Narrative and 'Memorial ... Relative to a Regiment, Raised on the borders of Switzerland. Colonel "irakine UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES NARRATIVE AND MEMORIAL O F Colonel E R S K I N E, RELATIVE TO A REGIMENT, -Railed on the Borders of S W I T Z E R LA N D, FOR THE SERVICE OF The EAST-INDIA-COMPANY of ENGLAND. E TO THE HONOURABLE !7<-l^-. The COURT of DIRECTORS O F The EAST INDIA COMPANY. E C/5 RANEZ.AGH, April 29, 1782. <*""'. ? GENTLEMEN^ _j / _. YOUR fecretary, Mr. Mitchell, acquainted me by your orders, on the 31! -of this month, " That you could not accept my propofals of indemnification for myfelf and officers, but that you were ready to receive and take into confideration any equi- table claims I might hare to offer you.'* Permit me to prefent my moft refpeclful thanks for a determination fo favourable to me, but at the fame time to exprefs my concern at being obliged thereby to unfold a tranfa&ion which I was willing to bury in oblivion. As the equity of my claims muft depend upon the whole circumftances of the tranfa&ion put together, I have drawn up a Narrative and Memorial, which is here- with laid before you 5 feme errors of fmall moment may have efcaped me in a paper of fuch length, but there is not a fact ftate.d of any confequence, (however extraordinary fome of them may appear) I have not the moft ample proof of. They will but too furely convince every one who gives himfelf the trouble to examine them, that the Company as well as myfelf have been moft egregioufly deceived and injured. If the Court of Directors had .judged my proposals for raifing a regiment in Britain, an indemnification to the Company as well as to the officers of my Swifs regiment, as I meant them to be, there would have been no call upon me to demonftrate by whoitt we had been injured, fmce the injury would then have no longer exifted. But the equity of my claims dependin-g on the qucftion, Whether the regiment's not reaching Eoglaad r . 35491ft *. England was owing to any fault of mine? I am under the necefllty of dating the caufcs of my regiment's being feized and reflrained in Germany, in order to proTe that they could not originate with me. It will be very hard indeed, if after having done every thing in my power to avoid this explanation, I am nofwithftanding confidered as the accufer; and ftill harder, if it ; ; - *' - is furmifed, that I fliould not upon the receipt of the like order from you forae months ago, have held juft the fame language: in fact, I am the defender, and when aggrieved as I have been, cannot meafure my word* or actions by the degree of good or harm they may do me. MY MEMORIAL SETS FORTH, I. That my propofals and the grounds thereof, had been under difcufliou of the Cabinet for feveral months before the name of the Eaft India Company (a) See from came j n q ue {Hon. (a) page i to 7 . II. That according to my propofals, accepted at the recommendation of (b) P. 710. his Majefty's Minifters by the Company, on the 27th of April, 1781, .(b) I engaged for no more than that my regiment fliould be raifcd in time t$> reach (c) P. 12-14. England by -the ift of October following, (c) III. That though I was kept by the Chairmen from proceeding to execute fa) P. 12. m y engagement for more than a month after the fignature; (d) my regiment (e) P. 15, i6, was raifed in time to reach England by the ift of October* (e) ' IV. That I figncd the contract on the 2o*th of M>y, upon that I mould be in no worfe fituation than I flood in by. the engagement figned the 27th of April preceding; and fchat the 27th of Auguft was named therein for the day of mufter, folely for the purpofe of inftigating my officers to haften the levy, aflurances being given me that I fhould not be kept to the day ' 13 ' 4J would in all human probability, have been in England before the ift of October, if his Majefty's minifters had granted the protection promifed, as foon as the levy was made, and the Chairmen had not fent orders by their mufter-maftcr contradictory IX. That the Chairmen were induced to fend me fuch orders, by at^biNgtf I sil: oT of fentiment in his Majefty's minifters refpe&ing the levy I was lft*fctftg.'bj& r , L : o o/!T their orders 5 who, without giving me any notice thereof, refolved, " That 6 < my regiment flioulcl not be employed." (r) f . t(J 44- X. That my regiment, confifling of well-difciplined foldiers, was thus facri- ficed, to make room for two others propofed after mine had been accepted j which his Majefty's minifters prevailed upon the Company to prefer, upon affurances, that they mould confift of none other than Hanoverian foildiers, raifed' and be in England before mine, (s) (s) P. 44 XL That, notwithwithftanding thefe aflurances, neither of thefe regiments did confift of Hanoverian foldiers, but of raw undifciplined men, picked up in the feveral free towns throughout German ; and that the whole of one of them has not yet reached Engiand, from very unworthy caufes, though the month of April 1782, is near expired, (t) ,^ p g ' X'll?' ( 4 ) XII. That Major Muller and his family, Captains D'Erlach and Grata- rall ; Lieutenants D'Armine, Foulon, Rodarker, Curtat, Muret, and Baron Adelfheim are banifhed or ruined in confequence of their having ferved the Eaft India Company of England to the utmoft of their power, as well as my- . 3 8, 39. felf and feveral other Britifli officers, (u) Your juftice, Gentlemen, I am confident will incline you to give attention to my Memorial, and upon inveftigation to do your utmoft to redrefs the hardfhips I fet forth. Allow me to ftate that it is feven months fincc I have been foliciting it ; that during all that time moft of the gentlemen ruined in your fervice have been upon my hands, my lofies consequently incrcafing every day : I do not complain of the delay, but you muft be fenfible that any farther will be the fame as a refufal. B^JSlOl Jtt ,1 Tr?rtqs'/-{G !. -f rl'J^O i'7tq ' *U] I have the honour to be, With the greateft refped, Your moft obedient, r;Jkjr:-:?i:yr. i^> ; '- .',' ../> ^; ;t.i iu.'S n?.-r:;.i- And moft humble fenratjt, T the Renewable The Court cf Direflors; NARRATIVE and MEMORIAL FOR THE COURT of DIRECTORS O F The EAST-INDIA COMPANY. GENTLEMEN, I Faffed the years 1 779 and 1 780 in Switzerland : that country fwarm* with a hardy race of inhabitants, who, for time immemorial, have bore the character of making remarkable good foldiers ; they are not only trained to arms from their childhood, and regularly difciplined two months in every year, but the common diverfion alfo of the country is to fire at a mark, three hundred yards diftance, with a rifled barrel firelock. At this they are fo expert that it is rare for two . men in ten to mifs. Cuftoms and manners of this kind muft naturally catch the attention of every military man who only pafles through the country a any time ; but they made a particular irnpreffion on me> who had ob- ferved, with deep regret, the extravagant price paid by Britain to German princes for much worfe ibldiers ; I had thought their remaining partly bound to our King, and partly to their own Sovereign, muft create greater confufion in the fervice, and be attended with ftill worie confe- quences than it has ; though to this caufe I then chiefly attributed the difafter of Saratoga, and at this day cannot but think it tended to accel- krate the fate of our army at York-town and Gloucefter. I laid myfelf out to examine how far it might be poflible to raife Swifs troops for the iervke of Britain ; and found the general wim of the people, in all the Proteflant to him, that the King of England's right, as Eleftor of Hanover, was the fame to march through Germany, as the King of Pruflia's, as Elector of Brandenburg* Lord Amherft promifed to lay the routes and the obfervations I had made to him, before the Cabinet. And a few days afterwards I received a letter from his Lordfhip, informing me my propofals had been difcuffed in the Cabinet,, and that in confequence I was to fill up the blanks in my propofals. It was natural hereon for me to conclude that all objections were folved, fave what related to the levy money, and time the troops would take in raifing. Towards the latter end of February I received another letter fronv Lord Amherft, faying again, that His Majefty had at prefent no occafion for the fervice of a corps of Swifs. And though I preffed as much as poflible for an explanation of the words at prefent , I could get no other anfwer from his Lordfhip than that, as the buunefs had been fully dif- cuffed in the Cabinet, which had not thought proper to give him any inftructions on the fubjec\ the Commander in Chief could not take fuch a meafure upon himfelf alone. Other minifters told me the fame thing as to the difcuffion of the meafure ; and faid that,, though no inftru&ioiis had been given to the Commander in Chief, the Cabinet had exprefled their opinion fufficiently to authorife him to proceed if he chofe it. I imagined the real difficulty lay in an a and they obtained from the Bifhop the town of Warem ; but different accidents, and the- length of time that intervened' between Colonel Grofette' s leaving; me and the receipt of his letter, predated my being, able to make an}-- yfe: o the favour the Bifhop had been pleafed to ihew me. Colbnell ( '6 ) Colonel Braun advifed me to confult Monfieur Tfchiffeli, and other* of the moft eminent counfel at Berne, on the laws refpecung recruit* ing, before I took any fteps, that .1 might offend as little as poffible. From them I learned, that the laws againft enlifting fubje&s of Switzer- Jand within its territories were nearly the fame in every Canton, and capital againft fuch as infringed but that every fubjet, as well as every citizen, had a right to enter voluntary of himfelf into the fervice of any country not at war with Switzerland, and that if once I obtained a rendezvous, there was no law to prevent the inhabitants of any of the Cantons from going to engage with me there, nor to punim thole who received them. Upon this intelligence, I endeavoured to arrange myfelf. The firft place mentioned to me as proper for a rendezvous was Bienne, a fmali republic, of the Proteftant religion, fovereign in itfelf, and, by alliance, making part of the Helvetic Body. It is fituated on the banks of a large lake, communicating with that of Neuchatell and Morat, all na- vigable, as well as the river Thielle, which runs from it to the Aar, a great river that falls into the Rhine. Large boats go without impedi- ment from any part of thefe lakes to Holland. The territories of this republic are bounded by thofe of Berne, Soleure, Neufchatell, and the bimopric of Porentice. From thefe advantages of fituation, I imagined it would be eafy for the men I expeted both to join me at Bienne, and to proceed, when raifed, from thence towards Britain. I therefore endeavoured to obtain a rendezvous there ; but upon application to the magistrates, found there was a treaty between this republic and France expreflly prohibiting it "- Upon engaging however, to give a company to the fon of one, and a lieutenancy to the fbn of another, they allowed me to take a houfe ; they engaging not to examine what was going forward there, and I that there never mould be more than forty at a time, whom I would keep from appearing as recruits, that their conni- vance might not become public.. This This anfwered my end in part ; but it was flili neceflary for me to have an open rendezvous fomewhere ; and I went with all fpced to Schaffhaufen, where I was flattered that a little management would enable me to get a majority of the Council of State openly to avow the levy of my regiment. \Vhilft my negotiation was going forwards with the different members of the Council of Schaffhaufen, I was informed that the Abbe of Rheinau, fovereign of a fmall peninfula formed by the Rhine, about a league from SchafFhaufen, might be prevailed upon to grant me a rendezvous. And rinding, upon enquiry, his right of doing fo clear, I made the application, and fucceeded. The Abbe, upon certain terms and ftipulations, granted me his town of Rheinau, for the -reception of all Proteftants that came to tender their fervice to the Eaft-India Company of England ; which anfwering my purpofe nearly the fame as SchafFhaufen, I left my friends in the Council of that place to proceed as they mould judge proper in obtain- ing a majority. I fixed officers at Rheinau for the reception of fuch recruits as mould offer, and fent others to the Proteftant cantons and republics in the neighbourhood of Schaffhaufen, to wit, Bafill, Ap~ penzell, Claris, St. Gall, the Tokembourg, Rheinthall, and the Gri- fons, who had printed copies of my contract with the Company, fta- ting the fuperior advantages of this Service to any other that would be offered. My correfpondence with the people of power in thofe parts was through the mterpofition of a gentleman of Berne, to whom I was warmly recommended by Colonel Braun, and other of his friends.- Mr. Fifcher was Bailiff or Governor of La Tourgovie, a province fub- jeft to Switzerland, fwarming with inhabitants ; his countenance, therefore, which he openly profefled to give me, was of the tftrnoft con- fequence. The officers I fent, and thofe they employed, were inftructed to afk no one to enlift, but to fay, that whoever came to Rheinau would be received. They fucceeded as fully as 1 could wifh, both in impreffing the country with an ardent defire for the fervice of England, F and ( '8 ) and in eftablifliing quarters at different places for thofe who prcpofed to join me at Rheinau. I returned to Bienne, for the purpofe of receiving fuch men as came from the canton of Berne and republics of Neufchatell and Geneva, and to give them mftructions how to gain Rheinau. Each officer I employed in thefe parts diftributed printed eopies of my contract, the fame as thofe before mentioned ; and fuch was their fuccefs, that in lefs than a fortnight after my return to Biemie, upwards of fix hundred men came and engaged with me there. The terms I had made with the magistrates, as well as the difpofition of the ftates of Soleure and Porentrue, made it impoffible to march thefe men in a body ; fome I lent by fives and tens through the moun- tains ef Jura; who, gaining the canton of Bafill, were received at a depot, that was connived at, at Augft, on the banks of the Rhine ; and eroding that river, paffed through the territories of different Ger- man Princes before they gained Rheinau. Others went by water down the Kielle and Aar, to Klengnau and Zurzach, towns belonging to the Bifhop of Conftance, on the banks of the Rhine, where fmall depots were connived at, and from whence Rheinau is but a few leagues diftant. The greateft part I intruded to proceed fingly ftrait acrofs theeantons of Berne and Zurich, without informing any one of their intention of offering their fervices to me. The whole were regularly enlifted, and figned their agreement, or capitulation as they call it, in books of the fame form as are kept by Swifs regiments in the French fervice. Thole who mean to examine whether I took the beft poflible means for fuccefs in the bulinefs I was employed in, mull: have the map of Switzerland before them. The officers I correiponded with from Bienne, were fixed at St. Maurice upon the Upper Rhine, the frontier of Berne and Le Valais. At Villeneuve, at the upper end of the lake of Geneva ; at Vivais, Laufanne, Nion, Geneva, Carouge in Savoy, Orbe, Meudon, Grandfbn on the lake of Neuchatell, Morat r Neuville on, the lake of Bienne, I had others, who, without corre- ( '9 ) Correfponding with me, Tent men by fuch means as they judged proper to Rheinau from Arberg, Arau, Langnau, Thim, Unterieven, and Oberhafeli. The men fent me to Bienne reached it without difficulty, and would: as eafily have got to Rheinau, but for the fteps afterwards taken by the cantons of Zurich, Bern, and Soieure. It is neceffary here to explain the caufe of them. As foon as Major Muller had received information from me of my having actually figned articles, he afked leave of the ftates of Berne to* enter our fervice, without being obliged to give up his pofk of Major of Departement, till fuch time as he mould determine with himfelf whether to remain in our fervice or not. This requeft was granted before I reached Berne ; and though I by no means approved of the ftep he had taken, I cannot fay it was attended with any bad confe- quence ; it only ferved to afcertain the caufe of my return to Switzer- land ; and fo far was it from occafioning any fteps to be taken againft the levy it was apparent I was going to attempt, that there was fcarce a family of any confequence who did not, within a week after my arrival, moft earneflly recommend to me forne one of their relations- for a commiffion in my regiment ; and every body itemed anxious for my fuccefs. A few days previous to my arrival at Berne,. Colonel Meuron, the gentleman who had accepted of thofe offers from Hol- land which Major Muller refufed, came to Neuchatell, and proceeded, openly to raife his regiment. An officer recruiting there for the fer- vice of the King of Pruffia, came to Berne with reprefentations agawifl this levy, a fortnight after my arrivaL He applied to Monlieur D'Erlach, reigning Avoyes for the year, complaining both of Meuron's levy and mine, which prevented his getting men,. Monfieur TAvoyer D'Erlach^ who had recommended the heir of the elder branch of, his- family to a company in my regiment,, agreed to publiflb mandates in general againfl enlifting fubjecls of Berne within the territories thereof,, and to mark Colonel Meuron's levy by name, but he refufed. to make anjr mention mention of mine. Thefe mandates were accordingly publifried in every parifh or* the cauton ; but I. was fo far from taking any alarm at it, that 1 confidered it of eflential fervice to me. The publication thereof made every body eager to examine the advantages offered in the printed copies of my agreement with the Company, which were iliftribured at the lame time ; and mention being made only of the regiment railing for the fervice of Holland, it was natural to conclude that 'the ftate meant to connive at the Englim levy. Such was my realcunng, fuch that of the country, and fuch that of France ; the Ambaflador whereof refiding at Soleure, within iix leagues of Berne and Bienne, as anxious' to promote the levy of the Dutch, as to thwart that of the Englim, took no ftep till he faw which was likely to have moft fuccefs ; but no fooner did he find that the fuperior advantages I offered muft get me as many men as I chofe to accept of, and that Meuron could get none, than he took as much pains to pre- vent my levy's going forwards, as if the whole fuccefs of the war had depended upon it. It does not require much proof to mew that 600 men could not come to rne at Bienne in the courfe of a fortnight ; though I fent them off again the moment they had figned their engagement, and xifed every other precaution poflible to prevent the connivance of the magiftrates becoming apparent, without the French ambaffador at fix leagues diftance only having notice thereof Monfieur de Polignac, the French ambaflador, carried his complaints in the firfl place to Berne, reprefenting ftrongly againft my name's being left out in the mandate that Meuron's was put into, infilled upon every ftep being taken to prevent a levy, in diieQ: oppoiition to the treaties fubiifting with his matter. L'Avoyer D'Erlach (who receives a penfion of 500!, a year from France) fubmitted, and orders \vere hTued to every fubordinate officer throughout the canton of Berne, to the full as contrary to the laws and rights pf the fubje&s thereof, as to die fuccefs of my levy. This paiTed two days before I left Bienne, but I knew nothing of it till fome time after. Having done every thing I: expected at Bienne, and receiving advice from Rheinau, that many men had joined, which made my prefence there neceffary, I fat out for SchafFhaufen, leaving perfons I could con- fide in to take care of my effects and papers, and to give inftructions to any more men that might come, how to proceed to Rheinau. Pafling through Berne, I learnt that one of my ferjeants had been put in goal, and two of my captains cited toanfwer for their conduct reflecting this ferjeant. I waited upon Colonel Braun, to afk his advice, who being informed of all that had pad between my officers and the ferjeant confined, did not apprehend any bad confequences, any more than me; in which opinion I was confirmed by the lawyers I had confulted before. But when I found that immediately after Monfieur de Polignac had returned to Soleure, meflengers had been fent off round the canton, and a reward of fifty crowns publicly offered by La Chambre des Recrucs to every denunciator of perfons enticing recruits into a fervice non avouee, I begun to be alarmed ; and, finding myfelf watched at my lodgings, people coming at every inftant to offer their fervices, which I concluded was for the purpofe of declaring it, and obtaining the fifty crowns reward, I loft no time in proceeding to SchafFhaufen ; for had I been feized hold of, there mutt have been an end to the bufinefs I was employed in. I readied SchafFhaufen the zyth of July, found about 100 men at Rheinau, and that they were coming in daily, the different depots I had eltablimed anfwering perfectly the purpofe I had defigned them for, and flattered myfelf that it would be out of the power of the cantons to prevent the men I had engaged at Bienne from, joining me, even if they ufed their utmoft endeavours to prevent them. Far lefs thofe I expected from Bafil, Zurich, and thofe parts of Switzer- land that border on the lake of Conftance, My My friends at SchafFhaufen informed me they had not been idle ; that if I would have patience till the 2oth of Auguft, they thought themfelves fure of carrying their point in Council, openly to avow the levy I was making ; that the whole town was for it ; and the General Council, as it is called, would certainly fupport the meafure, even if we fliould lofe it in the lefler Council. It will be as well to obferve here as any where elfe, that when this point came to be agitated, the queftion was carried againft me by only two voices ; and that I have proof that the French distributed 1500!^ to prevent my obtaining a majority. If it is confidered, that I was at SchafFhaufen intirely in a private capacity, without any authority or am" fiance from the Miniflers of my Country, I mould flatter myfelf I fhall not be reproached for only having come near fuccefs in this part of the bufinefs. The fecond week in Augufl fo many men came to me at Rheinau,. that I began to be afraid the place would not be able to hold them. - Mr. Heathcote, our Minifter at Bonne, had been fo good as to fend me an oflenfible letter, for the purpofe of procuring other rendezvoufes from the different German Princes in the neighbourhood ; I made ufe of it ; and though it was not fufficient to procure me open rendez- voufes, it had the effecT: of making different towns take no notice of the men I fent there LaufFenberg, Waldhut, Engen, Buchorn, Merfperg. I have before had occafion to mention that Mr. Fifcher, Bailiff of La Tourgovie, had promifed me all the under-hand afliflance poflible in his own government, and to procure the like from other provinces bordering on the lake of Conflance ; from the Bifhop of Conflance,. the Abbe and town of St. Gall, cantons of Appenzell and Glaritz. This gentleman was univerfally refpefted, and bore the moil unble- mifhed chara&er for probity and honour. Mr. Fifcher's words to me on prefenting him letters from Colonel Bsaun, and Major Muller were, " Qui a't'il,. Monfieur, qui je ne ferais " gour ** pour vous ctre de qnelque utilite en cette occaiion ? Que pourrai je *' refufer a la requete dc Monfieur Le Colonel Braun, mon ami & pa- " rent a qni je fuis plus redevable qu'a tout autre dans le monde, ou dc " Monfieur Le Major Muller Tami le plus intime de mon coeur depuis " notre enfance jufqu'a ce moment r" The day after my return to Schaffhaufen, the Abbe of Rheinau ac- quainted me that the Bailiff of La Tourgovie had wrote to fignify to him,, that the cantons were difpleafed at his granting me leave to recruit in his territories. The Abbe defired me to acquaint the Bailiff, as he would do, that he had only granted me a rendezvous for fuch men as came to me from other parts, aiad no permiffion to recruit. I did fo. Bailiff Fifcher thought the Cantons would be fatisfied with the anfwer, and think na more of it : but fcarce had I reported his fentiments to the Abbe wherr another letter arrived from him, faying, the cantons were equally diffatisfied at my having obtained a rendezvous as permiffion ta recruit, accompanied with a threat of their refentment if the Abbe did not withdraw his protection from me. I returned to Bailiff Fifcher, who told me not to be alarmed, it was nothing but words ; the Cantons denied the Abbe's foverignty ; that he muft affert rights which had been acknow- ledged for fome hundred years back ; and that no one could determine one way or the other but the Helvetic Body in diet, which would not aflem- ble again for a twelvemonth to come. In the mean time I received letters from Berne, informing me that another of my ferjeants had been feized at Soleure ; that letters were found on him wrote to me by different of my friends at Bafill, from whence he was coming, and printed papers of various kinds ; that he was confined in irons,, and threatened with death : that the oiher ferjeant con- fined at Berne had upon his examination faid, he went to me at Bienne by the advice of a Mr. Hernan, whom 1 had employed as my fecretarr,, who was thereupon feized in his bed before he had time to deftroy his papers ; that amongft them was found a lift of all the people I h.id fent, with copies of my agreement with the Company, to different parts of the canton*. canton. Upon this Major Mullcr and Captain D'Erlach were confined in their refpeftive houfes at Berne, and orders fent to the places indicated in ray fecretary's lift, to feize every one mentioned therein, with defcrip- *ion of their perfons. The magiftrates of Bienne informed me likewife, that the French Ambaflador and the canton of Soleure had formally given them notice of my practices within their territories to raife men, and demanded the removal of myfelf, fervants, and dependants, from the lioufe I had taken for a twelve-months. Colonel Braun likewife gave me notice, that the canton of Soleur had refolved to feize me if found within their territories ; that the Ambaflador of France prefled the canton of Berne to come to the fame refolution concerning me, which there was but too much reafon to fear would be complied with, and that therefore lie infifted I fhould not come within their reach ; that fuch precautions were taken againft any of the peasants quitting the canton, that 1 muft not expefl any more belonging to that canton than thofe already come would be able to join me; and by the fteps he was informed the French Ambaflador was taking in every other canton, he much feared each would take the fame precautions againft me as that of Berne, according a* the French AmbalTador had earneftly prefled them to do by circular letters to each. Though this information would have been far from making me de- fpair if I had had fix months more to complete my" levy in, yet I con- cluded therefrom it would be impofiible for me to get 600 men more out Switzerland in time for the failing of the India fleet, far lefs in the very fhort fpace left me by the words of my contract ; I therefore determined to fet out for Studgart (where 1 knew the Duke of Wirtemberg had troops to difpofe of) as foon as I had taken meafures to fecure the men who had joined me in the neighbourhood of Schaffhaufen. I waited upon Bailiff Fifcher, to afk him if he apprehended the Cantons would make any further efforts with the Abbe of Rheinau that he mould with- draw his protection from me? The Bailiff was of opinion, they would not ; but thought it prudent for me to obtain fome other rendezvous, where \vhere my men would be in perfect fafety in cafe they were drove from Rheinau. " I," fays he, " muft not appear openly in this after the " public difapprobation given of your -levy by my Sovereign; but a ** friend of mine here, no fubject of Berne, and equally well acquainted " with the rights and privileges of the free towns on the borders of " Switzerland and Germany, will be able to manage this matter for you ; " he belongs to one of them himfelf, and I recommend him to you as a " perfectly honeft man, whom you may rely on." The Bailiff ac- cordingly introduced me to a Mr. Fehr, who immediately fet out for Stein, a free city at the mouth of the lake of Conftance, which, as he informed me, had done the fame thing for the Pruffians during the laft war between that power and the Auftrians, without paying any regard to the proteftations and threats of the Emperor and cantons of Switzer- land. This Mr. Fehr came the next day to me at Schaffhaufen with informa- tion that he had fucceeded, and figned a treaty in my name with the town of Stein, which engaged to let me place as many men within their gates as I chofe, and to protect them as long as they mould remain there, for the confideration of 300 guineas, but under promife, that if the canton of Zurich infilled upon their withdrawing their protection from me, I ihould march out upon a month's notice. I went the next morning with Mr. Fehr and my money to ratify the treaty he had made for me. I found it wrote in German, but Mr. Fehr tranflating it to me, had no miftruft, and thought both the money I delivered to the magiftrates of Stein and what I gave to him for his trouble very well beftowed. I returned to Schaffhaufen, and gave inftructions to the officer I left to command during my journey to Studgart, that he mould march to Stein, in cafe accidents happened at Rheinau, or any of the other lefler depots my recruits were now in. The night before 1 left Shaffhaufen 1 looked over the regimental-books, and found the number that had joined me at Rheinau to be 402. I left a fortnight's pay with the commanding officer, H and and a credit for him of 300!. wkh my banker, in cafe of more recruit* coming in: and the next morning, being the I2th of Anguft, fet out for Studgart,. which I reached the next day. Upon application to the Duke of Wirtemberg, his Serene Highnefs defired me to apply to Monfieur de Mofheim, minifter at his court from the Eleftor of Hanover i who fatif- fying the Duke of my commiffion, his Highnefs appointed Monfieur de Strahlendorf, one of his aid-du-camps, to negociate with me, and defired Monfieur de Mofheim to be prefent at every thing that patted between us. His Excellency was fo good as to make us underftand one another, for Mr. de Strahlendorf could fpeak no other lauguage than German, of which I only underftood a few words. On the 22d of Auguft we figned a treaty in German, whereof I have a tranfiation in French, certified by Monfieur de Mofheim* Mr. de Strahlendorf engages in the name of the Duke of Wirtemburg, that he fhall furnifh me with 700 difciplined fol- ders, with a certain number of officers, at Lauffeii, on the banks of the Neckar, for which I engage to pay i louis d'ors a man upon the receipt of them. By another article they were to enter into the pay of the Eaft India Company on the day of fignature, for which purpofe I was to place 1000 louis d'ors in the hands- of Mr. de Strahlendorf. I was to have the liberty of keeping them in the territories of Wirtemberg as long as I chofe,. providing I continued to advance their pay. The treaty being figned, I gave a bill for 1000 louis d'ors on MefTrs. Bethman, at Frankfort, upon whom I had letters of credit, which was fent by exprefs : an anfwer returned on the 24th at night, that they had received advice of my letter of credit, the bill was a good one, and would be ac- cepted the moment I prefented the letter ; but it was a rule of the houfe, to accept no bill without feeing the perfon in whofe favour the credit was given. Bills of exchange are not fo common in that part of Germany as in more commercial ftates, and the nature of them little underftood. The Duke of Wirtemberg miftrufted me upon the receipt of MefTrs, Belhman's anfwer, and I found myfelf obliged either to give up the 700 snen, .. C *7 ) men, or produce the 1000 guineas in fpecie on the 271!% I determined immediately to go to Frankfort, though at 50 leagues diftance, and was fortunate enough to return with the money in the evening of the 27th, which I inftantly paid to Mr. de Strahlendorf ; his receipt is in German, but I have the tranflation of it in French, made and certified by Monfieur de Mofheim. Different arrangements it was neceflary to make about the troops I had obtained from the Duke of Wirtemberg kept me at Studgart till the 29th, and I did not reach Schaffhaufen again till the 3oth, at break- feft. I had left that place on the i2th, under the idea that no mufter-mafter would arrive till the 22d, by which time I had propofed to be back again ^ but I had received information at Studgart, on the morning of the 24 thy that Captain Toone arrived at Schaffhaufen on the 1 7th r with a letter di- rected to me, appointing him to mufter fuch men as were raifed. Lieu- tenant Alt, who commanded in my abfence, informed me, that the letter being directed to me as a private man, and no inftrucYions for any other to open it in my abfence, he had not thought himfelf authorifed to do fo, but thought it proper to advife me, that I might return as foon as poffi- ble ; Captain Toone was like wife fo good as to acquaint me of his arrival : but neither of thefe gentlemen gave me the leaft intimation that they mould not be able to mufter a man after the 27th of Auguflv When I received thefe letters, I expected every moment the return of the exprefs ferit with* my bill to Meffrs. Bethman, at Frankfort, the acceptance of which I had no doubt of. And the poft returning to Schaffhaufen, in an hour after its arrival from thence, I had wrote to Captain Toone, I fhould certainly come to htm on the 26th, and to Lieutenant Alt, to have all the men^ ready for muttering. When I found myfelf obliged to go to Frankfort,- Idifpatched an exprefs to Schaffhaufen., informing! ieutenant Alt, I fhould ; not be there till the 3oth, and explaining the caufe thereof. The firft thing I learned upon my arrival at Schaffhaufen was the dlf afters that had happened during my abfence of th em-more fully hereafter. Then Captain Toone preferred me the Chairman's letter) appointing him* ttn -to mufter my men, fo worded, that 1 concluded the Company no longer wanted the regiment they had engaged me to raife, and would be ex- tremely happy to throw the failure upon me. The letter and my anfwer will fpeak for themfelves. I had been fix nights together out of bed, moft part of that time tra- velling, fometimes in a chaife, fometimes on- horfeback, through the moft execrable roads pofiible. And what with the fatigue of my body, and that of my naind, from fo many difappointments and mortifications co- ming altogether upon me, I .was v 7 ery much overcome ; but recovering niyfelf after a little refreshment, I enquired of Lieutenants Alt and Fou- lon, how many of my recruits had efcaped ? They informed me, there \vas 80 at Rheinau, 40 at Gotmantingen, and 30 at Singen. Upon which I immediately tendered them for mufter to Captain Toone, and proffered to proceed with him to Lauffen, to mufter thofe I had obtained from the Duke of Wirtemberg, as foon as he had examined fuch as were at hand. Captain Toone afked me, if I had paid attention to the letter he brought me from the Chairman, and faid, that from the copy he had thereof, he did not think himfelf authorifed to mufter a fingle man after the 2 ;th of Auguft ; his commiffion ended that day. He was fo good as to fay, he lamented my fituation, and would do any thing he could to ferve me ; but appealed to myfelf, whether, if I had been in his place and he in mine, I muft not have given him the fame anfwer ? I could not but acknowledge it, and therefore prefled him no farther. Lieutenant Alt .then gave me the following particulars of what had oc- curred to his command during my abfence. Almoft as foon as I was gone for Studgart, different advices had been feat to the Abbe of Rheinau by his friends, that fomething was meditating between the magiftrates of Zurich and the Bailiff of La Tourgovie, againft the levy he had granted a rendezvous to ; this the Abbe had communicated to Lieutenant Alt, .defiring him to fend forwards as many men as his other quarters would hold. On the i6th the Abbe received certain intelligence that Bailiff fjfcber would in a few days bring an armed force from Zurich, and take away away fuch recruits from Rheinau as were fubje&s of that canton or of Berne. Lieutenant Alt acquainted the Abbe he had the moft pofitive or- ders from me to refift any power, fave the Sovereign under whofe pro- tection he and his men were, but to retire to other places I had fecured if the Abbe chofe to command it : he mould therefore obey his orders, either in providing arms, or retreating. The Abbe told him, that if I had provided other places of fecurity, refiftance could anfwer no other purpofe than bringing him into difficulties ; that he was certain the Can- tons of Zurich and Berne would only require their own fubjefts ; and if he removed them, the reft might flay without any danger at Rheinau. Lieutenant Alt accordingly fent 40 to Godmantingen, 30 to Singen, two fmall villages belonging to a free Baron of the empire, and 216 to Stein. According to the intelligence the Abbe had received, Bailiff Fifcher came with an armed force to Rheinau on the 2Oth, and examining the men that were left there, found only one drummer belonging to Zurich, whom they carried away with them in irons. The Bailiff joked with Alt on the difappearance of the fubjedts of Zurich and Berne, and wanted to learn from him where they were gone to ; but Alt, grown fufpicious of him, and thinking there were evident marks of mortification on his countenance, would give him no anfwer. The next day a man came to Rheinau, and was drinking the greateft part of it with Lieutenant Neu- wieler, whom Bailiff Fifcher and the Mri Fehr, who engaged me in the treaty with Stein, had earneftly recommended to me for a commiffion. Lieutenant Neuwieler commanded the party at Stein, and had come over to Rheinau for money. On the 23d he returned to Stein. On the morn- ing of the 24th, before the gates of Stein were open, Bailiff Fifcher ap- peared upon the bridge, at the head of 150 armed men, and demanded my recruits, whom the magiftrates ordered Lieutenant Neuwieler to pro- duce; he did fo, and without refiftance, or even reprefentation, delivered them over to his friend, Bailiff Fifcher, The town was moft ftriftly fearched for another of my officers, Lieutenant Rodarker, who being a I fubje, C 3 ) fubjecl:, but not a citizen, (Bourgeois) of Berne, Bailiff Fifcher had parti- cular orders to get hold of. No notice was taken of Lieutenant Neuwie- ler, who was fufTered to return to me, though exadly in the fame predi- cament as Rodarker. All this put together gave me moft violent fufpicions that Bailiff Fif- cher had from the beginning meant to betray me, and had with that view recommended Neuwiekr and Fehr to me. I foon obtained the moft ample proofs of it, as well as of his defign to pufh his treachery further* by getting hold of my perfon, and fending me to Berne, where an apart- ment in the gaol was already allotted for me. The day after this pretended friend had feized my men at Stein, he came to Schaffhaufen, and left a very earmeft meflage for me, requefting me to come and dine with him at his houfe, about five leagues off, as foon as I (hould return, from Studgart. I wrote to him, expreffing with- out difguife the fufpicions I entertained of his conduct, and the caufes thereof,, excufing the putting niyfelf in his power till he had juftified himfelf of the treachery every body accufed him of. He endeavoured to do fo, and pledged his honour, but in. very equivocal words, that if t came to him at Frauenfield no harm fhould happen to me : his letter finifhed with faying, that if I had any miftruft remaining, he would meet me at Dieffenhofen, a place without his jurifdiclion, with papers that would fatisfy me of his innocence. I bad obtained full proofs of Bailiff Fifcher's double dealing with me before I received this anfwer, which of itfelf indeed was pretty nearly fo^. for Dieffenhofen, the place he propofed for our meeting, though without his jurifdidtion,. was entirely devoted to him ; it was from thence he took the armed force that had feized my men at Stein : I therefore replied, that I could not be at Dieflenhofen at the hour he appointed^ but fhould be'on- the oppofite fide of the Rhine,, where I fhould be glad to fee the proofs of his juftification mentioned in his letter to me, and hoped he would have ao objection to croCs the bridge of. Dieflenhoferu My ( 3' ) My intention was to force him to give me the only fatisfa&ion remain- ing in his power ; whether he fufpected it or not 1 cannot tell, but he fent me an apology by Lieutenant Neuwieler, whom he' had theaflurance again to recommend to me. I put Neuwieler under arreft, both on ac- eount of the fufpicions I had formed of his treachery, and for having cheated me of between two and three hundred pounds at Rheinau and Stein, in the payment of the men under his command. Neuwieler com- plained to the Burgo-Mafter of SchafFhaufen, who reprefented to me, that I having no authority at that place, the obedience of Neuwieler could only be voluntary ; I acknowledged it, but hoped he, the Burgo- Mafter, would interpofe to prevent Neuwieler's going off with my mo- ney. The Burgo-Mafter, though the perfon who prevented my getting SchafFhaufen to authorife my levy, ordered that Neuwieler fhouki remain in cuftody till he paid me, or gave fecurity for it. Neuwieler pleaded he had Bailiff Fifcher's orders to return that evening to Frauenfielcf upon bufinefs of great importance to the Cantons of Zurich and Berne. The- Burgo-Mafter permitted 'him to go upon giving fecurity for his return* in two days, which Nieuwieler finding, fet out as he faid for Frauen- field about four o'clock in the evening. At nine o'clock, Lieutenant Foulon came to me from Rheinau with the Abbe s compliments, faying, that Lieutenant Nieuwieler had come to him from Bailiff Fifcher, in- fifting that he fliould immediately fend away all my recruits remaining, at Rheinau, and menacing him with the utmoft refentment of the can- tons if he did not. That in confequence of this meflage, he was under the neceffity of defiring me to march out by fix o'clock the next morn- ing; that Neuwieler had preffed him very much to make me march that very night, but he chofe to run any riiks rather than do fo, as he knew feme time would be neceflary for me to obtain a place of fafcty for them. Thoroughly enraged at this new piece of treachery on the part of Neu- wieler, I went immediately to Rheinau with Lieutenant Foulon, ancfc getting the gates opened, catched Neuwieler y who was juft going to bed^, smdl and had only time to put his fword'on. In the heat of my refentment I "knocked all the teeth out of his head, and broke his collar bone in kick- ing him down flairs. Then, telling him I would forgive all that had paffed, if he informed me of the perfon whofe errand he executed ; that 1 had taken him for Bailiff Fifcher when I put him in that pickle. I got upon my horfe, and returned to Schaffhaufen. The next morning, September the 5th, I fent to inform Bailiff Fifcher of what had paft, adding, that though bufinefs required my prefence elfewhcre, I fhould wait his commands, and was ready to give him the fatisfadYion I fuppofed he would require, at any place out of Switzerland. Having done fo, I fet out for Bafill to get money from my banker there, for the payment of levy-money to the Duke of Wirtemberg, 7500!. On rny return, September the 8th, I got Bailiff Fifcher's anfwer, declining to meet me. The Abbe of Rheinau fent my recruits from thence on the jth of Sep- tember, who proceeded to Godrnantingen and Singen ; but not contented with that, he instituted a pretended procefs againft me ; wherein, making himfelf party witnefs and judge, he condemned me to pay, without fo much as fummoning me to anfwer, a hundred guineas, for the hoftilities -alledged to be committed by me in his territories. To complete the mat- ter, he feizcd hold of Lieutenant Alt, his effects and papers, threw him into prifon, and perfifted in keeping him there, till fuch time as I fhould fubmit to this ridiculous fentence. This extortion was the more grievous to me, as one way or another, the good Abbe had already got from me the full value of 500!. This makes a feparate part -of my hiftory, which it is needlefs to enter into any farther, than to fay, that Lieutenant Alt has been kept from that day to this, in prifon or arreft, without its ha- ving been poffible for me to get minifters to take any one ftep for the re- lief of a Britim fubjecl:, unjuftly imprifoned by fo petty a prince as the Abbe of Rheinau. It had been my intention, on my arrival at Schaffhaufen, on the 3oth of Anguft, to go and fetch my papers and effects from Bienne as foon as my ( 33 ) my men were muttered, but I had found letters lying there from Colonel Braun and the magiftrates of Bienne, informing me, that the ftrifteft orders had been given throughout the cantons of Berne and Soleure, and the bifhopric of Pountue to feize hold of me wherever I fhould be found, that my perfon was fo defcribed, that it would be impoffible for me to efcape, if I attempted to pafs through them. There was no way of reach- ing Bienne, without paffing one or the other. The magiftrates whereof, further informed me, that though they had refifted the folichations of the ambaffador of France to fearch my houfe, and feize hold of my do- meftics and papers, yet they could not do fo long, now that the cantons of Zurich, Berne, and Soleure joined in thefe folicitations ; they there- fore earneftly conjured me not to come back again myfelf, and to give proper orders to my domeftics to remove themfelves, as well for my own fake as for theirs, who would be difgraced, if forced to take any part againft a perfon they had entered into private engagements with. Having papers at Bienne that would have involved every perfon I had any connexion with in Switzerland ; I was very much alarmed at this intelligence, and fent immediate orders to the fervant I confided in, to deftroy every paper I had there. There were fome I wifhed much to preferve ; but it was impoffible for me to allow a fervant to examine all my letters and accounts, where other men's fecrets were as well as my own, I therefore ordered them all to be put into the fire together, immediately on the receipt of my letter. Colonel Braun having made no mention of the canton of Bafill, taking any fteps againft me, and my friends in that place being of opinion there was no rifk in my coming there ; I left SchafFhaufen on the 5th, as I faid before, with the intention of going to my banker's, Meflrs. Merian at Bafill ; but upon reaching Rhinfelden, three leagues from it, on the 6th, I found a meflage from Colonel Teifchman and Mr. Merian informing me of Bafill's having taken the fame fteps againft me as -the jother cantons mentioned, and of orders being given to fei/.e me at the K g^tes ( 34 ) gates if I came that way, . They therefore propofed coming to me at Rhinfelden, inftead of my proceeding to them at Bafill. Colonel Teifchman and Mr. Merian accordingly came to me at Rhin- felden that evening, we fettled the bufinefs of the money on the yth, and the 8th I returned towards Schaffhaufen, that being the road for Stud- gart. Delays on the road prevented my reaching that place till the i 2th. One of thefe delays proceeded from my receiving information on the road, that the regency of Stockart had put my men and officers under arreft at Godmantingen and Singen, till fuch time as the "Emperors plea- fure refpecting them fhould be known, and warning me not to come there, leaft I mould be likewife feized myfelf. This obliged me to make a circuit of twenty leagues through the worft roads in Europe. On my return to Studgarr, Mr. de Strahlendorf informed me the Duke of Wirtemberg had the day after my leaving it, fent a great many officers recruiting through his dominions and neighbouring free towns, who had been fo fuccefsful, that the Duke having now recruits fufficient to fupply their place, could give me 300 difciplined foldiers, over and above the 700 in the pay of the Eaft-India Company. I told him my orders at prefent were to raife no more men than thofe I had already ; but that 1 hoped to prevail upon the Company to take them in lieu of thofe who had been feized on the frontiers of Switzerland. Upon this Mr. de Strahlendorf told me the 700 men were ready to march when- ever 1 chofe, that two of the Captains were named, and the fubalttrns would be appointed in two days at fartheft. Then he deiired in the name of the Duke to know when I propofed they mould march. I told him as foon as the ministers of his Majefty had obtained leave of paf- fage from the different princes, whofe territories I muft pafs. That through the protection I was honoured with by his Serene Highnefs Prince Ferdinand of Brunfwick, I had without the interpofition of any minifter, already obtained the leave wanted from every prince in the eircle of Suabia, and his Majefty's minifters had given me to under- ffond the permiffion of other princes would be obtained as foon as it was ( 35 ) was formally afked for ; but there were fo many of them, and at fuch a diftance from one another, I could not hope the forms would be gone through in lefs than twenty or thirty days. Mr. de Strahlendorf f;iid, certainly not, but obferved, that in fuch cafes it was always advifeable to put treaties into execution as foon as poffible. The fettling of the officers who were to go with me took up feveral days. On the i8th, Monfieur de Momeini informed me other diffi- culties had arifen on the reprefentation of the French minifter, Monf. de Vibrais ; on the ipth, that the Duke was inclined to break the treaty with me, and had appointed the next morning for my waiting upon him along with Monfieur de Strahlendorf, who would conduct me, en cachette, to his country retreat at Hokenbeim. I accordingly waited on his Serene Highnefs at four o'clock in the morning. He was pleafed to tell me, he was moft extremely concerned at being under the neceffity of flopping the men he had granted me, for that France had fome how or another got intelligence of the treaty Mr. de Strah- lendorf had figned with me, and had fent orders to the minifter at his court to make the ftrongeft reprefentations againft it ; and to fay, that if he did not immediately give alliirances not a man fhould march, the court of France would feize his province of Montbeliard in Alface. His Serene Highnefs told me, the re'venues of that province brought him in 2000!. a year, that I muft fee it would be perfectly ridiculous for him to riik that for 7500!. but that if the King of Great Britain would guarantee it to him, he would furnifh him with four or five thoufand men immediately, to be employed wherever his majefty mould judge proper. That he hoped if I carried a letter fignifying as much to my fovereign, I would: not object to the cancelling the treaty Mr. de Strahlendorf had figned with' me. I replied, with the refpecl that became me, that I had. a commidion from the India Company to raife a regiment for their fer- vice, but none to difpofe of troops who had been near a month in her pay, that I could not conceive, that connected as his Serene Highnefs flood with the li'mgrefs of Ruffia, and likely to be fo in the fame degree ( -36 ) with the Emperor of Germany in the courfe of a few months, that France would venture to feize Montbeliard on account of his Serene Highnefs having furnifhed the Raft- India Company of England with troops deftined to oppofe Hyder Aliy, ufurper of the kingdom of Myfore, with whom the court of France had never fignified, I prefumed to his Highnefs her having any alliance. The Duke then told me, be would difcharge the 700 men, and privately recommend their engaging with me at Heilbron, where he knew I had a rendezvous, this would equally enfure the men for the fervice of the Eaft-India Company, and at a fixth part of .the fum I paid him for them. I acknowledged it would, and regretted extremely my having received orders on the 30th of Auguft to raife no more men, whether my regiment was complete or not. On my return to Mr. de Mofheim, I informed him of what had paft, and after con ful ting him, wrote a very refpeftful letter to his Serene Highnefs, repeating what I had the honour of faying to him in perfon, and obferving, that whatever weight the arguments his Serene Highnefs made ufe of, were againft making any treaty without including the gua- rantee of the province of Montbeliard, they did not apply to the cancel- ling of a treaty after it was figned. The Duke of Wirtemberg was fo angry at the receipt of this letter, that he inftantly difcharged the men in queftion, and threatened not to give me the letter to his Majefty as he had promifed, without I confent- cd to give up the treaty Mr. de Strahlendorf had figned with me. Monfieur de Mofheim obferved to me, that the treaty now the men were gone, was mere wafte paper, that could anfwer no other pur- pofe than my juftification, that copies certified by him, would anfwer the fame effecT:, and I might be blamed at home for refufing to bring an engagement from the Duke for four or five thoufand men that he offeree! me. I could not but acknowledge the truth of thefe reflexions, and agreed to give up the treaty, if the Duke fent me a letter to his Ma- jefty, the purport of which I put upon paper for fear of miftakes. Upon which the Duke returned me the pay he had received, and a fealed ( 37 ) fealed letter for his Majefty, which I brought ftrait to London, and delivered to Lord Stormont. Some days afterwards his Lordfhip affured me there was not a word in it correfpondent to the engagement his Serene Highnefs had entered into with me that there fhould be, In my way home, I flopped a day at Bonne, and deiired Mr. Heath- cote to certify to Sir Robert Murray Keith, the King's minifter at Vienna, that I had brought him a letter from Lord Stormont fome months before, and fhewed him one directed to Sir Robert at Vienna, which I had been obliged to deftroy amongft other papers at Bienne. I wrote myfelf at the fame time, and entreated him to procure the enlargement of my menfeized by the regency of Stockart. Not long after my return to London, I got his anfwer, telling me, that though he had received a duplicate of the letter Lord Stormont had given me, he could make no application about my men feized by the regency of Stockart till fur- ther orders ; I applied for fuch to Lord Stormont, but could obtain no other fatisfacYion, than that my regiment was a private affair between the Eaft-Iadia Company and me. And finding there was no other means of obtaining the releafe f my officers and men, than by fubmitting to the extortion of the regency of Stockart, and commandant of Conftance, I paid eleven hundred guineas for that purpofe. The counfel I have confulted on this bufinefs, have given their opi- nion, that this expence muft, in Jlritt law, fall upon me ; I cannot fay I apprehended it would when I paid it ; but I fhould have equally done fo, had I known it would, for I had much rather be ruined altogether, than have my name quoted in foreign countries, for having drawn gen- tlemen and others into the fervice of Britain, and leaving them after- wards to die for want in a jail : as fix officers and upwards of a hun- dred men muft have done, if I had not paid this money. I applied to Lord Hilfborough, in whofe department Switzerland is, befeeching his Lordfhip to take fuch fieps, public or private, as his Lordfhip fhould judge proper, to prevent the rigour, of ex poftfaSio law being put in. execution againft my officers at Berne. The Chairmen of the India Company L Lid 354910 ( 38 ) had done the fame before my arrival in London, without effeft. I reprefented to his Lordfhip, that Major Muller, Captain D'Erlach, Lieutenants Muret and Hernan, were in prifon, the two latter, as Colonel Braun had informed me, in great danger of death, the fate of the firft very doubtful, and that a private letter to any one man of confequence at Berne would fave them all. Lord Hillfborough faid, he knew no one there, I intreat- ed him to write to Colonel Braun, who being of one of the firft families at Berne himfelf, and connected by marriage with all the reft, would eafily find means of letting Lord Hillnborougb's wifhes be underftood, without his Lordfhip's name appearing in the leaft ; his Lordfhip replied, he could not write to Colonel Braun on this bufinefs ; I defired leave to write myfelf, he ordered me- not, and faying they were Swifs fubjects/gave me to understand, that if Bailiff Fifcher's kind intentions of fending me to Berne had fucceeded, he could have taken no ftep to prevent my fuffer- ing along with them. I made repeated applications of the fame nature to Lord Amherft, the fubftance of them is in the copy annexed, of a letter addrefled to his Lordfhip, to which I received an anfwer, and as his Lordfhip has fince been fo good as to recommend me to the Chairmen of the Eaft-India Company, I prefume, no doubt, of the facls ftated therein, being ftri&ly true, can exift in the mind of any one who gives himfelf the trouble to read it. All my officers mentioned in this narrative have been banifhed. Ma- jor Muller fined 700!. Captain D'Erlach 300!. Lieutenants Muret and Hernan 200!. each, Lieutenants D'Arnine, Foulon, Curtat, and Ro- darker were fortunate enough to efcape, no judgment has therefore pafled againft them ; but they cannot return to their own country without being tried, and probably condemned to the fame penalties. The cafe of Major Muller is moft particularly hard, he had lands worth from fix to eight thoufand pounds. Upon his banifhment the ftate fuzed thereon for payment of the penalty; all his creditors came upon C 39 ) upon It in like manner, and it is likely to be fold at half value, his wife, two fons, and three daughters thrown pennylefs on the world. All thefe gentlemen, but Monfieur D'Erlach are without hopes and refources from any one but me, I have hitherto fupported them to the utmoft of my abilities, both thofe who are with me, and thofe who have not come to England, and I am fure any one who reads this nar- rative muft have thought me a brute if I had not done fo, till the Com- pany determined what to do for them, longer exceeds my means ; nor do I conceive it poffible that the Company, after examining this bufi- bufinefs to the bottom, fhould leave fo heavy a duty upon an individual who has undoubtedly done his utmoft to fulfil the commiffion he was intruftcd with, had executed what lay upon him to do, and would have brought the regiment to Britain long before the fleet failed for India, not- withftanding all the difficulties he had to overcome ; if his Majefty's mi- m'fters had, according to their engagement, protected the levy after it was made, or the .Chairmen of the India Company had not given fuch orders to the gentlemen they fent to mufter it in Germany, as from the nature of the thing were impoffible to be complied with. I may leave it to the determination of any fair man, who reads the contract, whether the plain interpretation of it is not, that I fhould have to the 27th of Auguft to raife the men in; whereas the letter of the Chairmen to me, and the inftructions given by them to Mr. Toone, in fact cut off near a month of the time allotted for my compleating the levy, even according to the ftrict words of the contract, which I had the moft politive promife fhould not be infifted on. Little reafoning is ne- ceflary to make this apparent. If Meffrs. Bethman had for once overlooked the rule of their houfe, and actually accepted my bill in favour of Mr. de Strahlendorf, inftead of fending him word it was good ; I fhould have got to Schaffhaufen on the 26th of Auguft, and have immediately tendered to Mr. Toone for mufter, the men I had left in the neighbourhood of Schaflfhaufcn, as well as thofe obtained from the Duke of Wirtemberg at Lauffen, near i 40 ) 50 leagues nearer England. Captain Toone might have muttered on the zyth, either the men at Godmantingen and Singen, or thofe at Rheinau, but the diftance would not have permitted him to mufter both in the fame da}', far lefs could he have muttered- thofe at Lauffen ; yet his or- ders were pofitive not to mufter a man after the 2;th. Had my men been all raifed on the i ;th, when Captain Toone arrived at Schaffhaufen, it would not have been poffible, confidering the diftance the different parties would have been at to mufter the whole of them in lefs than fifteen days ; fo that had i been on the fpot when he arrived, it would have been equally out of his power to mufter the whole battalion ; and my arrival on the 3Oth, inftead of the 26th, as I propofed, would at the utmoft have enabled Captain Toone to mufter no more than eighty men. Yet, I prefume, there can be no doubt that had I tendered for mufter eight hundred and fifty men on the 2 6th of Auguft, inftead of the 3Oth, my engagement would have been ftri&ly executed ; and though Captain Toone muft have equally obeyed his inftruclions in not muftering a man after the 27th, the failure would clearly have been in the Company, and. not in me. This leads me to confider what could induce the Chairmen to give-in-- ftrucYions fo contrary to the promifes they had made me, and fo prejudi- cial to the real interefts of the Company. It is apparent, that when they fent Captain Toone, they thought the Company had no occafion for all the troops they had contracted for, and wifhed to get rid of mine; which they were made to imagine, were lefs likely to be raifed, and lefs fit for the fervice of the Company than others which they expected. They were miftaken in both facts. On the 3Oth of Auguft, I had at my different rendezvoufes (befides thofe which had been taken from me). 8 50 as good troops as any in Europe, ready to march for England, as foon as his Majefty's Minifters performed their engagement of obtaining a free paflage for them, from the different princes, through whofe terri- tories they muft proceed. At this time the firft battalion of Hanoverians, as they are called, was not complete; and of the fecond, not two hun- dred ( 4' ) dred were raifed as I paffed through Franckfort on the 2/lh of Septem- ber. The whole were not compleated time enough to reach Britain before the middle of February, no part of it has yet failed for India, and the whole is not yet arrived in England, though we are far advanced in the month of April. I might urge, that a regiment, compofed of Englifh and Swifs officers, and of well drfciplined foldiers, levied partly in Switzerland and partly in Suabia, was as well intitled to fome months grace and favour, as regiments compofed of raw men, picked up through the different free towns in Ger- many by Hanoverian officers, and that, had it been granted, the protection and letters Prince Ferdinand of Brunfwick honoured me with in the month of Auguft, by his Secretary, Mr. Schwartz and Captain Grabaroll, would have procured me double the number of men I had contracted to raife before the end of November, as I have very fufficient proof of. But it is unneceflary for me to do fo, fince the only queftion be- tween the Company and me is of three days. Were the late Minifters of his Majefty frill in office, I fhould feel much lefs regret than I now do, at being under the neceflity of making ap- parent to thofe whom it concerns, the real caufe of my regiments not being fuffered to reach Britain. I fhould then without fcruple have loaded them with the reproaches they deferve at my hands; at prefent I am fomewhat checked by the idea, that thofe who know me not, may imagine I fhould have been more fparing in my terms, if thefe men had not been already difgraced. I flatter myfelf, however, that no one who reads my letter to Lord Amherft, and hears what pafled between Lord Stormont and me, as foon as I returned to England, which I thought it my duty to relate to Mr, Sullivan and Sir William James the next day, can think me bafe enough to fay more at this moment than I fhould have cTone, if they had been ft ill in power. Such of them as have endeavoured to make amends, or have only exprelfed forrow for the diftrefs they have brought on me and my officers, I fhall not prefs upon. M At ( 4* ) T'he Caufe of Hie Regiments not reaching England. At the end of March, Mr. Devaynes, then Chairman of the India Company, applied to government for Britiih troops, minifters not ha-- ving the number required, offered to fupply the deficiency, cither with the troops of German princes, or with thofe I propofed to raife in Switzerland. Neither Lord Amherft nor Mr. Devaynes, from whom I have thefe facts, informed me what number of foreign troops the Company agreed to make ufe of; and it is but lately that 1 have received certain informa- tion, that two thoufand was the utmoft of inch troops the Company thought it prudent to employ in India. Mr. Devaynes laid the anfwer of Government before the Court of Di- rectors, which made option of the troops of German princes in the. begin- ning of April. Notwithstanding which option, Government, on the 23d of April re- commended the acceptance of the Swifs to the Chairmen of the Com- pany. This recommendation of his Majefty's Minifters did not pro- ceed fo much from preference of the Swifs, ,or from favour to me, as from neceffity, for they found upon examination, that though they had offered the troops of German princes, they had none at their difpofal. Upon the 2.7 th of April, the Chairmen accepted and figned my pro- pofals, which the Commander in Chief had again recommended that very morning. On the yth of May, the Secretaries of State refufed me the final 1 degree of covert affiftance which I had been made to expert, while my propofals were under difcuffion of the Cabinet, though one of them, Lord Stormont, acknowledged it was not probable my levy would fucceed without the affiftance I required. It is my bulinefs to explain .whence arofe this change of difpofi- tion towards me in the Cabinet. It cannot be fuppofed that minifters, at a time when the fate of India was reprefented to depend on the num- ber of foreign troops to be fent there by the next fleet, could be fo very wicked ( 43 ) wicked and abfurd as to recommend a levy to the Eaft India Company, they did not mean to give fome degree of countenance to, or thought not likely to fucceed ; fomething new muft have occurred that occafioned a change of opinion in the cabinet. In the interim ofjke t^d of April, when government had recommended' the Swifs levy, and the jth of May, * when minifters refufed to give it ei- ther fupport or countenance, General Frey tag's propofals arrived for raifing 2000 men in the free towns in Germany by Hanoverian officers. Rcafons extraneous to my fubjeft required that the cabinet fhonld accept of thefe propofals, and as the number of foreigners agreed to be employed by the Company was only 2000, the Swifs were to begot rid of. I have before taken notice of the information given me fo early as the 20 th of May, that the offers of General Freytag were actually accepted. But no men- tion was made of them to the Company till advice had been received of my arrival in Switzerland. Then they were brought forwards, and the Company deceived byfalfe reprefentations, forced to accept thefe troops to the prejudice of the Swifs, whom the Chairmen were left to get rid of in any manner they could. I left England on the 7th of June, General Richard Smith got intelli- gence of the bufinefs I was gone to Switzerland upon, and meeting Sir William James in the Houfe of Commons, made ufe of feveral argu- ments * There is one circumftance that will tend to fix th exact time of General Frcytag's arrival ; njy memorandums were fent according to the orders of Lord Amherft, to the Secretaries of State, on the 2d of May. On the 5th I received Lord Stormont r s letters to minifters in Germany fealed. As I returned to England, I took the liberty of alking one of them what were the contents of the letter I had brought him, who told me there was fomething very odd in it for a letter of bufinefs. The nature of my commiffion was explained, and he ordered to give me (< every afjylanee in his poivfr ;" but that thefe words were fcratched through, and others fubftitutedin their place, which, had he not been con- vinced it was impoiTible miniflers would fend any one on fuch an errand, without mean- ing to give him fome fupport, he fhould not have thought himfelf at liberty to take any notice of me at all. From whence I conclude, that the letter was \rrote as foon as my memorandums were received, and the 'erafure made upon the receipt of Mr. Freytag's propofals. ( 44 ) meats and representations againft the Company's employing troops of that country, which he finifhed by defiring Sir William to obferve he entered his proteft againft the meafure. Sir William James defired the General to obferve in turn that he made this proteft on the 26th of yutte, two months after the agreement for railing Swifs troops had been figned ; this fad 1 have from Sir William James. Some days afterwards General Smith waited on Mr. Jenkinfon, late Secretary at Wnr, with the like reprefentations againft employing Swifs troops ; Mr. Jenkinfon artfully coinciding with the reafons ftated by General Smith againft the Swifs, obferved that the Company wanted more troops than it was poflible for Government to give from Britain, and vaunting the goodnefs and difcipline of Hanoverian troops as well as their connection with this country, hoped the General would not have the fame objection againft them as againft the Swifs ; General SmitU faying, that if he could be certain of the foldiers being Hanoverians as well as the officers, he fhould be fatisfied, as they were the next beft to Britifh. Mr. Jenkinfon aflured him he might depend upon it. And upon this, General Smith agreed not to oppofe the railing of the Hano- verians at the India Houfe, and Mr. Jenkinfon, that the Sivifs fiould not be employed. This faft I have from General Smith.* Thus, at the very time I was exerting myfelf to render what I had fome reafon to think fervice of no fmall moment to my country and the Eaft- India Company, and engaging gentlemen of the firft families and diftinc- tion in Switzerland, to hazard .their lives and fortunes, quit all profpe&s in their own country, and refufe the offers of Holland for the fervice of England, the very minifters who had fent me on this errand were entering into engagements at home to defeat my purpofe; and the Chair- men of the India Company in a manner -forced to givefuch orders to their Mufter * Tot fear of miftakes in a matter of fuch moment to me, I put the General's words upon paper the mement after I left him, " At the diftance of feveral months, I can- " not pretend to recoiled* the very words of Mr. Jenkinfon, but I certainly left him with * the impreffion that the Swifs troops (hould not be employed." ( 45 ) Mufter-Mafter as muft neceflarily prevent my regiment though raifed^ feoin ever reaching Britain. As foon as this refolution was taken againft me, reports were circula- ted by the hirelings of adminiftration, that minifters never confidered the levy of the Swifs as feafible, and had done all in their power to prevent Mr. Sullivan and Sir William James from accepting of my offers. Both thefe affertions are equally falfe, I was fcarce acquainted with either of thefe gentlemen, and had never fo much as fee n Mr- Sullivan when go- vernment defired him to accept of my propofals ;, and as to the ideas mini- ftry might then entertain of the probability of my fucceeding in the levy propofed, I beg leave to repeat the words Lord Amherft made life of, when I informed his Lordfhip of the Chairmen's having, ligned with me, " Send me information from Switzerland of your proceed- " ings, becaufe there is the greateit probability, in cafe of the Swifs being 44 as well inclined to our fervice as you fuppofe, of your being employed *+ to raife the whole number you offered," Lord Stormont has indeed dared to tell me, lince my return from Swit- zerland, that his Majefty's minifters had neither examined nor recommend- ed my propofals to the Eaft-lndia Company, and that he- was extremely furprifed and very forry to hear from the Chairmen that they hadaclually figned with me. My reply at the moment was, " When one of the 44 Cabinet afferts the very reverfeoftwo others in, the fame high depart- 44 ment, what can a private man do, but lift up his hands and eyes to hea- 44 ven, and afk what crime he has committed that he fhould be brought 44 among fuch a fet of men?" As to the fir ft part of his Lordfhip's af- fertion, let Lord Amherft (who prefled-me^ at the defire of Lord Stor- mont, to name as many Scotch and Dutch officers in my regiment as pofli- hle) anfwer for me, as well as the minutes of. the conference, of the Ca- binet, with the Chairmen, at which Lord Stormont was prefent: but as to the fecond part, I give his Lordfhip moft entire credit ;. he was, I dare fay, moft extremely forry that the Chairmen bad not fore- arrival, of .General Freytag, and had not therefore delayed paying N, tha- ( 46 ) the fame attention to the recommendation of the cabinet on my propofals as they had uniformly done to every other. Had General Freytag's pro- pofhls for Tailing Hanoverian battalions been laid before the cabinet at the fame time with mine For railing Swifs, I fhould have thought, that con- ne&ed as Hanover ftands with this country, it was but reafonable to give them the preference, but whatever attention it is proper and politic for the minifters of this country to (hew that part of his Majefty's dominions, furelv it could not be fiecelfary to make a facrifice of Swifs gentlemen, who preferred the fervice of this country to that of any other. My of- *fers were accepted and figned, before thofe of General Freytag were made. In thefe circnmftances Honeft Men would have thought it neceflary to fupport an engagement they had entered into, Wife Men, if fubfequent offers appeared preferable to them, would have obtained his confent to cancel that which they wifhed to get rid of before more mifchief was done, but Thefe, as void of common humanity and feeling as of fenfe and undemanding, determined without any remorfe, not only to facrifice feve- ral Britifli fubje&s, who earneftly wifhed to diftinguilh themfelves in the fervice of their country*, but to permit foreigners to be drawn into the fame fnare, and in return for the preference they gave this country to France and Holland, allow them to rifle death or prifon, penury and want, after it was refolved the levy fhould not take place. Of what con- fequence was the fate of fubjefts or well-wifhers of this country to minifters who flattered themfelves, that as there was no proof of their in- terference under their own hands the railing of a regiment at 300 leagues diftance, would pafs in the world as a private affair between the Eafi> India Company and a Mr. Erfkine. Weak and (hallow men ! Who think in matters of fuch importance words will efface fubftance.that a Company, which keeps ioo,oco men in the field can be diftinguiflied from the nation, to which it belongs. The court of France viewed my levy in the fame light as the minifters of this country had done, before private and dirty confideration of emo- lument to individuals made them affect another language. ( 47 ) The minifters of France forefaw that one regiment raifed in Switzer- land, more would neceffarily follow, and that Britain would leflen there- by the refcources of France at the fame time that me increafed her own. No fooner did they perceive that the perfon employed to make this levy, took fuch means and precautions as muft infure fuccefs, if not thwarted by them, than they laboured to difappoint him, the fame as if the fate of the war had depended upon it ; every canton was preffed to the utmoft, mo- ney diftributed in fuch as feemed inclined to favour me, Governors of ^Provinces bribed to betray me ; and thefe means failing, two of the can- tons were urged to march an armed body into free ftates, and to feize my unarmed men by force. After which circular letters were wrote by the AmbaflTador to every canton, thanking them in the name of the King of France for the vigour which they had exerted to prevent a levy contradictory to the fpirit of the alliance between that crown and the ftates of Switzerland. Confidering the pains taken by France to prevent my fuccefs, I mould have felt no fhame at failing, even if the minifters of my own country had given me all the fupport in their power, but they joking with the enemies of England to crufh an individual thereof, I may claim fome degree of merit in having overcome, the difficulties both threw in my way. My levy was made before the 2;th of Auguft, and the dif- grace of loiing them afterwards, does not belong to me, but to thofe who defeated me. It 5$ now, I underftand given out that my regiment was never raifed, but of that I have every proof poffible, and defire to be judged only as that proof may be fatisfaftory or not; but it is true, that though more than the number engaged for, were raifed before the 2;th of Auguft, none were tendered to be muftered till the 3Oth of Auguft, and then only 850. The caufes of this are explained in the foregoing part of this nar- rative. Having, I mould prefume, (hewn to the fatisfaaion of every unpreju- diced man that I have, bonafide, executed my part of the contract, and that my my regiment was prevented reaching England by the defertion of- his Majefty's minifters, who were refolved that it fhould not get there, who took no fteps to protect the Swifs officers they had allowed me to draw hi either to obtain their releafe from, prifon when they were threatened with dentil) or employment when they efcaped,. who feemedto have little other regret upon this bumiefs, than that they and I were not hanged together for fafts executed by their orders ; it may not be improper for me to go a ftep farther, and fhew what they fuppofed Hanoverian troops were, for whom we were facrificed. I have no doubt that General' Smith delivered. his real, fentiments of Swifs troops to the Secretary at War, and whether he was founded there- in or not, it was his duty to ftate them to thofe at the helm ; that gen- tleman will probably be furprifed when he learns that the effect of his re- prefentations has been to load the Company with the very kind of troops he purpofed to get rid of, and to make the Company loo fe the. fervice of fuch troops as I am. Cure he would have approved of, if he had ever feen, them. The troops called Swifs, that ferved in India while General Smith was gaining fo great reputation and fortune there, were commanded by very gallant gentlemen, whofe fervices will not be denied either by General Smith or any other officer who has had the good fortune, of being acquainted with them, but of the foldiers, I may venture to aflert there were not fifty Swifs a mongft them. Thefe troops confifled of independent companies, raifed by Swifs officers in the free towns of Germany. And not with- ftanding the affurances given General Smith by Mr. Jenkinfon, the fo- reign troops gone, or going to India, are exactly of the fame kind. They were all picked up (as Lam ready to prove) by Hanoverian officers in the different free towns up and down Germany, raw and undifciplined men ; I will-go farther, and aflert that I have it on the very beft authority, that the Elector and Regency of Hanover, ftipulated from the com- mencement, that there fhould not be a Hanoverian foldier in either ; on my return through Germany, I faw officers of the fecond battalion. ( 49 ) battalion recruiting in every free town I pafled through, from them I learned that they wanted more than 800 men to be complete, and not- withftanding the confequence this levy was reprefented of to the fate of India, the battalion was not complete till the middle of January,, nor in England time enough to fail with the fleet ; this was owing to the parii- mony with which the levy was conduced. The bounty-money given by the Company, was 7!. 73. yet the Major of the fecond battalion told me at Frankfort, on the 27th of September, that he had a fortnight before,, been offered 500 good troops, at 5!. 55. a man, which he was anxious "to- ac- cept of, but upon acquainting the commanding officer at Hanover, he had received the moft pofitive orders upon no account whatever, to give more than 3}. 8s. per man. Thefe are the troops General Smith agreed not to oppofe upon the aflurances of the Secretary at War, that every man fhould be Hanoverian ; thefe are the troops for whom a regiment compofed partly of Swifs Militia, and partly of Wirtemberg foldier? r all difciplined for two years before were facrificed. General Smith imagined the troops I had to raife would mutiny or defert to the country powers in India ; public virtue, therefore, prompted him to make reprefentations againft employing them, though be knew the agreement for railing them had been figned with me two months before, and that I was ating thereon :. Purely private- virtue ought to have prompted him, when he found his opinion of fo much weight with the Secretary at War, to reprefent that engagements with individuals ought not to be fet afide without thofe individuals being informed thereof^ and indemnified of the lofTes^ they might fuftaiir thereby. And' I cannot but wonder that a man of the General's perfpicuity did not forefee that one fo ready as the Secretary at War to break a formal.' contract entered into with me, might not be very fcrupulous in adhering to the aflurances- given him, which, if evaded, the Company- would be {addled with thofe very kind of troops the virtue of General Smith rofe up in arms iigainfr, and his reprefentations be attended with no other advantage than the ruirL of a man formerly in fome degree of intimacy with him. O Mh. ( 5 .5 Mr. Jenkinfon, who from his fituation could not be ignorant of the flipulation made by the regency of Hanover, that no fubjeft of the Elec- torate (hould be inlifted in thefe regiments, I dare fay laughed in his fleeve at the credulity of General Smith, and prided himfelf in the inno- cent deceit that prevented a favourite meafure from being oppofed at the India-Houfe. Relying upon the honour of the Eaft-India Company of England, I have no doubt, that when thefe fa