soners of war being examined upon the allegations, it was admitted that the quantity of food allowed them was not more than two-thirds of that served out to the French, Spanish, and Dutch prisoners; but it was declared, that they had the same clothing now as at the beginning of their confinement.-Mr. Fox protested against the impolicy of this mode of treating the American prisoners; and asked-was it fit, prudent, or wise, that a distinction should be made in favour of the old inveterate enemies of the country, to the prejudice of those who had been, and he hoped would again be, fellow-subjects of the people of England ?-Lord North and the adherents of the ministry, on the contrary, contended that the distinction was immaterial; that the food was sufficient, and the clothing distributed quite in proportion to the actual need of it; that the men were in excellent health; and, in short, that the American prisoners of war had no real grievance to complain of, and, therefore, that the petition should be superseded by the order of the day. As the discussion proceeded it became animated, Mr. Fox declaring, that the world ought to know that an invidious distinction was made between the French prisoners, who were treated generously, and the Americans, who were cruelly oppressed, and half starved. He predicted, that the conduct he denounced would not only excite the indignation of Europe against Great Britain, but would also bring down the horrors of retaliation upon British subjects who were then prisoners in America. -Lord North ridiculed the ideas of European negotiation and American retaliation; and said, "that already the condition of British prisoners in America was truly deplorable;" asserting, also, that "the government had been told, more than once, by rebels in authority, that if it did not feed them, they might starve." A series of resolutions, declaratory of the propriety of the existing treatment of American prisoners in the gaols, &c., of Great Britain, was then agreed to by the house, and the condition of the prisoners, for a time, became more deplorable than ever.

When, after considerable delay, and with much difficulty, a general exchange of prisoners was effected, the wives and children of those who adhered to the American cause, were driven from their homes and exiled to Virginia, or crowded into the dwellings of Philadelphia. In the more

northern states, upwards of 1,000 persons were reduced to the necessity of existing upon the benevolence of their fellow-citizens. This severe treatment, on the part of the British authorities, naturally produced retaliation; and the families of those who had taken part with them, were, in turn, subjected to persecution. During the early part of the year 1781, the British were in force in the remotest settlements of South Carolina; but as the ground they occupied became contracted by the events of the war, such of the male inhabitants as had taken part with them, felt it necessary to retire with the royal troops towards the capital; and in retaliation for the expulsion of the wives and children of the Whig Americans from that state, Governor Rutledge. ordered the brigadiers of militia to send, within the British lines, the families of such of the inhabitants as had joined the royal army, or shown any active partizanship in favour of the royal authority. In consequence of this order, or rather of the one which provoked it, several hundreds of women and children were driven from their homes, and reduced to a state of the most pitiable distress.

It is not the slain, the wounded, or the disabled for life who are the chief victims of the savage and unhumanising influences of war; a fact painfully illustrated by the system of outrage and retaliation adopted on both sides in the war of independencea system which operated upon a class of society incapable of resistance, and innocent of offence, but whose very incapacity and innocence stimulated persecution; that, through both, the actual offenders on either side might be wounded. The horrors of war were thus aggravated, and feelings of unappeasable revenge superseded every better sentiment in the hearts of those who battled either for freedom or for dominion.

At New York, the male refugees who had cast themselves upon British protection, were formed into an association by Sir Henry Clinton, for the express purpose, in the first place, of retaliating on the Americans for acts of cruelty themselves alone had provoked; and secondly, that they might reimburse themselves by plunder for the losses they had, or pretended they had, sustained. The depredations and outrages perpetrated by these bands of authorised marauders, might fill a volume with details of crime and bloodshed; but the record would now be of little service, except to

some way or other, to serve the country, endure intolerable annoyances, and were also tended to aggravate the miseries inci- deprived not only of their property, but of dent to a state of civil war. In Europe, the solace of friendship in their adversity. where military operations are carried on by armies hired, or rather enlisted for the purpose, the bulk of the people are seldom partakers of the inconveniences attending war in its ordinary character; but, in America, where the whole people were enrolled as a militia, and when both sides endeavoured to strengthen themselves by oaths and by laws which awarded the penalties of treason upon all who aided or abetted the opposite party, the sufferings of individuals and of families were renewed as often as fortune shifted her standard. Thus each side claimed the hearty co-operation of the inhabitants, and was ready ever to punish those who withheld it. Where either party had a decided ascendancy, the main body of the people were comparatively undisturbed; but the intermediate space between the contending armies was subject to the alternate revenge of both.

Humanity shrinks from a recital of the calamities inflicted on the Whigs by the Tories, and by the Tories on the Whigs, during this protracted war; and it is perhaps remarkable, that, on both sides, the actors in this great drama, of the birth of empire consoled themselves for the atrocities they perpetrated, and for the evils they suffered when retaliation in turn overtook them, by a belief, and from a conviction, that they were acting and suffering in a good and holy cause. In the southern states, the distress of the prisoners became more remarkable as the war approached its termination. While Lieutenant-colonel Campbell, who reduced the town of Savannah, was still in command, he treated his prisoners with marked attention and kindness, although he had suffered much at the hands of the Americans. But his successors were men cast in a different mould; and the American prisoners taken at Savannah and at Brier Creek, were treated with great cruelty. With some few exceptions, the native prisoners had little cause of complaint until after the defeat of General Gates at Camden. Soon after that disaster, however, their treatment by the British commanders became harsh and irritating. Many of those entitled to the benefits of the capitulation of Charlestown, were separated from their families and sent into exile: others, in violation of the same solemn compact, were thrust into prison-ships, where they had to

It was not alone in America that the claims of humanity were ignored by the British authorities in their transactions with the prisoners of war, since the treatment of the latter, in the gaols of the United King dom, was such as to render it necessary to bring their condition to the notice of parliament. This was effected by a petition. from upwards of 200 American prisoners, confined in Mill-bay prison, at Plymouth, in behalf of themselves and others of their countrymen similarly situated. In this document (presented to the House of Commons on the 28th of June, 1781), it was stated, that under the peculiar nature and circumstances of the petitioners, committed to prison, they were debarred of the benefits and indulgences usually shown to all other prisoners and captives, particularly in their being then, and during the preceding winter, almost naked and barefooted, through the government having refused to supply them with clothing, as it had previously done; and were also aggrieved by being allowed only two-thirds, in proportion, of the bread daily served out to the prisoners of France, Spain, and Holland; the whole of the full allowance not being more than sufficient for one satisfactory repast for men deprived of every means of procuring other sustenance-a hardship from which, they stated, the prisoners of the three countries named were exempt, as they were allowed to provide themselves with food to supply any deficiency of their daily prison supplies, by purchasing provisions for themselves at an open market kept at the gate of the prison. The petitioners then stated, that the deficiencies of food, of which they complained, had for some time been made up to them, in part, by the contributions of benevolent people in Great Britain, who had raised sums of money for their relief, with out which they must have been famished. That such monies were then expended, and the petitioners were again reduced to their former miserable half-starved condition. They therefore implored that the protection of the House of Commons might be extended to them, and that orders might be issued for their relief. The petition was laid on the table, and ordered to be taken into consideration on the 29th of the month

On that day, accordingly, the matter was gone into; and the commissioners for pri

of the British authorities, naturally produced retaliation; and the families of those who had taken part with them, were, in turn, subjected to persecution. During the early part of the year 1781, the British were in force in the remotest settlements of South Carolina; but as the ground they occupied became contracted by the events of the war, such of the male inhabitants as had taken part with them, felt it necessary to retire with the royal troops towards the capital; and in retaliation for the expulsion of the wives and children of the Whig Americans from that state, Governor Rutledge ordered the brigadiers of militia to send, within the British lines, the families of such of the inhabitants as had joined the royal army, or shown any active partizanship in favour of the royal authority. In consequence of this order, or rather of the one which provoked it, several hundreds of women and children were driven from their homes, and reduced to a state of the most pitiable distress.

soners of war being examined upon the northern states, upwards of 1,000 persons allegations, it was admitted that the quan- were reduced to the necessity of existing tity of food allowed them was not more upon the benevolence of their fellow-citithan two-thirds of that served out to the zens. This severe treatment, on the part French, Spanish, and Dutch prisoners; but it was declared, that they had the same clothing now as at the beginning of their confinement.-Mr. Fox protested against the impolicy of this mode of treating the American prisoners; and asked-was it fit, prudent, or wise, that a distinction should be made in favour of the old inveterate enemies of the country, to the prejudice of those who had been, and he hoped would again be, fellow-subjects of the people of England ?-Lord North and the adherents of the ministry, on the contrary, contended that the distinction was immaterial; that the food was sufficient, and the clothing distributed quite in proportion to the actual need of it; that the men were in excellent health; and, in short, that the American prisoners of war had no real grievance to complain of, and, therefore, that the petition should be superseded by the order of the day. As the discussion proceeded it became animated, Mr. Fox declaring, that the world ought to know that an invidious distinction was made between the French prisoners, who were treated generously, and the Americans, who were cruelly oppressed, and half starved. He predicted, that the conduct he denounced would not only excite the indignation of Europe against Great Britain, but would also bring down the horrors of retaliation upon British subjects who were then prisoners in America. -Lord North ridiculed the ideas of European negotiation and American retaliation; and said, "that already the condition of British prisoners in America was truly deplorable;" asserting, also, that "the government had been told, more than once, by rebels in authority, that if it did not feed them, they might starve." A series of resolutions, declaratory of the propriety of the existing treatment of American prisoners in the gaols, &c., of Great Britain, was then agreed to by the house, and the condition of the prisoners, for a time, became more deplorable than ever.

When, after considerable delay, and with much difficulty, a general exchange of prisoners was effected, the wives and children of those who adhered to the American cause, were driven from their homes and exiled to Virginia, or crowded into the dwellings of Philadelphia. In the more

It is not the slain, the wounded, or the disabled for life who are the chief victims. of the savage and unhumanising influences of war; a fact painfully illustrated by the system of outrage and retaliation adopted on both sides in the war of independencea system which operated upon a class of society incapable of resistance, and innocent of offence, but whose very incapacity and innocence stimulated persecution; that, through both, the actual offenders on either side might be wounded. The horrors of war were thus aggravated, and feelings of unappeasable revenge superseded every better sentiment in the hearts of those who battled either for freedom or for dominion.

At New York, the male refugees who had cast themselves upon British protection, were formed into an association by Sir Henry Clinton, for the express purpose, in the first place, of retaliating on the Americans for acts of cruelty themselves alone had provoked; and secondly, that they might reimburse themselves by plunder for the losses they had, or pretended they had, sustained. The depredations and outrages perpetrated by these bands of authorised marauders, might fill a volume with details. of crime and bloodshed; but the record would now be of little service, except to