British troops. Love of pillage contaminated the Americans, too, to some extent. The houses and property of the unfortunate inhabitants of New Jersey were sacked, under pretext that they belonged to loyalists: even the officers themselves gave their soldiers the example of depredation. Thus they were pillaged by the Hessians and English as rebels to the king, and by the Americans, as being his partisans. These excesses became so revolting, that Washington, to whom they caused infinite pain, was constrained, in order to put a stop to them, to issue a proclamation, denouncing the most rigorous penalties against the perpetrators of such enormities.[1]
As illustrating still further the terrible state of suffering and misery to which prisoners were subjected at this period of the war, we give an extract from Gordon's History, a work of decided value, and quite reliable. In the month of January, says Gordon,[2] General Howe discharged all the privates, who were prisoners in New York. Great complaints were made of the horrid usage the Americans met with after they were captured. The garrison of Fort Washington surrendered by capitulation to General Howe, the 16th of November. The terns were, that the fort should be surrendered, the troops be considered prisoners of war, and that the American officers should keep their baggage and side arms. These articles were signed and afterward published in the New York papers. Major Otho Holland Williams, of Rawlings's rifle regiment, in doing his duty that day, unfortunately fell into the hands of the enemy. The haughty, imperious deportment of the officers, and the insolent scurrility of the soldiers of the British army, soon dispelled his hopes of being treated with lenity. Many of the American officers were plundered of their baggage, and robbed of their side arms, hats, cockades, etc., and otherwise grossly ill-treated. He and three companions were, on the third day, put on board the Baltic-Merchant, an hospital ship, then lying in the Sound. The wretchedness of his situation was in some degree alleviated, by a small pittance of pork and parsnip, which a good-natured sailor spared him from his own mess. The fourth day of their captivity, Rawliugs, Hanson M'Intire and himself, all wounded officers, were put into one common dirt cart, and dragged through the city of New York, as objects of derision, reviled as rebels, and treated with the utmost contempt. From the cart they were set down at the door of an old waste house, the remains of Hampden Hall, near Bridewell, which, because of the openness and filthiness of the place
- ↑ In the General Orders issued at the time, it was declared: "The general prohibits, both in the militia and continental troops, in the most positive terms, the infamous practice of plundering the inhabitants, under the specious pretence of their being tories. It is our business to give protection and support to the poor distressed inhabitants, not to multiply and increase their calamities. After this order, any officer found plundering the inhabitants, under the pretence of their being tones, may expect to be punished in the severest manner. The adjutant-general to furnish the commanding officer of each division, with a copy of these orders, who is to circulate copies among his troops immediately."
- ↑ "History of the American Revolution," vol ii. p. 173–5.
