Page:General Washington's Dilemma - Mayo - 1938 - Appendix 2.djvu/3

 who had been guilty of this Action, which he says was entirely without his Knowledge, yet he does not say whether he will give them up or not, in this state were Matters when a letter came to Genl Hazen, Commanding at this post, to summon all the British Captains at York and Lancaster and make them draw lots who should be given up as he meant to retaliate on one of us, being the only means in his power to put an end to our barbarous method of proceeding, never was surprise equal to ours, little did we think an Article of so Solemn a Capitulation as ours was, concluded between three Powers, would be so shamefully violated, however there was no Alternative so we all set off from York Town to Lancaster, which was twenty miles off, we were but thirteen Captns in the whole and five of those belonged to the Guards, on our arrival we all repaired to Major Gordon's House, he is our Commanding Officer here, we there learnt for a Certainty that one of us must be given up and that the next morning was the time appointed for us to draw lots; we were all unanimous, as you may suppose in refusing to draw ourselves, we said we had been guilty of no crime and deserved no punishment, we were in their Pow'r, they might do what they pleased with us, but that we positively would not lend a helping hand to our own destruction, this was the Evening of the 26.th I can't say I slept remarkably well that night, on the Morrow we were all summon'd to the Major's House, he there informed us that at ten o'Clock all the British Captains were ordered to repair to the Bear Inn, where General Hazen would meet them. The momentous hour arrived and we repaired to our Guild Hall, we were ushered into a little Room with a great deal of Ceremony and Genl Hazen, attended by his Aid-de-Camp, Adjutant and an officer of Dragoons, joined us almost instantly; every tongue was silent on his Appearance, and he, with Appologies for his