Page:The Hessians and the other German auxiliaries of Great Britain in the revolutionary war.djvu/201

 Rh arms. It now devolved on the Americans to fulfil their side of the agreement, and nothing less than a very flagrant violation of the minor articles of the capitulation, or very distinct evidence of an intention on the part of the British to break their parole, should have induced the victorious party to refuse to perform its promises.

While Congress was minded to keep the German prisoners in America, their own prince was in no haste to see them in Europe. On receiving the news of the capitulation of Saratoga, the minister of the Duke of Brunswick wrote to the English commissioner that those men who had surrendered ought not to be allowed to return to Germany, lest they should be discontented and discourage others from enlisting. “Send these remnants to one of your islands in America, place them in Europe in one of your islands, like the Isle of Wight.” On no account were the poor devils to be allowed to come home. On the 17th of October, 1777, General Burgoyne's soldiers laid down their arms at Saratoga. This they were allowed to do without the presence of any American detachment. General Riedesel had given orders that the flags of the Brunswick regiments should not be given up. He had the staffs burned, and concealed the colors themselves, giving out to the Americans