WILLIAML.CLEMENTS
LIBRARY OF
AMERICAN HISTORY
UNIVERSITY of MICHIGAN





A
NARRATIVE
O F
COLONEL
ETHAN ALLEN's
CAPTIVITY,
From the Time of his being taken by the British, near Montreal, on
the 25th Day of September, in the Year 1775, to the Time of his
Exchange, on the 6th Day of May, 1778:
CONTAINING,
HIS VOYAGES
AND TRAVELS,
With the most remarkable Occurrences refpecting himfelf, and many
other Continental Prifoners of different Ranks and Characters,
which fell under his Obfervation, in the Courfe of the fame;
particularly the Deftru&tion of the Prifoners at New York, by
General Sir William Howe, in the Years 1776 and 177
Interfperfed with fome POLITICAL OBSERVATIONS.
Written by himself, and now published for the Information of the
Curious in all Nations.-Price Ten Paper Dollars.
When God from Chaos gave this World TO BE,
Man then he form'd, and form'd him TO BE FREE.
American Independence, a Poem, by FRENEAU.
PHILADELPHIA:
PRINTED AND SOLD BY ROBERT BELL, IN THIRD STREET.
M. DCC. LXXIX.

INTRODUCTION.
NDUCED by a fenfe of duty to
my country, and by the appli-
cation of many of my worthy
friends, fome of whom are of the
first characters, I have concluded
to publish the following narrative
of the extraordinary fcenes of my
captivity, and the difcoveries which
I made in the courfe of the fame,
of the cruel and relentlefs difpofi-
tion and behaviour of the enemy,
towards the prifoners in their pow-
er; from which the ftate politici-
an, and every gradation of charac-
ter among the people, to the wor-
thy tiller of the foil, may deduce
fuch inferences as they fhall think
proper to carry into practice. Some
men are appointed into office, in
thefe ftates, who read the hiftory
of the cruelties of this war with the
fame carelefs indifferency, as they
do the pages of the Roman hiftory;
nay, fome are preferred to places
of truft and profit by the tory in-,
fluence. The inftances are (I hope)
but rare; and it ftands all freemen
in hand, to prevent their further
influence, which, of all other
things, would be the most baneful
to the liberties and happinefs of
this country; and fo far as fuch
influence takes place, robs us of
the victory we have obtained, at
the expence of fo much blood and
treafure.
I fhould have exhibited to the
public a hiftory of the facts herein
contained, foon after my exchange,
had not the urgency of my private
affairs, together with more urgent
Bennington, March 25th, 1779-
public bufinefs, demanded my at
tention, 'till a few weeks befor
the date hereof. The reader will!
readily difcern, that a narrative of
this fort could not have been wrote
when I was a prifoner: My trunk
and writings were often fearched,
under various pretences; fo that I
never wrote a fyllable, or made
even a rough minute, whereon I
might predicate this narration, but
trufted folely to my memory for
the whole. I have, however, taken
the greatest care and pains to re-
collect the facts, and arrange them;
but as they touch a variety of cha.
racters and oppofite interefts, I am
fenfible that all will not be pleafed
with the relation of them: Be this
as it will, I have made truth my
invariable guide, and take my
honour on the truth of the facts.
I have been very generous with the
British, in giving them full and
ample credit for all their good
ufage of any confiderable confe-
quence, which I met with among
them, during my captivity; which
was eafily done, as I met with but
little, in compariſon of the bad,
which, by reafon of the great plu
rality of it, could not be contained
in fo concife a narrative; fo that I
am certain, that I have more fully
enumerated the favours which I
received, than the abufes I fuffer-
ed. The critic will be pleaſed to
excufe any inaccuracies in the per-
formance itfelf, as the author has
unfortunately miffed of a liberal
education.
ETHAN ALLEN.

A NARRATIVE OF COL. ETHAN ALLEN's
OBSERVATIONS DURING HIS CAPTIVITY.
E of manhood, and acquainted
"
6.6
the manner following: "Friends
and fellow-foldiers, you have,
"for a number of years paft, been
a fcourge and terror to arbitrary
power. Your valour has been
famed abroad, and acknowledg-
"ed, as appears by the advice
"and orders to me (from the Ge
"neral Affembly of Connecticut)
to furprize and take the garrifon
now before us. I now propofe
"to advance before you, and in
perfon conduct you through the
"wicket-gate; for we muft this
"morning either quit our preten-
66
86
66
fions to valour, or poffefs our-
"felves of this fortrefs in a few
"minutes; and, in as much as it
" is a defperate attempt, (which
66
none but the braveft of men
"dare undertake) I do not urge
"it on any contrary to his will.
* You that will undertake volun-
firktarily, poife your firelocks."
VER fince I arrived to a flate
of manhood, and acquainted
myfelf with the general hiftory of
mankind, I have felt a fincere paf-
fion for liberty. The hiftory of na-
tions doomed to perpetual flavery,
in confequence of yielding up to
tyrants their natural-born liberties,
I read with a fort of philofophical
horror; fo that the firft fyftematical
and bloody attempt at Lexington,
to enflave America, thoroughly
electrified my mind, and fully de-
termined me to take part with my
country: And while I was wifhing
for an opportunity to fignalize my-
felf in its behalf, directions were
privately feat to me from the then
colony (now ftate) of Connecticut,
to raife the Green Mountain Boys;
(and if poffible) with them to fur-
prize and take the fortrefs Ticon-
deroga. This enterprize I chear-
fully undertook; and, after
guarding all the feveral paffes that
led thither, to cut off all intelli-
gence between the garrifon and the
country, made a forced march from
Bennington, and arrived at the lake
oppofite to Ticonderoga, on the
evening of the ninth day of May,
1775, with two hundred and thirty
valiant Green Mountain Boys;
and it was with the atmoft difficul-
ty that I procured boats to crofs
the lake: However, I landed eighty
three men near the garrifon, and
fent the boats back for the rear
guard commanded by col. Seth
Warner; but the day began to
dawn, and I found myfelf under a
neceffity to attack the fort, before
the rear could crofs the lake; and,
as it was viewed hazardous, I ha-
Langued the officers and foldiers in
The men being (at this time)
drawn up in three ranks, each
poifed his firelock. I ordered them
to face to the right; and, at the
head of the center-file, marched
them immediately to the wicket-
gate aforefaid, where I found at
centry pofted, who inftantly fnap-
ped his fufee at me: I run imme-
diately toward him, and he re-
treated through the covered way
into the parade within the garri-
fon, gave a halloo, and ran under
a bomb-proof. My party who fol-
lowed me into the fort, I formed
on the parade, in fuch manner as
to face the two barracks which
faced, each other. The garrifon
being asleep, (except the centries)
we gave three huzzas which great-
ly furprized them. One of the
centries

4
ALLEN'S
COL. ETHAN
centries made a pafs at one of my
officers with a charged bayonet,
and flightly wounded him: My
first thought was to kill him with
my fword; but, in an inftant, al-
tered the defign and fury of the
blow to a flight cut on the fide of
the head; upon which he dropped
his gun, and afked quarter, which
I readily granted him, and de-
manded of him the place where the
commanding officer kept; he fhew.
ed me a pair of flairs in the front
of a barrack, on the weft part of
the garrifon, which led up to a
fecond story in faid barrack, to
which I immediately repaired, and
ordered the commander (captain
Delaplace) to come forth inftantly,
or I would facrifice the whole gar,
rifon; at which the captain came
immediately to the door with his
breeches in his hand, when I or-
dered him to deliver to me the fort
inftantly, who afked me by what
authority I demanded it: I an-
fwered him, " In the name of the
great Jehovah, and the Conti-
nental Congrefs." (The autho.
rity of the Congrefs being very
little known at that time) he be-
gan to fpeak again; but I inter-
rupted him, and with my drawn
fword over his head, again de-
manded an immediate furrender of
the garrifon; to which he then
complied, and ordered his men to
be forthwith paraded without arms,
as he had given up the garrifon :
In the mean time fome of my offi-
cers had given orders, and in con-
fequence thereof, fundry of the
barrack doors were beat down,
and about one third of the garri-
fon imprifoned, which confifted of
the faid commander, a lieutenant
Feltham, a conductor of artillery,
a gunner, two fergeants, and forty
four rank and file; about one bun-
66
dred pieces of cannon, one 13 inch
mortar, and a number of fwivels.
This furprize was carried into ex-
ecution in the gray of the morning
of the 10th day of May, 1775-
The fun feemed to rife that morn-
ing with a fuperior luftre; and
'Ticonderoga and its dependencies
fmiled on its conquerors, who
toffed about the flowing bowl, and
wifhed fuccefs to Congrefs, and the
liberty and freedom of America.
Happy it was for me, (at that
time) that the then future pages,
of the Book of Fate, which after-
wards unfolded a miferable ſcene
of two years and eight months
impriſonment, was hid from my
view: But to return to my narra.
tion; col. Warner, with the rear
guard, croffed the lake, and joined
me early in the morning, whom I
fent off, without lofs of time, with
about one hundred men, to take
poffeffion of Crown Point, which
was garrifoned with a fergeant
and twelve men; which he took
poffeffion of the fame day, as
alfo upwards of one hundred pieces
of cannon. But one thing now re-
mained to be done, to make our-.
felves complete mafters of lake
Champlain: This was to poffefs
ourfelves of a floop of war, which
was then laying at St. John's; to
effect which, it was agreed in a
council of war, to arm and man
out a certain fchooner, which lay
at South Bay, and that captain
(now general) Arnold fhould com-
mand her, and that I fhould com-
mand the batteaux. The neceffary
preparations being made, we fet
fail from Ticonderoga, in queft of
the floop, which was much larger,
and carried more guns and heavier
metal than the fchooner. General
Arnold, with the fchooner failing
falter than the batteaux, arrived at
St.

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.,
5
St. John's; and by furprize, pof-
felled himself of the floop, before
I could arrive with the batteaux :
He alfo made prifoners of a fer-
geant and twelve men, who were
garrifoned at that place. It is
worthy remark, that as foon as
general Arnold had fecured the
prifoners on board, and had made
preparation for failing, the wind,
which but a few hours before was
fresh in the fouth, and well ferved
to carry us to St. John's, now
fhifted, and came fresh from the
north; and in about one hour's
time, general Arnold failed with
the prize and fchooner for Ticon-
deroga: When I met him with
my party, within a few miles of
St. John's, he faluted me with a
difcharge of cannon, which I re-
turned with a volley of fmall arms:
This, being repeated three times, I
went on board the floop with my
party, where feveral loyal Con-
grefs healths were drank. We
were now mafters of lake Cham-
plain, and the garrifons depending
thereon. This fuccefs I viewed of
confequence in the fcale of Ame-
rican politics; for if a fettlement
between the then colonies and
Great Britain, had foon taken
place, it would have been eaſy to
have restored thefe acquifitions;
but viewing the then future confe-
quences of a cruel war, (as it has
really proved to be) and the com-
mand of that lake, garrifons, ar-
tillery, &c. muft be viewed to be
of fignal importance to the Ame-
rican caufe, and it is marvellous to
me, that we ever loft the command
of it. Nothing but the taking a
Burgoyne, with a whole British
army, could (in my opinion) atone
for it; and notwithstanding fach
an extraordinary victory, we muft
be obliged to regain the command
of that lake again, be the coft
what it will: By doing this, Ca-
nada will eafily be brought into
union and confederacy with the
United States of America. Such
an event would put it out of the
power of the western tribes of In-
dians to carry on a war with us,
and be a folid and durable bar a-
gainft any further inhuman barba-
rities committed on our frontier
inhabitants, by cruel and blood-
thirfty favages; for it is impoffible
for them to carry on a war, except
they are fupported by the trade and
commerce of fome civilized na-
tion; which to them would be im-
practicable, did Canada compofe a
part of the American empire.
Early in the fall of the year, the
little army, under the command of
the generals Schuyler and Mont-
gomery, were ordered to advance
into Canada. I was at Ticonde-
roga, when this order arrived; and
the general, with most of the field
officers, requefted me to attend
them in the expedition; and tho'
at that time, I had no commifion
from Congrefs, yet they engaged
me, that I fhould be confidered as
an officer the fame as tho' I had a
commiffion; and should, as ocea-
fion might require, command cer-
tain detachments of the army.--
This I confidered as an honourable
offer, and did not hesitate to com-
ply with it, and advanced with the
army to the ifle Auix Noix; from
whence I was ordered (by the ge-
neral) to go in company with ma-
jor Brown, and certain interpre-
ters, through the woods into Ca-
nada, with letters to the Canadi-
ans, and to let them know, that
the defign of the army was only
against the English garrifons, and
not the country, their liberties, or
religion: And having, through
much

6
ALLEN'S
COL. ETHAN
much danger, negotiated this bu-
finefs, I returned to the ifle Auix
Noix the fore part of September,
when general Schuyler returned to
Albany; and in confequence the
command devolved upon general
Montgomery, whom I affifted in
laying a line of circumvallation
round the fortrefs St. John's: Af-
ter which I was ordered by the ge-
neral, to make a fecond tour into
Canada, upon nearly the fame de-
fign as before; and withal to ob-
ferve the difpofition, defigns and
movements of the inhabitants of
the country: This reconnoitre I
undertook with reluctance, chufing
rather to affift at the fiege of St.
John's, which was then clofely in-
vefted; but my efteem for the ge-
neral's perfon, and opinion of him
as a politician and brave officer,
induced me to proceed.
I paffed through all the parishes
on the river Sorrel, to a parifh at
the mouth of the fame, which is
called by the fame name, preach
ing politics; and went from thence
across the Sorrel to the river St.
Lawrence, and up the river through
the parishes to Longale, and fo far
met with good fuccefs as an itine-
rant. In this round, my guard
was Canadians, (my interpreter
and fome few attendants excepted.)
On the morning of the 24th day
of September, I fet out with my
guard of about eighty men, from
Longale, to go to Lapraier; from
whence I determined to go to ge-
neral Montgomery's camp; but
but
had not advanced two miles before
I met with major Brown, (who has
fince been advanced to the rank of
a colonel) who defired me to halt,
faying that he had fomething of
importance to communicate to me
and my confidents; upon which I
halted the party, and went into an
houfe, and took a private room
with him and feveral of my affoci-
ates, where col. Brown propofed,
that " Provided I would return
to Longale, and procure fome ca-
noes, fo as to crofs the river St.
Lawrence a little north of Mon-
treal, he would crofs it a little to
the fouth of the town, with near
two hundred men, as he had boats
fufficient; and that we would make
ourfelves mafiers of Montreal."-
This plan was readily approved by
me and thofe in council; and in
confequence of which I returned
to Longale, collected a few ca-
noes, and added about thirty En-
glih Americans to my party, and
croffed the river in the night of the
24th, agreeable to the before pro-
pofed plan. My whole party, at
this time, confifted of about one
hundred and ten men, near eighty
of whom were Canadians. We
were the most of the night croffing
the river, as we had fo few canoes
that they had to país and re-país
three times, to carry my party a-
crofs. Soon after day-break, I fet
a guard between me and the town,
with fpecial orders to let no perfon
whatever pafs or re-pafs them, and
another guard on the other end of
the road, with like directions; in
the mean time, I reconnoitred the
beft ground to make a defence, ex-
pecting colonel Brown's party was
landed on the other fide of the
town, he having (the day before)
agreed to give three huzzas with
his men early in the morning,
which fignal I was to return, that
we might each know that both par-
ties were landed; but the fun, by
this time, being near two hours
high, and the fign failing, I began
to conclude myfelf to be in a pre-
munire, and would have croffed
the river back again, but I knew
the

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
7
the enemy would have difcovered
fuch an attempt; and as there
could not more than one third part
of my troops crofs at one time, the
other two thirds would of courfe
fall into their hands. This I could
not reconcile to my own feelings
as a man, much lefs as an officer:
I therefore concluded to maintain
the ground, (if poffible) and all
to fare alike. In confequence of this
refolution, I difpatched two mef.
fengers, one to Lapraire, (to col.
Brown) and the other to Lafump-
tion, (a French fettlement) to Mr.
Walker, who was in our intereft,
requefting their speedy affistance;
giving them at the fame time, to
understand my critical fituation:
In the mean time, fundry perfons
came to my guards, pretending to
be friends, but were by them taken
prifoners, and brought to me.--
Thefe I ordered to confinement,
'till their friendship could be fur-
ther confirmed; for I was jealous
they were fpies, as they proved to
be afterwards: One of the princi-
pal of them making his efcape,
expofed the weaknefs of my party,
which was the final caufe of my
misfortune; for I have been fince
informed that Mr. Walker, agree-
able to my defire, exerted himself,
and had raiſed a confiderable num-
ber of men for my affiftance, which
brought him into difficulty after-
wards; but upon hearing of my
misfortune, difbanded them again.
The town of Montreal was in a
great tumult. Gen. Carlton and
the royal party made every prepa-
ration to go on board their veffels
of force, (as I was afterwards in-
formed) but the fpy efcaping from
my guard to the town, occafioned
an alteration in their policy, and
emboldened gen. Carlton to fend
the force, which he had there col-
I had pre-
lected, out againft me
viously chofen my ground, but
when I faw the number of the ene-
my, as they fallied out of the town,
I perceived it would be a day of
trouble, if not of rebuke; but I
had no chance to flee, as Montreal
was fituated on an island, and the
river St. Lawrence cut off my com-
munication to gen. Montgomery's
camp. I encouraged my foldiery
to bravely defend themfelves, that
we fhould foon have help, and that
we should be able to keep the
ground, if no more. This, and
much more I affirmed with the
greateft feeming affurance, and
which in reality I thought to be in
fome degree probable.
The enemy confifled of not more
than forty regular troops, together
with a mixed multitude, chiefly
Canadians, with a number of En-
glifh who lived in the town, and
fome Indians; in all to the nume
ber of near five hundred.
The reader will notice that moft
of my party were Canadians; in-
deed it was a motley parcel of fol
diery which compofed both parties.
However, the enemy began the at-
tack from wood-piles, ditches,
buildings, and fuch like places, at
a confiderable diftance, and I re-
turned the fire from a fituation
more than equally advantageous.
The attack began between two and
three of the clock in the after-
noon, juft before which I ordered
a volunteer, by the name of Rich-
ard Young, with a detachment of
nine men as a flank guard, which,
under the cover of the bank of the
river, could not only annoy the e-
nemy, but at the fame time, ferve
as a flank guard to the left of the
main body.
The fire continued for fome
time on both fides; and I was
confident

8
COL. ETHAN
ALLEN'S
me; the ball whiftled near me, as
did many others that day. I re-
turned the falute, and miffed him,
as running had put us both out of
breath; for I conclude we were
not frighted: I then faluted him
with my tongue in a harfh manner,
and told him that inafmuch as his
numbers were fo far fuperior to
mine, I would furrender, provided
I could be treated with honour,
and be affured of good quarter for
myfelf and the men who were with
me; and he anfwered I fhould;
another officer coming up directly
after, confirmed the treaty; upon
which I agreed to furrender with
my party, which then confifted of
thirty one effective men, and feven
wounded. I ordered them to
ground their arms, which they did.
confident that fuch a remote me-
thod of attack, could not carry the
ground, (provided it fhould be
continued 'till night:) But near
half the body of the enemy began
to flank round to my right; upon
which I ordered a volunteer, by
the name of John Dugan, who had
lived many years in Canada, and
understood the French language,
to detach about fifty of the Cana-
dians, and poft himself at an ad-
vantageous ditch, which was on
my right, to prevent my being
furrounded: He advanced with the
detachment, but instead of occu-
pying the pot, made his efcape,
as did likewife Mr. Young upon
the left, with their detachments.
I foon perceived that the enemy
was in poffeffion of the ground,
which Dugan fhould have occupied.
At this time I had but about forty
five men with me; fome of whom
were wounded: The enemy kept
clofing round me, nor was it in
my power to prevent it; by which
means, my fituation which was
advantageous in the firft part of
the attack, ceafed to be fo in the
laft; and being almoft entirely
farrounded with fuch vaft unequal
numbers, I ordered a retreat, but
found that thofe of the enemy,
who were of the country, and
their Indians, could run as faft as
my men, tho' the regulars could
not: Thus I retreated near a mile,
and fome of the enemy, with the
favages, kept flanking me, and o-
thers crowded hard in the rear:
In fine I expected in a very fhort
time, to try the world of fpirits;
for I was apprehenfive that no
quarter would be given to me, and
therefore had determined to fell
my life as dear as I could: One of
the enemy's officers boldly preffing
in the rear, difcharged his fufee at
The officer I capitulated with,
then directed me and my party to
advance towards him, which was
done; I handed him my fword,
and in half a minute after a favage,
part of whofe head was fhaved,
being almoft naked and painted,
with feathers intermixed with the
hair of the other fide of his head,
came running to me with an in-
credible fwiftnefs; he feemed to
advance with more than mortal
speed; (as he approached near me,
his hellish vifage was beyond all
defcription; fnakes eyes appear
innocent in comparifon of his;
his features extorted; malice,
death, murder, and the wrath of
devils and damned fpirts are the
emblems of his countenance) and
in lefs than twelve feet of me, pre-
fented his firelock; at the inftant
of his prefent, I twitched the offi-
cer to whom I gave my fword, be-
tween me and the favage; but he
flew round with great fury, trying
to fingle me out to shoot me with-
out killing the officer; but by this
time

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
a
time I was near as nimble as he,
keeping the officer in fuch a pofi-
tion that his danger was my de-
fence; but in, lefs than half a mi
nute, I was attacked by juft fach
another imp of hell: Then I made
the officer fly around with incredi-
ble velocity, for a tew feconds of
time, when I perceived a Cana-
dian (who had loft one eye, as ap.
peared afterwards) taking my part
again ft the favages; and in an in-
ftant an I ifhman came to my af-
fitance with a fixed bayonet, and
drove away the fiends, fwearing by
Jafus he would kill them. This
tragic feene compofed my mind.
The elcaping from fo awful
death, made even imprifonment
happy; the more fo as my con-
querors on the field treated me
with great civility and politenefs.
The regular officers faid that they
were very happy to fee col. Allen:
I anfuered them, that I should ra-
ther chofe to have jeen them at gen.
Montgomery's camp. The gentlemen
replied, that they gave full credit to
what I faid. and as I walked to
the town, which was (as I should
guess) more than two miles, a Bri-
tish officer walked at my right hand,
and one of the French nobleffe at my
left; the latter of which in the ac-
tion, bad bis eyebrow carried away
by a glancing hot, but was never
belejs very merry and facetious, and
no abuje was offered me 'till I came
to the barrack-yard at Montreal,
where I met general Prefcott, who
alked me my name, which I told
bim: He then asked me, whether I
was that col Allen, who took Ti-
conderoga. I told him I was the
very man: Then he shook his cane
over my head, calling many hard
names, among which he frequently
fed the word rebel, and put himself
in a great rage. I told him he
B
would do well not to cane me, for I
was not accustomed to it, and book
my fift at him, telling him that that
was the beetle of mortality for him,
if he prefumed to firike; upon which
capt. M'Cloud of the British, pulled
bim by the fkirt, and whispered to
him (as he afterwards told me) to
this import; that it was inconfiflene
with his honour to ftrike a prifoner.
Heiben ordered a fergeant's command
with fixed bayonets to come forward,
and hill thirteen Canadians, which
were included in the treaty aforefaid.
It cut me to the heart to fee the
Canadians in fo hard a cafe, in con-
Jequence of their having been true to
me; they were wringing their hands,
Jaying their prayers, (as I concluded)
and expected immediate death. I
therefore fepped between the execu-
tioners and the Canadians, opened
my cloaths, and told gen. Prescott to
thrust his bayonets into my breast,
for I was the fole caufe of the Cana-
dians taking up arms.
The guard in the mean time, roll-
ing their eye balls from the general
to me, as though impatiently waiting
his dread commands to fheath their
bayonets in my heart; I could bow-
ever plainly difcern, that he was in
ajuspence and quandary about the
matter: This gave me additional
hopes of fucceeding; for my defign
was not to die, but to fave the Ca-
nadians by a fineffe. The general
food a minute, when he made me the
following reply: "I will not exe-
cute you now; but you shall grace
a halter at Tyburn, God damn
ye."
I remember I difdained his men.
tioning fuch a place: I was not-
withstanding a little inwardly plea-
fed with the expreffion, as it fignifi-
cantly conveyed to me the idea of
peliponing the prefent appearance of
death; beside his fentence was by no
means

10
ALLEN'S
COL.
ETHAN
means final, as to " gracing a hal-
ter," although I had anxiety about
it after I landed in England, as the
reader will find in the course of this
biftory. Gen Prefcott then ordered
one of his officers to take me on board
the Gafpee febooner of war, and
confine me, hands and feet, in irons,
which was done the fame afternoon
I was taken.
The action continued an hour and
tbree quarters by the watch, and I
know not to this day how many of
my men were killed, though I am
certain there were but few; if I
remember right, Jeven were wound-
ed; one of them, William Stewart
by name, was wounded by a favage
with a tomahawk, after he was
taken prifoner and difarmed, but
was refcued by Jome of the generous
enemy; and so far recovered his
wounds, that be afterwards went
with the other prifoners to England.
Of the enemy were killed a major
Carden, who had been wounded in
eleven different battles, & an eminent
merchant Patterson of Montreal, and
Some others, but I never knew their
whole loss, as their accounts were
different. I am apprehenfive that it
is rare, that fo much ammunition
was expended, and fo little execution
done by it; though fuch of my party
as flood the ground, behaved with
great fortitude, much exceeding that
of the enemy, but were not the best
of marksmen, and I am apprehen-
five, were all killed or taken; the
wounded were put into the hospital
at Montreal, and those that were
not, were put on board of different
veffels in the river, and shackled to-
gether by pairs, viz. two men faf.
tened together by one band cuff, being
closely fixed to one wrift of each of
them, and treated with the greatest
Jeverity, nay as criminals.
I come now to the defcription of
the irons, which were put on me:
The hand-cuff was of a common fixe
and form, but my leg irons ( 1 fhould
imagine) would weigh thirty pounds;
the bar was eight feet long, and
very fubftantial; the hackles which
encompaffed my ancles, were very
tight. I was told by the officer who
put them on, that it was the king's
plate, and I heard other of their of-
ficers Jay, that it would weigh forty
weight. The irons were fo clofe
upon my ancles, that I could not lie
down in any other manner than on my
back. I was put into the lowest
and most wretched part of the veffel,
where I got the favour of a cheft to
fet on; the fame answered for my bed
at night, and having procured fome
little blocks of the guard (who day
and night, with fixed bayonets,
watched over me) to lay under each
end of the large bar of my leg irons,
to preserve my ancles from galling,
while I fet on the cheft, or lay back
on the fame, though most of the time,
night and day, I fet on it; but at
length having a defire to lie down on
my fide, which the clofenefs of the
irens forbid, defired the captain to
loofen them for that purpofe, but was
denied the favour: The captain's
name was Royal, who did not feem
to be an ill natured man; but often-
times faid, that bis exprefs orders
were to treat me with fuch feverity,
which was difagreeable to his own
feelings; nor did he ever infult me,
though many others, who came on
board, did. One of the officers, by
the name of Bradley, was very ge-
nerous to me; he would often fend me
victuals from his own table; nor
did a day fail, but that he fent me
a good drink of grog.
I
The reader is now invited back to
the time I was put into irons.
requested the privilege to write to
gen. Prefcott, which was granted.
I re-

OBSERVATIONS, during bis Captivity.
II
I reminded him of the kind and ge-
nerous manner of my treatment to the
prifoners I took at Ticonderoga; the
injustice and ungentleman-like ufage,
which I had met with from him,
and demanded gentleman like ufage,
but received no anfuer from him.
foon after wrote to gen. Carlton,
which met the fame fuccefs. In the
mean while many of those who were
permitted to fee me, were very in-
fuking.
I was confined in the manner I
have related, on board the Gafpee
fchooner, about fix weeks; during
which time I was obliged to throw
out plenty of extravagant language
which anfwered certain purpoſes,
(at that time) better than to grace
a hiftory.
To give an inflance upon being
infulted, in a fit of anger I twisted
off a nail with my teeth, which I
took to be a ten-penny nail; it
went through the mortife of the
bar of my hand-cuff, and at the
fame time I fwaggered over thofe
who abufed me; particularly a
doctor Dace, who told me that I
was outlawed by New York, and
deferved death for feveral years
paft; was at laft fully ripened for
the halter, and in a fair way to
obtain it: When I challenged
him, he excufed him felf in confe-
quence, as he faid, of my being
a criminal; but I flung fuch a
flood of language at him, that it
fhocked him and the fpectators,
for my anger was very great. I
heard one fay, damn him, can he
eat iron? After that a fmall pad-
lock was fixed to the hand-cuff,
inftead of the nail; and as they
were mean-spirited in their treat-
ment to me, fo it appeared to me,
that they were equally timorous
and cowardly.
I was after fent with the pri-
foners taken with me to an armed
veffel in the river, which lay off
againft Quebec, under the com-
mand of capt. McCloud of the
British, who treated me in a very
generous and obliging manner,
and according to my rank; in a-
bout twenty four hours I bid him
farewel with regret; but my good
fortune ftill continued: The name
of the captain of the veffel I was
put on board, was Little John;
who, with his officers, behaved in
a polite, generous, and friendly
manner. I lived with them in the
cabbin, and fared on the bef;
my irons being taken off, contrary
to the order he had received from
the commanding officer; but capt.
Little John fwore, that a brave
man fhould not be used as a rafcal,
on board his fhip.
Thus I found myself in poffef-
fion of happineſs once more, and
the evils I had lately fuffered, gave
me an uncommon relifh for it.
Capt. Little John ufed to go to
Quebec almost every day, in order
to pay his refpects to certain gen-
tlemen and ladies; being there on
a certain day, he happened to meet
with fome difagreeable treatment
(as he imagined) from a lieutenant
of a man of war, and one word
brought on another, 'till the lieu-
tenant challenged him to a duel
on the plains of Abraham. Capt.
Little John was a gentleman, who
entertained a high fenfe of honour,
and could do no less than accept
the challenge.
At nine o'clock the next morn-
ing they were to fight. The cap-
tain returned in the evening, and
acquainted his lieutenant and me
with the affair: His lieutenant
was a high blooded Scotchman as
well as himself, who replied to his
captain, that he fhould not want
for

12
COL. ETHAN
ALLEN'S
chant from London, whofe name
was Brook Watfon; a man of ma.
licious and ciuel difpofition, and
who was probably excited in the
exercife of his malevolence, by a
junto of tories, who failed with
him to England; among whom
were col. Guy Johnfon, cl Clofs,
and their attendants and affociates,
to the number of about thirty.
All the ship's crew (col Clofs,
in his perfonal behaviour, except-
ed) behaved towards the prifoners
with that fpirit of bitternefs, which
is the peculiar characteristic of
tories, when they have the friends
of America in
their power,
for a fecond. With this I inter-
rupted him, and gave the captain
to underfland, that fince an op-
portunity had prefented, I would
be glad to teftify my gratitude to
him, by acting the part of a faith-
ful fecond, on which he gave me
his hand, and faid that he wanted
no better man. Says he, I am a
king's officer, and you a prifoner
under my care; you must there-
fore go with me to the place ap-
pointed, in difguife, and added
further: You must engage to
me, upon the honour of a gen-
tleman, that whether I die or
live, or whatever happens, (pro-
"vided you live) that you will
return to my lieutenant on board
"this fhip" All this I folemnly
engaged him. The combatants
were to difcharge each a pocket-
piftol, and then to fall on with
their iron-hilted muckle-whangers;
and one of that fort was allotted
for me; but fome British officers,
who interpofed early in the morn-
ing, fettled the controverfy with
out fighting.
66
66
Now having enjoyed eight or
nine days happiness, from the po-
lite and generous treatment of
capt. Little John and his officers,
I was obliged to bid them farewel,
parting with them in as friendly a
manner, as we had lived together,
which, to the beft of my memory,
was the eleventh of November:
When a detachment of gen. Ar-
nold's little army appeared on
point Levy, oppofite Quebec, (who
had performed an extraordinary
march through a wilderness coun-
try, with defign to have furprized
the capital of Canada) I was then
taken on boaid a veffel called the
Adamant, together with the pri-
foners taken with me, and put un-
der the power of an English mer
meafuring their loyalty to the En-
glifh king by the barbarity, fraud,
and deceit which they exercile to-
wards the whigs.
A fmall place in the veffel, en-
clofed with white-oak plank, was
affigned for the prifoners, and for
me among the rett I fhould ima
gine that it was not more than
twenty feet one way, and twenty
two the other: Into this place we
were all, to the number of thirty
four, thruft and hand cuffed, (two
prifoners more being added to our
number) and were provided with
two excrement tubs; in this cir-
cumference we were obliged to eat
and perform the office of evacua-
tion, during the voyage to Eng-
land; and were infulted by every
black guard failer and tory on
board, in the cruellest manner;
but what is the moft furprizing is,
that not one of us died in the paf
fage. When I was first ordered to
go into the filthy enclosure, thro'
a fmall fort of door, I pofitively
refuted, and endeavoured to rea
fon the before named Brook Wat-
fon out of a conduct fo derogatory
to every fentiment of honour and
humanity, but all to no pu poft,
my

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
13
my men being forced into the den
already; and the rafcal who had
the charge of the prifoners, com-
manded me to go immediately in
among the reft: He further added
that the place was good enough
for a rebel; that it was imperti-
nent for a capital offender to talk
of honour or humanity; that any
thing fhot of a halter, was too
good for me; and that, that would
be my portion foon after I landed
in England; for which purpofe
only I was fent thither About
the fame time a lieutenant among
the tories, infulted me in a griev-
ous manner, faying, that I ought
to have been executed for my re-
bellion again New York, and
fpit in my face; upon which (tho'
I was hand-cuffed) I fprang at him
with both hands, and knocked him
partly down, but he fcrambled a-
long into the cabbin, and I after
him; there he got under the pro-
tection of fome men with fixed
bayonets, who were ordered to
make ready to drive me into the
place afore mentioned. I challen-
ged him to fight, notwithstanding
the impediments that were on my
hands, and had the exalted plea-
fure to fee the rafcal tremble for
fear; his name I have forgot, but
Watfon ordered his guard to get
me into the place with the other
prifoners, dead or alive; and I
had almoft as leave die as do it,
standing it out till they environed
me round with bayonets; and
brutish, prejudiced, abandoned
wretches they were, from whom I
could expect nothing but death or
wounds: However I told them,
that they were good honeft fellows;
that I could not blame them; that
I was only in a difpute with a ca-
licoe merchant, who knew not
how to behave towards a gentle-
man of the military eftablishment.
This was fpoke rather to appeafe
them for my own prefervation, as
well as to treat Watlon with con-
tempt; but ftill I found that they
were determined to force me into
the wretched circumftances, which
their prejudiced, and depraved
minds had prepared for me: There-
fore rather than die, I fubmitted
to their indignities, being drove
with bayonets into the filthy dun.
geon, with the other prifoners,
where we were denied fresh water,
except a fmall allowance which
was very inadequate to our wants;
and in confequence of the stench
of the place, each of us was foon
followed with a diarrhoea and fe-
ver, which occafioned an intoler
able thirit.
When we asked for
water, we were most commonly
(inftead of obtaining i) infulted
and' derided; and to add to all the
horrors of the place, it was. fo
dark that we could not fee each
other, and were overfpread with
body-lice. We had (notwith-
ftanding thefe feverities) tull al-
lowance of falt provifion, and a
gill of rum per day; the latter of
which was of the etmoft fervice to
us, and (probably) was the means
of faving leveral of our lives. A
bout forty days we exifted in this
manner, when the land's end of
England was difcovered from the
mait head; foon after which the
prifoners were taken from their
gloomy abode, being permitted to
fee the light of the fun, and brea h
fresh air, which to us was very re-
frefhing. The day following we
landed at Falmouth.
A few days before I was taken
prifoner, I fhifted my cloaths, by
which I happened to be taken in a
Canadian drefs, viz. a fhort fawn
kin jacket, double breafted, an
under

14
COL.
ALLEN'S
parliament) or of the working of
their policy, 'till fome time after
I left England.
ETHAN
ender veft and breeches of fagathy,
Worfted ftockings, a decent pair of
fhoes, two plain fhirts, and a red
worfted cap: This was all the
cloathing I had, in which I made
my appearance in England.
When the prifoners were land-
ed, multitudes of the citizens of
Falmouth (excited by curiofity)
crowded together to fee us, which
was equally gratifying to us. I
faw numbers of people on the tops
of houfes, and the rifing adjacent
grounds were covered with them
of both fexes: The throng was fo
great, that the king's officers were
obliged to draw their fwords, and
force a paffage to Pendennis caftle
which was near a mile from the
town, where we were clofely con-
fined, in confequence of orders
from gen. Carlton, who then com-
manded in Canada.
The rafcally Brook Watfon
then fet out for London in great
hafte, expecting the reward of his
zeal; but the miniftry received
him (as I have been fince inform-
ed) rather coolly; for the minority
in parliament took advantage, ar-
guing that the oppofition of Ame-
rica to Great Britain, was not a
rebellion: If it is, (fay they) why
do you not execute col. Allen, ac-
cording to law? but the majority
argued, that I ought to be exe-
cuted, and that the oppofition was
really a rebellion, but that policy
obliged them not to do it, inaf-
much as the Congrefs had then
moft prifoners in their power; fo
that my being fent to England,
for the purpoſe of being executed,
and neceffity reftraining them, was
rather a foil on their laws and au-
thority, and they confequently
difapproved of my being fent thi-
ther: But I never had heard the
leaft hint of thofe debates, (in
Confequently the reader will
readily conceive I was anxious a-
bout my preſervation, (knowing
that I was in the power of a
haughty and cruel nation, confi-
dered as fuch.) Therefore the first
propofition which I determined in
my own mind was, that humanity
and moral fuafion would not be
confulted in the determining of my
fate: And thofe that daily came
in great numbers, out of curiofity
to fee me, both gentle and fimple,
united in this, that I would be
hanged. A gentleman from A-
merica, by the name of Temple,
(and who was friendly to me) ju
whifpered me in the ear, and told
me, that bets were laid in Lon-
don, that I would be executed;
he likewife privately gave me a
guinea, but durft fay but little to
me.
However, agreeable to my first
negative propofition, that moral
virtue would not influence my de-
tiny, I had recourfe to ftratagem,
which I was in hopes would move
in the circle of their policy. I re-
quefted of the commander of the
caftle the privilege of writing to
Congrefs, who, after confulting
with an officer that lived in town,
of a fuperior rank, permitted me
to write. I wrote, in the fore
part of the letter, a fhort narra-
tive of my ill treatment; but with-
al let them know, that tho' I was
treated as a criminal in England,
and continued in irons, together
with thofe taken with me, yet it
was in confequence of the orders
which the commander of the caftle
received from general Carlton;
and therefore defired Congress to
defift from matters of retaliation,
'till

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
15
'till they fhould know the refult of
the government at England, re-
fpecting their treatment towards
me, and the prifoners with me,
and govern them felves according-
ly, with a particular requeft, that
if retaliation fhould be found ne-
ceffary, that it might be exercifed
not according to the fmallnefs of
my character in America, but in
proportion to the importance of
the caufe for which I fuffered.-
This is, according to my prefent
recollection, the fubftance of the
letter fubfcribed To the illuftrious
Continental Congress. This letter
was wrote with a view that it
fhould be fent to the miniftry at
London, rather than to Congrefs,
with a defign to intimidate the
haughty English government, and
fcreen my neck from the halter.
The next day the officer (from
whom I obtained licence to write)
came to fee me, and frowned on
me on account of the impudence
of the letter, (as he phrafed it)
and further added, "Do you
think that we are fools in England,
and would fend your letter to
Congrefs, with inftructions to re-
taliate on our own people. I have
fent your letter to lord North."
This gave me inward fatisfaction,
(though I carefully concealed it
with a pretended refentment) for
I found I had come Yankee over
him, and that the letter had gone
to the identical perfon I defigned
it for. Nor do I know (to this
day) but that it had the defired
effect, though I have not heard
any thing of the letter fince.
My perfonal treatment by lieut.
Hamilton, who commanded the
caftle, was very generous. He
fent me every day a fine breakfaft
and dinner frem his own table,
and a bottle of good wine. Ano-
ther aged gentleman, whofe name
I cannot recollect, fent me a good
fupper: But there was no diftinc-
tion in public fupport between me
and the privates; we all lodged
on a fort of Dutch bunks, in one
common apartment, and were al-
lowed ftraw. The privates were
well fupplied with fresh provifion,
and (with me) took effectual mea-
fures to rid ourfelves of lice.
I could not but feel inwardly
extreme anxious for my fate.-
This I however concealed from the
prifoners, as well as from the e
nemy, who were perpetually fha-
king the halter at me. I never-
thelefs treated them with fcorn
and contempt; and having fent
my letter to the miniftry, could
conceive of nothing more in my
power but to keep up my fpirits,
behave in a daring foldier-like
manner, that I might exhibit a
good fample of American forti-
tude. Such a conduct (I judged)
would have a more probable ten
dency to my prefervation than
conceffion and timidity. This,
therefore, was my deportment, and
I had laftly determined, (in my
own mind) that if a cruel death
muft inevitably be my portion, I
would face it undaunted, and tho
I greatly rejoice that I have re-
turned to my country and friends,
and to fee the power and pride of
Great Britain humbled; yet I am
confident I could (then) die with-
out the leaft appearance of difmay.
I now clearly recollect that my
mind was fo refolved, that I would
not have trembled or thewn the
leaft fear, as I was fenfible it
could not alter my fate, nor do
more than reproach my memory,
make my last act defpicable to my
enemies, and eclipfe the other ac-
tions of my life. For I reafoned
thus,

16
ALLEN'S
Coz. ETHAN
thus, that nothing was more com-
mon than for men to die, with
their friends round them, weeping
and lamenting over them, but not
able to help them, which was in
reality not different in the confe-
quence of it from fuch a death as
I was apprehenfive of: And as
death was the natural confequence
of animal life, to which the laws
of nature fubject mankind, to be
timorous and uneafy as to the e-
vent or manner of it, was incon-
fiftent with the character of a phi-
lofopher or foldier. The caufe I
was engaged in. I ever viewed
worthy hazarding my life for, nor
was I (at the moft critical moments
of trouble) lorry that I engaged
in it; and as to the world of fpi-
rits, though I knew nothing of the
mode or manner of it, expected
nevertheless, when I fhould arrive
at fuch a world, that I fhould be
as well treated as other gentlemen
of my merit.
Among the great numbers of
people, who came to the caftle to
fee the prifoners, f me gentlemen
told me, that they had come fifty
miles on purpofe to fee me, and
defired to afk me a number of que-
tions, and to make free with me
in converfation. I gave for an-
fwer, that I chofe freedom in every
fenfe of the word: Then one of
them aſked me, what my occupa
tion in life had been? I answered
him, that in my younger days I
had ftudied divinity, but was a
conjurer by profeffion. He repli-
ed, that I conjured wrong at the
time that I was taken; and I was
obliged to cwn, that I miftook a
figure at that time, but that I had
conjured them out of Ticonderoga.
This was a place of great notori-
ety in England, fo that the joke
feemed to go in my favour.
It was a common thing for me
to be taken out of clofe confine-
ment, into a fpacious green in the
caftle, or rather parade, where
numbers of gentlemen and ladies
were ready to fee and hear me. I
often entertained fuch audiences,
with harangues on the impractica-
bility of Great Britain's conquer-
ing the (then) colonies of Ameri-
ca. At one of thefe times I asked
a gentleman for a bowl of punch,
and he ordered his fervant to bring
it, which he did, and offered it
me, but I refufed to take it from
the hand of his fervant; he then
gave it to me with his own hand,
refufing to drink with me in con-
fequence of my being a state cri
minal: However I took the punch
and drank it all down at one
draught, and handed the gentle-
man the bowl: This made the
fpectators as well as myfelf merry.
I expatiated on American freedom:
This gained the refentment of a
young beardlefs gentleman of the
company, who gave himfelf very
great airs, and replied, that he
knew the Americans very well,
and was certain that they could
"not bear the fmell of pwder.'
I replied, that I accepted it as a
challenge, and was ready to con-
vince him on the spot, that an A-
merican could bear the fmell of
powder; at which he answered,
that he fhould not put himself on
a par
with me. I then demanded
of him to treat the character of the
Americans with due refpect: He
anfwered that I was an Irishman;
but I affured him, that I was a
full blooded Yankee, and in fine,
bantered him fo much, that he
left me in poffeffion of the ground,
and the laugh went against him.
Two clergymen came to fee me,
and inafmuch as they behaved
with

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
17
with civility, I returned them the
fame: We difcourfed on feveral
parts of moral philofophy and
chriflianity; and they feemed to
be furprized, that I fhould be ac-
quainted with fuch topics, or that
1 fhould understand a fyllogifm or
regular mode of argumentation.
I am apprehenfive my Canadian
drefs contributed not a little to the
furprize, and excitement of curi-
ofity: To fee a gentleman in En-
gland, regularly dreffed and weil
behaved, would be ne fight at all;
but fuch a rebel, as they were
pleafed to call me, it is probable
was never before feen in England.
The prifoners were landed at
Falmouth a few days before Chrift-
mas, and ordered on board of the
Solebay frigate, captain Symonds,
the eighth day of January, 1776,
when our hand-irons were taken
off. This remove was in confe-
quence (as I have been fince in-
formed) of a writ of habeas cor-
pus, which had been procured by
fome gentlemen in England, in
order to obtain me my liberty.
The Solebay with fundry other
men of war, and about forty
tranfports, rendezvoufed at the
cove of Cork in Ireland, to take in
provision and water.
When we were first brought on
board, captain Symonds ordered
all the prifoners, and most of the
hands on board, to go on the
deck, and caufed to be read in
their hearing, a certain code of
laws, or rules for the regulation
and ordering of their behaviour:
and then in a fovereign manner,
ordered the prifoners, me in par-
ticular, off the deck, and never to
come on it again; for faid he,
this is a place for gentlemen to
walk. So I went off, an officer
following me, who told me, that
C
he would fhew me the place allot-
ted for me, and took me down to
the cable tire, faying to me, this
is your place.
Prior to this I had taken cold,.
by which I was in an ill ftate of
health, and did not fay much to
the officer; but ftayed there that
night, confulted my policy, and
found I was in an evil cafe; that
a captain of a man of war was
more arbitrary than a king, as he
could view his territory with a
look of his eye, and a movement
of his finger commanded obedi-
ence. I felt myfelf more defpond-
ing than I had done at any time
before; for I concluded it to be a
governmental fcheme, to do that
clandeflinely, which policy forbid
to be done under fauction of pub-
lic juftice and law.
However, two days after I fha-
ved and cleanfed myfelf as well as
I could, and went on deck: The
captain fpoke to me in a great
rage, and faid, "Did I not order
you not to come on deck?" I an-
fwered him, that at the fame time
he faid, ** That it was the place
for gentlemen to walk :" That I
was colonel Allen, but had not
been properly introduced to him.
He replied," G-d damn you,
Sir, be careful not to walk the
fame fide of the deck that I do."
This gave me encouragement, and
ever after that, I walked in the
manner he had directed, except
when he (at certain times after-
wards) ordered me off in a paf-
fion, and then would directly af.
terwards go on again, telling him
to command his flaves, that I was
a gentleman, and had a right to
walk the deck; yet when he ex-
prefsly ordered me off, I obeyed,
not out of obedience to him, buc
to fet an example to his fhip's
Crow

18
COL. ETHAN
ALLEN's
crew, who ought to obey him.
To walk to the windward fide of
the deck, is according to cuflom the
prerogative of the captain of the
man of war, though he oftentimes,
nay commonly walks with his lieute.
nants, when no frangers are by:
When a captain from fome other man
of war, comes on board, the cap
tains walk to the windward fide,
and the other gentlemen to the lee-
ward.
It was but a few nights I lodged
in the cable-tire, before I gained
an acquaintance with the mafter
of arms; his name was Gillegan,
an Irishman, who was a generous
and well-difpofed man, and in a
friendly manner, made me a prof-
fer of living with him in a little
birth, which was allotted him be
tween decks, and enclofed with
canvas; his preferment on board
was about equal to that of a fer-
geant in a regiment. I was com-
paratively happy in the acceptance
of his clemency, and lived with
him in friendfhip, 'till the frigate
anchored in the harbour of cape
Fear, North Carolina, in America.
Nothing of material confequence
happened 'till the fleet rendez-
voufed at the cove of Cork, (ex-
cept a violent form which brought
old hardy failors to their prayers.)
It was foon rumoured in Cork that
I was on board the Solebay, with
number of prifoners from Ame-
rica; upon which Meffrs. Clark
and Hays, merchants in company,
and a number of other benevolent-
ly difpofed gentlemen, contributed
largely to the relief and fupport of
the prifoners, who were thirty-
four in number, and in very needy
circumftances. A fuit of cloaths
from head to foot, including an
over coat, or furtout, and two
fhirts, were bestowed on each of
them. My fuit I received in fu-
perfine broadcloth, fufficient for
two jackets, and two pair of
breeches overplus of a fuit through-
out, eight fine Holland fhirts and
ftecks ready made, with a number
of pairs of filk and worfted hofe,
two pair of fhoes, two beaver hats,
one of which was fent me richly
laced with gold, by Mr. James
Bonwell. The Irish gentlemen
furthermore made a large gratuity
of wines of the beft fort, old fpi-
rits, Geneva, loaf and brown fu-
gar, coffee, tea and chocolate,
with a large round of pickled beef,
and a number of fat turkies, with
many other articles (for my fea.
flores) too tedious to mention here.
To the privates they beflowed to
each man two pounds of tea, and
fix pounds of brown fugar. Thefe
articles were received on board,
(at a time when the captain and
first lieutenant were gone on fhore)
by permition of the fecond lieute-
nant, a handfome young gentle.
man, who was then under twenty
years of age; his name was Doug
lafs, the fon of admiral Douglafs,
(as I was informed)
As this munificence was fo un
expected and plentiful, I may add
needful, it impreffed on my mind
the higheft fenfe of gratitude to-
wards my benefactors; for I was
not only fupplied with the necef-
faries and conveniences of life,
but with the grandeurs and fuper-
fluities of it. Mr. Hays, one of
the donators before mentioned,
came on board, and behaved in
the moft obliging manner, telling
me, that he hoped my troubles
were paft, for that the gentlemen
of Cork determined to make my
fea-ftores equal to the captain of
the Solebay's; he made a proffer
of live ftock, and wherewith to
fupport

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
19
fupport them; but I knew this
would be denied: And to crown
all, did fend to me by another
perfon fifty guineas, but I could
not reconcile the receiving the
whole to my own feelings, as it
might have the appearance of ava-
rice; and therefore received but
feven guinea only; and am confi-
dent not only from the exercife of
the prefent well-timed generofity,
but from a large acquaintance
with gentlemen of this nation,
that as a people they excel in li-
berality and bravery.
Two days after the receipt of
the aforefaid donations, captain
Symonds came on board, full of
envy towards the prifoners, and
fwore by all that is good, that the
damned American rebels fhould not
be feafted at this rate, by the damn-
ed rebels of Ireland; he therefore
took away all my liquors before-
mentioned, (except fome of the
wine which was fecreted, and a
two gallon jug of old fpirits which
was referved for me, per favour of
lieutenant Douglafs.) The taking
my liquors was abominable in his
fight; he therefore fpoke in my
behalf, 'till the captain was angry
with him: And in confequence,
proceeded & took away all the tea
and fugar, which had been given to
the other prifoners, and confifcated
it to the ufe of the fhip's crew.
Our cloathing was not taken a-
way, but the privates were forced
to do duty on board. Soon after
this there came a boat to the fide
of the fhip, and captain Symonds
afked a gentleman that was in it,
(in my hearing) what his bufinefs
was? who answered that he was
fent to deliver fome fea-ftores to
colonel Allen, which (if I remem-
ber right) he faid were fent from
Dublin; but the captain damned
him very heartily, ordered him a-
way from the fhip, and would not
fuffer him to deliver the ftores. I
was furthermore informed, that
the gentlemen in Cork requested
of captain Symonds, that I might
be allowed to come into the city,
and that they would be refponfible
I should return to the frigate at a
given time, which was denied
them.
We failed from England the 8th
day of January, and from the cove
of cork the 12th day of February.
Juft before we failed, the prifoners
with me were divided, and put on
board three different fhips of war.
This gave me fome uneafinefs, for
they were to a man zealous in the
caufe of liberty, and behaved with
a becoming fortitude in the vari-
ous fcenes of their captivity; but
thofe who were diftributed on
board other fhips of war, were
much better ufed than thofe that
tarried with me, as appeared after-
wards.
When the fleet confifting of a-
bout forty five fail, including five
men of war, failed from the cove
with a fresh breeze, the appearance
was beautiful, (abftrafted from
the unjuft and bloody defigns they
had in view) We had not failed
many days, before a mighty ſtorm
arofe, which lafted near twenty-
four hours without intermiffion:
The wind blew with relentleſs fu-
ry, and no man could remain on
deck, except he was lafhed faft,
for the waves rolled over the deck
by turns, with a forceable rapidi-
ty, and every foul on board was
anxious for the prefervation of the
fhip, (alias) their lives. In this
form the Thunder-bomb man of
war fprang a leak, and was after-
wards floated to fome part of the
coaft of England, and the crew
faved, We were then faid to be
in

20
ALLEN's
COL.
ETHAN
in the bay of Bifcay. After the
ftorm abated, I could plainly di-
fcern that the prifoners were better
ufed for fome confiderable time.
Nothing of confequence hap.
pened after this, 'till we had failed
to the island of Madeira, except a
certain favour which I received of
captain Symonds, ia confequence
of an application I made to him,
for the privilege of his tailor to
make me a fuit of cloaths of the
cloth bestowed on me in Ireland,
which he generously granted. I
could then walk the deck with a
feeming better grace. When we
had reached Madeira, and an-
chored, fundry gentlemen with
the captain went on fhore, who I
conclude gave the rumour that I
was in the frigate; upon which I
foon after found Irish generofity
was again excited; for a gentle-
man of this nation fent his clerk
on board, to know of me if I
would accept a fea-ftore from him,
(particularly of wine) This mat-
ter I made known to the generous
lieutenant Douglafs, who readily
granted me the favour, provided
the articles could be brought on
board, during the time of his
command; adding that it would
be a pleaſure to him to ferve me,
notwithstanding the oppofition he
met with before: So I directed the
gentleman's clerk to inform him,
that I was greatly in need of fo
fignal a charity, and defired the
young gentleman to make the ut-
moit difpatch, which he did; but
in the mean time, capt. Symonds
and his officers came on board,
and immediately made ready for
failing; the wind at the fame time
being fair, fet fail when the young
gentleman was in fair fight with
the aforefaid ftore.
The reader will doubtless recol-
let the feven guineas I received at
the cove of Cork: Thefe enabled
me to purchafe of the purfer what
I wanted, had not the captain
ftrictly forbid it, though I made
fundry applications to him for that
purpofe; but his answer to me,
when I was fick, was, that it was
no matter how foon I was dead,
and that he was no ways anxious
to preferve the lives of rebels, bot
wifhed them all dead; and indeed
this was the language of molt of
the fhip's crew.
the ship's crew. I expoftulated
not only with the captain, but
with other gentlemen on board,
on the unreafonablenefs of fuch
ufuage; inferring, that inafmuch
as the government in England did
not proceed against me as a capital
offender, they fhould not; for that
they were by no means impowered
by any authority, either civil or
military, to do fo; for the English
government had acquitted me by
fending me back a prifoner of war
to America, and that they fhould
treat me as fuch. I further drawed
an inference of impolicy on them,
provided they fhould, by hard u-
fage, deftroy my life; inafmuch
as I might, if living, redeem one
of their officers; but the captain
replied, that he needed no dirati-
ons of mine how to treat a rebel;
that the British would conquer the
American rebels, hang the Con-
grefs, and fuch as promoted the
rebellion, (me in particular) and
retake their own prifoners; fo that
my life was of no confequence in
the fcale of their policy. I gave
him for anfwer, that if they stayed
'till they conquered America, be-
fore they hanged me, I should die
of old age, and defired that 'till
fuch an event took place, he would
at leaft allow me to purchafe of the
purfer, for my own money, fuch
articles

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
21
articles as I greatly needed; but
he would not permit it, and when
I reminded him of the generous
and civil ufage that their prifoners
in captivity in America met with,
he faid that it was not owing to
their goodness, bnt to their timi
dity; for faid he, they expect to
be conquered, and therefore dare
not mifufe our prifoners, and in
fact this was the language of the
British officers 'till general Bur-
goyne was taken, (happy event)
and not only of the officers, but
of the whole British army. I ap-
peal to all my brother-prifoners,
that have been with the British in
the fouthern department, for a
confirmation of what I have ad-
vanced on this fubject. The fur-
geon of the Solebay, whofe name is
North, was a very humane and
obliging man, and took the beft care
of the prifoners who were fick.
The third day of May we caft
anchor in the harbour of cape
Fear in North Carolina, as did Sir
Peter Parker's fhip of fifty guns a
lile back of the bar, for there
was not depth of water for him to
come into the harbour: Thefe two
men of war and fourteen fail of
tranfports and others, came after,
fo that most of the fleet rendez-
voufed at cape Fear, for three
weeks. The foldiers on board the
tranfports were fickly, in confe-
quence of fo long a paffage; add
to this, the fmall pox carried off
many of them: They landed on
the main, and formed a camp;
but the riflemen annoyed them,
and caufed them to move to an
ifland in the harbour; but fuch
curfing of riflemen I never heard.
A detachment of regulars was
fent up Brunfwick river; as they
landed, were fired on by thofe
markimen, and they came back
next day, damning the rebels for
their unmanly way of fighting,
and fwearing that they would give
no quarter, for they took fight at
them, and were behind timber,
fulking about. One of the de-
tachment faid they loft one man;
but a negro man who was with
them, and heard what was, faid,
foon after told me that he helped
to bury thirty one of them: This
did me fome good to find my
countrymen giving them battle;
for I never heard fuch fwaggering
as among general Clinton's hide
army, (who commanded at that
time) and I am apt to think there
were four thousand men, though
not two thirds of them fit for duty.
I heard numbers of them fay, that
the trees in America fhould hang
well with fruit that campaign, for
they would give no quarter: This
was in the mouths of moft whom
I heard fpeak on the fubj &t, offi.
cer as well as foldier. I wished at
that time my countrymen knew as
well as I did, what a murdering
and cruel enemy they had to deal
with; but experience has fince
taught this country, what they are
to expect at the hands of Britons
when in their power.
The prifoners who had been
fent on board different men of war
at the cove of Cork, were collected
together, and the whole of them
put on board the Mercury frigate,
captain James Montague, except
one of the Canadians, who died
on the paffage from Ireland, and
Peter Noble, who made his efcape
from the Sphynx man of war in
this harbour, and by extraordinary
fwimming, got fafe home to New
England, & gave intelligence of
the ufage of his brother-prifoners.
The Mercury fet fail from this
port for Halifax, about the 20th
of

22
ALLEN's
CoL.
ETHAN
of May, and Sir Peter Parker was
about to fail with the land forces,
under the command of
gen. Clin-
ton; for the reduction of Charlef-
town, the capital of South Caro-
lina, and when I heard of his de-
feat in Halifax, it gave me inex-
prefible fatisfaction.
I now found myfelf under a
worfe captain than Symonds; for
Montague was loaded with preju-
dices against every body, and eve-
ry thing that was not ftamped with
royalty; and being by nature un-
derwitted, his wrath was heavier
than the others, or at least his
mind was in no inftance liable to
be diverted by good fenfe, humour
or bravery, of which Symonds was
by turns fufceptible. A captain
Francis Proctor was added to our
number of prifoners when we were
firft put on board this fhip: This
gentleman had formerly belonged
to the English fervice. The cap-
tain, and in fine all the gentle-
men of the fhip, were very much
incenfed against him, and put him
in irons without the leaft provoca-
tion, and he was continued in this
miferable fituation about three
months. In this paffage the pri-
foners were infected with the four-
vy, fome more and fome lefs, but
most of them feverely. The
hip's crew was to a great degree
troubled with it, and I concluded
that it was catching: Several of
the crew died of it on their paf-
fage. I was weak and feeble in
confequence of fo long and cruel
a captivity, yet had but little of
the fcurvy.
The purfer was again exprefsly
forbid by the captain to let me
have any thing out of his ftore;
upon which I went on deck, and
in the handfomeft manner request-
ed the favour of purchafing a few
neceffaries of the purfer, which
was denied me; he further told
me, that I fhould be hanged as
foon as I arrived at Halifax. I
tried to reafon the matter with
him, but found him proof againft
reafon; I alfo held up his honour
to view, and his behaviour to me
and the prifoners in general, as
being derogatory to it, but found
his honour impenetrable. I then
endeavoured to touch his humani-
ty, but found he had none; for
his prepoffeffion of bigotry to his
own party, had confirmed him in
an opinion, that no humanity was
due to unroyalifts, but feemed to
think that heaven and earth were
made merely to gratify the king
and his creatures; he uttered con-
fiderable unintelligible and gro-
velling ideas, a little tinctured
with monarchy, but ftood well to
his text of hanging me. He after-
wards forbid his furgeon to admi-
nifter any help to the fick prifon-
ers. I was every night shut down
in the cable tire, with the reft of
the prifoners, and we all lived mi-
ferable while under his power:
But I received fome generofity
from feveral of the midshipmen,
who in degree alleviated my mife-
ry; one of their names was Pu-
trafs, the names of the others I do
not recollect; but they were obli-
ged to be private in the beftow-
ment of their favour, which was
fometimes good wine bitters, and
at others a generous drink of grog.
Sometime in the first week of
June, we came to anchor at the
Hook off New-York, where we
remained but three days; in which
time governor Tryon, Mr. Kemp,
the old attorney general of New-
York, and feveral other perfidious
and over-grown tories and land-
jobbers, came on board. Tryon
viewed

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
23
viewed me with a tern counte-
nance, as I was walking on the
leeward fide of the deck with the
midshipmen; and he and his
companions were walking with
the captain and lieutenant on the
windward fide of the fame, but
never spoke to me, though it is
altogether probable that he thought
of the old quarrel between him,
the old government of New York,
and the Green Mountain Boys:
Then they went with the captain
into the cabbin, and the fame af-
ternoon returned on board a veffel
which lay near the Hook, where
at that time they took fanctuary
from the refentment of their in-
jured country. What paffed be-
tween the officers of the fhip and
thefe vifitors I know not; but this
I know, that my treatment from
the principal officers was more
fevere afterwards.
We arrived at Halifax not far
from the middle of June, where
the fhip's crew which was infefted
with the fcurvy, were taken on
fhore, and fhallow trenches dug,
into which they were put, and
partly covered with earth. Indeed
every proper meaſure was taken
for their relief: The prifoners
were not permitted any fort of me-
dicine, but were put on board a
floop which lay in the harbour,
near the town of Halifax, fur-
rounded with feveral men of war
and their tenders, and a guard
conftantly fet over them, night
and day. The floop we had whol-
ly to ourſelves, except the guard
who occupied the forecaftle; here
we were cruelly pinched with
hunger; it feemed to me that we
had not more than one third of
the common allowance: We were
all feized with violent hunger and
faintnefs; we divided our fcanty
allowance as exact as poffible. I
fhared the fame fate with the reft,
and though they offered me more
than an even thare, I refufed to
accept it, as it was a time of fub-
ftantial diftrefs, which in my opi-
nion 1 ought to partake equally
with the reft, and fet an example
of virtue and fortitude to our little
common-wealth.
I fent letter after letter to capt.
Montague, (who ftill had the care
of us) and alfo to his lieutenant,
whofe name I cannot call to mind,
but could obtain no anfwer, much
lefs a redress of grievances; and to
add to the calamity, near a dozen
of the prifoners were dangerously
ill of the fcurvy. I wrote private
letters to the doctors, to procure,
if poffible, fome remedy for the
fick, but all in vain. The chief
phyfician came by in a boat fo
clofe that the oars touched the
floop we were in, and I uttered
my complaint in the genteeleft
manner to him, but he never fo
much as turned his head, or made
me any anfwer, though I continu-
ed fpeaking 'till he got out of
hearing. Our cafe then became
very deplorable. Still I kept wri-
ting to the captain, 'till he order.
ed the guards, as they told me,
not to bring any more letters from
me to him.
In the mean time an event hap-
pened worth relating: One of the
men almoft dead of the fcurvy, lay
by the fide of the floop, and a ca-
noe of Indians coming by, he pur-
chafed two quarts of ftrawberries,
and eat them at once, and it al-
most cured him. The money he
gave for them, was all he had in
the world. After that we tried
every way to procure more of that
fruit, reafoning from analogy that
they might have the fame effect on
others

24
COL.
ALLEN's
ETHAN
others infefted with the fame di-
feafe, but could obtain none.
Mean while the doctor's mate of
the Mercury came privately on
board the prifon-floop, and pre-
fered me with a large vial of
fmart drops, which proved to be
good for the fcurvy, though vege-
tables and fome other ingredients
were requifite for a cure; but the
drops gave at leaft a check to the
difeafe: This was a well-timed
exertion of humanity, (but the
doctor's name has flipped my
mind) and in my opinion was the
means of faving the lives of feve-
ral men.
The guard which was fet over
us, was by this time touched with
the feelings of compaffion; and I
finally trufted one of them with
a letter of complaint to governor
Arbuthnot of Halifax, which he
found means to communicate, and
which had the defired effect; for
the governor fent an officer and
furgeon on board the prifon-fhip,
to know the truth of the complaint.
The officer's name was Ruffel,
who held the rank of lieutenant,
and treated me in a friendly and
polite manner, and was really an-
guy at the cruel and unmanly u-
fage the prifoners met with; and
with the furgeon made a true re-
port of matters to governor Ar-
buthnot, who either by his order
or influence, took us next day
from the prifon-fhip to Halifax
gaol, where I first became ac-
quainted with the now honourable
James Lovel, Efquire, one of the
members of Congrefs for the ftate
of Maffachufet's Bay. The fick
were taken to the hofpital, and
the Canadians who were effective,
were employed in the King's
works; and when their country-
men were recovered from the four-
vy, and joined them, they all de-
ferted the king's employ, and were
not heard of at Halifax, as long as
the remainder of the prifoners con-
tinued there, which was 'till near
the middle of October. We were
on board the pifon-floop about fix
weeks, and were landed at Hali-
fax near the middle of Auguft.-
Several of our English American
prifoners, who were cured of the
fcurvy at the hofpital, made their
efcape from thence, and after a
long time reached their old habi-
tations.
I had now but thirteen with me
of thofe that were taken in Canada,
and remained in gaol (with me) in
Halifax, who in addition to thofe
that were imprisoned before, made
our number about thirty four, who
were all locked up in one common
large room, without regard to rank,
education, or any other accomplish-
ment, where we continued from the
fetting to the rising fun; and as
fundry of them were infected with
the gaol and other diflempers, the
furniture of this spacious room con-
fifted most principally of excrement-
tubs. We petitioned for a removal
of the fick into the hofpitals, but
were denied. We remonftrated a-
gainst the ungenerous ufage of being
confined with the privates, as being
contrary to the laws and customs of
nations, and particularly ungrateful
in them, in confequence of the gen-
tleman-like ufage which the British
imprisoned officers met with in A-
merica; and thus we wearied our-
felves petitioning and remonstrating
but to no purpose at all; for general
Maffey who commanded at Halifax,
was as inflexible as the devil him-
Jelf, (a fine preparative this for
Mr. Lovel, member of the Conti-
nental Congrejs.Jiv
Lieutenant Rufel (whom I have
mentioned

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
25
mentioned before) came to vifit me in
prison, and affured me that he had
done bis utmost to procure my parole
for enlargement; at which a British
captain, who was the town major,
expreffed compaffion for the gentle
men confined in the filiby place, and
affured me that he had used his in-
fluence to procure their enlargement;
his name was near like Ramfey.-
Among the prifoners there were five
in number, who had a legal claim to
a parole, viz. James Lovel, Efq.
capt Francis Proctor, a Mr. Hou-
land, mafter of a continental armed
veffel, a Mr. Taylor, his mate, and
myjelf.
As to the article of provifion, we
were well ferved, much better than
in any part of my captivity; and
fince it was Mr. Lovel's misfortune
and mine to be prifoners, and in fo
wretched circumstances, I was hap-
py that we were together, as a mu-
tual fupport and comfort to each o-
ther, and to the unfortunate prifon.
ers with us. Our first attention
was the prefervation of ourselves
and injured little republic; the rest
of our time we devoted interchange-
ably to politics and philofophy, as
patience was a needful exercife in fo
evil a fituation, but contentment
mean and impracticable.
I had not been in this gaol many
days, before a worthy and charita-
ble woman, Mrs. Blacden by name,
Supplied me with a good dinner of
fresh meats every day, with garden
fruit, and fometimes with a bottle of
wine; notwithstanding which I bad
not been more than three weeks in
this place, before I loft all appetite
to the most delicious food by the gaol
difemper, as fundry of the prisoners,
particularly a fergeant Moore, a
man of courage and fidelity: I have
Jeveral times feen him hold the boat-
Jwain of the Solebay frigate, when
D
he attempted to ftrike bim, and laugh-
ed him out of conceit of using him as
a flave.
A doctor vifited the fick, and aid
the best (as I fuppofed) he could for
them, to no apparent purpose. I
grew weaker and weaker, as did
the veft. Several of them could not
help themselves. At last I reasoned
in my own mind, that raw onion
would be good: I made use of it,
and found immediate relief by it, as
did the fick in general, particularly
fergeant Moore, who it recovered
almost from the shades; though I
had met with a little revival, fill
I found the malignant hand of Bri-
tain had greatly reduced my conftitu-
tion with froke upon ftroke. Ejquire
Lovel and myself used every argu-
ment and entreaty that could be well
conceived of, in order to obtain gen-
tleman like ufage, to no purpose I
then wrote general Maffey as fevere
a letter as I poffibly coula, with my
friend Lovel's affiftance: The con-
tents of it was to give the British,
as a nation, and him as an indivi
dual, their true character. This
roufed the rafcal, for he could not.
bear to Jee his and the nation's de-
formity in that transparent letter,
which I fent bim; he therefore put
bimfelf in a great rage about it, and
fhewed the letter to a number of
British officers, particularly to capt.
Smith of the Lark frigate, who in-
fead of joining with him in difap-
probation, commended the Spirit of
it; upon which general Maffey faid
to him, do you take the part of a re-
bel against me? Captain Smith an
fwered, that be rather poke his fen-
timents, and there was a diffention
in an opinion between them. Some
officers took the part of the general,
and others of the captain: This I
was informed of by a gentleman whe
bad it from captain Smith.
In

26
ALLEN'S
COL. ETHAN
In a few days after this the pri-
Joners were ordered to go on board of
a man of war, which was bound for
New York; but trup of them were
not able to go on board, and were
left at Halifax; one died, and the
other recovered. This was about
the 12th of October, and joon after
we had got on board, the captain
fent for me in particular to come on
the quarter deck: I went, not know-
ing that it was captain Smith, or
bis fhip at that time, and expected
to meet the fame rigorous ufage I had
commonly met with, and prepared
my mind accordingly; but when I
came on deck. the captain met me
with his hand, welcomed me to his
ship, invited me to dine with him
that day, and affured me that I
Should be treated as a gentleman, and
that he had given orders, that I
fhould be treated with respect by the
fhip's crew. This was fo unexpected
and fudden a tranfition, that it drew
tears from my eyes, (which all the
ill ufage I had before met with, was
not able to produce) nor could I at
first hardly speak, but foon recovered
myself, and expressed my gratitude
for fo unexpected a favour; and let
him know, that I felt anxiety of
mind in reflecting that his fituation
and mine was fuch, that it was not
probable that it would ever be in my
power to return the favour. Capt.
Smith replied, that he had no re-
ward in view, but only treated me
as a gentleman ought to be treated;
be faid this is a mutable world, and
one gentleman never knows but that
it may be in his power to help ano-
ther. Soon after I found this to be
the fame capt. Smith, who (1 was
told) took my part against general
Maffey; but be never mentioned any
thing of it to me, and I thought it
impolite in me to interrogate him, as
to any difputes which might have a-
rifen between him and the general,
on my account, as I was a prifoner,
and that it was at his option to make
free with me on that Jubject, if he
pleased; and if he did not, I might
take for granted that it would be
unpleafing for me to query about it,
though I had a frong propensity to
converfe with him on that Jubject.
I dined with the captain agreeable
to his invitation, and oftentimes
with the lieutenants in the gun room,
but in general eat and drank with
my friend Lovel, and the other
tlemen, who were prijoners with
me, where I aljo flept.
gen-
We had a little birth enclosed with
canvas, between decks, where we
enjoyed ourselves very well, in hopes
ef an exchange; befides our friends
at Haufax had a little notice of our
departure, and fupplied us with fpi-
rituous liquor, and many articles of
provifion for the coaft. Captain
Burk having been taken prisoner,
was added to our company (he had
commanded an American armed vef-
Jel) and was generously treated by
the captain, and all the officers of the
fhip, as well as myfelf. We now
bad in all near thirty prisoners on
board, and as we were failing along
the coaft, (if I recollect right) off
Rhode Island, captain Burk with an
under officer of the fhip, (whoje name
I do not recollect) came to our little
birth, proposed to kill captain Smith
and the principal officers of the fri-
gate, and take it; adding that there
was thirty five thousand pounds fer-
ling in the jame. Capt. Burk like-
wife averred. that a ftrong party
out of the ship's crew, was in the
confpiracy, and urged me and the
gentleman that was with me, to use
our influence with the private pri
foners, 10 execute the defign, and
take the ship with the cofh into one
of our own ports.
Upon

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
27
Upon which I replied, that we
had been too well used on board to
murder the officers; that I could by
no means reconcile it to my confcience,
and that in fact it fhould not be done;
and while I was yet fpeaking, my
friend Lovel confirmed what I had
Jaid, and further pointed out the un-
gratefulness of fuch an act; that it
did not fall fort of murder, and in
fine all the gentlemen in the birth,
oppofed capt Burk and his colleague:
But they frenuously urged that the
conspiracy would be found out, and
that it would cost them their lives,
provided they did not execute their
defign. I then interpofed fpiritedly,
and put an end to further arguments
on the subject, and told them that
they might depend upon it upon my
bonour, that I would faithfully
guard captain Smith's life: If they
attempted the affault, I would affift
him, (for they defired me to remain
neuter) and that the fame honour,
that guarded captain Smith's life,
would alfo guard theirs; and it
was agreed by thofe prefent not to
reveal the conspiracy, to the intent
that no man fhould be put to death,
in confequence of what had been pro-
jected; and captain Burk and his
colleague went to fifle the maiter a
mong their affociates. I could not
help caling to mind what captain
Smith faid to me, when I first came
on board: "This is a mutable
world, and one gentleman ne-
"ver knows but that it may be in
"his power to help another."-
Captain Smith and his officers fill
bebaved with their ufual courtesy,
and I never heard any more of the
confpiracy.
We arrived before New York,
and caft anchor the latter part of
October, where we remained fe-
veral days, and where capt. Smith
informed me, that he had recom
mended me to admiral Howe and
general Sir William Howe, as a
gentleman of honour and veracity,
and defired that I might be treated
as fuch. Captain Burk was then
ordered on board a prifon-fhip in
the harbour. I took my leave of
capt Smith, and with the other
prifoners was fent on board a tran-
fport-fhip, which lay in the har-
bour, commanded by capt. Craig,
who took me into the cabbin with
him and his lieutenant: I fared as
they did, and was in every refpect
well treated in confequence of di-
rections from captain Smith.
In a few weeks after this I had
the happiness to part with my
friend Lovel, (for his fake, who
the enemy affected to treat as a
private; he was a gentleman of
merit, and liberally educated, but
had no commiffion; they maligned
him on account of his unfhaken
attachment to the caufe of his
country) He was exchanged for
a governor Philip Skene of the
British I was continued on board
this fhip 'till the latter part of
November, where I contracted an
acquaintance with a captain of the
British, (his name has flipped my
memory.) He was what we may
call a genteel, hearty fellow. I
remember an expreffion of his over
a bottle of wine, to this import:
That there is greatnefs of foul
"for perfonal friendfhip to fubfift
"between you and me, as we are
66
upon oppofite fides, and may at
"another day be obliged to face
* each other in the field." (I am
confident that he was as faithful as
any officer in the British army.)
At another fitting he offered to bet
a dozen of wine, that fort Wash-
ington would be in the hands of
the British in three days. I food
the bet, (and would had I known
that

28
COL. ETHAN
ALLEN'S
This language early taught me
what to do with tories eftates, as
far as my influence can go. For
it is really a game of hazard be-
tween whig and tory: The whigs
muft inevitably have loft all, ia
confequence of the abilities of the
tories, and their good friends the
British; and it is no more than
right the tories fhould run the fame
rifque, in confequence of the abi-
lities of the whigs: But of this
more will be obferved in the fe-
quel of this narrative.
that that would have been the cafe)
and the third day afterwards we
heard a prodigious heavy cannon-
ade, and that day the fort was
taken fure enough. Some months
after, (when I was on parole) he
called upon me with his ufual hu-
mour, and mentioned the bet. I
acknowledged I had loft it, but he
faid he did not mean to take it
then, as I was a prifoner; that be
would another day call on me,
when their army came to Benning-
ton. I replied that he was quite
too generous, as I had fairly loft
it; befides the Green
Some of the laft days of Novem-
Boys would not fufferuntain ber, the prifoners were landed at
them to
come to Bennington. This was
all in good humour. I fhould
have been glad to have feen him
after the defeat at Bennington,
but did not.
"
It was cuftomary for a guard to
attend the prifoners, which was
often changed. One was com-
pofed of tories from Connecticut,
in the vicinity of Fairfield and
Green Farms. The fergeant's
name was Hoit. They were very
full of their invectives against the
country, fwaggered of their loyal-
ty to their king, and exclaimed
bitterly against the cowardly
Yankies," (as they were pleafed to
call them) but finally contented
themſelves with faying, that when
the country was overcome, they
hould be well rewarded for their
loyalty, out of the eftates of the
whigs, which would be confif-
cated. This I found to be the
general language of tories, after I
arrived from England on the A-
merican coat. I heard fundry of
them relate, that the British gene.
rals had engaged them an ample
reward for all their loffes, difap-
pointments and expenditures, out
of the forfeited rebels eftates.
New York, and I was admitted to
parole with the other officers, viz.
Proctor, Howland, and Taylor.
The privates were put into the fil-
thy churches in New York, with
the diftreffed prifoners that were
taken at fort Washington; and
the fecond night fergeant Roger
Moore (who was bold and enter-
prizing) found means to make his
efcape with every of the remaining
prifoners that were taken with me,
except three who were foon after
exchanged: So that out of thirty-
one prifoners, who went with me
the round exhibited in thefe fheets,
two only died with the enemy, and
three only exchanged; one of
whom died after he came within
our lines; all the rest at different
times, made their efcape from the
enemy.
I now found myself on parole,
and restricted to the limits of the
city of New-York, where I foon
projected means to live in fome
meafure agreeable to my rank,
though I was deftitute of cafh-
My conftitution was almoft worn
cut by fuch a long and barbarous
captivity. The enemy gave out
that I was crazy, and wholly un-
manned, but my vitals held found,
(nor

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
29
(nor was I delirious any more than
I have been from my youth up;
but my extreme circumftances at
certain times, rendered it political
to act in fome meafure the mad-
man) and in confequence of a re-
gular diet and exercife, my blood
recruited, and my nerves in great
meafure recovered their former
tone, ftrength and ufefulness, in
the courfe of fix months.
I nextly invite the reader to a
retrofpective fight and confidera
tion of the doleful fcene of inhu-
manity exercifed by general Sir
William Howe, and the army
under his command, towards the
prifoners taken on Long lfland,
on the twenty feventh day of Au-
guft, 1776; fundry of whom were
in an inhuman and barbarous man-
ner, murdered after they had fur-
rendered their arms; particularly
a gen. Odel, (or Woodhul) of the
militia, who was hacked to pieces
with cutlaffes (when alive) by the
light horfemen, and a captain
Fellows, of the continental army,
who was thrust through with a
bayonet, of which wound he died
inftantly.
Sundry others were hanged up
by the neck 'till they were dead;
five on the limb of a white oak
tree, and without any reafon af-
figned, (except that they were
fighting in defence of the only
bleffing worth preferving:) And
indeed thofe who had the misfor-
tune to fall into their hands at fort
Washington, in the month of No-
vember following, met with but
very little better ufage, except
that they were referved from im-
mediate death to famifh and die
with hunger; in fine the word
rebel applied to any vanquished
perfons, without regard to rank,
who were in the continental fer-
vice, on the 27th of Auguft afore-
faid, was thought (by the enemy)
fufficient to fanctify whatever cru-
elties they were pleafed to inflict,
death itfelf not excepted; but to
pafs over particulars which would
fwell my narrative far beyond my
defign.
The private foldiers who were
brought to New York, were crow-
ded into churches, and environed
with flavish Heffian guards, a peo-
ple of a ftrange language, who
were fent to America for no other
defign but cruelty and defolation;
and at others, by mercilefs Britons,
whofe mode of communicating i-
deas being intelligible ia this
country, ferved only to tantalize
and infult the helpless and perifh-
ing; but above all the hellish de-
light and triumph of the tories o-
ver them, as they were dying by
hundreds: This was too much for
me to bear as a fpectator; for [
faw the tories exulting over the
dead bodies of their murdered
countrymen. I have gone into
the churches, and feen fundry of
the prifoners in the agonies of
death, in confequence of very hun-
ger, and others fpeechlefs and near
death, biting pieces of chips; o-
thers pleading for God's fake, for
fomething to eat, and at the fame
fhivering with the cold. Hollow
groans faluted my ears, and de-
fpair feemed to be imprinted on
every of their countenances. The
filth in thefe churches (in confe-
quence of the fluxes) was almost
beyond defcription. The floors
were covered with excrements.
have carefully fought to direct my
fteps fo as to avoid it, but could
not. They would beg for God's
fake for one copper, or morfel of
bread. I have feen in one of the fe
churches feven dead at the fame
I
time,

30
COL. ETHAN ALLEN's
time, lying among the excrements
of their bodies.
It was a common practice with
the enemy, to convey the dead
from thefe filthy places, in carts,
to be flightly buried, and I have
feen whole gangs of tories making
derifion, and exulting over the
dead, fying there goes another
load of damned rebels. I have
obferved the Bitifh foldiers to be
full of their blackguard jokes, and
vaunting on thefe occafions, but
they appeared to me lefs malignant
than tories.
The provifion dealt out to the
prifoners was by no means fuffi-
cient for the fupport of life: It was
deficient in quantity, and much
more fo in quality. The prifon-
The prifon-
ers often prelented me with a fam-
ple of their bread, which I certify
was damaged to that degree, that
it was loathfome and unfit to be
eaten, and I am bold to aver it,
(as my opinion) that it had been
condemned, and was of the very
worlt fort. I have feen and been
fed upon damaged bread, (in the
courfe of my captivity) and ob-
ferved the quality of fuch bread as
has been condemned by the ene-
my, among which was very little
fo effectually (poiled as what was
dealt out to thefe prifoners
Their allowance of meat (as they
told me) was quite trifling, and
of the bafeft fort. I never faw
any
of it, but was informed (bad as it
was) it was fwallowed almoft as
quick as they got hold of it. I faw
fome of them fucking bones atter
they were fpeechlefs; others who
could yet fpeak, and had the ufe
of their reafon, urged me in the
ftrongest and moft pathetic man-
ner, to use my intereft in their be-
half, for you plainly fee (fay they)
that we are devoted to death and
deftruction; and after I had exa
mined more particularly into their
truly deplorable condition, and
had become more fully apprifed of
the effential facts, I was perfuaded
that it was a premeditated and
fyftematical plan of the British
council, to deftroy the youths of
our land, with a view thereby to
deter the country, and make it
fubmit to their defpotifm; but that
I could not do them any material
fervice, and that by any public
attempt for that purpofe, I might
endanger myfelf by frequenting
places the most naufeous and con-
tagious that could be conceived of.
I refrained going into the churches,
but frequently converfed with fuch
of the prifoners as were admitted
to come out into the yard, and
found that the fyftematical ufage
fill continued.
The guard would
often drive me away with their
fixed bayonets. A Heffian (one
day) followed me five or fix rods,
but by making ufe of my legs, got
rid of the lubber. Sometimes I
could obtain a little converfation,
notwithstanding their feverities.
I was in one of the church yards,
and it was rumoured among thofe
in the church, and fundry of the
prifoners came with their ufual
complaints to me, and among the
reft a large boned tall young man,
(as he told me from Penafylvania)
who was reduced to a mere fkele-
ton; faid he was glad to fee me,
before he died, which he had ex-
pected to have done left night, but
a little revived; he further-
more informed me, that he and
his brother had been urged to en-
lift into the British, but had both
refolved to die firft; that his bro-
ther had died last night, in confe-
quence of that refolution, and that
he expected fhortly to follow him;
was
but

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
31
but I made the other prifoners
ftand a little off, and told him with
a low voice to lift; he then afked,
whether it was right in the fight
of God? I affured him that it was,
and that duty to himfelf obliged
him to deceive the British by en-
lifting, and deferting the firft op-
portunity; upon which he anfwer-
ed with transport, that he would
lift. I charged him not to men-
tion my name as his advifer, left
it thould get air, and I fhould be
clofely confined, in confequence
of it.
The integrity of thefe fuffering
prifoners is hardly credible. Many
hundreds, I am confident, fubmit-
ted to death, rather than enlift
into the British fervice, which (I
am informed) they moit generally
were preffed to do I was afto-
nished at the refolution of the two
brothers particularly; it feems that
they could not be ftimulated to
fuch exertions of heroifm from
ambition, as they were but ob
fcure foldiers; ftrong indeed muft
the internal principle of virtue be,
which fupported them to brave
death, and one of them went thro'
the operation, as did many hun-
dred others. I readily grant that
inftances of public virtue are no
excitement to the fordid and vici-
ous, nor on the other hand, will
all the barbarity of Britain and
Hefhland awaken them to a fenfe
of their duty to the public; bat
thefe things will have their proper
effect on the generous and brave.
The officers on parole were moft
of them zealous, if poffible, to af-
ford the miferable foldiery relief,
and often confulted with one ano-
ther on the fabject, but to no ef-
fect, being deftitute of the means
of fubfiftance, which they needed;
nor could the officers project any
in
meafures, which they thought
would alter their fate, or fo much
as be a means of getting them out
of thofe filthy places to the privi-
lege of fresh air. Some projected
that all the officers fhould go
proceffion to general Howe, and
plead the caufe of the perithing
foldiers; but this propofal was ne-
gatived for the following reafons,
Viz, becauſe that general Howe
muft needs be well acquainted and
have a thorough knowledge of the
ftate and condition of the prifon-
ers in every of their wretched a
partments, and that much more
particular and exact than any offi.
cer on parole could be fuppofed to
have, as the general had a return
of the circumitances of the prifon-
ers, by his own officers every
morning, of the number which
were alive, as alfo the number
which died every twenty four
hours, and confequently the bill
of mortality, as collected from the
daily returns, lay before him with
all the material fituations and cir-
cumftances of the prifoners; and
provided the officers fhould go in
proceffion to general Howe, ac-
cording to the proj &tion, it would
give him the greateft affront, and
that he would either retort upon
them; that it was no part of their
parole to inftru&t him in his con-
duct to prifoners; that they were
mutinying against his authority,
and by affronting him, had for
feited their parole; or that more
probably, instead of faying one
word to them, would order them
all into as wretched a confinement
as the foldiers whom they fought
to relieve; for at that time, the
British. from the general to the
private centinel, were in full con-
adence, nor did they fo much as
hefitate but that they fhould con-
quer

32
ALLEN's
Col.
ETHAN
quer the country.
Thus the con-
fultation of the officers was con-
founded and broken to pieces, in
confequence of the dread, which
at that time lay on their minds, of
offending general Howe; for they
conceived fo murderous a tyrant
would not be too good to deftroy
even the officers, on the leaft pre-
tence of an affront, as they
were equally in his power with
the foldiers; and as general Howe
perfectly understood the condition
of the private foldiers, it was ar-
gued that it was exactly fuch as he
and his council had devifed, and
as he meant to destroy them, it
would be to no purpoſe for them
to try to diffuade him from it, as
they were helpless and liable to the
fame fate, on giving the leaft af-
front; indeed anxious apprehen-
fions difturbed them in their then
circumftances.
Mean time mortality raged to
fuch an intolerable degree among
the prifoners, that the very fchool
boys in the ftreets knew the men-
tal defigo of it in fome measure;
at leaft they knew that they were
ftarved to death. Some poor wo-
men contributed to their neceffity,
'till their children were almoft
ftarved, and all perfons of com-
mon understanding knew that they
were devoted to the cruelleft and
wort of deaths. It was alfo pro-
pofed by fome to make a written
reprefentation of the condition of
the foldiery, and the officers to fign
it; and that it should be couched
in fuch terms, as though they were
apprehenfive that the general was
impofed upon by his officers, in
their daily returns to him of the
ftate and condition of the prifon-
ers; and that therefore the officers
moved with compaffion, were con-
ftrained to communicate to him
the facts relative to them, nothing
doubting but that they would meet
with a speedy redrefs; but this
propofal was moft generally nega-
tived alfo, and for much the fame
reafon offered in the other cafe;
for it was conjectured that general
Howe's indignation would be mo-
ved against fuch officers as fhould
attempt to whip him over his offi-
cers backs; that he would difcern
that himfelf was really struck at,
and not the officers who made the
daily returns; and therefore felf-
prefervation deterred the officers
from either petitioning or remon-
ftrating to general Howe, either
verbally or in writing; as alfo the
confideration that no valuable pur-
pofe to the diftreffed would be ob.
tained.
I made feveral rough drafts on
the fabject, one of which I exhi-
bited to the colonels Magaw, Miles
and Atlee, and they faid that they
would confider the matter; foon
after I called on them, and fome
of the gentlemen informed me,
that they had wrote to the general
on the fubject, and I concluded,
that the gentlemen thought it beft
that they should write without me,
as there was fuch fpirited averfion
fubfifting between the British and
me.
In the mean time a col. Huf
fecker, of the continental army,
(as he then reported) was taken
prifoner, and brought to New-
York, who gave out that the coun-
try was most univerfally fubmi ting
to the English king's authority,
and that there would be little or
no more oppofition to Great Bri-
tain: This at firft gave the offi-
cers a little fhock, but in a few
days they recovered themfelves;
for this colonel Huffecker being a
German, was feafting with general
De

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
33
De Heifter, his countryman, and
from his conduct they were appre-
henfive, that he was a knave; at
leaft he was efteemed fo by moft of
the officers; it was nevertheless a
day of trouble. The enemy blaf-
phemed. Our little army was re-
treating in New Jerfey, and our
young men murdered by hundreds
in New York: The army of Bri-
tain and Hefhland prevailed for a
little feafon, as though it was or-
dered by Heaven to fhew to the
lateft pofterity, what the British
would have done, if they could,
and what the general calamity
must have been, in confequence of
their conquering the country, and
to excite every honeft man to ftand
honest man to ftand
forth in the defence of liberty, and
to eftablish the independency of
the United States of America for
ever: But this fcene of adverfe
fortune did not difcourage a Wafh-
ington: The illuftrious American
hero remained immovable. In li-
berty's caufe he took up his fword:
This reflection was his fupport and
confolation in the day of his hu-
miliation, when he retreated be-
fore the enemy, through New Jer-
fey into Pennfylvania. Their tri-
umph only roufed his indignation,
and the important caufe of his
country, which lay near his heart,
moved him to cross the Delaware
again, and take ample fatisfaction
on his purfuers. No fooner had
he circumvallated his haughty foes
and appeared in terrible array, but
the host of Hefhland fell. This
taught America the intrinfic worth
of perfeverance, and the generous
fons of freedom flew to the ftand-
ard of their common fafeguard and
defence; from which time the arm
of American liberty hath prevailed.
This furprize and capture of the
Heffians enraged the enemy, who
E
at
were ftill vaftly more numerous
than the continental troops: They
therefore collected, and marched
from Princeton, to attack general
Washington, who was then
Trenton, having previously left a
detachment from their main body.
at Princeton, for the fupport of
that place. This was a trying
time, for our worthy general (tho
in poffeffion of a late moft aftonish-
ing victory) was by no means able
to withstand the collective force of
the enemy; but his fagacity foon
fuggefted a ftratagem to effect that
which by force to him was at that
time impracticable: He therefore
amufed the enemy with a number
of fires, and in the night made a
forced march, undifcovered by
them, and next morning fell in
with their rear guard at Princeton,
and killed and took moft of them
prifoners. The main body too
late perceiving their rear was at-
tacked, hurried back with all
fpeed, but to their mortification
found they were out generalled,
and baffled by general Wafhing-
ton, who was retired with his hit-
tle army towards Morristown, and
was cut of their power. Thefe
repeated fucceffes, one on the
back of the other, chagrined the
enemy prodigiously, and had an
amazing operation in the fcale of
American politics, and undoubt-
edly was one of the corner-stones,
on which the fair ftructure of inde.
pendency has been fabricated; for
the country at no one time has e-
ver been fo much difpirited as juft
before the morning of this glorious
fuccefs, which in part difpelled
the gloomy clouds of oppreffion
and flavery, which lay pending o-
ver America, big with the ruin of
this and future generations, and
enlightened and fpirited her fons

34
COL.
ALLEN's
ETHAN
to redouble their blows on a mer-
cilefs and haughty, and (I may
add) perfidious enemy.
Furthermore this fuccefs had a
mighty effect on general Howe
and his council, and roufed them
to a fenfe of their own weakness,
and convinced them that they were
neither omnifcient or omnipotent.
Their obduracy and death-defign-
ing malevolence in fome meaſure,
abated or was fufpended. The
prifoners who were condemned to
the moft wretched and cruelleft of
deaths, and who furvived to this
period, (though moft of them died
before were immediately ordered
to be fent within general Wash-
ington's lines for an exchange,
and in confequence of it, were
taken out of their filthy and poi-
fonous places of confinement, and
fent out of New York to their
friends in hafle; feveral of them
fell dead in the ftreets of New-
York, as they attempted to walk
to the veffels in the harbour, for
their intended embarkation.-
What numbers lived to reach the
lines I cannot afcertain, but from
concurrent reprefentations which I
have fince received from numbers
of people who lived in and adja-
cent to fuch parts of the country,
where they were received from the
enemy, I apprehend that moft of
them died in confequence of the
vile ufage of the enemy. Some
who were eye-witneffes of that
fcene of mortality, (more efpeci-
ally in that part which continued
after the exchange took place) are
of opinion, that it was partly in
confequence of a flow poifon; but
this I refer to the doctors that at-
tended them, who are certainly
the best judges.
Upon the beft calculation I have
been able to make from perfonal
knowledge, and the many evi-
dences I have collected in fupport
of the facts, I learn that of the
prifoners taken on Long Island,
fort Washington, and fome few
others, at different times and
places, about two thoufand pe-
rifhed with hunger, cold and fick-
nefs, (occafioned by the filth of
their prifons) at New York, and a
number more on their paffage to
the continental lines; moft of the
refidue who reached their friends,
having received their death wound,
could not be reftored by the affift-
ance of phyficians and friends;
but like their brother-prifoners,
fell a facrifice to the relentlefs and
fcientific barbarity of Britain. I
took as much pains as my circum-
ftances would admit of, to inform
myfelf not only of matters of fact,
but likewife of the very defign and
aims of general Howe and his
council: The latter of which I
predicated on the former, and
fubmit it to the candid public.
And laftly the aforefaid fuccefs
of the American arms, had a hap-
py effect on the continental offi-
cers, who were on parole at New
York: A number of us affembled,
(but not in a public manner) and
with full bowls and glaffes, drank
general Washington's health, and
were not unmindful of Congress
and our worthy friends on the
continent, and almoft forgot that
we were prifoners.
A few days after this recreation,
a British officer of rank and im-
portance in their army, (whofe
name I fhall not mention in this
narrative, for certain reafons, tho'
I have mentioned it to fome of my
clofe friends and confidents), fent
for me to his lodgings, and told
me, "That faithfulness (though
in a wrong caufe) had neverthe-
lefs

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
35
lefs recommended me to general
Sir William Howe, who was
minded to make me a colonel of a
regiment of new levies, (alias to-
ries) in the British fervice, and
propofed that I should go with
him, and fome other officers, to
England, who would embark for
that purpofe in a few days, and
there be introduced to lord. G. Ger-
main, and probably to the king;
and that previously I fhould be
cloathed equal to fuch an intro-
duation, and inflead of paper rags,
be paid in hard guineas; after
this fhould embark with general
Burgoyne, and affift in the reduc-
tion of the country, which infalli-
bly would be conquered, and when
that fhould be done, I fhould have
a large tract of land, whether on
the New Hampshire Grants, or
in Connecticut; it would make no
odds, as the country would be for-
feited to the crown." I then re-
plied, "That if by faithfulnefs I
had recommended myfelf to gen.
Howe, I fhould be loth, by un-
faithfulness, to lofe the general's
good opinion; befides, that I
viewed the offer of land to be fi-
milar to that which the devil of-
fered Jefus Chrift, "To give him
all the kingdoms of the world, if
he would fall down and worship
him;" when at the fame time that
the damned foul had not one foot
of land upon earth." This clofed
the converfation, and the gentle-
man turned from me with an air
of diflike, faying, that I was a
bigot; upon which I retired to
my lodgings.
Near the laft of November I was
admitted to parole in New York,
with many other American officers,
and on the 22d day of January,
1777, was with them directed by
the British commiffary of prifoners
to be quartered on the wefterly
part of Long Island, and our pa-
role continued. During my im-
prifonment there, no occurrences
worth obfervation happened. I
obtained the means of living as
well as I defired, which in great
meafure repaired my conftitution,
which had been greatly injured by
the feverities of an inhuman capti-
vity. I now began to feel myſelf
compofed, expecting either an ex-
change or continuance in good
and honourable treatment; but
alas! my vifionary expectations
foon vanished. The news of the
conqueft of Ticonderoga by gen.
Burgoyne, and the advance of his
army into the country, made the
haughty Britons again to feel their
importance, and with that their
infatiable thirst for cruelty.
The private prifoners at New-
York, and fome of the officers on
parole, felt the feverity of it.-
Burgoyne was their toaft and demi
god: To him they paid adoration:
In him the tories placed their
confidence," and forgot the Lord
their God," and ferved Howe,
Burgoyne, and Knyphaufen,
" and became vile in their own
"imaginations, and their fooliſh
"hearts were darkened, profefs-
66
ing" to be great politicians,
and relying on foreign and merci-
lefs invaders, and with them feek-
ing the ruin, bloodfhed and de-
ftruction of their country," be-
came fools," expecting with them
to fhare a dividend in the confif-
cated eftates of their neighbours
and countrymen, who fought for
the whole country, and the reli-
gion and liberties thereof :-
"Therefore God gave them over
"to ftrong delusions, to believe a
Knyphaufen, a Heffian general,
66
lie,

36
ALLEN'S
CoL.
ETHAN
lie, that they all might be
"damned."
The twenty-fifth day of Auguft
I was apprehended, and under
pretext of artful, mean and piti-
ful pretences, (that I had infringed
on my parole) taken from a ta-
vern, where there were more than
a dozen officers prefent, and in the
very place where thofe officers and
myfelf were directed to be quar-
tered, put under a ftrong guard,
and taken to New York, where I
expected to make my defence be-
fore the commanding officer; but
contrary to my expectations, and
without the leaft folid pretence of
juftice or a trial, was again en-
circled with a strong guard with
fixed bayonets, and conducted to
the provost-gaol in a lonely apart-
ment, next above the dungeon,
and was denied all manner of fub-
fiftence either by purchafe or al-
lowance. The fecond day I offered
a guinea for a meal of victuals,
but was denied it, and the third
day I offered eight Spanish milled
dollars for a like favour, but was
again denied, and all that I could
get out of the fergeant's mouth,
was, that by God he would obey
his orders. I now perceived my-
felf to be again in fubftantial trou-
ble. In this condition I formed
an oblique acquaintance with a
captain Edward Travis, of Vir-
ginia, (who was in the dungeon
below me) through a little hole
which was cut with a pen-knife,
through the floor of my apartment
which communicated with the
dungeon; it was a fmall crevice,
through which I could difcern but
a very ſmall part of his face at
once, when he plied it to the hole;
but from the difcovery of him in
the fituation which we were both
then in, I could not have known
him, (which I found to be true by
an after acquaintance.) I could
nevertheless hold a converfation
with him, and foon perceived him
to be a gentleman of high fpirits,
who had a high fenfe of honour,
and felt as big as though he had
been in a palace, and had treafures
of wrath in ftore against the Bri-
tifh. In fine I was charmed with
the ſpirit of the man ; he had been
near or quite four months in that
dungeon, with murderers, thieves,
and every fpecies of criminals,
and all for the fole crime of un-
fhaken fidelity to his country; but
his fpirits were above dejection,
and his mind unconquerable. I
engaged to do him every ſervice
in my power, and in a few weeks
afterwards, with the united peti-
tions of the officers in the provoft,
procured bis difmiflion from the
dark manfion of fiends to the a-
partments of his petitioners.
And it came to pass on the third
day, at the going down of the
fun, that I was prefented with a
piece of boiled pork, and fome
bifcuit, which the fergeant gave
me to understand, was my allow-
ance, and I fed fweetly on the
fame; but I indulged my appetite
by degrees, and in a few days
more, was taken from that apart-
ment, and conducted to the next
loft or story, where there were a-
bove twenty continental and fome
militia officers, who had been
taken and imprifored there, be-
fides fome private gentlemen who
had been dragged from their own
homes to that filthy place, by to-
ries. Several of every of the de-
nominations mentioned died there,
fome before, and others after I
was put there.
The hiftory of the proceedings
relative to the provolt only, was I
particular,

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
37
particular, would fwell a volume
larger than this whole narrative:
Shall therefore only notice fuch of
the occurrences which are molt
extraordinary.
Capt. Vandyke bore with un-
common fortitude near twenty
months confinement in this place,
and in the mean time was very
ferviceable to others who were
confined with him. The allega-
tion against him, as the caufe of
his confinement, was very extra-
ordinary: He was accuſed of fet-
ting fire to the city of New York,
(at the time the weft part of it
was confumed) when it was
known fact, that he had been in
the provost a week before the fire
broke out; and in like manner,
frivolous were the oftenfible accu-
fations against most of thofe who
were there confined; the cafe of
two militia officers excepted, who
were taken in their attempting to
efcape from their parole; and
probably there may be fome other
inftances which might justify fuch
a confinement.
a
Mr. William Miller, a commit-
tee-man, from Weft Chefter coun-
ty, and ſtate of New York, was
taken from his bed in the dead of
night, by his tory neighbours, and
was starved for three days and
nights in a department of the fame
gaol; add to this the denial of
fire, and that in a cold feafon of
the year,
in which time he walked
day and night, to defend himſelf
against the froft, and when he
complained of fuch a reprehenfible
conduct, the word rebel or com-
mittee man was deemed by the
enemy a fufficient atonement for
any inhumanity that they could
invent or inflict. He was a man
of good natural underftanding, a
clofe and fincere friend to the li-
berties of America, and endured
fourteen months cruel imprifon-
ment with that magnanimity of
foul, which reflects honour on
himself and country.
Major Levi Wells and captain
Ozias Biffel were apprehended and
taken under guard from their pa-
role on Long Island, to the pro-
voft, on as fallacious pretences as
the former, and were there conti-
nued 'till their exchange took
place, which was near five months.
Their fidelity and zealous attach-
ment to their country's caufe,
which was more than commonly
confpicuous, was undoubtedly the
real caufe of their confinement.
Major Brinton Payne, captain
Flahaven, and captain Randolph.
who had at different times diftin-
guifhed themfelves by their bra-
very, efpecially at the feveral ac-
tions in which they were taken,
was all the provocation they gave,
for which they fuffered about a
years confinement each in the
fame filthy gaol.
A few weeks after my confine-
ment, on the like fallacious and
wicked pretences, was brought to
the fame place, from his parole
on Long Island, major Otho Hol-
land Williams, (now a full colonel
in the continental army.) In his
character are united the gentle-
man, officer, foldier and friend;
he walked through the prifon with
an air of great difdain; faid he,
"Is this the treatment which gen-
tlemen of the continental army are
to expect from the rafcally British,
when in their power? Heavens
forbid it!" He was continued
there about five months, and then
exchanged for a British major.
John Fell, Efq; (now a mem-
ber of Congrefs for the ftate of
New Jerfey) was taken from his
Own

38
COL. ETHAN
ALLEN's
"mine in particular, as I bave
** been gradually coming to my
"end for a confiderable time,
" and they very well knew it, and
"likewife determined it fhould be
"accomplished, as they had fer-
"ved many others; that to ask a
"favour, would give the merci-
"lefs enemy occafion to triumph
66
over me in my laft moments,
" and therefore I will afk no fa-
"vours from them, but refign
"myfelf to my fuppofed fate."
But the letter I fent without his
knowledge, and I confefs I had
but little expectations from it, yet
could not be eafy 'till I had fent
it. It may be worth a remark,
that this gentleman was an Eng-
lifhman born, and from the be
ginning of the revolution, has in-
variably afferted, and maintained
the caufe of liberty.
own houfe by a gang of infamous
tories, and by order of a British
general, was fent to the provolt,
where he was continued near one
year. The tench of the gaol,
which was very loathfome and un-
healthy, occafioned a hoarfenefs
of the lungs, which proved fatal
to many who were there confined,
and reduced this gentleman near
to the point of death; he was in-
deed given over by his friends who
were about him, and himself con-
cluded that he muft die. I could
not endure the thought that fo
worthy a friend to America fhould
have his life ftole from him in
fuch a mean, bafe, and fcandalous
a manner, and that his family and
friends fhould be bereaved of fo
great and defirable a bleffing, as
his further care, ufefulness and
examples, might prove to them.
I therefore wrote a letter to gen.
Robertfon, (who commanded in
town) and being touched with the
moft fenfible feelings of humanity
which dictated my pen to paint
dying diftrefs in fach lively colours
that it wrought conviction even on
the obduracy of a British general,
and produced his order to remove
the now honourable John Fell,
fq; out of gaol, to private lodg
ings in town; in confequence of
which he flowly recovered his
health. There is fo extraordinary
a circumftance which intervened,
concerning this letter, that it is
worth noticing.
Previous to the fending it, I
exhibited the fame to the gentle-
man on whofe behalf it was wrote,
for his approbation, and he forbid
me to fend it in the moft pofitive
and explicit terms; his reafon
was, "That the enemy knew by
86
every morning's report, the
"condition of all the prifoners,
The British have made fo ex-
tenfive an improvement of the
provoft during the prefent revolu-
tion 'till of late, that a very short
definition will be fufficient for the
dulleft apprehenfions. It may be
with propriety called the British
inquifition, and calculated to fup-
port their oppreffive meafures and
defigns, by fuppreffing the fpirit
of liberty; as alfo a place to con-
fine the criminals, and meft infa-
mous wretches of their own army,
where many gentlemen of the A-
merican army, and citizens there-
of, were promifcuously confined,
with every fpecies of criminals;
but they divided into different a-
partments, and kept at as great a
remove as circumstances permit-
ted, but it was neverthelefs at the
option of a villainous fergeant who
had the charge of the provoft, to
take any gentlemen from their
room, and put them into the dun-
geon, which was often the cafe:
At

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
39
At two different times I was taken
down ftairs for that purpofe, by a
file of foldiers with fixed bayonets,
and the fergeant brandishing his
fword at the fame time, and hav-
ing been brought to the door of
the dungeon, I there flattered the
vanity of the fergeant, whofe name
was Keef, by which means I pro-
cured the furprizng favour to re-
turn to my companions; but fome
of the high mettled young gentle-
men could not bear his infolence,
and determined to keep at a dif-
tance, and neither pleafe or dif-
pleaſe the villain, but none could
keep clear of his abufe; however,
mild meaſures were the beft; he
did not hesitate to call us damned
Rebels, and ufe us with the
coarfeft language. The captains
Flahaven, Randolph and Mercer,
were the objects of his moft fla-
grant and repeated abufes, who
were many times taken to the
dungeon, and there continued at
his pleaſure. Captain Flahaven
took cold in the dungeon, and
was in a declining tate of health,
but an exchange delivered him,
and in all probability faved his
life.
It was very mortifying to bear
with the infolence of fuch a vici-
ous and ill-bred imperious rafcal.
Remonftrances againft him were
preferred to the commander of the
town, but no relief could be ob-
tained, for his fuperiors were un-
doubtedly well pleafed with his a-
bufive conduct to the gentlemen,
under the feverities of his power,
and remonftrating against his in-
fernal conduct, only ferved to
confirm him in authority, and for
this reafon I never made any re-
monftrances on the fubject, but
only ftroaked him, for I knew
that he was but a cat's paw in the
hands of the British officers, and
that if he fhould ufe us well, he
would immediately be put out of
that truft, and a worfe man ap-
pointed to fucceed him; but there
was no need of making any new
appointment, for Cunningham,
their provoft marfhal, and Keef,
his deputy, were as great rafcals
as their army could boaft of, ex-
cept one Joshua Loring, an infa-
mous tory, who was their commif-
fary of prifoners, nor can any of
thefe be fuppofed to be equally
criminal with general Sir William
Howe and his affociates, who pre-
fcribed and directed the murders
and cruelties, which were by them
perpetrated.
This Loring is a monster!-
There is not his like in human
fhape. He exhibits a fmiling
countenance, and on a fuperficial
acquaintance, feems to wear a phiz
of humanity, but has been inftru-
mentally capable of the most con-
fummate acts of wicked nefs, (which
were firftly projected by an aban-
doned British council, cloathed
with the authority of a Howe)
murdering premeditately (in cool
blood) near or quite two thoufand
helplefs prifoners, and that in the
molt clandeftine, mean and fhame-
ful manner, (at New York.) He
is the moft mean-fpirited, coward-
ly, deceitful, and deftructive ani-
mal in God's creation below, and
legions of infernal devils, with all
their tremendous horrors, are im-
patiently ready to receive Howe
and him, with all their deteftable
accomplices, into the most exqui-
fite agonies of the hotteft region
of hell-fire.
The fixth day of July, 1777,
general St. Clair, and the army
under his command, evacuated
Ticonderoga, and retreated with
the

40
ALLEN's
COL.
ETHAN
the main body through Hubberdton
into Caftleton, which was but fix
miles diftance, when his rear-
guard commanded by colonel Seth
Warner, was attacked at Hub-
berdton by a body of the enemy of
about two thoufand commanded by
gen. Frafer. Warner's command
confifted of his own and two other
regiments, viz. Francis's, and
Hale's, and fome fcattering and
enfeebled foldiers. His whole
number, according to information,
was near or quite one thoufand;
part of which were Green Moun-
tain Boys; about feven hundred
out of the whole he brought into
action. The enemy advanced
boldly, and the two bodies formed
within about fixty yards of each
other. Col. Warner having form-
ed his own regiment, and that of
col. Francis's, did not wait for the
enemy, but gave them a heavy fire
from his whole line, and they re-
turned it with great bravery. It
was by this time dangerous for
thofe of both parties, who were
not prepared for the world to come;
but col. Hale being apprifed of the
danger, never brought his regi-
ment to the charge, but left War-
ner and Francis to ftand the blow-
ing of it, and fled, but luckily
fell in with an inconfiderable num-
ber of the enemy, and to his eter-
nal fhame, furrendered himself a
prifoner.
The conflict was very bloody.
Colonel Francis fell in the fame, but
colonel Warner, and the officers un-
der his command as alfo the foldiery,
behaved with great refolution. The
enemy broke, and gave way on the
right and left, but formed again,
and renewed the attack; in the mean
time the British grenadiers, in the
center of the enemy's line, maintained
the ground, and finally carried it
with the point of the bayonet, and
Warner retreated with great reluct-
ance. Our lofs was about thirty
men killed, and that of the enemy a-
mounted to three hundred men killed,
including a major Grant. The ene-
my's lofs I learnt from the confesion
of their own officers, when a pri-
foner with them. I heard them like.
wife complain, that the Green
Mountain Boys took fight.
but
The next movement of the enemy,
of any material confequence, was
their investing Bennington, (with a
defign to demolish it, and fubject its
Mountaineers, to whom they had a
great averfion) with fifteen hundred
chofen men, including tories, with
the highest expectation of Juccess, and
having chofen an eminence of trong
ground, fortified it with flight breast
works, and two pieces of cannon;
the government of the young fate of
Vermont, being previously jealous of
fuch an attempt of the enemy, and in
due time had procured a number of
brave militia from the government
of the fate of New Hampshire, who
together with the militia of the north
part of Berkshire county, and flate of
Maffachufet's, and the Green Moun-
tain Boys, conftituted a body of def-
peradoes, under the command of the
intrepid general Stark, who in num-
ber were about equal to the enemy.
Colonel Herrick, who commanded
the Green Mountain Rangers, and
who was fecond in command, being
thoroughly acquainted with the
ground here the enemy had fortifi-
ed, propofed to attack them in their
works upon all parts, at the fame
time. This plan being adopted by
the general and his council of war,
the little militia brigade of undifci-
plined heroes, with their long brown
firelocks, (the beft fecurity of a free
people) without eitber cannon or
bayonets, was, on the 16th day of
August,

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
41
Auguft, led on to the attack by their
bold commanders, in the face of the
enemy's dreadful fire, (and to the a-
ftonishment of the world, and bur-
lefque of difcipline) carried every
part of their lines in less than one
quarter of an hour after the attack
became general, took their cannon,
killed and captivated more than two
thirds of their number, which im
mortalized general Stark, and made
Bennington famous to pofterity.
Among the enemy's flain was
found col. Baum, their command-
er, a col. Pfefter, who headed an
infamous gang of tories, and a
large part of his command; and
among the prifoners was major
Meibome, their fecond in com-
mand, a number of British and
Heffian officers, furgeons, &c. and
more than one hundred of the a-
fore mentioned Pfefter's command.
The prifoners being collected to-
gether, were fent to the meeting-
houfe in the town, by a ftrong
guard, and general Stark not ima-
gining any prefent danger, the
militia fcattered from him to reft
and refresh themfelves; in this fi-
tuation he was on a fudden attack-
ed by a reinforcement of eleven
hundred of the enemy, command-
ed by a governor Skene, with two
feld pieces: They advanced in
regular order, and kept up an in-
ceffant fire, efpecially from their
field pieces, and the remaining
militia retreating flowly before
them, difputed the ground inch by
inch. The enemy were heard to
halloo to them, faying ftop Yan-
kees.
In the mean time col. Warner,
with about one hundred and thirty
men of his regiment, (who were
not in the firft action) arrived and
attacked the enemy with great fu-
ry, (being determined to have
4
ample revenge on account of the
quarrel at Hubberdton) which
brought them to a ftand, and foon
after gen. Stark and col. Herrick
brought on mare of the fcattered
militia, and the action became
general; in a few minutes the e-
nemy were forced from their can-
non, gave way on all parts and
fied, and the fhouts of victory
were a fecond time proclaimed in
favour of the militia. The ene-
my's lofs in killed and prifoners,
in theſe two actions, amounted to
more than twelve hundred men,
and our lofs did not exceed fifty
men.
This was a bitter ftroke to the
enemy, but their pride would not
permit them to he fitate but that
they could vanquish the country,
and as a fpecimen of their arrogan-
cy, I fhall infert gen. Burgoyne's
PROCLAMATION.
By John Burgoyne, Efq; lieute-
nant general of his majesty's ar-
mies in America, colonel of the
queen's regiment of light dra-
goons, governor of fort Willi-
am in North Britain, one of the
reprefentatives of the commons
of Great Britain in parliament,
and commanding an army and
fleet employed on an expedition
from Canada, &c. &c. &c.
"THE forces entrusted to my
command are defigned to act in
concert, and upon a common
principle, with the numerous ar-
mies and fleets which already dif-
play in every quarter of America,
the power, the justice, and when
properly fought, the mercy of the
king.
"The caufe in which the Bri-
tish arms are thus exerted, applies
to the most affecting interefts of
the human heart; and the military
fervants of the crown, at firft called
forth

42
ALLEN'S
COL.
ETHAN
forth for the fole purpofe of reftor-
ing the rights of the conftitution,
now combine with love of their
country, and duty to their fove-
reign, the other extenfive incite-
ments which fpring from a due
fenfe of the general privileges of
mankind. To the eyes and ears
of the temperate part of the pub-
lic, and to the breafts of fuffering
thoufands in the provinces, be the
melancholy appeal, whether the
prefent unnatural rebellion has not
been made a foundation for the
compleateft fyftem of tyranny that
ever God in his difpleafure, fuf-
fered for a time to be exercifed o-
ver a froward and ftubborn gene-
ration.
"Arbitrary imprisonment, con-
fifcation of property, perfecution
and torture, unprecedented in the
inquifitions of the Romish church,
are among the palpable enormities
that verify the affirmative. Thefe
are inflicted by affemblies and
committees, who dare to profefs
themſelves friends to liberty, upon
the moft quiet fubjects, without
diftinction of age or fex, for the
fole crime, often for the fole fuf-
picion, of having adhered in prin-
ciple to the government under
which they were born, and to
which by every tie, divine and
human, they owe allegiance. To
confummate thefe fhocking pro-
ceedings, the profanation of reli-
gion is added to the moft profli-
gate proftitution of common reafon;
the confciences of men are fet at
nought; and multitudes, are com-
pelled not only to bear arms, but
alfo to fwear fubjection to an ufur-
pation they abhor.
"Animated by thefe confidera-
tions; at the head of troops in the
full powers of health, difcipline,
and valour; determined to ftrike
where neceffary, and anxious to
fpare where poffible, I by thefe
prefents invite and exhort all per-
fons, in all places where the pro-
grefs of this army may point,
and by the bleffing of God I will
extend it far,-to maintain fuch a
conduct as may juftify me in pro-
tecting their lands, habitations,
and families. The intention of
this addrefs is to hold forth fecuri-
ty, not depredation to the country..
"To thofe whom ſpirit and
principle may induce to partake
the glorious task of redeeming
their countrymen from dungeons,
and re-establishing the blefings of
legal government, I offer encou
ragement and employment; and
upon the first intelligence of their
affociations, I will find means to
affift their undertakings. The do-
meftic, the induftrious, the in firm,
and even the timid inhabitants, I
am defirous to protect, provided
they remain quietly at their
houfes; that they do not fuffer
their cattle to be removed, nor
their corn or forage to be fecreted
or deftroyed; that they do not
break up their bridges or roads;
nor by any other act, directly or
indirealy, endeavour to obftru&t
the operations of the king's troops,
or fupply or aflift thofe of the
enemy.
"Every fpecies of provifion
brought to my camp, will be paid
for at an equitable rate, and in
folid coin.
"In confcioufnefs of chriftiani-
ty, my royal mafter's clemency,
and the honour of foldierfhip, I
have dwelt upon this invitation,
and wished for more perfuafive
terms to give it impreffion: And
let not people be led to difregard
it, by confidering their diftance
from the immediate fituation of my
camp.

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
43
camp.-I have but to give ftretch
to the Indian forces under my di-
rection, and they amount to
thousands, to overtake the har-
dened enemies of Great Britain
and America; I confider them the
fame wherever they may lurk.
"If notwithstanding thefe en-
deavours, and fincere inclinations
to effect them, the phrenfy of ho-
ftility fhould remain, I truft I fhall
fland acquitted in the eyes of God
and men, in denouncing and exe-
cuting the vengeance of the flate
against the wilful outcafts.-The
meffengers of juftice and of wrath
await them in the field; and de-
valtation, famine, and every con-
comitant horror that a reluctant
but indifpenfable profecution of
military duty muft occafion, will
bar the way to their return.
"Camp near Ticonderoga,
4th July, 1777. 7. Burgoyne.
By order of his excellency the
lieutenant general,
Robt. Kingston, Secretary."
General Burgoyne was ftill the
toaft, and the feverities towards
the prifoners were in great mea-
fure increafed or diminished, in
proportion to the expectation of
conqueft. His very oftentatious
proclamation was in the hand and
mouth of most of the foldiery, ef-
pecially the tories, and from it,
their faith was raifed to affurance.
I wish my countrymen in gene-
ral could but have an idea of the
affuming tyranny, and haughty,
malevolent, and infolent behavi-
our of the enemy at that time;
and from thence difcern the into-
lerable calamities which this coun-
try have extricated themselves from
by their public fpiritednefs and
bravery.
The downfall of general Bur-
goyne, and furrender of his army,
dashed the afpiring hopes and ex-
pectations of the enemy, and
brought low the imperious fpirit
of an opulent, puiffant and haugh-
ty nation, and made the tories
bite the ground with anguish, ex-
alted the valour of the free-born
fons of America, and railed their
fame and that of their brave com-
manders to the clouds, and im-
mortalized general Gates with
laurels of eternal duration.
No fooner had the knowledge
of this interefting and mighty e-
vent reached his Mott Christian
Majefty, who in Europe fhines
with a fuperior luftre in goodness,
policy and arms, but the illuftri-
ous potentate, aufpicioufly influ-
enced by Heaven to promote the
reciprocal intereft and happiness of
the ancient kingdom of France,
and the new and rifing ftates of
America, paffed the great and
decifive decree, that the United
States of America, fhould be free
and independent.
Vaunt no more Old England!
confider you are but an island!
and that your power has been con-
tinued longer than the exercite of
your humanity. Order your bro-
ken and vanquished battalions to
retire from America, the fcene of
your cruelties. Go home and re-
pent in duft and fackcloth for your
aggravated crimes. The cries of
bereaved parents, widows, and or-
phans, reach the Heavens, and
you are abominated by every friend
to America. Take your friends
the tories with you, and be gone,
and drink deep of the cup of hu-
miliation. Make peace with the
princes of the houfe of Bourbon,
for you are in no condition to wage
war with them. Your veteran
foldiers are fallen in America and
your glory is departed. Be quier
and

44
COL.
ALLEN's
ETHAN
and pay your debts, especially for
the hire of the Heffians. There
is no other way for you to get into
credit again but by reformation
and plain honefty, which you have
defpifed; for your power is by no
means fufficient to fupport your
vanity. I have had opportunity
to fee a great deal of it, and felt
its fevere effects, and learned lef-
fons of wifdom and policy, when
I wore your heavy irons, and bore
your bitter revilings and reproach-
es. I have fomething of a fmat-
tering of philofophy, and under-
Aand human nature in all its fta-
ges tolerably well; am thoroughly
acquainted with your national
crimes, and affure you that they
not only cry aloud for Heaven's
vengeance, but excite mankind to
rife up against you. Virtue, wif-
Virtue, wif-
dom and policy, are in a national
fenfe always connected with pow
er, or in other words, power is
their offspring, and fuch power as
is not directed by virtue, wifdom,
and policy, never fails finally to
defroy itfelf as yours has done.
It is fo in the nature of things,
and unfit that it fhould be other-
wife; for if it was not fo, vanity,
injuftice, and oporeffion, might
reign triumphant for ever. I
know you have individuals, who
fill retain their virtue, and con-
fequently their honour and huma-
nity. Thoſe I really pity, as they
mut more or lefs fuffer in the ca-
lamity, in which the nation is
plunged headlong; but as a na-
tion I hate and defpife you.
My affections are frenchified.
I glory in Louis the fixteenth, the
generous and powerful ally of thefe
flates; am fond of a connection
with fo enterprizng, learned, po-
lite, courteous, and commercial a
nation, and am fure that I exprefs
the fentiments and feelings of all
the friends to the prefent revolu-
tion. I begin to learn the French
tongue, and recommend it to my
Countrymen before Hebrew, Greele
or Latin, (provided but one of
them only are to be attended to)
for the trade and commerce of
theſe ſtates in future muft inevita-
bly fhift its channel from England
to France, Spain, and Portugal;
and therefore the ftatefman, poli-
tician and merchant, need be ac-
quainted with their feveral Jan-
guages, particularly the French,
which is much in vogue in moſt
parts of Europe. Nothing could
have ferved fo effectually to illu-
minate, polifh, and enrich theſe
ftates as the prefent revolution, as
well as preferve their liberty.
Mankind are naturally too nation-
al, even to the degree of bigotry;
and commercial intercourfe with
foreign nations has a great and
neceffary tendency, to improve
mankind, and erale the fuperfti-
tion of the mind by acquainting
them that human nature, policy
and intereft, are the fame in all
nations, and at the fame time they
are bartering commodities for the
conveniences and happineſs of
each nation, they may reciprocal-
ly exchange fuch part of their cu-
Atoms and manners as may be be-
neficial, and learn to extend cha-
rity and good-will to the whole
world of mankind.
I was confined in the provost-
gaol at New York the twenty fixth
day of Auguft, and continued
there to the third day of May,
1778, when I was taken out un-
der guard, and conducted to a
floop in the harbour at New York,
in which I was guarded to Staten-
Ifland, to general Campbell's
quarters, where I was admitted to
cat

OBSERVATIONS, during his Captivity.
45
eat and drink with the general, aforefaid, and in a tranfport of
joy, landed on liberty ground, and
as I advanced into the country, re-
ceived the acclamations of a grate-
ful people.
and feveral other of the British
field officers, and treated for two
days in a polite manner. As 1
was drinking wine with them one
evening, I made an obfervation on
my tranfition from the provoft-
criminals to the company of gen-
tlemen, adding that I was the
fame man fill, and fhould give
the British credit by him, (fpeak-
ing to the general) for two days
good ufage.
I foon fell into company with
col. Shelden, (of the light horfe)
who in a polite and obliging man-
ner, accompanied me to head-
quarters, Valley Forge, where I
was courteously received by gen.
Washington, with peculiar marks
of his approbation and elteem, and
was introduced to most of the ge-
nerals and many of the principal
officers of the army, who treated
me with refpect, and after having
offered general Washington my
further fervice, in behalf of my
country, as foon as my health
(which was very much impaired)
would admit, and obtained his li-
leave of his excellency, and fet
out from Valley Forge with gen.
Gates and his faite for Fifh Kill,
where we arrived the latter end of
May. In this tour the general
was pleafed to treat me with the
familiarity of a companion, and
generofity of a lord, and to him I
made known fome ftriking cir-
cumftances which occurred in the
courfe of my captivity.
The next day colonel Archibald
Campbell (who was exchanged
for me) came to this place, (con
ducted by Mr. Boudinot, the then
American commiflary of prifon-
ers) and faluted me in a hand-
fome manner, faying that he never
was more glad to fee any gentle.
man in his life, and I gave him to
underfland that I was equally gladicence to return home, I took my
to fee him, and was apprehenfive
that it was from the fame motive.
The gentlemen prefent laughed at
the fancy, and conjectured that
fweet liberty was the foundation.
of our gladnefs; fo we took a glafs
of wine together, and then I was
accompanied by general Camp-
bell, colonel Campbell, Mr. Bou-
dinot, and a number of British
officers, to the boat, which was
ready to fail to Elizabethtown-
point. Mean while I entertained
them with a rehearsal of the cru-
elties exerciſed towards our pri-
foners; and affured them that I
fhould ufe my influence, that their
prifoners fhould be treated in fu-
ture in the fame manner, as they
fhould in future treat ours; that I
thought it was right in fuch ex-
treme cafes, that their example
fhould be applied to their own
prifoners; then exchanged the
decent ceremonies of compliment,
and parted: I failed to the point
I then bid farewel to my noble
general and the gentlemen of his
retinue, and fet out for Benning-
ton, the capital of the Green
Mountain Boys, where I arrived
the evening of the laft day of May
to their great furprize; for I was
to them as one role from the dead,
and now both their joy and mine
was complete. Three cannon
were fired that evening, and next
morning colonel Herrick gave or.
ders, and fourteen more were dif-
charged, welcoming me to Ben-
nington, my ufual place of abode;
thirteen

46 Col. Ethan Allen's Obfervations, &c.
thirteen for the United States, and
one for young Vermont.
After this ceremony was ended
we moved the flowing bowl, and
tural felicity, fweetened with
friendship, glowed in each coun-
tenance, and with loyal healths to
the rifing States of America, con-
cluded that evening, and with the
fame loyal fpirit, I now conclude
my narrative.
I
N I S.
SPELLING BOOKS
DILWORTH'S SPELLING
No by the Dozen, Grofs, five Hundred, or one Thoufand, are
now felling by Robert Bell, next Door to St. Paul's Church,
els i
in Third-freet, Philadelphia.
Said Bell, alfo fells,
LITERATURE, in all Arts, Sciences and Languages, to thofe
Sentimentalifts, who are fo truly fcientific, as to be per-
fuaded in their own Minds, that the Enjoyment of Books
is fuperior to any Pleafure arifing from the Contemplation
of Gold, Silver, or Paper Dollars.





C
1779
al
Allen, Ethan
The Clements
Library
Associates