Page:American History Told by Contemporaries, v2.djvu/537

No. 180] himself well pleased with the Proposal, and appointed one accordingly, observing again, that he was sure I should find the Reports we had heard totally false — Accordingly I went to the Provost with the Officer where we found near 30 officers from Colonels downwards in close confinement in the Gaol in New York — After some Conversation with Coll Ethan Allen I told him my Errand on which he was very free in his abuse of the British on account of the cruel treatment he had recd during months close confinement — We then proceeded upstairs to the room of their confinement — I had the Officers drawn up in a Ring, and informed them of my Mission —. . . On this after some little Hesitation from a Dread of their Keeper the Provost Marshal, one of them began & informed us — that they had been confined on the most frivolous Pretences, some for having been the Oppressors of the Friends of Government, for taking Refugees & Property while Officers under Command and in Obedience to Orders, for being out of their bounds of Parole, tho' weeks after their Return— Some confined in the Dungeon for a Night to await the Leisure of General to examine them & forgot for Months — for being Committee Men, &c. &c. — That they had received the most cruel Treatment from the Provost Marshal, being locked up in the Dungeon on the most trifling Pretence, such as asking for more Water for Drink on a hotter Day than usual — For sitting up a little longer in the Evening than the Orders allowed — For writing a Letter to the General making their Complaints of ill-usage & throwing out of the Windows — That some of them were kept 10, 12 & 14 weeks in the Dungeon on these trifling Pretences — A Capt. Vandyke had been confined 18 Months for being concerned in setting Fire to the City, when on my calling for the Provost Books it appeared that he had been made Prisoner & closely confined by the Provost 4 Days before the Fire happened — A Major Paine had been confined 11 months for killing a Capt. Campbell in the Engagement when he was taken Prisoner, when on Examination it appeared that the Captain had been killed in another part of the Action — The Charge was that Major Paine when taken had no Commission, tho acknowledged by us as a Major — Capt Flabwen was confined for breaking a soldier s thigh with the butt of his gun after he was shot down when the British surgeon on Examination acknowledged that the Thigh was broken by a Ball &c. &c. — Most of the Cases examined into turned out either wholly false or too trifling to be regarded — It also appeared by the Declaration of some of the Gentl that their Water would be sometimes, as the Caprice of the