There was not, however, in the hands of the 1776. Americans, a sufficient number of prisoners to redeem those taken from them by the enemy; and consequently, many of their citizens still remained in confinement. From them, complaints were continually received, of experiencing the most severe and cruel treatment. They complained of suffering almost the extremity of famine, and that even the scanty supply of provisions allowed them was unsound. In addition to this, they were crowded into prison ships, where, their wants being entirely unattended to, they became the victims of disease. These disgraceful measures were supposed to have been taken in order to compel the wretched sufferers to engage in the British service. When charged with a conduct so unworthy his character and

1776.

station, sir William Howe positively denied its CHAP. I. truth. It would certainly be unjust to ascribe to an officer who, though perhaps severe in his temper, did not mingle in his general system, cruelties which would not have been practised in other wars, a degree of inhumanity to those entirely in his power; which, if true, ought forever to tarnish his reputation. It must be admitted that his own supplies of provisions were for a time not the best or most plentiful, and that the American soldiers, before being captured, were very sickly; but the excessive mortality prevailing among them can be accounted for on no ordinary principles; and those least inclined to criminate without cause, have ever been persuaded, that, if his orders did not produce the distress which existed, his authority was certainly not interposed with sufficient energy, to correct the abuses complained of. This inattention was the more extraordinary, as it was injurious to the British interest; for had the Americans, captured in battle, been properly attended to, and their lives preserved, the enemy would have received soldiers in exchange for citizens, whose terms of service had expired, and who might, or might not re-inlist.

The capture of general Lee furnished an additional ground of controversy on the subject of prisoners. As he had been an officer in the British service, whose resignation, perhaps,

E2

>

CHAP. I. had not been received when he entered into 1776. that of America, a disposition was at first manifested to treat him as a deserter and a traitor, rather than as a prisoner of war. He was therefore closely confined, but does not appear to have experienced any other particular hardship. On receiving information of this circumstance, a resolution was entered into by congress, directing general Howe to be assured, that if the exchange which was offered of the six field officers taken at Trenton, for general Lee, should be rejected, and the severe treatment already experienced by him continued, lieutenant colonel Campbell, and five Hessian field officers, should be detained, and should experience precisely the treatment which might be suffered by general Lee. This proposition not having been accepted, orders were given for putting this threat into execution. Lieutenant colonel Campbell and five Hessian field officers were taken into close custody, and, they were assured that the resolution above mentioned, should be strictly enforced.

The sentiments of the commander in chief on the subject of retaliation, seem to have been less severe than those of congress. So great was his abhorrence of the cruelties such a practice seemed calculated to generate, that he thought it should only be adopted in a case of absolute and apparent necessity. Not believing that of general Lee to be such a case,

1776.

he remonstrated* strongly to congress on the CHAP. I. impolicy of their resolutions, and stated the long train of evils, which were to be apprehended from them. But on this subject congress remained inflexible, and the officers designated as the objects for retaliation, were kept in rigorous confinement, until general Lee was declared to be a prisoner of war.

The resolutions of congress, too, respecting the prisoners taken at the Cedars, produced no small degree of embarrassment and chagrin to the commander in chief. On the allegation that the terms of capitulation had been infracted on the part of the enemy, and that the savages had been permitted to murder some of the prisoners, and to plunder others, they withheld their sanction from the agreement entered into by general Arnold with captain Foster, and refused to allow other prisoners to be returned in exchange for those liberated under that agreement, until the murderers should be given up, and compensation should be made for the baggage said to have been plundered. The fact alleged was by no means so clearly estab. lished, that the common opinion of mankind must, at once, have been pronounced in favour of the justice of the decision made by congress. Indeed it was explicitly denied by some American officers, who were among the prisoners,

CHAP. I. and particularly by captain Sullivan, who had 1776. been delivered up as one of the hostages for the

performance of the treaty.

Sir William Howe pressed general Washington very closely on this subject. He reminded him of the importance of a punctilious observance of faith, plighted in engagements like that made by general Arnold; and he persisted to hold the commander in chief personally bound for an honourable compliance with military stipulations entered into by an officer under his authority.

General Washington felt the keenness of the reproach, and was urgent with congress to change their resolutions on this subject; but his remonstrances were for a long time unavailing.

After the sufferings of the prisoners in New York had been extreme, and great numbers had perished in confinement, the survivers were liberated and sent out for the purpose of being exchanged; but so miserable was their condition, that vast numbers of them died on their way home. For the dead, as well as the living, the British general claimed a return of prisoners; and on the peremptory refusal of general Washington to comply with this demand, and on his refusing also to exchange lieutenant colonel Campbell, and some Hessian officers taken at Trenton, until general Lee should be declared a prisoner of war, a very