 We had already given them up for lost, when they suddenly returned with a numerous bro6d. We had a large house built for us, with a spa- cious saloon in the centre, and with two rooms on each side, which cost us a hundred guineas, and was quite elegant. The negroes sold us their little stock of poultry and vegetables. Every week, we and general Phillips sent, by turns, an ox and two swine to the slaughter-house. Thus with respect to provi- sion we had nothing to wish for, but we suffered much by the heat during the summer : we lived in continual apprehension of rattlesnakes, and our fruit trees were destroyed by three sorts of insects. Sometimes, also, we had tremendous thunder- storms, accompanied with such winds, that more than a hundred trees were blown down around us. I must say, however, that their roots were scarcely under ground ; and when a strong wind blew away the earth, which was nothing but light sand, they remained almost entirely bare. The woods were, besides, often wasted by the fires of negroes and herdsmen ; and, indeed, nobody seems here to care much for trees. Whole forests are some- times burnt down, to redeem land for the purposes of agriculture. The heat was so great, even du- ring the night, that we were obliged to sleep with open windows ; but this brought upon us another J*** y:7Tpyv-,-. ■^,. 1l 217 *w inconvenience. Frequently three or four bats, three times as large as those which are known in Germany, would flutter round our beds, and we would spend half the night in driving them out of the room. One night, the servants came to tell my husband, that the stable, which had been re- cently built, was in danger of being blown down by the wind. Every body, except myself, my children, and the maids, ran immediately to prop it. The wind increased, and large fragments of the chimney fell down into the room. The house tottered, and, through the remainder of the night, { was apprehensive lest I should be buried under its ruins. We were often in such dangers. We had no chairs ; in lieu of which we made use of round blocks of timber, which also served us for tables, by the help of planks. In this way we passed three or four months, and not unhappily. My husband, however, continued to be much de- pressed, partly perhaps because he could not bear such a high temperature. It was, indeed, very oppressive to every body, for the thermometer rose sometimes to a hundred and three degrees. We all endeavoured to buoy up his spirits, and u'lien our little garden began to be in such a state as to afford him some occupation, he seemed to to be less dejected. He was very liable to head- aches, and disliked to wear his hat in the garden ; 19 i'^-v . V> I it 4 ^■ 'ri W' #■ • ' 218 and this was the cause of one of the greatest shocks to me that I had yet experienced. One day, while I was just engaged in arranging his room, I suddenly heard a great noise. I ran to the window, and saw some men bringing my hus- band homeward. His face was blue, his hands were white, his eyes staring, and sweat ran from his brow, evidently from a stroke of the sun. I was terrified, and the children screamed aloud : happily the surgeon of the regiment lived in the house, and bled him immediately. He then re- covered his speech, so that he could explain the accident. The effect of the " coup de soleil" was so sudden, that he was scarcely able to reach the house, and he would have fallen down, had not his aid-de-camp just arrived in time. If I had lost him, what would have become of me and my poor little ones, in the midst of a captivo army, in the enemy's land, and at such a distance from home ! I can never think of that event without terror. When my husband felt a little better, he took nie by the hand, and looked at me with deep emotion. He was uneasy, whenever I left him. We sent for a physician, and by using all possible care, I was enabled, through God's mercy, to pre- serve my dear husband ; but he remained feeble, and, therefore, so much the more sensible of his painful situation ; and for many years afterwards K ■\ ttj i Bfi' ' 1 btB^H V^ V'" i^ 9k^^.^ »-* A -t!». V,ii^i*S-j .:...:.....-.%, € % " *m< ^^- 219 lie complained of some pain in his head. His physician and acquaintances advised him to go to a watering-place called Frederic-Springs, and we went there ; but I fear he increased his disorder by washing his head. Seeing that he could not sleep during the night, I willingly imposed upon myself the task of entertaining him with some books, and I purposely read in a drowsy manner : this had a good effect. His hands and feet were purple-black, and cold as ice. Sometimes when I fancied I could retire to rest, he awoke, as if disturbed by anguish. The least thing provoked him. One day a native entered the room, and ad- dressing me, said, he was curious to see a German lady. This observation struck me only for its oddity ; but when, with the intention of comply- ing with the wish of our strange visiter, I intro- duced him to my husband, the idea of being con- stantly subject, from his situation, to the caprices of every body, drew tears from his eyes. I felt much regret for having been instrumental in do- ing what seemed to give him so much pain. At the springs we became acquainted with general Washington's family, and with Mr. and Mrs. ***. Mrs. *** was a very amiable woman, and, notwithstanding her great attachment to her country, we became great friends. She generally spent the forenoons with us. She delighted in >■ ii ,.j«..„„_rf*« ..^^•»4,j(»*«I-^sHfc*«-",*^i«*'."'-.'? •;'• .;•■■"l■•'•-:■•'^"■"•*■'""■~''5:r??s•r.•■ % 220 > i-. our musical displays, when captain Geimar play- (id the violin, and I sang Italian airs. One day, while we were engaged in this way, a peasant, whom we had repeatedly requested to furnish us with fresh butter, arrived, and, fond of music, as all his countrymen are, he listened eagerly ; when I had finished my song, he desired me to sing it once more. I asked him, in jest, what he \tould give me for doing so, " for it cannot be expected," said I, " that I should sing without being paid for it." " Two pounds of butter," he immediately rejoined. The joke amused me. When I had finished, the rustic cried out, " Play again, but something live- lier." He must have been pleased with my per- formance, for he came the next day with his wife, and giving me four or five pounds of excellent butter, begged me to sing. I thus gained his good will, and was no longer in want ot ^many things, which for a long time I had been .♦? jj^unable to procure. The most amusing part of Hhe story is, that he really believed that I expected to be paid for the pleasure I aflforded him, and wondered that I insisted upon paying him for his butter. The Virginians are generally indolent, which may be attributed to their hot climate; but, on the least excitement, they become animated, and dance and whirl about: and as soon as thev hear •i^r-*^- #■ ■>: ^' * ,^1 221 the reel, (an English or Scottish national dance,) they look for a partner, and jump about with won- derful vivacity; but wht 4^he music ceases, they are again like statues. While we were at Frederic-Springs, my hijis- band received the agreeable news, that he and general Phillips, with their respective aids-de- camp, were expected in New-York, where they were to be exchanged for American prisoners; upon which my husband returned to Colle, in or- der to place the troops, during his absence, under the command of colonel Specht, and to make some arrangements for the disposal of all our su- perfluous furniture, but chiefly that of the house which we had lately taken, and had not yet enter- ed. We experienced the same thing several times: when the house where we were quartored^ happened to be destitute of conveniences, we en.-l^'i;: deavoured to furnish it; but scarcely had we suc- ceeded so far as to make it a little comfortable, when we received, to our great annoyance, orders to depart. I left Frederic-Springs in August, 1779, to join my husband in Yorktown, in Penn- sylvania. Mrs. *^*, the amiable lady whom I • 19* ■.«'*■. ^*. v/aited for us, and received us with great cordiali- ty. By family, I mean Mrs. ***'« father-in-law, a gentleman of eighty-four years of age, not less remarkable for his hale, cheerful look, and his scrupulous neatness, than for the quiet happiness which shone in his venerable countenance, his four beautiful grand-children, and our excellent *. S t. ¥ '>... .t^Ai.r- JiS hostess. All was in plenty in tui^ hon W« cat off silver, and every thing correnpoi vi wit) this show of wealth, though only so far a as war- ranted by good taste, and not as a matter of <»^ten tation. My friends told me that I was expected to remain long with them, and that they should, therefore treat me without the least ceremony. The garden was splendid, and the day after my arrival, Mrs. *** took me in her carriage to her vineyard, which was still more beautiful and taste- ful, and much exceeded my expectations. Wc drove through an extensive orchard, at the end ot which we ascended the slope by a winding path to the top, and all along the vines were gracefully interwoven with rosebushes and amaranths. From the top of the slope the prospect was charming, and such as I have not seen in any other part of America through which I have travelled. « Not far from this place is Baltimore, which I am told is a very beautiful toM'n, and the resi- dence of many interesting families. One of Mrs. ***'s intimate friends, an agreeable and plea- sant lady, came from Baltimore to pay us a visit; and when I saw them together, I could imagine 1 witnessed the meeting of Rousseau's Heloise with her friend, and old Mr. *** reminded me of Mr. Wolmar. Mrs. *** resembled the heroine of the ^■: I f \ Vl t^l II • f ! -" 'ft ? ■ %: rp ah 1^ 224 f novel in warmth of feeling, and would, I dare say, gladly have chosen a St. Preux for a huiband. We built for her, upon a design which captr' ble Mrs. *** is now with the dead. She is a great loss to her friends, a still greater to her chil- dren. We spent with her eight or ten days, and departed with regret. She furnished us with many things, which there was little prospect wo should want for a long time ; and that liberality was in reality superfluous, -for the royalists receii ved us with frank hospitality, from political sym- pathy, and those of opposite principles gave us a friendly welcome, merely from habit, for, in that country, it would be considered a crime to be- have otherwise towards strangers; and thus we were plentifully supplied with all we needed. • We were overtaken by a violent thunder-storm, in a wood, not' far from the place where I was to meet my husband. An uprooted tree fell down between the driver's seat and the horses, which effectually prevented our advancing, not one of my servants being strong enough to remove the ^W- ^ I 1 225 •* » irefr. ^*Tho thunder, meanwhile, continued t<» roar; it fell several times near us, and another large tree was struck, and threatened to crush us in its fall. I encouraged my servants to try again to disengage the carriage, but the driver had lost all presence of mind, and protested that it was impossible. On a sudden, my little Gustava, who was then but eight years old, advised him to un- liarness the horses, and to hook them to the back j)art of the carriage. This immediately put an end to our perplexities, and every one wondered that the idea had not sooner occurred. We nt length reached Yorktown, where I found my hus- band, who had been much alarmed for us on ac- count of the weather. We had travelled through a beautiful country, part of which was inhabit- ed by Moravians, and was extremely well culti- vated. One village is called the Holy Sepulchre; and in another district, called the Holy Land, is the village of Bethlehem, where we found a good inn, and waited for those of our company who had remained behind. I had with me some beautiful birds from Virginia, the male of which was scar- let, with a kind of hood of a deeper red, of the size of a linnet, and which sang beautifully ; his com- panion was gray, with a red breast, and was like- wise hooded. These birds become domesticated as soon as they are caught, and will eat out ot A- ■' 4 1 ;• i^A ■;^ ; i ^ ••%.Vw.^,*»'^-<*»- t-^Mi ji T' i i^if t i— >< i^i . -t ^ ^"^^S'J^'rt^jIV^ , "i'li/ TH '%■■ ;^- 'a' ■■''' '^' '■i?*; 226 ' s .. ' < if 1 ^'rib your hands. They live long, but tlie males are so jealous of each other, that two of them cannot be kept in the same room, without one dies, as it were, heart-broken. I saw, also, in Virginia, blue birds, of the same size, whose ordinary cry is wil- lo ! and this being the name of one of my hus- band's aids-de-camp, we had a good deal of sport with the poor thing. One of our attendants had found a whole nest of red birds, and trained them, and, knowing how much I loved the beautiful little creatures, he brought two cages full of them from Colle, upon his back ; but, to my great sorrow, they had all died when he reached us. I had also made a collection of splendid butterflies, and packed them carefully in a casket ; but, by the up- setting of the waggon, the box was dashed to pieces. Having twice met with such an accident, I forbore making any new collection. After we liad once again been re-united and reposed our- selves, we continued our journey, during which we met with a family, who received us very kind- ly, and pretended to be royalists in their feelings. They showed us much affection, and desired us to recommend them to general Cornwallis, who, as well as general Clinton, was on terms of intimac) with general Phillips, and had contributed to our recall from Virginia. We reached a beautiful place, called Eli/.a- 'K\ ,-f».,rf»jk„»)i,V- ■*:» 227 beth-Town, opposite to Staten Island, where we met with many royahsts, who treated us with great hospitality. We were now so near to New- York, and so sure of my husband's being exchang- ed, that we thought all our present wishes fulfilled, and talked during our dinner of crossing over to the city, and finding ourselves, on the same even- ing, restored to blessed freedom. But on a sud- den the room-door opened, and there entered an officer commissioned by general Washington to deliver to general Phillips a letter containing an order to return to Virginia, in consequence of the congress having rejected the proposal of a cartel. The general gave way to the natural irritability of his temper. Transported by passion, he started, and stamped and uttered the most injurious ex- pressions against the members of congress. I was at first so terrified, that I could not say a word. The general came to me, and taking me by the hand, he said, "Do not lose courage, my dear madam ; pray, follow my example : see how com- posed I am !" " Every one," returned I, " manages iiis sorrows in his own way. I conceal mine in the recesses of my heart, and you give vent to yours without restraint: but would it not be bet- ter not to show so clearly what you feel, and thus avoid becoming the sport of your enemies, who may, besides, take other revenge'?" He very good- h^ ' fi ^' j^' i» - i '2^ ^ ^ naturedly answered that I was right, and promis- ed to bear his sufferings with as much resignation as myself, and, in fact, from that moment, he be- came composed and self-possessed. I was in circumstances which rendered travel- ling extremely fatiguing to me, and was so much the more disappointed, by not finding quiet and help in a permanent residence. After a 'day's halt, we were obliged to begin our journey back to Virginia, and we stopped at the house of the gentleman whom I have already mentioned. Wc met there with a nephew of general Washington, and sevei^al other officers of the American army, who, within three days, had brought about such a change in the opinions of our host, that not only his daughters were extremely affable towards the republican officers, but indulged them with the song of " God save great Washington ; God d — n the King" I could scarcely conceal my indigna- tion, when I took leave of them the next morning. On reaching Bethlehem, my husband and general Phillips obtained from the American officers per- mission to remain there, until the difficulties re- specting the cartel should be removed. Having had reason to be gratified with the liost at whose house we had put up on our first journey through Bethlehem, we determined to board with him. We were sixteen in number, besides four servants, % '•.-.f^^«F-- i ^ 229 who received money to provide for their meals, and we had twenty horses. We wished to agree upon a fixed price for all expenses ; but our host declined this proposal, offering, however, to wait for his pay until we should receive money, for, at that time, we had none. We immediately set him down as an honest and liberal innkeeper, and the more so because he was of the Moravian commu- nity, and his establishment was the inn of the society. But how sadly were we disappointed, when, after six weeks lodging at his house, and on the day when at last we received permission. to go to New- York, he presented us a bill amounting to 32,000 dollars, (in American paper money, it is true,) but which still corresponded to about 400 guineas in specie. Fortunately for us, a traveller passed through the place, whose business it seemed to be to buy silver coin at any price. He gave us eighty dollars in paper money for every dollar in silver. Without him, we should not have been able to have left Bethlehem so soon.* My husband continued to suffer much from head- ache, and his respiration was oppressed during the night. He began, at that time, to use snuff, for i '^- The author of the " Travels through the Interior Parts of America," says that ho discharged, in aa inn at Fredericstown, ii reckoning of 732/. sterling, with about four guineas and a half. 20 X *■■ *'*Nfe.>«*3K38i4£:-^.^^">^'« 230 .(-t^; which before he had a real horror. When I first suggested to him to try that remedy, he suspect- ed that I meant to rally him ; but having expe- rienced some relief, a few moments after having followed my advice, he gave up smoking for the use of snuff. My little Caroline suffered much from the hooping-cough ; and owing to my own situa- tion, we became more and more impatient to reacli New-York, where we expected to find good ac- commodations, and medical assistance. There were in Bethlehem, as in all other Mo- ravian establishments, separate houses for the males and females. The latter wrought beautiful embroidery, and other delicate handiworks, of which I bought several articles. A German lady, of noble birth, by name of GersdorfT, who after- wards settled at Herrnhuth, had taught the sisters these sorts of work. The houses were well built, and there were several manufacturing establish- ments, among which was one of leather, whicli furnished articles not inferior in quality to thoge of England, and half as cheap. There were, be- sides, several very good carpenters, and manufac- turers of articles of iron and steel. I was very desirous to see Philadelphia, which is but twelve or fifteen miles from Bethlehem, and the road be- tween the two places was said lo be throughout .i'fi^ .f^ -^i. 231 f- ''\\m very good. But as my husband, as well as the other officers, was prohibited from going there, and as I was resolved to share with him all his joys and sorrows, I gave up that journey. We went often to the church in Bethlehem, and were always delighted with the rich melody of their sa- cred music. The clergyman's wife died while wc were in Bethlehem. The corpse lay, waiting for burial, in the open air, and within an enclosure made of bars, for tfie Moravians never keep a dead body in their houses. At length, towards the end of November, 1779, we again left Bethlehem, though neither my hus- band nor general Phillips, nor their respective aids-de-camp, were yet exchanged, but only per- mitted to go to New- York upon parole. I did not wish to see again, the family which I have already mentioned twice, for their inconsistency had filled me with disgust ; but, unfortunately, our vehicle broke down close to their door, and I was thus (Obliged to remain with them, until it was repaired. I did not, however, spend the night under their roof, and when they again begged us to recom- mend them, and indulged in self-applause for their devotion to the king, in whose army the chief of that family had served as a colonel, I replied coldly, that I thought thev did not want R.- I ^--j;:,).v-:"f-, /-■■•■,-„ 232 our recommendation ; an answer which had more than one meaning. • • /"' w^' ' . In Elizabethtown, we again met with a very friendly reception, and from thence we crossed in a boat to New- York, where we arrived late in the eve- ning, and where my husband already waited for us. From the gate of the city, a soldier went before us to show us the way to our lodgings. It was a beautiful and spacious house, where every thing seemed ready for our reception, and where a gootl supper awaited us. I was so fully occupicj in putting my children to bed, and so fatigued, that it never occurred to me to inquire respecting my new residence, and nothing was farther from my mind, than that I was any where else but in a pub- lic hotel. My husband, who had been invited to a supper at general Cornwallis', came home late. On the next morning, a servant came to ask me, what I should wish for my dinner, and how many guests I expected to have every day. I replied, that as my husband dined scjj^m at home, three dishes would be sufficient ; and that we were six persons ; myself, my children, my female attend- ants, and the Rev. Mr. Mylius, the chaplain of my husband's regiment, and now the only instructer we had for our children. He was a most worthy gentleman, and, at the same time, of such a cheer- ful temper, that we all, including the children. 11 c- »# ^- .-_, "*~?'5Sf^J ■ftV.;^ 233 loved him. I was told that orders had been given to furnish my table with six principal courses, and three smaller services ; and still supposing that I was in a public hotel, I strongly objected against such profusion, for fear of excessive expense. But I soon discovered my error. The house was that of the governor, general Tryon, who apprehending that I might refuse to take my abode with him, had given orders that I should not be informed where the soldier had conducted me : and such was his generosity, that in order to leave me more at ease, and to avoid my thanks, he >f ent to Long- Island, under the pretence of attending to some affairs connected with the provisional command he held there. All my wishes were fiilly grati- fied, but 1 was constantly apprehensive lest I should abuse so much kindness. General Patter- son, the commandant of the city, c ime to wait upon me, and informed m^, that the house which we should have to ourselves, was in progress of preparation. I received, also, visits from general Cornwallis, and general Clinton. The former, soon afterwards, soX out on a military expedition ; and the latter offered me a country-seat, of which he was permitted to dispose, that I might have my children inoculated there, on account of the dan- ger of that operation in the city, where the small- pox was then making sad ravages. I readily ac- 20* # -\ f^ '1 M t'\ ( *i-n ii.k f , 234 cepted this obliging offer, and we made our pre- parations to go there immediately with the child- ren. I gave the cook ten guineas to buy provisions for that journey ; but he soon returned to ask for more money, saying that what I had given him would not pay for two days' provision, such was the scarcity and high price of every thing. For instance, a pound of meat cost twelve groschen ;* a pound of butter, eighteen groschen ; a turkey, four dollars ; a fowl, twenty groschen ; an egg, four groschen ; a quart of milk, six groschen ; a hamper of potatoes, two dollars ; half a hamper of turnips, one dollar and a half; ten oysters, eight groschen ; and half a dozen onions, one dollar. There was nothing to do but to bear it with patience. - One day, the servant came to announce to me the visit of a general : I answered, that I should be glad to see him. The general came, and, after the usual preliminaries of conversation, inquired how I was pleased with my lodgings. My heart was so full of feelings of gratitude, that I en- larged much upon the attentions I had received, and expressed my anxious wish to become person- * A groschen, as has been salt! in a preceding note, is oni- Vwenty-fourth of a Prussian dolhiv. \ «*, our pro- the child- provisionn to ask for »iven him such was ng. For roscKen ;* a turkey, ; an ^gg^ )schen ; a a hamper I oysters, ions, one to bear it nee to mo I I should and, after , inquired My heart hat I en- received, le person- note, is one 235 ally acquainted with my generous host. I had scarcely time to observe a light smile which played upon the countenance of my visiter, when my husband, who had entered the room at that moment, told me, " You are speaking to him who has shown you so much kindness." My joy, my emotion, my stammering voice, deeply affected that excellent man, who ever afterwards continued to show mc an affectionate regard. General Clinton's country seat, where we went with the children, was one mile from the town. It was beautifully situated, and the house would have been also quite to my taste, had it not been for the season. This was a summer residence, and as we went there in December, we suffered much from the cold. The inoculation of my chil- dren, however, succeeded, and when tlie danger of infection in the city was over, we prepared our- selves to return, and sent before us the cook and the servants, with directions tcr make every thing ready for our arrival on the following day ; but during the night we had a dreadful storm, which endangered our house, and, indeed, threw down part of the balustrade, which fell with a terrible crash. On awaking the next morning, we found ourselves shut up by the snow ; and, in some places, where the wind had thrown it together in large drifts, it was eight feet deep. We could ". M 236 not think of leaving the place except in sledges. We had a difficult task to provide for our dinner. An old white fowl, which had fortunately escaped the cook's notice, furnished us with a broth, which, with a few potatoes the gardener gave us, served for the dinner of more than fourteen per- sons. In the afternoon, while I was standing in a melancholy mood, near the window, pondering upon the difficulty of extricating ourselves from our present perplexities, I saw my cook arrive on horseback. I immediately turned round towards the company, and joyfully told them, that we should now be soon relieved. But when I looked out again, the cook had disappeared. The gen- tleman, who were with me, in great alarm ran to see what had become of him, and found him and his horse sunk deep in the snow. He had in vain attempted to rise, and, perhaps^ might have pe- rished, if he had not been succoured. Our other servants had begun to be uneasy at not seeing us arrive at the appointed time, and as they had car- ried off every thing, they sent us some provisions by the cook, by means of which we had, at least, a tolerable supper, though it was still impossible to return to the city. The next morning, captain Willoe arrived, witii two large sledges, in which we set out for New- York. I was still uneasy, on account of my child- m. # r; 237 rcn, their recovery from the distemper attending their inoculation, having been retarded by the cold weather ; but fortunately they arrived in good health. My little Caroline had not been troubled with the hooping cough during that crisis, but now she suffered from it again, and was not rid of it for a whole year. On our return to New- York, I was not a little surprised to find my apartments fitted up with mahogany ; and was really alarmed for the expense. But captain Willoe told me, that the furniture had been purchased at the go- vernor's cost, and that general Patterson esteemed it his good fortune to contribute in justifying the confidence which I had placed in his countrymen. To explain this, I must observe, that while con- versing with him once on the arrangement of my establishment, I happened to say, that I trusted wholly to our English friends, who had constantly given us proofs of kindness and civility, and who surely would not now change their opinion of us, after they had sent for us. Ind(3ed, they loaded us with distinctions and marks of affectionate in- terest, for which we were indebted to no one more than to general Phillips, who was generally be- loved, and felt such a friendship for us. that ho repeatedly declared, that any favour bestowed on us, would give him more pleasure, than if it were Destowed upon himself. Gradually the number : :i ■ <. ii .§<^4 •*M»a\ «(«.-)ii«Nfta>Sk»^ .JiU.. 238 il 7 ■I- ol' my friends in New-York increased consideiu- bly. ^ .' • • , . '• The queen's birthday (or rather the day fixed upon for its commemoration, for the convenience ol milliners and merchants) was approaching, and my friends wishing to give me on that occasion ji particular mark of their regard, with the purpose of compensating me for past sufferings, and ol complying with the wish of general Phillips, de- termined to confer on me the principal honours of the festivity, as representative of the queen. To do this, they were obliged to persuade the wife of the aid-de-camp of general Cornwallis, who, from her birth, might have claimed the pre- cedence, not to attend the ball, seemingly out 61 regard to tho delicate situation in which she then was, but really with a view to remove all the dif- ficulties which might be in way of my having all the honours of the occasion. On the appointed day, I was received in the most respectful manner, in presence of all the ladies who had been invited by governor Tryon. At supper, I was s^ d un- der a canopy, and drank the first health. Much as I was flattered by all these distinctions, 1 should not have remained until two o'clot k, had it not been necessary in order to evince my gratitude. T continued to be treated with excessive kindness, during the whole time I remained, at New-York. 239 and I spent the winter very agreeably. The 8c« verc cold was the only alloy which mixed with my pleasures. The commissary had, for his pri- vate convenience, left it to the care of his negro slaves to cut wood for fuel ; and the winter having set in earlier than usual, and the river not being frozen hard enough, to transport it in sledges, we, and the whole garrison, suffered much from want of fire-wood. Sometimes it was utterly impossi- ble to procure it for any money, and when there was some in the market, the price was exorbi- tant. Shortly before my confinement, 1 was terribly frightened. One of my attendants brought mo something, and I observed that he had a singular look, and spoke with diflSculty. I became alarm- ed, and attempted to run out of the room ; but he set off before me, tumbled, shut the door in fall- ing, and displayed to my eyes all the horrors of an epileptic fit. Precluded, by his position, from running for succour, I called and shrieked ; but in the hurry the lock of the door was deranged, :md it became necessary to force it open; and when this was done,, we had yet a good deal of trouble before the man could be removed, and 1 was at last obliged to leap over his body, and t«» siqueeze my way out of the room, while he giiasli- cd his teeth, and struck his arms about liim in n ■■} V ■ V t I ■ I 1 T ^/ ^ f. • '< \ T r. >'•:■ ' i' n ' •"«-<'"'«*p ' 240 /* •■! ■* *age. I was nowj however, so much familiakized with tragic and dreadful scenes, that this had no injurious effect upon my health. . .,v Early in March, 1780, I had the pleasure of meeting with general Loos, of the Hessian troops, who had known me when I was very young, " Ha ! ha !" exclaimed he, as he looked at me, " what have you done with your elegant figure, your brilliant complexion, and your pretty taper white hands 9 They are gone ; but you have seen many countries, and on your return amidst your old friends, you will have much to narrate ; but the same ladies who will beg you to tell them much about your adventures, will, perhaps, from mere envy, soon find that your story is rather te- dious, and while fanning away their ennuif they may whisper loud enough for you to hear it, 'That good gentlewoman never ceases to travel in Ame- rica.'" I remembered that he was wont to clothe his most serious counsels in the garb of raillery, and thanked him for his good intention, assuring him that I should show how well I had profited by his advice, by forbearing to relate to him the scenes through which I had passcv-^ ; but begged him to take also from me the advice, never to re- mind a lady of her past beauty, lest he should meet with many, who would not hear such things with as much indifference as myself li .an- 241 On the following day, March 7th, I presented my husband with another daughter. He had much desired a son ; but the little girl was so pretty, that we soon consoled ourselves, and determined to call her America, promising ourselves not to think more of the Americus, which we hopetJ to have in our family ; but the baptism was soltkito- ried, owing to the necessity under which general Phillips was of leaving New- York on a short ex- cursion, he, with general Knyphausen, and co- lonel Wurmb, being the only sponsors, that the name of America was forgotten, and we were obliged to have it afterwards added in the church register. On the same day, my eldest daughter had the first symptoms of a dangerous complaint, which is called asthma infantile, and, in a few days afterwards, my third child sickened also. I had them both in my room, while there was apparently little hope of their recovery. My heart suffered as much as ever, but my frame was so much hard- ened by toils and suffering, that my life was not endangered, notwithstanding the situation in which I then was. Six weeks afterwards, I com- plied with my husband's w^ish, to attend a dinner given by general Tryon. The invitation had, as I afterwards discovered, a more important object than social pleasure. While we were dining, my ehild was inoculated, by an English physician, 21 V-: -5t -51^" .;i^T '/ ^ i 1 • ■■WTT/;* "^"J' 242 ..J i w fr^ there being, at that time, a vast number of child' ren in the city sick of the small-pox. Every thing was arranged in such a manner, as to spare me all anxiety, and my husband might have succeeded, if he could have concealed his own uneasiness ; but when we were in our own rooms, he repeated- ly went to the child's cradle, and murmured, " How pale she is ! She is certainly iH." Alarm- ed at length by hearing these words, I told him, h©<.eurely had some reason to fear, and asked him, whether he had caused the child to be inoculated? and, without waiting for an answer, I ran to the cradle, and looked at her arms. I felt, at first, quite angry, and was' really much troubled, but soon duly appreciated, my husband's good intention. Our child becao ' ^-^ ill, that we feared for its life; and my poor his; . . i was so disconso- late with the idea that he had brought upon us this affliction, that I could with difficulty keep up his courage ; but insensibly the child mended, and recovered its health. An English nobleman, who had followed our example, was less fortunate. During the winter, we constantly enjoyed the company of generals Phillips, Tryon, and Patter- son. Once a week, we gave a great dinner. Every thing was so excessively dear, that we could not carry our hospitality any farther. On gene- ral Tryon's departure for England, in the begin- % '■ '■-.■ . V 'f-j:^r- J -'. •- i.^^-s/'.? 243 ning of the spring, I unexpectedly found that he had left me, as a token of his remembrance, carpets, furniture, and silk tapestry for one room. I shall never forget the many marks of kindness which I have received from every Englishman with whom my good fortune has made me acquainted ; and it will giye me so much the more pleasure to oblige any of their coimtrymen who may visit Germany, as they have so often imparted to me the consola- tion of meeting with sympathy among foreigners. At that time began, also, our intimacy with gene- ral Clinton, who was general-in-chief of the Bri- tish armies in the southern provinces of North America. With him, as with almost every other Englishman, the beginning of our acquaiintance was cold and formal. His first visit was very ce- remonious ; he came as commander-in-chief, and was followed by all his aids-de-camp. His manners and conversation being agreeable, I said to his friend, general Phillips, that I regretted that he treated us with so much ceremony, and that a friendly intercourse would flatter our feelings in- finitely more. He afterwards offered us his coun- try-seat for the summer ; and our residence there was very agreeable. The situation was uncom- monly beautiful : around the house we had mea- dows and orchards, and at our feet the Hudson. We had abundance of delicious fruit f our ser- «. ¥. ' i. 'A***^""""'' '""'^ ** ^^Mlif *« M ■ ♦. < * .■,ii\ •f'f 244 .v4 vants had more peaches than they could eat ; and our horses, who ran lo'.='» through the orchards, trampled upcn the fruit lying on the ground, pre- ftrring to eat that on the trees. Hogs were fat- tened upon what seemed to be not good enough for the steeds; and six of them being killed, af- forded us excellent meat, except that the fat was rather soft. — In America, peach and apricot trees shoot up without support, and have trunks as thick as those of common trees. Not far from us were the dangerous rocks called the Hell-Gates. Many ships, we thought, were near foundering; but only one was actually driven upon the rocks and lost. General Clinton visited us frequently, in his hunting-dress, accompanied by only one aid-de- camp. At first, he told us, " I know you like me better when I come to see you as a friend, and this being perfectly agreeable to my feelings, 1 promise never to appear under any other charac- ter." The last time he called on us, he was ac- companied by the ill-fated major Andre, who, or. the. succeeding day, set out upon the fatal expe- dition in which he was made prisoner by the Americans, and afterwards hanged as a spy. ^ It was a pity that this excellent young man should have become a victim of his zeal and of the good- ness of his heart, which led him to volunteer on »• t '■W ^.f*' .^«, 'W i^ ' I -W •»» 4i'i^. .% 245 uld eat ; and he orchards, ground, pre- gs were fat- ood enough ig killed, af- the fat was apricot trees inks as thick rocks called ought, were ually driven ntly, in his one aid-de- you like me friend, and r feelings, 1 her charac- he was ac- re, who, or. fatal expe- ner by the a spy. * It nan should f the good- •lunteer on such a sad commission, instead of leaving it to the officer to wljom the duty really belonged; but whom, being old and too well known, he wished to save from the dangers to which he thought he would, on that account, be more exposed than himself. We spent our time very agreeably, until our pleasures were disturbed by the news of a malig- nant fe\er, which was making dreadful ravages in New- York. In our house, alone, there were twenty persons labouring under that disease, and eight of them were dangerously ill : among these latter, were my husband and my daughter Gus- tava. I leave it to be imagined what I suffered ! Day and night I tended them. My husband was so ill, that we more than once feared that he would not survive the day ; and my daughter's fits of fe- ver were so violent, that no covering was suffi- cient to warm her : I was obliged to stretch my- self upon her ; and then her endeavours to rise were so strenuours, that I could with difficulty avoid falling, or keep her covered. In the midst of such convulsions, the patients generally ex- pired. Every day I heard of fifty or sixty bu- rials ; and such tidings were not calculated to strengthen my courage. The heat, which the sick suffered at intervals, was so great, that' their pulse beat one hundred and thirty-five times in a 21* 5* HI ■« %> ■^•' ^^ m # I.' *•' ^46 minute. All our attendants were sick, and I way, therefore, obliged to attend to every thing. I nursed my little America, and took no rest, ex- cept in those moments when I nursed her : over- come by fatigue, at such times, my eyes sometimes closed. During the night, I prepared for my poor patients, absinthiated lemonade, mixed with lemon and sugar. A thousand lemons were thus con- sumed in the course of a fortnight. « We were one day in anxious expectation of our physician from New-York, my husband's symptoms having become, of late, more and more threaten- ing : he was continually in a lethargic stupor, and whon I presented him the sago-water, which the physician had ordered for him, and wished him to drink frequently, he turned round, desiring me to let him die quietly. He thought his end must be near. The physician having entered the room, at that moment, I urgently begged him to tell me the truth, and to let rae know, if there was any hope of my husband's recovery. He had scarcely said " yes," when my children, upon hearing this merciful \yord, sprang from under a table, where they had laid concealed in dreadful expectation of the doctor's sentence, and threw themselves at his feet, and kissed his haiids with rapturous feel- ings of gratitude. Nobody could have witnessed this scene without sharing my deep emotion. The ! Wi: :-f»^,i ^ ,^..*' Jf ^ 247 <•• ♦ jk, and I way, ery thing. I no rest, ex- 3d her : over- /es sometimes d for my poor id with lemon jre thus con- ctation of our id's symptoms lore threaten- c stupor, and 3r, which the wished him to esiring me to end must be id the room, im to tell me ere was any had scarcely 1 hearing this table, where i expectation hemselves at pturous feel- ve witnessed notion. The I doctor, who was a man of great sensibility, could not restraia his tears. He had previously been very punctual in his visits ; and he now dined with us every day, in order to give us more of his time, of which he id but little left for repose, owing to the great number of his patients. Our venerable cle/gyman, and the good Rockel, who happily were both in good health, assisted me by turns in my night-watches. Out of thirty persons, ol whom our family consisted, ten only escaped the disease. The latter, however, suffered much from the heat, which was excessive. It is astonishing how. much the frail human creature can endure; and I am amazed that I survived such hard trials. My happy temperament permitted me even to be gay and cheerful, whenever my hopes were en- couraged. The best health is often undermined by such sufferings ; still I rejoice to think that I had it in my power to be useful to those who are dearest to me, and that, without my exertions, I might have loU those who now contribute so much to my feUcity. At length all my patients were cured. We spent the v hole summer of 1780 in our de- lightful country- icat, where the Uvo Misses Ro- binson contributed to enliven our solitude. They spent a fortnight with us, previous to our return- to town, where, they hastened to see the new hM ^ #p^ m-^''- k. % V ^ s 248 fashions, lately imported from England. On oui next meeting, I hardly recognized thenij in the ex- travagant and ridiculous attire, into which a very beautiful woman, who had arrived from England, had cheated them, as well as all the other fashion- able belles of New-York. Our friends in New-York received us with great kindness, and vied with each other in endeavour- ing to make the winter as agreeable to us as pos- sible. At last, in the autumn of 1780, general Phillips and my husband, with their aids-de-camp, were exchanged ; but the rest of the army who surrendered it Saratoga, still remained prisoners. General Clinton, partly through friendship for my husband, and partly through regard to the in- terest of the duke, our actual sovereign, wished to replace Mr. de Riedesel in active service, and with that view appointed h'm, in virtue of the powers conferred on the British general-in-chief, I'eutenaiit'gener il in the royal army. Every thing being excessively dear, we had so much the more reason to rejoice that this promotion was accom- panied by a corresponding increase of salary. My husband was, moreover, invested with the com- mand at Long-Island, which lies opposite to New- York, and is only separated from it by the East River. I was not able to accompany him thither, during the winter, the house which was prepared # ^\ ^^ ■■■fe % % nd. On our enj in the ex- which a very om England, )ther fashion- US with great I endeavour- to us as pos- 780, general ids-de-camp, e army who ed prisoners, iendship for rd to the in- fn, wished to service, and virtue of the 3ral-in-chief, Every thing ich the more was ac corn- salary. My ;h the corn- site to New- by the East him thither, 18 prepared » _ \' 249 lor his quarters, having but few rooms provided with fire-places. But every thing was then so quiet, that he came often to see me. Shortly be- fore he received his new appointment, he had a dangerous relapse of his fever, in consequence of a cold which he had caught when bathing in the sea. • It was as if he had been struck with the palsy ; he was deprived of motion, could not speak ; and had not his friend, colonel Wurmb, been in the room when he experienced the first attack of the disease, he might have lost his life. Remedies were quickly applied, and again, through God's mercy, he escaped death ; but he was more than ever deprived of sleep, and his oppressions, head-aches, and convulsions increased. AH the physicians were of opinion, that his distemper arose chiefly from the climate, and that he would never recover as long as he should reside in that part of America in which we then were. What- ever weight such counsels might have had at an- other time, my Imsband could not, under the pre- seii^ circumstances, leave the army, or ask a fur- lough. In the spring of 1781. I established myself on Long-Island, where, notwithstanding the loneli- ness of our situation, we might have lived agreea- bly, had we not been often disturbed by the Ame- ricans as soon as the river was thawed. They \ h. :# # ^• * 4^ ••vr— 0,.-.y 'iSC^^ "WW.. A 250 frequently attempted surprises, and actually cai- ried away from his bed major Maybaum ; and wo knew that they had meditated something like it against my husband. Our house being on the shore, and insulated, all they had to do, was to surprise the sentries. Great vigilance was, there- fore, indispensable j the general was awakened by the least noise ; and in this way his restlessness during the night augmented ; and I also became so much accustomed to such interruptions of my repose, that I did not often close my eyes before daybreak. Such were the apprehensions and ter- rors of my husband, lest he should again be made prisoner, that he never yielded to sleep when 1 slumbered. The prospect from our house was extremely beautiful. In the evening, the city illuminated by numerous lamps, was reflected from the river, while the stillness of the night rendered audible not only the drums, bui the challenges of the sentries. For our communications with New-York, we had a boat, and we generally went thither in about fifteen minutes. One day, I discovered from my window, a squad- ron of five and thirty sail; — shortly after I sfiw, from another window, that they had cast f^lcho1 between us and the city. My husband had many English troops under his ..»'. -,..^i.w^ . • f ictually car- jm ; and we hing like it &ing on the ► do, was to was, there- Lwakened by restlessness also became >tions of my eyes before ons and ter- ain be made ileep when 1 s extremely illuminated m the river, 1 audible not the sentries, ork, we had er in about ow, a squad- ifter I saw, cast i^choi 3S under his .#- ■>> r 251 • command, and among them the light dragoons. Although the British military are proud, and, a.c- cording to common belief, difficult to keep in sub- mission, my husband was a great favourite with them. One day, when the British officers had (lined with us, my husband told them, that he would accompany them to their camp; upon which they begged me to do them the same ho- nour. I got into my carriage, and reached the camp before them. But I can hardly believe that they had not given the other officers notice of my visit ; for scarcely had I reached the place, when one of them came to my carriage, handed me out, and begged me to walk with him along the line. To my utter confusion, I was greeted with all the military honours ; and when I observed to the officer, that German ladies were not accustomed to such distinctions, he gallantly replied, that this was merely the due of the wife of an excellent general, and that nobody in his corps had forgot- ten how kind I had been to their brethren at Sa- ratoga. I confess, that however flattering and encouraging all this was, I felt glad when I could withdraw from this exhibition of exaggerated re- spect. ^ Th«*e were many wounded and sick sailors in our hospital. These good people thus answered the usual expressions of sympathy : " We have #; V •li ■-4 retair for us a ship, he be- lieved to be an active and i itclligent man, and he had ordered him to choi>se the best and most Cast-sailing vessel, io < nable us to escape the pur- suit of pirates. '1 tie good intentions of the ge- aer'd, like those of many other well-meaning chiefs, were, however, disregarded by the commis- sionej', who was not less lazy than ignorant and in- solent. He had eitlua* not examined the ship which he had chosen for our passage, or he had been bribed by the captain, which is not uncom- mon among these people. We embarked on board ori'" of the smallest and worst-conditioned ships of tlic whole convoy. She sailed so slow, fliat we were frc(j[uently in danger of being left OD •if ■ .wi |7.Tr.-^r ■.. -:-v-%r'- .At^ W-.JV.i---- • "•'T', ,1V,« 254 ,5^ ..?- •I-.. behind, had not the commander of the second armed vessel appointed for the protection of the convoy, come to our assistance by towing the ship. This was not, however, without inconve- nience and danger to us, for the ships might have run afoul, and if a pirate had then given us chase, we should have been between the opposite fires. Besides, we had but few sailors, and the ship be- ing leaky, we had not hands enough to work her, and to manage the pumps, whenever the" wind suddenly changed. As little care had the captain taken with regard to the lading, and we were often obliged, on our passage, to increase our bal- last, by filling our empty barrels with sea-wate^. The agent was ill-bred and cross-grained, and made such a noise with his yawnings, that we were often awakened, though separated from his cabin by a partition of boards. The worst of it was, that we were obliged to have him at our table, and to treat him like a gentleman. Before wc embarked, we had the misfortune to lose our good negro servants, — a man, his wife, and a young srirl related to them. Their master, from whom they had been taken by the rights of wai', he be- ing a rebel, having redeemed them, under the pre- tence that he now was devoted to the royal.cause. Besides that diey were extremely attached to us. their mar-tor liad treated tlirm l)adly : the poor 41 .% i'\<„i^.'. ^aTH ■ a;,..>i;' the second ;tion of the towing the ut inconve- might have en us chase, posite fires, the ship be- to work her, r the' wind the captain id we were ase our bal- h sea-wate^;. trained, and tiiat we were om his cabin jt of it was, at our tabic, Before wc ose our good md a young from whom f war, he be- nder the prc- I royal.causc. ichcd to us, ly: the poor 255 people, therefore, were in great dread of the suf- ferings that awaited them. The little girl, whose name was Phyllis, would not part with us, and fainted away : when she recovered, she threw her- self at my feet, and clung to them so fast, that it was necessary to withdraw her by force. My hus- band offered to buy her : but the owner, seeing how glad we should be to have hrs slaves, ask- ed thirty guineas for each of them, which we thought an exorbitant price. Had it not been at the moment of our departure, we might have bought them. We left them the clothing and the beds, with which we had provided them ; and this, instead of gratifying them, served but to increase their sorrow. Phyllis cried, " If I live, I will join you, were it at the end of the world." She after- terwards begged several persons to permit her to accompany them, until they siiould meet us, say- ing, " My lady will be glad to pay my passage." She was perfectly right in saying so, but as our intentions could not be' generally known, nobody was willing to trust to her words. My husband would have paid the price her owner demanded for her, but to buy all the three, was, at that time, beyond our pecuniary means. We had after- ward.-' so much trouble with our maid-servants in Canada, and found it so difficult to procure any, that we would gladly have made any sacrifice to have our three good negroes again, at any price. ■> -i; l*^"^'- ..<* 'm 256 From the first day of our voyage, a distiemper which I had caught shortly after having weaned my little girl, disappeared ; but I was long after- wards the worse for it, the germ of my indispo- sition having only changed its seat. I suffered so much, that even laudanum could not procure me sleep. In this state, I continued during our whole voyage. . ' ^ We had, besides, many untoward accidents. In the Dusky-Bay, during dark weather, we were nigh running upon a dangerous rock, called the Old Woman. Happily the weather cleared up, and the captain discovered the danger in which we were, soon enough to apply to the command- er of the armed ship, who towed us; and, fa- voured by the wind, we were in Ifceis than h^If an hour out of our perilous situation. We touch- ed at Halifax, in Nova Scotia, and met with a very kind reception from the governor and his lady, who were both very obliging, and invited us to dinner. They had a Very agreeable conipany, consisting of seven or eight families, who lived in continual intercourse. On the following day, they accompanied us through the city, and showed us the environs which we greatly admired. The living in Halifax is very cheap. Salt water fish are here remarkably fine ; and there was a strange story about lobsters being found in abundance ■#• ■■'-*mt'^-' a distiemper ng weaned long after- my indispo- suffered so procure me g our whole accidents. 3r, we were called the cleared up, er in which e command- is; and, fa> :js than h^If We touch- i met with nor and his id invited us le conipany, ivho lived in ng day, they I showed us lired. The t water fish as a strange abundance / . ■ 1. 257 since the revolution, though previous to that time none had ever been seen so far north. The wits of Nova Scotia said that the lobsters were good royalists, not only in their outward appearance, but in their feehngs. During the latter part of our voyage, we expe- rienced several squalls. We were obliged to cast anchor every evening, on account of the tide. We lost two anchors, while lying near a rock, and the security of our vessel depended upon our last anchor, which was the smallest. We were so badly provided with victuals, that we were obliged to send a boat on shore for some eggs and poul- try. My husband determined that we should leave the vessel on the following evening ; and, as soon as we had anchored, he, his two aids-de-camp, the servants, and myself, went ashore in the long boat. We put up at the house of a peasant, who received us very kindly. My husband departed the same evening, with one of his aids-de-camp, for Quebec. I set out in the same direction the next morning, and reached Quebec on the third day. The country through which we passed, was very picturesque. Each family lives in a separate -u;jse, which t*hey whitewash once a year. This gives to the Cana- dian village an appearance of great ueatness and 22* '"'W^^^^' ■ ,l^)niK%<^.-'- V ^ ■ ^♦^ *• . 258 makes them visible from a considerable distance. The space around each house is successively .filled up by the settlements, which the young people on their marriages make around their parents. They call themselves on that account " habitans" or settlers, and not peasants. Each habitation has its own stables, garden and pasturage : and scat- tered along the banks of the St. Lawrence, they contribute much to the romantic aspect of the scene. The ice cellars, of which there is one near each house, and commonly in the barns, are of an easy construction. A hole is dug and lined with planks ; ice and water are thrown into it, until it is filled up to the surface, whiwh shine^' like a mirror, and clean boards are thrown over it to support the victuals which are intended to be preserved. The Canadians think that straw or hay are particularly apt .to impede the congela- tion, and they therefore take great care to have the water very pure. The villagers could not dis- pense with ice cellars, as each family kills the cattle necessary for their consumption, and as the weather is very hot, during a considerable part of the ^ear. During the summer they feed much cattle, which they kill, at the beginning of the winter, for the consumption of the inhabitants of the cities. The few beasts, which are kept through the winter. '^^.::j>«*^.||U-.^-«*t much dif- • the v.alls large stove v^hole house ted of four ints and the ed galleries en and tl^e lich was the le town, and Bsel, for fear 3hing in the 3 stove kept ison to com- ter ; but the neat paper- idesel made ch interval, to the go- imand, lent, tion of our s h 263 establishment. Carpenters, upholsterers, and painters were busy in adjusting the walls, in .s- pairing the paper-hanging, and painting tlie room- doors, chairs, and tables. On bis return, niy hus- band found, to his great surprise, every thing in good order again, and, as it were, a new house, though the expense was trifling, as the mechanics ivere not permitted to receive anything from mc except their daily food. Our only visiters were gentlemen. The deficiencies of our social plea- sures were, however, in some measure compensated by the invitations we received from general Haldi- mand, during both winters we spent in Canada, to pass some time in Quebec, where we remained, at each time, six weeks, at the house of Dr. Ma- bine, one of the general's intimate fr'ends, but al- ways dined with the general. The general spent the evenings at our house, played at cards, and often remained until I o'clock ; but he had from the beginning begged rne to retire, whenever it was convenient to mysei' I never saw a man who was so kind and obliging to his friends, in the number of which he soon included us. The next spring he invited us to meet him at Montreal, whither his duties called him, and he assured us, upon that occasion, that he never spent his time more agreeably than in our society. I went to Montreal '• " ".ledge, remained tlierc u ^ \- \ ■^^i) ■\% ■i 'I >1 \\ *t.,\ V'- f !f ^ S- ■JK ■«* week, and returned in the sarti6 Isoiiveyfencp though I was not aware at that time how perilvus it then was to travel upon the St. Lawrence, which had begun to thaw, so much so, indeed, that the ice was already covered with water. Our Canadian drivers seemed uneasy; yet they would not leave the sleigh-track, which was marked by beacons, for fear of running' great- er risks on tlie sides of them. We, however, reached Sorel in safety, and the next morning, a ship made her way swiftly through the river, over which wc had travelled in sledges the preceding evening. The winter season is very healthy in Canada, owing to the steadiness of the wc; her, and the abundance of means to provide against the cold, in the inierior of the dwellings. In the beginning of November, every family provides its winter stock. I stared, when I was asked how laany fowls anu nsli I wi.-li*^(? to have for the sea- son. I asked, i: ly turn, \v here I was to keep the fish'? "In the gni'-et," was the answer; "and you will better prt jrve them there, than in the cellar." I bought three <•' ^our hundred, and they kept fresh during the wh(.» winter, and the only tiling necessary to render our meat, eggs, fish, apples, and lemons fit for daily use, was to lay them in water twenty-four hours previous; and all our victuals were as succulent and fresh, as in any ■■*u i ..■?.^-: 1 >f^ % .' - .4 «. '^■ '::f; jm. \ vide njxainat 265 »^ other season. Poultry are besides laid in snow, which soon becomes an icy crust, and so hard, that it must be broken with an axe. 'j^ The Canadians have a fruit which they call ot- tocas. It grows in the water, is red, and of the size of a small cherry. It is commonly brought to market by the Indians, and makes a good sweetmeat, especially when it has been well- frozen. All other kinds of fruit are very scarce, though in Montreal excellent apples can be had, — French Reinettes, and a sort of large red and highly-flavoured apple, which the Canadians call Bourrassas. They are put for preservation in small and close-stopped barrels ; for, once opened, they cannot be kept much longer. The other fruits that can be had, are very costly, especially pears, which are more scarce than apples, and cannot be so well preserved. I ordered six tons of apples, and half a ton of pears. My astonish- ment, when I was asked to pay for them twenty- one guineas, will be easily imagined. By my hus- band's direction, a large spot, in the rear of our house, was laid out in a garden, and twelve hun- dred fruit trees were planted, by which method we could hope to unite the agreeable with the useful. Vegetables, also, which were very scarce in the country, prospered wonderfully in our garden, 23 A" "^i^d •^-*»-^-%Sc... t*ti'-. • • ^ '' ( % ^-#«^^* % -i?*:- ^i'sac. isiSSfc:^* fj**^' J^^a.^-;*^ ■ -'^vg^.*:^- .**c3S::"-. / ^^■^S^. 266 .f i'^^^S \ ^ "#f ^(q* ami not only general Haidimand, but all my ac- quaintances were supplied by us. ?cv My oHtablishment was like a large, ornamented farm. I had cows, poultry in vast numbers, Vir- ginia hogs, which nre black, smaller, and more short-legged than those in Europe, and I made my own butter. For the soldiers this was the promised land. Every thing appeared to be in a thriving istate around their barracks and in their gardens, for which my husband had provided them wil!i seeds. It was amusing to see them employed in their domestic pursuits and cookery. They exchanged half their rations of salt meat for fresh ; and having thus two kinds, they boiled it |n large kettles, with all sorts of vegetables. There was much emulation among them to excel in the culinary art. However, the several domestic duties were very regularly divided. Some attended to the garden, while others did the business of the kitchen ; some had charge to clean the barracks, and others to cut wood, and to carry home their provision of fuel, in little carts made for that pur- pose. ./^; Mr. de Riedesel had nets made, and each com- pany went at times to fish : they were always so civil as to send us a part of what they caught. They, thus, had fish twice or thrice a week ; and once every six days, they received a bottle of rum, t u '*'\ i t V ill w i^.:-*:^*''' ;V"':>^,<^; ■' ■••■■■ f-'~-%t tsw.-ri. &r**5^*^*v;] ^ 2«7 their rations of rice and butter, twelve p >um) < of wheat flour for their bread, and daily a pouii of salt pork or one pound and a half of beef; but notwithstanding this, they Hent many fund and longing thoughts to their own country. There were, also, Indiana under my husband's command. His uprightness hud gained their con- fidence, and they were very much attached to him. Before I had, on my first arrival in Canada, rejoined my husband, one of these savages, by the name of Hansel, having heard that Mr. de Riedesel was ill, that he was married, and felt uneasy on ac- count of the delayed arrival of his wife, came with his wife to my husband, and told him, " Hear ! I love my wife ; but I lovo thee also : in proof of which I give her to thee !" Mr. de Riedesel replied, " I thank thee, and acknow- ledge thy attachment, but I have a wife whom I also love, and beg thee to keep thy own." The man seemed distressed and almost offended at this refusal, and he could hardly be persuaded to carry his wife back, who, as having seen her afterwards, I can testify was very pretty. Hansel was not an Indian by birth, but a German, who, with several of his countrymen, was taken prisoner by the sa- vages, when he was about fifteen years of age. All his countrymen were killed, and his escape from the same fate, was owing to his imposing sta- ■!i^Vj «. i • •5 " *i0, •i!r»« •«?••• -.r'U'ks^^^:::,:^^'**'^- < #^ ture, and the respect with which he had inspired the Indians by his valiant defence. They, how- ever, saved him from^death only on condition that: ■m he should be wedded to an Indian woman, and adopt their customs and habits. This he did. The life of the savage must have many attractions, for a nephew of general Carleton lived long among them, became husband to an Indian girl, and grew so fondly attached to that roving, but free and careless life, that many years passed before he could be persuaded, by the repeated and earnest entreaties of his uncle, to rejoin him. He after- • ^ wards married the general's sister-in»>kiw, an agreeable and amiable young lady ; but it was ge- nerally said that he repined at the change, and remembered his wild companions and his wife with fond yearnings. He served in the British ar- my, (I believe with the rank of major,) and was a ^v,. . very polite gentleman. I saw, at that time, the •<^# famous Indian chief, captain Brandt, of whom there is a print. The natural talent and ability f'^U- which he exhibited when a boy, led general Carle- '''^. ton to send him to England, when he had the good fortune to please the king so much, that his ma- jesty provided for his education and maintenance. He made some progress in his studies, but when he was between twenty and twenty-four, he express- ed a strong desire to be sent back to his early coro.^ ; :■■■ ^ •^■'^ 'V t j«*V>-i,^Pfci,^. J- -'^'t-%im^,- - ^ • i^si' sm panions. At the time we were in Canada, he was the principal leader of the Indians. His manners were polished ; he expressed himself with fluency, and was much esteemed by general Haldimand. I dined once with him at the general's. In his dress, he showed off to advantage tiie half mili- tary and half savage costume. His countenance was manly and intelligent, and his disposition very mild. Mr. de Riedesel was once invited to a meeting of the Indians, where after a solemn speech had been addressed to him, he was in- vited to take a seat and to smoke. The present- ing of the pipe is, among them, a mark of great respect and of affection. They gave him a name in their own language which signifies Sun. Upon my husband's invitation, they came to see him, and were entertained there, according to the rites of Indian hospitality, with tobacco and rum. AmonsT these Indians, was one decorated with several medals, which are insignia of bravery. We invited him to dinner, and obliged him to drink ; but he did it reluctantly, saying in broken French, "Bon enfant le sauvage, lorsque sobre, mais trop bu, animal foroce." He took a fancy to my daughter Frederica, and begged her to pre- sent him with a new ribbon for his medals, which, he said, he should then value more than ever. 23* ;.. \^« • - .... , ,^ ' I IP/ .3 ,:^t#&n i'^«» '**, "^S" >• 270 « «• i f ■ :^r "■ He was very good-natured, and his civility arose ^ from the natural kindness of his disposition. ^ The savages attach great weight to dreams. A certain Johnson, by shrewdly humouring this foi- ble, became a rich man. They were wont to come and tell him, that they had dreamt he had given them much tobacco and rum. ''Well," replied he, " I will p'-ove that you were right," and thereupon gave them their favourite delicacies. Upon this, vi«:*.ts and dreams, and consultations became more and more frequent. But one day he went to tell them, tiiat he had. also, had a dream ; that in return for the kindness and hospitality he had shown tiiem, they had granted him a large tract of land, which he described. " Have you really dreamt that ?" they exclaimed, with coun- tenances expressive of terror ; and having said this, they went into deliberation ; at the conclu- sion of which they returned to him, and said, "Brother Johnson, we give thee that tract of land — but never dream any more." r^i. ta, • i^m- These savages are not very kind to their own flesh, for they make many incisions in their faces. which they daub with colours, that they may mak<' a more martial appearance. A young man beinc upon one occasion elected the chief of one tribe, much dissatisfaction arose among the others, and so many insults were levelled against him by one of .^ -.•^, \ » I »imKi I ,«»»■.< t ■ . .< y aj l «*s».. %y ,^.-% -r < ;■-.' .¥■ K- ^.?*'* *. .;♦• 271 the opposite leaders, that, after much recrimina- ^ * lion, the youth sprang from his seat, and split the H head of his antagonist with his tomahawk. When he had become cool enough to reflect upon the long and bloody strife which must ensue from his rash act, he went to the English commanding officer, asked him for a piece of black ribbon, hnd having received it, he pierced both his arms, passed the ribbon through the flesh, and caused himself to be fastened with it on his back. He then went to the oflTended tribe, and exclaimed, that he acknowledged himself guilty of having, in a transport of rage, killed one of their brethren, but to avoid the eti'usion of more blood, he had disabled himself, and had now come to deliver himself up to them, in that state. By that mag- nanimous behaviour, and display of courage and penitence, he excited the sympathy of the tribe so much, that they not only pardoned him, but adopted him in the place of their murdered com- panion, and afterwards even chose him for their chief. . ■^■ 111 battle, as long as victory Was on our side, the savages behaved bravely ; but, during retreats, as, for instance, upon thai previous to the surrender at Saratoga, I saw them run and conceal them- . selves ; which, however, may be partly ascribed to ^ \ ■'M- ■ "■>--*; i ^^' ^■** il. ■«r- .4 %!, 272 T^ ■tftl the fact, that they dreaded not captivity njwely, but death. -'' *^^' We spent some weeks, during the summer of 1782, very agreeably at Quebec. A house had been built for General Haldimand upon the top of a hill, which he called Montmorency House, after the* famous water-fall of that name. He invited us to pay him a visit in this his favourite residence, which, indeed, was charmingly situated. The river precipitates itself from a height of one hun- dred and sixty-three feet, with a terrible noise, into a chasm between two mountains. When wo first went to see that sublime scene, I happened to say to the general, that it must be delightful to have a little dwelling opposite to it. Three weeks afterwards., we accompanied him thither a second time, and, after having climbed up the steep ascent, and the detached rocks, which were connected by small bridges, and which reminded me of »'>me descriptions of Chinese gardens, we. at last, reached the top, where the general begged my hand to show me into a small house, whicli Wits, as it were, suspended upon the cataract. He wondered at my courage, when I followed iiim without hesitation. The foundations of the house consisted of eight strong beams, laid athwart, ben^ ath which the cataract hurried down with trenK-ndou* velocity. The situation of this u ?^'--f^'< /,=<•;■ .Ijfc*'^*^^ .'S*^^ fs: » 9^ *»(«*.-« '"I**-"'** j?"*-.-»srw'.-.-'' ■ , i , . * T,'f^*rJ*il-,'^a 274 "% i* r confluence of the river Sorel with Lake CWm- plain^to visit the outposts. He was near being burnt in the barracks. In the midst of the night, he heard a great noise, which, from the proximity of the enemy's pickets, he attributed to an attempt of the Americans to seize him. An Elnglish com- missioned officer came in, and asked for the general, and when my husband had made himself known, he exclaimed, " Quick, quick, general, run, lest we both perish ; the barracks are in flames :" and saying this, he did not suffer my husband to save any thing, but carried him away on the ice, though barefoot, in the midst of smoke and flames. The danger was, indeed, imminent, owing to the barrels of gunpowder deposited in the barracks. But when Mr de Riedesel saw the men engaged in arresting the flames, he joined them, and dressed himself afterwards at one of the watch-fires. In November, I became ill, while riding in my carriage to dispel the gloom which overcast my mind. I was worse on my return, and could not dine at table. On the same day, however, I an- nounced to my husband the increase of our family. He was unwilling lo be persuaded, that his hopes of having a son, were again disappointed, and the health of his youngest daughter being drunk by one of his friends, he again looked into my letter, ' *-,'^ ■*., i..'V* tr ,.,„t»;»*».-fc.j ,^t-- .«,■• 275 before he pledged it. But when he saw the preUy little creature, he forgot all his previous wishes. The parental hopes we entertained of this child, were of short duration. It died, when only five months old. Augusta and America were so deeply distressed at the dea*.h of their sister, that we were in fear of losing them also, and my husband grew so uneasy, that it was with reluctance he entered the house, until ine physician assured him ames r' and I ^^^ were all perfectly recovered. My little gir!, whom we had named Canada, having been buried in Sorel, the officers promised to iiave an inscription engraved upon her tomb, to save it from any profanation, which it might suffer, on the score of our raligious principles, from some zealous Canadian Catholic. In the summer of 1783, general Haldimand, with a view of diverting me from my sorrow, ex- pressed a wish to see us in Quebec, but my hus- band, having received the news of the death of his lather, became more impatient than ever to return to Europe. His health was yet very frail. Al- though the climate of Canada suited him better than that of New-York, he still suffered from headaches and a noise in his ears. I was also imxious to see my family again. We should otherwise have been glad to remain longer in Canada, for the climate proved favourable to our r 4 . #• » -i \ '- 9 ,>. r- "» .1 '-*■-'«*■*'■ * ,* 1 i. h > :# ^. * \ r^t. 276 children ; we had many friends and our situation was altogether agreeable. The preliminaries of peace having been signed, it was believed that our troops would yet in the course of the present year return to Europe. General Haldi.i .;nd, who also wished himself back in England, had already written to his government respecting it. We often canvassed the ways and means of making the voyage together. Walking one day with him in his garden, we observed on a sudden, a great number of vessels enter the bay, and a beautiful one cast anchor at the foot of the mountain. The genera? said, " These vessels are surely come to convey you and your troops to Europe. Perhaps we go in company." My Frederica, who stood near me, exclaimed, " Well, if we go, will you give me that fine ship there .'"' " My dear child," replied the general, " if it is a transport-ship, you shall have it : but what would the king of England say, if I occasioned him such an expense V " Oh !" returned she, " the king loves his wife and children, and surely will not grudge my father the pleasure of conveying his family home in safety. And will you not be glad to have your little wife in a good ship*^?" (The good general always called my little Augusta his wife.) He smiled, and said, " Well, we will attend to it." Two days afterwards, he came and told me, with •»e -t^- -'^^ # ' -%, #«. r: 1 • . *• * r \l. X. 277 evident emotion, that we must soon - part ; that our wishes were fulRlled, but that he must re- main ; and that he should ever regret our ab- sence. He had found, He said, my husband to be a man worthy of all confidence, and met in every individual of his family, a friend : he had fondly indulged the hope of returning to Europe, in com- pany with u <, but that the king directed him to remain ; and he nmst obey. Remembering what my daughter had recently told him, and wishing, by every means in his power, to render our voyage safe and commodious, he had himself examined the ship, on board of which we were to embark ; but that it did not answer his expectations : that which had so much pleased my daughter, was, on on the contrary, as good a one as we could wi^h, but was not of the number of those which we' e destined for the transportation of the troops. He took it, nevertheless, upon his personal responsi- bility to freight it, and to have it arranged ac- cording to our wishes. He begged me to look at it, and give my directions for our farther accom- OK lation ; strict attention would be immediately puiu to them, orders to that effect having been al- ready issued. He told me that my husband was preparing to depart for Sorel, and that I should do well to follow him thither without delay, to make all necessary arrangements for our great 24 ' m 'f€ -1 4^ riitatmi-/ ...4 ■■■i'aLi ^y- I <;' A 4f 278 voyage. Tie hoped, he said, that he should en- joy, on our return lo Quebec, our society as mucli us we could indulge his wishes in that respect. lie then went away, deeply affected. How could one avoid feeling, for such a man, the most sincere friendship! An hour" afterwards, major Twiss came to accompany me to the ship, which was a West-Indian three-decker. The captain wu highly recommended to us, not less for his nauti- cal skill, than for the urbanity of his manners, and for his nu)ral character. While examining the ship, I was asked, which part of it would suit me best for my dining and drawing rooms. I smiled at the question. " Where could you find spacf for such an extensive establishment.'"' asked I. " This can be easily managed," returned the cap- tain ; and hnmediately he caused the guns to be removed ; a window was made in the upper deck; and on both sides,' several cabins were construct- ed by means of partitions, in which beds, tables, and chairs were put for the use of the gentlemen. The state-room was reserved for us, on the two sides of which three dormitories were arranged for my husband, myself, and the children, and every thing was better than could be expected in a floating gaol. On the following day, I departed for Sorel. Tor the sake of greater speed, I had been advised .jti '% ijr;; Mimiii!!:.. 3ss'r •••> 279 to go in a boat, but the river being too slmllow to hold it, we were obliged to neek the sfiore again. The men who carried us upon their shoulders, from the boat through the slipnery mud, were often nciir falling. Upon touching land, we had yet ♦o ascend a steep hill : I thought the Cana- dians ould never be able to help us farther; but of tli nti took me under their arms, while the ot) arned my children. TIjo weatSt:/ vt as ly hot. At last we reached a ) f i.mo, 1*1. ti could spend the night. The beds were g(i VVe refreshed ourselves with sleep and some food, and the next morning continued our journey. On my arrival at Sorel, I found my husband en- gaged in making preparations for our final de- parture. I also pursued my arrangements with so much activity, that within a week I was able to return to Quebec, whither my husband shortly followed me. Yet, before leaving Sorel, I con- sulted with the priest of the parish, about the means of preserving my child's tomb from all vio- lation. The good clergyman assured me, that my fears were groundless, as the infant had only been baptized and not yet confirmed, and, therefore, was in no way different from one whose parents were catholics ; and that he would attend to my wishes, should it be necessary. •^*i:.^^- ■ x ...ff \iMi*-r*^ •K^.-x-'N.-:*,^^. •■• ••-!—- .,~.t ■*-««(«» .~- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1^128 |Z5 ^ 1^ 12.2 iu ». las ^ y£ nil 2.0 u - 6' i; L25 l||U 11.6 o> ^. V -^^i^" Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 145S0 (716) S72-4503 ^>^ '"^ K-V- . -Q ^^4 '4- ^4 ^^^ '/x \ c ■■^■■•'. \l~*"' *^- . 280 . On our return to Quebec, we wer6 informed, that our ship was nearly ready, and that general Haldimand had several times looked at the pro- gress of the new arrangements, which were ma- king in its interior for our accommodation. By his directions, a cow had been bought to sup- ply us with milk. In a suitable part of the deck, seeds of salad had been sown in a layer of vege- table earth. We bought as many vegetables, poultry, &,c. &c. as we thought would be neces- sary for an increase of twenty-two persons to the ship's company. Our physician, Dr. Kennedy, with whom we again met at Three-Rivers, begged us to obtain for him, his wife, their three daughters, and three servants, permission to embark on board our ves- sel. I thought that a physician might prove an useful companion during a voyage. The general, to whom I repeated his request, replied, that we could do with the ship whatever we pleased, but that he feared we should have troublesome com- panions. The event proved that he knew them well. My husband presented the general with his favourite mare and her fine foal ; and, in return, the general begged my acceptance of a splendid muff and tippet of sable, as a memorial of the country where we had so long resided. Furs are among the most important productions of Canada. ttw*^"'*^'- t-..i3 hu m^^r^ ■ ts^' :li4-i i«iiV; "S*Tl«*wp|te.- ^^. r^ infomted, that general at the pro- ;h were ma- )dation. By aght to sup- of the deck, Ljrer of vege- vegetables, Id be neces- »rsons to the \i whom we us to obtain rs, and three »ard our ves- ;ht prove an The general, lied, that we pleased, but lesorae com- knew them leral with his d, in return, >f a splendid lorial of the d. Furs are iS of Canada. 281 Many Englishmen have become rich, by import- ing into that province European merchandize of little value, and taking peltry in return. The E^ritish officers had the civility, the last time we attended their dramatic performances, which generally took place twice a week, to ex- press, in an affecting song, composed for the oc- casion, their regret at the departure of our troops, their gratitude for the benevolence with which they had always been treated by Mr. de Riedesel, and their hearty wishes for our happy voyage. After the troops had been embarked, we yet passed some hours with the good general. After supper, he accompanied us to the vessel, where at last we took a hearty and affecting farewell of him, and many other friends. I; «? •I /- 24^ 11 JCZ iht-^iL^ l,^^ .'• ^j^.-' ^JSi y Jr ■ % 2S2 ■' . ' . - . 1- ' - \ ^. 1/ ■ - • ^•' •■•■.' ■■ • •■■ ■ V- ■' •;,.>. •ij4«'-»t Mad. de RiedeseVs Journal, from the time of her departure from America^ until her . arrival at Brunsunc. , . , . " . ' V . , ' . ■ ' ' ' ' ' ■ ' 'J ' . ' ' .' ' n, It was towards the middle of August, when we embarked for Europe. The next morning, the signal for departure was given, and within an hour, which was employed in buying yet some provisions, the whole convoy sailed. We passed the Isle de Bee, and were detained two weeks, at the entrance of the St. Lawrence, by contrary winds, which was the more unfortunate, as we could not procure fresh provisions, at least not as good as those which we were consuming to no purpose, and we could, besides, no longer enter- tain the hope of reaching Europe, before the equinox. On a Sunday, while we were attending divine service, and our rgyman fervently prayed for the preservation . ^ ill those " on the great deep," and for our safe return to our country, our ship, which had been motionless during the calm, be- gan suddenly to roll, and the " Amen" had hardly been uttered, when we were informed, that the officer who commanded the convoy had given the ■nv0p^mfmm* % %. >\ i^ time of her arrival at ;, when we rning, the within an yet some ¥g passed wo weeks, y contrary ate, as we east not as ling to no ger enter- jefore the ing divine prayed foi eat deep," our ship, calm, be- lad hardly i, that the given the •> ^ ••• signal to weigh anchor ; and, in less than half an hour, he passed our ship, and all the transports followed him. . My husb&nd was very anxious to deliver the despatches with which general Haldi* mand had entrusted him, in less time than we could hope to reach England, by going with the convoy, and stopping as often as they did. The captain of our ship desired nothing so much as to sail separately, but he could not do it, without the permission of the commander. On the se- cond day a vessel made a signal, upon which all the others shortened sail; but the commander was so polity, as to call to my husband with his speaking trumpet, " General, go on." Our cap- tain took this for a general permission to go be- fore the convoy, and all sail was spread which our masts could carry, and in a short time we had lost sight of the other ships, whereat I was, at first, much rejoiced ; but I soon began again to be apprehensive of the evils which our impatience might bring upon us. Two pigeons flew from the commodore's ship upon our deck, and could not be frightened away. Our captain* considered this as a good omen for us, while, on the contrary, the crew of the other vessel thought it a bad one for them ; and the event proved that they were right, inasmuch as the poor commodore became insane during the f I h I ! '■, ( '^1 1 \r ■-''U^-' 284 voyage. I had no idea of the stiperstifions to which sailors are apt to yield. They 'draw from trifling incidents, the most important prognostics and consequences. Soon after we had put to sea, we beheld a flock of blackbirds : a prodigious number of por- poises gathered around our ship, and the horizon assumed a yellow colour. Our captain bid us all prepare for a heavy gale, which accordingly began the same evening, and blew with great violence, though favourably for us, three weeks with- out interruption, except' the day we passed near the banks of Newfoundland, and carried us along so rapidly, that we ran from the Isle de Bee to St. Helen's Bay in eighteen days, which is an in- stance of unparalleled celerity, nothing but a French frigate having yet sailed that space in nineteen days, which was one day more than our passage. One evening, one of our sails was carried away, and being very dark, it was hard work to replace it. Our ship was terribly tossed, and la} entirely upon one side : however, before the nexi night set in, the damage was repaired. A few days afterwards, we thought we per- ceived the smell of something burning, at which we were the more alarmed, as we had plenty of gunpowder on board. After much searching, we 285 discovered that the cord which supported a lan- tern in Mrs. Kennedy's cabin, had taken fire. Our captain begged the lady to be more careful in future, representing the dangers to which we had been exposed, but she grew angry, spoke with nobody for a whole week, and con- tinued to keep a light burning in her cabin, through the whole night, to our great annoyance and discomfort. Neither my husband nor myself could sleep much. Mr. de Riedesel spent the greater part of the night Upon deck. I said once to the captain, that the dead-lights frightened me to death. He good-naturedly consoled me, say- ing, that the gale must be tremendous, and the sea very dangerous, that with a ship like ours, it should be necessary to resort to that measure ; and that there was hardly an example of such strong winds having blown once in the summer. This was about eight o'clock in the evening, and at ten, the storm became so violent, that nobody felt inclined to go to bed. Towards midnight, some one knocked at our door. I asked, what was the matter. A rough voice answered, " The cap- tain orders the dead-lights." " You are mis- taken," replied I ; " beg the captain to come." He came, and told me, that the sea was so hea- vy, that he must shut our windows : but that I should not be alarmed : " the ship wears bravely," ■%■ :^::;- *1' 286 li» added he, " and can challenge any danger." The storm continued to rage through the whole night, and towards daybreak, one of our masts was split. Mrs. Kennedy wept the whole night, and growled over the good fortune that her sons would probably have to survive her. Towards 5 o'clock, I went into my daughters' cabin, undetermined whether I should wake them, or leave them in happy ignorance of our perils. I could not, however, refrain from enjbracing every one of them, as this might be the last moment of our existence in this world Augusta was awake, though she had not said a word for fear of in- creasing my anxiety. " What a storm this is,?' said I : " are you not alarmed *?" " Surely, mother," replied she ; " but I find my consolation in thinking that I shall not survive you." These few words, so expressive of love and resignation, affected me deeply. ' - . .'_%^ ^ . . ^ ■'. '•;l'..: At every toss of the rolling sea, I thought that it would be our last moment. At daybreak, however, my alarm ceased, for the gale mode- rated. The wind had always been prosper- ous for our voyage ; and, we moved along at the rate of fourteen miles within the hour. " Should the wind continue so favourable," said our captain one day, " we may see the coast of England within three days." This news filled us :■ #^ nasnCh^" rm:!^P>i^g^^^!Wtfg" t«lW/ •V y danger." I the whole our masts hole night, at her sons daughters' wake them, r perils. I icing every moment of was awake^ fear of in- m this is,r y, mother," in thinking few words, iffected me I thought t daybreak, jale mode- 1 prosper- ved along the hour, able," said le coast of i^s filled us 'r 287 .>j all with transport, for though we were still well provided with every thing, and had a band of music for our amusement, we would, neverthe- less, have gladly exchanged our present conve- niences for the most miserable hovel. My hus- band could not reconcile himself to the imprison- ment on board of the ship ; and such was his restlessness, that I hardly believe that he retired into his cabin more than five or six nights, during the whole voyage. During one of the squalls, one of our cows fell from a sort of hammock in which she was kept, and was so much injured, that the captain deter-"*' mined to kill her, whereby our crew were no losers. ' '■£^£^ ■ .\ , Towards the end of our voyage, the sky was so overcast, that the captain was doubtful how near we were to the wished-for harbour. The captain, by his computation, did not agree with my husband in the belief that we had passed the Scilly Isles, and were near the British coast. In this uncertainty,, he determined on the eighteenth day of our voyage to lay-to, for fear of accident. We sat in the cabin, and the gentle : ^i were at the table, all in a sad and thoughtful mood ; the captain had ascended to the deck, to give his orders for laying-toj when a cry of " land," from above, attracted our attention, and shortly after- -y- •> m- ^^n I fH* ti )H' ri « .♦>' •t'. 288 0^. '#. ^ ■A i .-:« '¥■' •'S:- vlF.-» .St- I- iiM wards the captain called my husband to come on deck, and showed him a small white speck, just visible through the misty vapour, which he told him was the chalky coast of England. The wind having soon afterwards dissipated the fog, and, as it were, unveiled the. horizon, we had the unspeakable joy of seeing distinctly the Isle of Wight, and the coast of England. The cap- tain immediately determined to spread all sail, in order to weather the Isle of Wight, and cast an- chor before night, for fear that we should be dri- ven to the north : nor was this easy to effect, for it was past 4 o'clock, and the island is thirty leagues long. However, with much difficulty, and some damage, we reached St. Helen's bay, and cast anchor, before 8 o'clock. I narrowly escaped a very fatal accident. I had gone upon deck, like the rest of the com- pany, to feast myself with the sight of land. An English officer, captain O'Connel, jumped for joy, toppled down, and, in falling, pushed towards me a heavy piece of timber, which considerably hurt One of my feet. Screaming from pain, I was car- ried into my cabin, where however, I was soon relieved by proper care. There was a sofa on each side of the cabin: I was seated upon one, and my seven-year's-old girl sat on the other, op- posite to me. On a sudden, by a violent motion 4 1 .!# %■ ■• t-i- "■A 'i^. i4- 289 • »t- of the ship, she was thrown upon me, and thus es- caped serious injury. . We passed the night in the bay, and hoped to be safely landed on the next day at Portsmouth, hut at the entrance of the har- bour, our ship unfortunat(;ly ran upon the wreck of the Royal George,* and we were obliged to spend another night on board, during which time the ship rocked from side to side, while lying upon the sunken vessel, and the fragments of the ships that had parted their cables, and foundered in the late heavy gale, presented a melancholy spectacle, and increased our anxieties. By a sin- gulaj* coincidence, we cast anchor in the harbour of Portsmouth, between the ship which had con- veyed me to Canada,- and the one on board of which we had gone from New- York to Quebec. Though wc were within half an hour's sail of the landing, the tide would have kept us a good while on board our ship, had not Mr. de Riedesel. ^<> resolved to freight a lugger : but this was a costly #vlf^ Conveyance, for we were obliged to pay fifteen guineas. Thus we at last reached Portsmouth, Our hearts grew light when we were again oH land, and I thanked God for our safe return tqe'^. # f: $-,^' ^-^ * She was • overset on Ihe 28th of June, 1782 Admiri^l Kempenfelt and the crew were lost, and about one hundred fe- male?. ' ^•' r " \ • ' 2ft 4 ■ » ■• -^;i «» •*■ m- ^ -r ^290 # *. » "jif.ip« ' ^ •i?^, '*« i- •t ■ « *" ■-r Europe, and especially for the preservation of ni} husband. We put up at the best inn, and our dinner seemed to us, after the faro we had been accustomed to aboard, the most delicious we had ever tasted. The fresh bread, which, indeed, was excellent, seemed to us so much the more de- licious, as, owing to the bad weather, or to some ,^ want of care, our ship-bread was seldom well baked. In the evening, we indulged ourselves with oysters, which we thought excellent, but soon we had abundant reason to wish we had not tasted them. My Augusta and Dr. Mylius sick- ened, the latter most severely, though my daugh- ter's indisposition was serious enough ; Dr. KenV nedy believing it to be the cholera morbus. The .;^voysters probably were from a spot, where it is prohibited, under a considerable fine, to collect any, experience having shown that they contained verdigris, from lying near the coppered bottom of ships which anchor there. But such orders are not unfrequently disregarded, when, by disobey- ing them, a thing can be obtained with less cost and trouble. ' ' Early on the following day, my husband, with his aid-de-camp, set out for London. I particu- larly requested him to spend the night at the ho- nest landlord's, who had behaved so-well towards me, on my first journey, but the postillion went '■$: .^* ■■% ' *<(!l^l>I*JM(,.»«l ition of ni} in, and our } had been ilicious wc ich, indeed, le more de- (MT to some Esldom well d ourselves ;ellent, but we had not lylius sick- my daugh- ; Dr. Ken^ rbus. The where it is , to collect y contained d bottom of orders are by disobey- Ji less cost sband, with I particu- t at the ho- ell towards illion went \ . 291 ^ 4 "0 over aoothor road ; aud the same would have hap- pened to mo, had I not strongly remonstrated against it. The good innkeeper received me with great demonstrations of joy. In a little amateur- concert which he arranged for the evening, his sis- ter, who had been blind for five years, performed a part. She was very anxious to conceal her defect from strangers, and for that reason seated herself at her piano, before the company arrived, and her eyes having no external defect, nobody would have known any thing about it, had not her bro- ther whispered the secret, for fear that, on an ac- cidental discovery, some one might make remarks to her, or in her presence, that would have dis- tressed her. He expressed great regret at not having seen my husband. I asked him what could be the reason that the postillions had taken a different road. He said, that he thought it dis- honest to bribe them ; while, on the contrary, the man who kept the inn two miles from his house, paid them largely, not, indeed, from his own purse, but from those of his guests. " But those who have once visited us," added he, "come again, knowing, by experience, that I do all I can to sa- tisfy them.^' The house was much improved since my first visit. The entrance, and the yard, were decorated with a profusion of choice flowers, and trailing plants covered the walls, along which ■IT' t- ■'t'-^" X'\ ■ Mis. ■*?*<, ''*: t . >■■ 'M^' J^' ^ ■00' VI. 292 '%. hang several glass-balls, containing gold-fish; all which produced a very pleasing effect. I again had the best rooms in the house, and though the fare was as good as I could wish, the reckon- ing was extremely moderate. My husband, on the contrary, was terribly cheated'. ^ysr Two days afterwards, we arrived in London, where we lodged splendidly in a hotel, called, if I remem- ber rightly, The King George. My first visit, on the next morning, was to the good Russel, who had been so attentive and kind to me, during my first stay in London. I sent for a hackney-coach, and anticipated the pleasure of surprising them with such an unexpected call. Being told Mr. Russel was dressing himself, we went into his shop, and placed ourselves near Mrs. Russel's counter, who was then engaged with a purciiaser. Turn- ing her eyes upon me, she at first looked astonish- ed, but soon exclaimed, "Is it you ? — but you had only three children." I could not dissemble any longer j tears of joy betrayed me, and I threw my- self upon her neck. At the same moment, some onfe exclaimed close behind me, " My lady, I must embrace you."* It was worthy and honest Mr. Russel. These good people could not refrain * We prwerve Mad. de Riedesel's English phrase. from te and se( We the hou Try on. the que sent w would not bei for the that ds were p who li gracioi "We glad to were pi in waiti the fire near tl round, of her a great though news I ways h your ti body." * / y^ f^' " '* ^ y'."'^H^ " '.''•^< 393 gold-fish ; effect. I md though he reckon- isband, on ■^^■'<- . don, Where if I remem- st visit, on 3I, who had ig my first coach, and them with Mr. Russel his shop, I's counter, er. Turn- d astonish- ut you had emble any threw my- lent, some idy, I must lonest Mr. not refrain ihraae. e. from tears when I retired, but I promised to come and see them once more with my husband. We were daily invited to dinner, and once at the house of our good friend of New- York, general Tryon. One day, while we were yet at dinner, the queen's first lady of honour, my lady Howard, sent us a note to inform us that her majesty would expect us at (i o'clock. My court-dress not being yet ready, I was obliged to apologize for the impossibility of paying my duties upon that day, and I renewed my excuse when we were presented to their majesties. The queen, who like her royal consort, received us most graciously, replied with the greatest affability : " We care not for the dress, when we are glad to see our visiters." All the royal princesses were present. The queen, the princesses, the lady in waiting and myself formed half a circle around the fire-place. The king and my husband stood near the chimney. Tea and cakes were handed round. I was seated between the queen and one of her royal daughters, and was obliged to relate a great deal. Her majesty told me, "I have often thought of you, and inquired after you, and the news I received gave me great pleasure, for I al- ways heard that you enjoyed good health, passed your time agreeably, and were beloved by every body." The princess Sophia, observing that I M ^r»* 25 MMtM V-'*^ #^\ V r^^'f, % f ^'\ ^ ' ■■**-.■■;■- m^ I 7^ -SPf 294 4' ■#■ had a dreadful cough, went for a jelly of black currents, which she recommeiided to me as an ex- cellent remedy, and of which she obliged me to accept a pot full. At nine o'clock, the prince of Wales came ; the young princesses, his sisters, ran towards him, and he embraced them and jumped about with them. The' natural conde- scension of their majesties was so successful in dispelling all uneasiness and constraint from the minds of those whom they deigned to admit into their presence, that we could have thought our- selves in the midst of a happy family of our own rank. We remained with their majesties until ten o'clock. The king and my husband conversed a long time respecting America, and always iti German, which his majesty spoke with great fluency. Mr. de Riedesel was much struck with the king's excellent memory. On taking leave, the queen was so condescending as to tell me that she hoped I would remain some time in England, and that she wished to see me once more before my departure. But we shortly received news that the squadron which was to convey us and the troops to Germany, was waiting, and we were therefore obliged to relinquish the honour of wait- ing a second time upon the royal family. During this latter stay in London, I became acquainted with lord North and Mr. Fox, who both called ''^ifc_: '»-. ■■h ;s^e?^^' .. ;,\»>"> •-•l~i-*4Mnt4l_ ■^^'.1 lught our- ' our own sties until conversed always i^ vith great ruck with ing leave, ell me that I England, 3re before news that 3 and the we were ir of wait- . During cquainted )th called* •i ^5 upon I's. I made several short excursions in thef. eDAJ < of London, to see whatever was most worthy of attention. I might have been more ac- tive in this way, had we not been unexpectedly compelled to abridge our residence in the capital of England. The transports waited for us at Deal, and there we went. To our great dismay, the equinoctial wind had begun. The captain wished it was over before we embarked, for it blew a perfect hurricane ; and the entrance of the Elbe, especially in tempestuous weather, is rather difficult. After having spent a day at Deal, in the vain expectation of a change in the weather, my husband resolved not to detain the convoy any longer, but to put to sea. The wjiarf at Deal is not at all convenient, and much less so when the weather is stormy. The ships' boats lie on the beach, until the tide floats them. This seem- ed to me a perilous operation. A great crowd stood round the boat. On a sudden, my young- est daughter, who was but three years old, and who lay upon my lap, cried out in English, with a tone of anguish, and stretching out her little arms, "Is there nobody here who will take me'?" A well-dressed female came running towards me, and strove to take the child, at the moment when the sailors shoved of the boat, and I had the greatest difficulty to prevent her from doing so. « -il'-:i_:f ijaji- i^^.j , ♦ % "*» % \ .-^ ,1 ) "i Miiiio I ' ■»■■•«■■■«« *.._ < -i .^ ^s 296 ■V I f .' ^ k,- Our skiff was rocked dreadfully by the rolling waves, and my actual danger discomposed me so #' much the more, as on my arrival in England I had ,f flattered myself that my courage would not be ex- posed to new trials. Even on reaching the vessel, we had yet a vast deal of anxiety and trouble. Our boat was so much tossed by, the rolling sea, that it was extremely difficult to, get on board the ship. I was determined not to leave the boat un- til all my children and my Imsbaud were safely on deck. My husband first ascended the ship's side; the sailors then took my children and climbed up the ladder, during which time I suffered inex- pressible anguish ; and I, the last of the company, was hoisted up in a chair. On reaching the quart ter-deck, the captain said to me, " I must indeed congratulate you, madam, for you have to-day been in greater danger than during your whole , voyage." On the next morning, we weighed an- chor, and were three days on our passage to Stade. We were obliged to go to and fro, on account of the difficulty of passing the barrels placed in that part of the Elbe, to indicate the only route by which large ships can make their way with the help of the tide. My husband at last grew tired, and having requested to be put on shore, he con- thmed his journey to Stade in a calash; but as it would have been troublesome for a large family to „% ■ vi-i ^f %^^%-'* '^^7. • %■■ '■«fi **, » ^ .. V V* -i 4^ K^t^m »^ \ ,ii_ ^ -■.- 1:::- ?^- ^— -<-. H",^-. the rolling 3sed me so land I had not be ex- the vessel, id trouble, rolling sea, board the le boat un- re safely on ship's side; climbed up ered inex- } company, g the quart ust indeed ave to-day ^our whole sighed an- e to Stade. account of ied in that route by with the ^rew tired, 3, lie con- ; but as it i family to r297 travel in this way, I remained on board with my children and suite. The captain, who for- tunately chanced to be the same man who carried us from Quebec to England^ volunteered with his usual obliging readiness, to carry me to town, if the ship should not be able to get under way. We departed at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, in the long-boat. On leaving the ship, I request- ed the captain, in my husband's name, to accept of our stock of provisions, which consisted of two cows, fifteen sheep, six hogs, and much poultry ; by which he seemed much gratified. We were rowed by six sailors, but as we went against the tide, the poor fellows were so much wasted by fa- tigue, that I began to fear we should be obliged to spend the night in the boat. With great exer- tions, however, we reached Stade at eleven o'clock, though we were not able to approach the landing place, on account of the great throng of vessels already lying near it, and ti;e obscurity of the night, and were compelled to make our way ashore on some planks that were thrown for our passage across three or four ships. When at last we were in the town, I was at a loss to inquire for my hus- band's lodgings. All the houses were shut, and every body retired to rest, except a few loiterers, who were either drunk or unable to direct us. In- deed, from my own anxiety to meet my husband, I was foolish enough to think that every body '^- ■ ? A- . 4. «SMi ^ * ^ CI >. #■ If J' .r ^ «; ■ ■^^. */ must know the German general who had lately ar- rived at Stade, and when I was answered by some, " We know no German general," and by others, " What do we care about him ?" I felt ashamed, and would gladly have disp* nsed with the pre- sence of the captain and of the saijors, who assisted my faithful Rockel to carry the children. At length we met with a good natured cret^ture, who guided us to the inn where my husband had put up, but to reach which we had to dive through so many, dark lanes, that we began to be apprehen- sive, and therefore determined not to enter any house which should sec m suspicious. When we arrived at the hotel, however, all my fears vanish- ed at once, upon finding at the door a sentinel oi our dragoons, an old soldier, who had long been with my husband. " How happy I feel to see you once more safe in Germany," exclaimed the honest veteran, extending his hands to me and my chil- dren : and the affectionate tone in which he spoke these words, evinced the sincerity and goodness of his heart. My husband, who had already retired, rejoiced extremely at our arrival. I hoped to be able to offer to the captain some refreshment, but our grumbling host gave us bad tea, bad bread and butter, and there was such a striking want of neatness, that feeling really humiliated at the opinion which the captain might conceive of my # >/ V X ■SJ^VSa,- lately ar- by some, jy others, ashamed, the pre- assisted Iren. At ture, who had put 1 rough so pprehen- nter any When we •s vanisl^- mtinel oi )ng been see you le honest my chil- he spoke Goodness rejoiced be able but our ead and want of at the 3 of my i 89P ■%■ <;ountry, I begged him not to judge of it from the present specimen. He left us on the following day, and we parted with sincere regret from this honest man, who had invariably treated us with urbanity, regard, and kindness. I spent a day more at Stade with my husband, who was obliged to wait for the remainder of his troops, and stop- ped the next evening at Zelle, in the joyful ex- pectation of reaching Brunswic the following da3^ But in the middle of the night, a soldier, with tre- mendous mustachios, appeared on a sudden at my bedside with a light in his hand, and though I soon recognized him to be the porter of the hotel, I was not the less frightened on hearing that a man on horseback had brought me a letter from my husband, which he held out to me ; the ob- ject of which, however, merely was to desire me to change the direction of my journey, by going to WolfenbiJttel. I there found our ancient es- tablishment in the same state in which I had left it, on my departure for Ariierica. My good friends. Mad. Paasch and her daughter, had come from Brunswic expressly to arrange all things for our arrival. A good supper awaited us, after which I retired with the deepest gratitude to the Almighty for the protection he had dispensed to me in so many dangers, for the preservation of all those who were dear to me, and the increase of their number by my little America. '^ f ---i,- ♦, I .*■.- ''.♦ ::^A, ^: ,■* ■4- *4fv f. .J*- - * ■*;«" J.- ■»i' ;.v 300 The next day, our excellent duchess, and seve- ral old and dear friends, came to see me ; and a week afterwards I had the joy of seeing my hus- li>and march through the city, at the head of his regiments. Eight years back, I thought I had lost joy and happiness forever, iq the same street where I now witnessed a most interesting and touching scene, but which I should in vain en- deavour to describe. My excellent and dear hus- band, who for so many years had exclusively lived for the fulfilment of his duties, and who had been indefatigable in protecting and assisting, as much as possible, those who were committed to his charge, standing in the midst of his soldiers, an^ a multitude of parents, wives, children, brothers, and sisters, who either rejoiced at meeting again their relatives, who had been so long absent, or mourned over the loss of those who had been long missed and expected ; and himself struggling with his emotions. On the following day we went to Brunswic. I remember it was on a Sunday, in the autumn of 1783. We diiied with die ducal family, and in the evening, in the levee-room, we met with al- most all our old acquaintance, after a separation of many years. These were delightful hours ; but they e;^cited my feeling almost to a painful de- gree. '; ^^v V' *:- .^I0tr .Mn^tfeu -''-^^V^3|£^ \ OFFH GI ■ '*»>tw»m Hi « W» ' ' ^« and seve- le ; and a ^ my hus- ad of his ;ht I had me street sting and 1 vain en- dear hus- ively lived had been , as much }d to his diers, an^ brothers, ing again bsent, or jeen long ling with iswic. I utumn of ^i and in with al- paration 3urs; but inful de- »> >y •^. APPENDIX. GENERAL RIEDESEL'S OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE WITH GENERAL WASHINGTON AND ...f»j . GENERAL GATES. > 26 ''I * *j. ■ V - "-v- »i«H~i*««,rjMto-: ^i^-. '" .■^^ ^ -*^..*.-«-<%'"'^ i**'-^ w- >»; . aMWJMtJC j il|'>l.^^ J, \: ■■I mjtf. 304 general Burgoyne*s army, prisoners of war, to be exchanged, in proportion to the number of British officers exchanged by general Gates ; and as the officers of general Burgoyne's funily, and those of general Phillips', have bein exchanged, though included in the convention; I request the same indulgence may be granted to the officers of my suite. A return of their names, and of the officers made prisoners of war during the cdiiv. paign, is enclosed herewith. I have the honour to be, with gr'^it rf^spcct, your excellency's moat obedient 1m ible Hnrvant, RIEDESEL, ivlajor-General. ■■ \ FROM GENERAL WASHINGTON TO GENERAL RIEDESEL. Head-Quarters, Valley-Forge, March 31, 1778. Sir, — It is some time since I have been honour- ed with yours of the 11th January, to which I should have replied sooner, had I not been obliged to wait for an answer from general Gates upon the subject of your letter. He says you never ap- plied directly to him for the exchange of yourself or any German officers, either of your family or the corps ; but that he was told at Albany, that you and major-g nerrl Phillips had separately ap- .1. rr- --^ n i' rw tti ni J M * . u,fny )x at of war, to be ber ofBritigh and as the , and those of iged, though lest the same e officers of and of the ig the idi.i. r It respect, hie sfiivant, r-General. \ IL RIEDESEL. rch 31, 1778. •een honour- to which I Hjen obliged Gates upon >u never ap- of yourself ir family or Ibany, that )ara»ely ap- f « - 305 plied to sir Willinm Howe to bo exchanged for general Lee, and hud been answered, that as general Prescott hud bf en firsst taken, he must be first exchanged I inia^i/ ", from the foregoing, that general Gates must have misunderstood you, as he says he should ha ve had no objection to ex- changing the foreign as well as the British officers. Commissioners from me are now negotiating a general exchange of prisoners with commissioners from sir William Howe. If they agree upon terms, I shall not have the least objection to exchanging a proportion of foreign as well as British officers. But you will please to observe, that this is a mat- ter which depends solely upon sir WillituH Howe's pleasure, as he has a right to demand such >fficers as he thinks proper, for an equal number of equal rank; but I should suppose, that justice to his al- lies would point out the equity of an impartiil ex- change. I am, (&.C. GEO. WASHINGTON. FROM GENERAL RIEIdESEL TO MAJOR-GENERAL GATES. * Cambridge, Nov. 2l8t, 1778. Sir, — Having flattered myself, from day to daj . \\ ith the hopes of having the pleasure to see you 26* i| lU % li.-- :> '% -■"—* -. .^^ rf *■■■ ■«"•/**■ .> ■■ ^' ■■■ "'?;.< .». :• Vl '^•^ *■' 306 w* 4*. * at Cambridge, I have deferred writing to yon, to felicitate you on your safe arrival at Boston, and I should not have failed of seizing the first oppor- 1^^ tunity of waiting upon you, if I had not been pre- vented by an order, which has been in force ever since we have been here, that no officer of the « convention was allowed to go into Boston. As the affairs relative to money, which have de- tained me here, are now settled, and as I intend to set out in a few days, I request the favour of you to allow me and Madam de Riedesel to go to Boston, to take leave of you and Mrs. Gates, and to return you many thanks for the civilities which ;, you hav» ^own me, ever since I had the pleasure of making your acquaintance. I must once more have recourse to your good- ness, and request your assistance, in order to make the long journey we are to undertake as easy to Madam de Riedesel, to myself, and family as pos- sible. I take the liberty to request an officer to con- duct Madam de Riedesel upon the road, and a gb.ard to escort my baggage, and that of the per- sons belonging to the general staff of Brunswic troops, who are still here, and are to accompany tne. I beg of you to give a written requisition to the officer, in order that we may be supplied with good quarters oivthe coad, and may receive pro- ■*Mr ■--*- ..-4. :i4^-»ija5»ir.'j£^ „_ K^.,r -i«>»A, •»»»/SK' to yon, to oston, and I first oppor- )t been pre- 1 force ever fficer of the ;ton. ch have de- s I intend to vour of you el to go to Gates, and lities which he pleasure your good- der to make as easy to nily as pos- -er to con- oad, and a of the per- f Brunswic accompany quisition to jplied witl> ceive pro- r,; '"-f^ '^^■. ^'. 307 visions at the places where they were issued to the troops upon their march. *. ?^ You will know how far this officer and escort can accompany us ; and I beg of you to write to the next governor or commander, where this offi- cer will be relieved, requesting him to grant me another, as ' well as carts, and that I may meet with the same accommodations, as those which you are so good as to allow me. You will judge whether I will farther require a passport signed with your name. When I left Albany, you was so obliging as to give a colonel Sprout, who accompanied Madam de Riedesel a little way, and who showed every possible mark of attention ; and I should consider myself under double obligations to you, sir, if you would send an officer witli Madam de Riedesel, whose behaviour and sentiments may correspond with those of colonel Sprout. Major Hopkins, deputy-quarter-master-general, .acquainted me before his departure, that 'squire Watson, of Cambridge, had orders to furnish me with carts, and that the number was fixed by ma- jor-general Heath before your arrival. I there*- fore will not trouble you upon that head. As all my business is settled, I intend (if you- have no objection) to set out from hence on Fri- day next, the 26tb inst. and arrive the same day fk^ r~- - *• . k : i f •f 308 Worcester. I propose sending away hiy baggage on Wednesday, which can easily reach Worcester in three days. From Worcester I shall continue my journey, retaining the baggage always along with me. I should be particularly obliged to you, if you would allow, that the officer who con- ducts Madam de Riedesel, and the guard for the baggage, could be here by Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. Madam de Riedesel desires to join with me in compliments to you and Mrs. Gates. I have the honour to be, with great esteem, &c. RIEDESEL, Major-General. FfiOM GENERAL RIEDESEL TO MAJOR-GENERAL GATES. Essex Court-House, Jon. 2, 1779. Sir, — After innumerable difficulties and fa- tigues, I arrived here yesterday with Madam dc? Riedesel and little family in good health. Colonel Troup leaves me here, and proceeds to Morris- town. General lord Sterling, who commands at Middle-Brook, in the absence of his excellency general Washington, has been so obliging as to send me a captain Browne, who is to accompany me to Virginia. AUov sincere colonel press tl shown journey alleviate voidabl; Mad£ offering of wish I hav FROM GI Sir,- to capt deliver my tak your e: lord Si the pi great commi ■■,^-Sr,tr^- • V-' '■T»-^-rtN«^'4*J •■^^H ....^ A M fny baggage 1 Worcester all continue Iways along obliged to er who con- iiard for the evening or with me in esteem, &c. ■General. SRAL GATES. Jan. 2, 1779. s and fa- Madam d «<«w«««?W«wf render the >le to M adatn highest ac- ecommenda> :aged in the spute, ought >wn and uni> id humanit)f pon so many end captain 1 protection. ■ excellency 5t with, the id, the enor- th the unge- eople at dif- >rm your ex- >f the troops h was much ri their arri- h had recei- it which, in e logs laid ng, and the The troops ind are now acks, which lere had not i» # 311 been such a scarcity of utensils. I must confess^ that according to the description which we had, I expected to have found a more plentiful country, and better able to maintain such a number of troops. But I am far from troubling your excel- lency with complaints, as I am fully sensible that we are not in this situation by your excellency's orders. Your excellency will allow me to assure you of the respectful sentiments with which I have the honour to be your excellency's most obedient and most humble servant, RIEDESEL, Major-General. FROM GIJNERAL RIEDESEL TO GENERAL WASHINGTON. ■ ' Bethlehem, in Pennsylvania, Oct. 12, 1779- Sir,— 'Your excellency, I hope, will have the goodness to excuse my troubling you with this let- ter. I do it from motives of justice due to Mr. Ran- dolph, the gentleman who will have the honour of delivering it to you. I beg to recommend him to the knowledge of your excellency, as the person tQ whom colonel Bland, the commandant at Char- lottesville, gave the commission of conducting the officers of my family and baggage to Elizabeth- \ ■»t ^ 312 ^H Town, I having, as you, sir, must have been ap- prised, taken the route before, in company with major-general Phillips. -;■ " The great care which Mr. Randolph has had to render the journey as convenient as possible to the officers of my suite, the politeness he has shown to them, and the exactness with which he has executed his orders, require my best acknow- ledgments, and have induced me to mention this gentleman to your excellency. I will not enter upon the subject of my deten- tion, as major-general Phillips has written to your excellency, and must haVe fully explained, with his own, my sentiments on that affair ; but the plea^ sing prospect I had of going to New-York was heightened, from it becoming in a manner neces- sary for my health, which has lately been decli- ning under a slow fever, which change of climate alone wiH cure. My disappointment is in pro- portion to the flattering idea I had of visiting my J friends. Your excellency may then judge how severely I must feel the returning to Virginia in my present state of health, where I am certain my constitution must suffer from the climate. I have the honour to be, with the greatest per- sonal respect, your excellency's most obedient and humble servant, **t>^ ^ ^ - ,^ JIIEDESEL, Major-General. iV- *»',. ve been ap- mipany with h has had to 3 possible to [less he has th which he est acknow- nention this t ' my deten- tten to your led, with his lit the plea^ v-York was uner neces- been decli- i of climate • is ill pro- visiting my judge how Virginia in certain my tte. reatest per- t obedient General. 313 .... • FROM GENERAL WASHINGTON TO GENERAL RIEDESEL. *>■■ r Head-Quarters, West-Point, Oct. 23, 1779. Sir, — T have had the honour of your letter of the 12th, by Mr. Randolph. It gives me pleasure to learn that this young gen- tleman's attentions, during the course of your jour- ney, have been such as to deserve your approbation. I beg leave to refer you to my letter to major- general Phillips, for my answer to his request in your favour. I sympathise in the bad state of your health, and very sincerely wish an alteration for the better, which I would hope from your change of situation. I am, &c. GEO. WASHINGTON. FROM GENERAL RIEDESEL TO GENERAL WASHINGTON. Bethlehem, Oct. 29, 1779. •*■'' Sir, — Yesterday evening, I was honoured with your excellency's letter of the 23d of October, in answer to mine, sent by Mr. Randolph ; and ma- jor-general Phillips has communicated to me that part of your excellency's letter to him, which con- cerns me. I return your excellency my warmest 37 '"^ 'H .*>•• ^■f * ■^ -4^ 314 thanks for the share you take in my indisposition, and am persuaded, wlienever my disagreeable situation can be changed, every thing in your ex- cellency's power will be done to forward it. Your excellency mentions, in major-general Phillips' letter, that T might represent the ill state of my health to the American congress : but when I consider that the sole motive which determined me to undertake tlie very long journey from Char- lottesville to Elizabeth-Town, was a letter from your excellency to colonel Bland, the contents of which he communicated to me, I place my wiiole confidence and dependence entirely on your ex- cellency, under whose immediate directions I con- ceive myself to be. These reasons were, also, my inducement to take the liberty of making a faithful description to you of the total change of my health, and am convinced, whenever your ex- cellency may think proper to make a representa- tion of these facts to the American congress, setting forth the circumstances which I have mentioned, it would have much greater weight, indeed could not fail of success, than any address from an indi- vidual to the American congress, a body to whom I am unknown. It is through your excellency's kind intentions that I am in this place, and as the very impaired state of my health is now known to you, I cannot, V^ V- .A-: ^ position, igreeable your ex- it. r-general ill state )ut when termined 3m Char- ter from intents of" ny whole your ex- ns I cen- tre, also, laking a lange of your ex- presenta- s, setting mtioned, ed could an indi- to whom itentions mpaired cannot. 315 ' sir, doubt your generous sentiments in procuring me permission to go into New-York, at It for the time it may be necessary to re-establish my health, for which I shall ever deem myself highly obliged to your excellency. I have the honor to be, sir, with the most per- fect personal respect, your excellency's most obe- dient and most humble servant. RIEDESEL, Major-General. FROM GENERAL RIEDESEL TO GENERAL WASHINGTON. Brooklyn. April, 1781. Sir,— Several German officers of the conven- tion of Saratoga, having applied to me to be ex- changed,' on account of their particular private affairs, I made a requisition accordingly to major- general Phillips, to propose such an exchange to your excellency ; and, in answer to my request, general Phillips communicated to me your letter of the 25th of January, to his excellency sir Henry Clinton, in which the proposed exchange made by major-general Phillips to you, sir, on the 23d of December last is agreed to, and, consequently, in- volves in it the German officers, who were in- cluded in the proposition, though not nominated at that time. ^* " ^1 «■ t- ■"V ■■%.x **» ^ 316 ** '^•. ■^4,'' In consequence of your excellency's acqui- escence to this measure, I delivered to major-ge- neral Phillips a list of the officers I begged to be exchanged, which he has assured me has been for- warded in his last proposals made between the British and American commissary-generals of pri- soners, on the 3d of Marcii. As all the British officers major-general Phil- lips asked to be exchanged at that time are al- ready arrived, without one German officer in- cluded in their number, I presume that the before- mentioned list has not reached your excellency's hands, being convinced chat you, sir, would be guided with the same impartiality towards one nation as another; I, therefore, take the liberty of repeating major-general Phillips' application for, your having the goodness to exchange the Ger- man officers mentioned in tlie said list, a copy of which I annex to this, and to give your excel- lency's orders tor those gentlemen being sent to New-York. Major Meibom, of my regiment of dragoons, and ensign Meibom, of my regiment of infantry, belonging to the troops of his serene highness the duke of Brunswic, being made prisoners of war, a few days past on Long-Island, T shall acknow- ledge it as an effect of your excellency's goodness to permit these two officers to come to New- York on parole. The infirm state of major Meibom's health make us( excellem permissic cellency I have most obe FROM GEN Sir,— I April, wii have bee passed fr Decembe on the 2 have mis you copi acceded cers part I refused minate m sent to T ueneval 1 .►iy^u«fc,., .^4*t ntHt^ '^- ..I- »-^-i^ J^ ,_r\<' '^W. # . 317 ^ * a *^ t 3 acqui* »ajor-ge- ed to be ►een for- 'een the 3 of pri- •al Phil- are al- icer in- ! before- illency's ould be rds one berty of tion for, le Ger- copy of excel- sent to agoons, ifantry, less the of war, cknow- >odness v-York >ibom*s health claims a particular nttention, and 1 shall make use of every interest in my power, with his excellency general sir Henry Clinton, to procure permission for tlieir being cxchunjjfcd, if your ex- cellency will please to give your approbation. I have the honour to be, sir, your excellency's most obedient and most humble servant, KIEDESEL, Mujor-General. H ■i^.' .» ,»■ •■1*'^ PBOM GENERAL WASHINOTON TO GEXEKAL HIEDESEL. ' ^- • f . .. "^J>i* .' li uJ-Qtinrt'-r?, N;.'W-\Vi(ulsor, May 11,1781. Sir, — I have been honoured with your favour of April, without particular date. You must either have been misinformed as to the letters which passed from general Phillips to me of the 23d December, and from me to sir Henry Clinton, on the 25th of January, in answer, or you must have misunderstood them. I therefore enclose you copies of them. You will observe, that I acceded only to the exchange of the British offi- cers particularly named in general Phillips' letter. I refused his proposal of permitting an indeter- minate number of British or German officers to be sent to New-York, at the discretion of brigadier- general Hnmilton. 27* 4 *.."• f* m -^aM- ■•'■mm^ .^z«r^ %J. '-^" .* '% .^ 320 ^' f. j^ ble congratulations ofl the happy return of peace, with the benevolent wishes whici; you are pleased ^ . to express for the future friendly union and inter- course of the two countries, and for my own per- \ sonal happiness and domestic enjoyment, would ,, have formed a most pleasing one. I pray you to be persuaded, sir, that my best and most devout wishes for your safe return to your own country attend you, as well as for your future happiness, prosperity, and glory. The Baron de Steuben will do me the favour to place this in your hand. This gentleman is in- ,. structed from me, to form some arrangements with general Haldimand respecting the execution of the seventh article of the provisional treaty, and receiving possession of the posts now under his direction, and in the occupation of the British ; troops, which are ceded by treaty to the United States. As an officer of distinction and reputation, as a foreigner, and a gentleman of agreeable and genteel manners, I beg leave to recommend the Baron to your particular attention and civilities, :- persuading myself that your goodness will afford him every aid in the prosecution of his tour, and the execution of his commission, that shall fall within your power. I am, &c. GEO. WASHINGTON. k Preface, Notes to Letter 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17 18 19 2C ^ - 21 n .. •'#- ■ ■■*. '♦ '^v of peace, ■e pleased md inter- own per- nt, would ly you to St devout country appiness, favour to an is in- ents with ;ution of iaty, and mder his 3 British 3 United ation, as ible and lend the iivilities, 11 afford our, and ball fall roN. t- J I ■r ■!f '\ l .*^;'^' ■■«■ fk- '.^4f V^ CONTENTS. .^• ■^ ■*:♦'!' •f »!*»■;-»• - Preface, . . Notes to the Preface, Letter 1. from General Riedesel to his wife, 2. 3. 4. 6. ^» 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. do. do. do. d< do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. doj* do. do. do. do. '\ 20. from Mad. de Riedesel to her mother, 21. d». -■ .1, ' * t Page. 5 21 wife. 25 do. 26 do. Ir 27 ' ' do. 28 * * ' do. do. 2^ -#.^ 31 do. •• St W. do. do. c ^,,.-f^ do. 39 . .^l do. 40 do. 42 do. 44 do. do. do. 46 ,^^ 51 ■■•"'' "1 do. 62 do. 53 do. 54 moth( 5r, 55 do. 56 If v 4 ■t- . ,• .i|s*« Z^" jki^^^^l^^^^ttinv^ "^ y*'*ft«MHi»«^«Nl, >*^j^,-:' 3k. V ! i» • ' •;; ':* 322 ^ Mad. de Riedesel's account of her journey from Wolfenbiittel to Bristol, Residence of Mad. de R.iedesel at Bristol, Portsmouth, and London, and her sailing from Portsmouth, Letter 22. from General Riedesel to his wife, . 23. do. do. . 24. da«; do. . Diary of Mad. de Riedesel during her voyage from Portsmouth to Quebec, until her ar- rival at the latter place, Letter 25. Extract frotn a letter of General Riedesel to his wife, Continuation of Mad. de Riedesel's journal from Quebec, until her meeting with her husband — during the time of their second ' separation — and till their reunion at Fort Edward, .... Abstract from a mil'tary memoir, concerning ^ . the campaign of 1777, (by General Riede- S6X^ ] • • • • • Continuation of Mad. de Riedesel's account of her residence in America, Mad. de Riedesel's journal, from the time of her departure from America, until her ar- rival at Brunswic, APPENDIX. Letter from General Riedesel to General Wash- iogton, dated Cambridge, Jan. 11, 1778, ■^■*- ..^. '•t 1 •% Pago. 58 72 95 99 101 103 117 120 137 164 282 301 liCtter fron Riedes Forge Letter fron dated Letter fron dated Letter fron ington Feb. : Letter fron ingtoi Oct. ] Letter froi Riede Point, Letter fronr ington Letter fron ingtor fietter froi Riede Wind Letter fron ton, d Letter fro Ried( ■'.1783, Paso, 58 72 95 99 101 103 117 120 137 164 282 323 Letter from General Washington to General Riedesel, dated Head-Quarters, Valley- Forge, March 31, 1778, . . Letter from General Riedesel to General Gates, dated Cambridge, Nov. 21, 1778. Letter from General Riedesel to General Gates, dated Essex Court- House, Jan. 2, 1779, Letter from General Riedesel to General Wash- ington, dated Colle, near Charlottesville, Feb. 16, 1779. .... Tietter from General Riedesel to General Wash- ington, dated Bethlehem, in Pennsylvania, Oct. 12,1779, .... Letter from General Washington to General Riedesel, dated Head-Quarters, West- Point, Oct. 23, 1779, . . ' . Letter from General Riedesel to General Wash- ington, dated Bethlehem, Oct. 29, 1779, Letter from General Riedesel to General Wash- ington, dated Brooklyn, April, 1781, fiCtter from General Washington to General Riedesel, dated Head-Quarters, New- Windsor, May 11, 1781, Letter from General Riedesel to General Wash- ton, dated Sorel, June 12, 1783, liCtter from General Washington to General Riedesel, dated Head-Quarters, July 11, J 783, • . V " • *<> Page. 302 304 807 300 310 311 312 314 316 317 310 301 \' ;*■; •*' ♦ #*♦' ,-«'T'-~''~''1^k;»-