Johnson was not the lefs mindful of them. He had every boat which paffed up or down the river examined, and other measures taken, by which he recovered great quantities of shop and household goods, and these he caused to be exhibited to the inhabitants, fo that not a few of them recovered confiderable part of their property-damaged indeed, but yet the value was confiderable. A ferjeant who was quartered upon us, and who was very forward in his conduct before this time, now grew very humble. He had feveral dozens of port and claret during the first week, but it foon disappeared. Such a forward villain I never knew! The female thief was drummed out of town, stript to her fmock. O tempora! O mores!

The next Saturday fifteen of the rebel prifoners were all hanged together, out of the fame tree. They were made to hang one another. I was not by, but I am informed that they died as they had fought; obftinately attached to the rebel caufe! A young man belonging to one of the militia bands of mufic, obferving the conduct of those wretches going to the place of execution, faid, “ for de"cency's fake, for religion's fake, and for your precious "foul's fake, reflect properly on your awful paffage into "eternity, and be reconciled to your Saviour." Yet this most excellent, pithy, and timely exhortation had no other effect upon some of them but to provoke their fcorn. One of them is faid to have replied, "You be damned! I die "in a good caufe: I die fighting for my country, and shall "go to heaven; and you will go to hell for fighting against "it." I am the more difpofed to believe this, from reflecting on a pertinent circumstance which I forgot to relate before. About three days after the battle, I went, conducted by the officer of the main guard, to fee the prisoners. I spoke to them as to men appointed to die, and exhorted them to prepare for their awful and fpeedily-approaching

change. Upon which one of them treated me with a degree of impertinence, of the nature juft now quoted. He was suddenly stopt by the centinel knocking him on the head with his piece, exclaiming, "You ungrateful rascal!" I must now go back in my narrative to the day after the battle.

GENERAL JOHNSON, apprehenfive left any of the loyal or peaceably-difpofed inhabitants of the poorer fort should starve for want of provifions, or fuffer death as rebels from the fury of the foldiery, requested Captain Tottenham to nominate any gentleman of the town to whom the charge of thofe men, their support from the commiffary's stores, and the diftribution of their fervices in the garrison, might properly be committed. The Captain inftantly proposed me as an eligible person, and the General as readily agreed to the propofal.

I foon found myself at the head of feven hundred men. I divided them into three parties,-1. The freemen, i. e. private gentlemen (mechanics already in employ) and, in fhort, all who could fupport themfelves. These were only to appear occafionally on parade for mufter, and from this duty I wholly excufed the more refpectable.-2. The first and fecond garrison (or working) parties. The first were to be at conftant employ, as taylors, fhoe-makers, butchers, and bakers; the fecond, which was by much the greatest in number, I appointed to bury the dead, to barricade the town, and to make paffages for the cannon.-3. The invalids, or fuperannuated inhabitants..

I appointed a captain and two lieutenants over every fifty but fuch useless beings as many of my officers and men, I never knew. In this, however, the men were partly excufable; for they were fometimes for three whole days kept without a morfel of the king's provifions; and I have obferved with horrer fome of them writhing with the hunger!

hunger! It was in vain that I sent in my order, the commiffary would iffue his order when he pleafed. I wrote to the General on the subject, and complained perfonally to him; and he, most condescendingly, went to the commiffary himself on the subject, and charged him to be mindful of the poor men! It was all to no purpofe. At length, when their provifions were given out, the distribution of it amongst the itarving creatures was almost impracticable. I had my officers for the purpose, but they could effect little until we got a fort of a houfe on the quay, where the provifions were divided privately, and then distributed in meffes. It fometimes happened, in the height of this employment, a number of hands were instantly called for to the works. They must go and leave their provifion behind, which was foon caught up and devoured. Had all my officers done their duty, this need not be the cafe. I was often defired to clap fome of thofe heedlefs fellows into confinement, but I confidered that like the unjust steward I must soon give up my employment, and that it was not my intereft to make enemies against that time; and yet I had fome valuable officers and many fuch men too. After fome time I got a good caterer, who served out provifions (when we could get them) fatisfactorily. This useful man, whofe name is John Kehoe, was once the means of faving a day's provifions for my men ; for, an affistant-commiffary having been appointed in the abfence of the deputy, and my men's provifions delayed for two days, I fent in my order for the two day's provifions accordingly. This commiffary put by my order, and faid he would deliver but one day's provifions. He then gave me an order accordingly. I mentioned this to Kehee, who immediately went to the commiffary, and faid, “Sir, if you give ❝ us but one day's provifions, you fhall not have our Major's Of this treatment I do not want for witneffes: I had a crowd generally standing by.

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"order to put on your books for two days, in order to get "payment for what you do not give. Here is your order "back again: give us Mr. Alexander's, or an order agree"able to his." The affiftant-commiffary refused; but on being properly threatened, gave his order for two day's "rafbens," as he fpelt the word rations. I am afhamed to acknowledge that I did not fee through this business at first. The greatest number for which I drew provifions was 396; the number of invalids and working party was 636. No human being can conceive the labour and toil I had with those people; and yet I fhould love the toil for the fake of humanity and loyalty, could I but obtain their food for them as I ought; even as it was I loved the employ

ment.

Not one of them would be fuffered even to walk the ftreets without my permiffion. To write paffes for all was a task fo very difficult, that I drew out a general copy for each to get tranfcribed and figned by their officers, after which I would fign it myself. In a short time I had heavy work to read and fign thofe paffes. Some of them were written full of blunders. One pafs was truly laughable. It ran thus: "I do herby fir to fy that the bear or A. B. "has been july permitted into my Lawless Croppes,* and

therefore require that he be admitted to pass and ray pafs "the streets of Rofs within the gates from 5 oc lock in the "morning until eat in the afternoon." But as a piece of compofition, the following is very curious: "I do certify "that the bearer of this is Nanny Murphy, an honeft poor

wombman who has Six Small Childern And three of them "are Idiots they are now At George Kough, Efq. At Chil*com Now Requeft She and they Will be permitted to Pafs "and Ray pass through the Streets of Rofs From Day "Brake 'till eat a Clock at Night For their Natural Support

He meant Loyalift Corps. I wrote "Corps of Loyalists.”

"to

"to prevent their being Starved and the Permitted to go to "Chilcom for them to Bring them home as they Have Nei"ther Father, or Mother to take care of them but her "Rofs 18th June 1798.

"PATRICK MEYLER Captain.

"And Deponent further faith not."

No people could be more attached to me, than those over whom I was now placed. The whole party once propofed giving me THREE CHEERS, a compliment from which I could not difuade them, until I reminded them, that it would alarm the garrifon. The next day I made a general muster of the whole, in order to their being reviewed by the general. The private gentlemen and constant garrison-party I excufed, and upon numbering the remainder I found they amounted to 636. On this occafion, my men paffed me a compliment indeed! I am fure not lefs than 500, in which were included mosft, or all, of my loyal Glory-men, requested me to inform the General, that if he would but grant me a commission in the army, every one of them would enlift with me as foldiers, and accompany me in that capacity to any part of the world. I mentioned the circumftance to an officer, who affured me, that the poor men were in such disesteem (very many of them being fufpected of having fought against the king's troops on the day of battle) that their offer would most certainly be rejected, and myself regarded in a very indifferent light, if I but once attempted to forward their propofal to the general! And yet, I verily believe, there was not one of those men who were not heartily loyal; for, from the whole of my conduct, they could not be ignorant of my principles. For this their public and very difinterested teftimony of approbation and friendship, I defire, in this publick manner, they will accept of my grateful acknowledgments.

Paffing by a public houfe on the quay, I overheard a foldier there giving a disloyal sentiment. I ftept in and found

the

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