TREATMENT

of American Prisoners in Quebec.

Extract of a letter from captain McDonough, commanding the United States' naval force on lake Champlain, to the Secretary of the Navy, dated

"PLATTSBURG BAY, November 23d, 1813.

"Accompanying this is the voluntary statement of Abraham Walter, who was pilot of one of the sloops taken last summer He has made his escape from Quebec; and after a severe journey of ten days, reported himself to me yesterday."

Affidavit of Abraham Walter, pilot of the United States' sloop Growler, on lake Champlain, viz.

Abraham Walter, formerly pilot of the sloop of war Growler, on lake Champlain, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that he was employed on board that sloop when it was taken by the Bri tish in June last; that after the sloops Growler and Eagle were surrendered, the prisoners, both officers and sailors, were taken to Quebec, where they were immediately confined on board a prison ship; there they were examined by a public officer or examiner, and about eight or ten of the prisoners declared to be British subjects; these were immediately separated from the rest, and put on board a man of war and sent to England, to be tried for treason. One of these was known to be a native of New Hampshire by captain Herrick, of the New Hampshire volunteers, who was also a prisoner, and who had known him from his infancy and several of the rest were declared by others of their acquaintance to be native citizens of the United States. These representations were unavailing with the British officers who commanded, and they were torn thus from their companions to defend themselves against the charge of treason in England.

The residue were still confined in their prison ships, in a situ ation more disagreeable than can well be imagined.

Some time after, a number of British vessels were wishing to proseed to Halifax, the crews of which had mostly been pressed out of them to fight the American forces on the upper lakes, and seamen were wanted to supply their places. Governor Prevost sent an order to general Glascow, who then commanded there, directing him to proceed on board the prison-ship and to induce the prisoners to volunteer to man their fleet for Halifax; and in case they refused to comply, to force them on board for that purpose. The application was made; but the American prisoners, considerag the measure unjustifiable towards their own government, refuzed to volunteer, and were accordingly forced on board the vessels by a British press-gang, where this deponent understood they had

quarters assigned them, and were compelled to assist in navigating British vessels to Halifax, and afterwards to England, as this deponent has since been informed: and further, that not one seaman who was a prisoner there was exempted from this proceeding. And this deponent further saith, that in the beginning of the present month of November, an order was received in conformity to the prince regent's proclamation, to seize 46 American officers and non-commissioned officers, who were then prisoners of war, and to imprison them, to be kept in close confinement, agreeably to the tenor of that proclamation. Prisoners to that number, most of whom were officers there on their parole, many of them in a delicate state of health, were immediately put under arrest, and marched guarded to the public prison, and immured, for what fate is to him unknown. Among those destined for close imprisonment, are lieutenant Smith, then in a declining state of health, and Dr. James Wood, a citizen of Champlain, who was taken from his home while he was in the employment of the revenue, but, as this deponent believes, no way connected with the army. They were imprisoned on the 5th of November instant.

This deponent further saith, that the enemy has uniformly at that place treated American prisoners, both officers and privates, with extreme rigor; that some time since an American midshipman and two masters' mates, merely for having proceeded on a party of pleasure, about half a mile beyond the limits assigned them, were seized and put into prison, and kept in irons, till the general imprisonment of officers and non-commissioned officers, as above related, took place. And this deponent further saith, that all that was allowed for the American prisoners on board the prison-ship, was daily one pound of old wormy bread, which the inhabitants declared had been twice to the West Indies, and condemned for spoiled bread, and one half pound of exceedingly bad meat, which in almost any other situation would be absolutely not eatable; no liquors; no soap to prevent themselves from becoming lousy; no candles; and none of the other comforts of life; and that it was the opinion of all the prisoners that many of them had actually starved to death, not being able to eat the provisions; and further, that immediately on the prince regent's proclamation being received, colonel Gardner, the American agent there, who had been occupied in paying off the sick and privates of the land service, was immediately notified by governor Prevost, to consider himself confined to the same limits which were assigned for the officers at Beaufort; and when this deponent left that place, he was compelled to remain with general Winchester and others, and was not permitted to visit the prisoners who were in distress on board the prison-ships, nor to visit the town to negotiate his bills for the relief of the officers, and had already been obliged to share what little private money he had with him among them for their temporary relief. This deponent further saith, that he started from the neighborhood of Quebec, and came by the way of Derby in

Vermont, and arrived at this place two days since; and further this deponent saith not.

ABRAHAM WALTER. Sworn before me, this 23d day of November, 1813.

HENRY DELENY,

One of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas, in and for the county of Clinton.

THIRD VICTORY OVER THE CREEKS.

DEAR GENERAL,

FORT ARMSTRONG, November 24th, 1812.

In mine of the 19th instant, by major Outlaw, I promised you à more detailed report, respecting the detachment ordered by you to the Hillibee Towns, in the Creek nation. In compliance with that promise, I have now the honour to state, that under your order of the 11th instant, I immediately marched with the mounted infantry under the immediate command of colonel Burch, the cavalry under the command of major Porter, and a few of the Cherokee Indians, under the command of colonel Morgan, with very short rations for four days only. We continued our march to Little Oakfuskie, when we fell in with and captured five hostile Creek warriors, supposed to be spies. Finding no other Indians at that place, we burned the town, which consisted of thirty houses. We then proceeded to a town called Genalgo, and burned the same, consisting of ninety-three houses; thence we proceeded to Nitty Choptoa, consisting of about twenty-five houses, which I considered it most prudent not to destroy, as it might possibly be of use at some future period. From thence we marched to the Hillibee Town, consisting of about twenty houses, adjoining which was Grayson's farm. Previous to our arrival at that place, I was advised that a party of the hostile Creeks was assembled there. Having marched within six or eight miles of it on the evening of the 7th, I dismounted a part of the force under my command, and sent them under the command of colonel Burch, with the Cherokees under the command of colonel Morgan in advance,to surround the town in the night, and make the attack at daylight on the 18th. Owing to the darkness of the night, the town was not reached until after day-light; but so complete was the surprise, that we succeeded in surrounding the town, and killing and capturing almost (if not entirely) the whole of the hostile Creeks assembled there, consisting of about 316, of which number about 60 warriors were killed on the spot, and the remainder made prisoners. Before the close of the engagement, my whole force was up and ready for action, had it become necessary; but owing to the want of knowledge on the part of the Indians of our approach, they were entirely killed and taken before they could prepare for any effec

tual defence. We lost not one drop of blood in accomplishing this enterprise. We destroyed this village, and, in obedience to your orders, commenced our march for this post, which we were unable to reach until yesterday. I estimate the distance from this to Grayson's farm, at about 100 miles. The ground over which we travelled is so rough and hilly, as to render a passage very difficult. Many defiles it was impossible to pass in safety, without the greatest precaution. For a part of the time, the weather was so very wet, being encumbered with prisoners, and the troops and their horses having to subsist in a very great degree upon such supplies as we could procure in the nation, rendered our march more tardy than it otherwise would have been.

The troops under my command have visited the heart of that section of the Creek nation, where the Red Sticks were first distributed.

In justice to this gallant band, I am proud to state, that the whole of the officers and men under the command of colonel Burch, performed their duty cheerfully and without complaint: that from the cool, orderly and prompt manner in which major Porter and the cavalry under his command, formed and conducted themselves in every case of alarm, I had the highest confidence in them; colonel Morgan and the Cherokees under his command, gave undeniable evidence that they merit the employ of their government. In short, sir, the whole detachment under my command, conducted in such a manner as to enable me to assure you that they are capable of performing any thing to which the same number of men are equal.

It gives me pleasure to add, that Mr. M'Corry, who acted as my aid in this expedition, rendered services that to me were indispensable, to his country very useful, and to himself highly honourable.

I have the honour to be, &c.

Major general John Cocke.

JAMES WHITE, Brigadier general.

Extract of a letter from major general Wilkinson to the Secretary of War, dated

"FRENCH MILLS, November 24th, 1813.

"I have had the honour to receive your letter of the 15th instant from Albany, and hope my despatches have reached you which left this on the 17th.

"With respect to the unfortunate issue of the campaign, I disclaim the shadow of blame, because I know I have done my duty, and more than my duty, and so do those with whom I have acted. To general Hampton's outrage of every principle of sub

ordination and discipline may be ascribed the failure of the expedi tion; and that I have not yet arrested him must be attributed to my respect for you, and my desire that the arrest should proceed from the highest authority; for if this act be suffered to pass unnoticed and unpunished, it will establish a precedent to justify disobedience and subvert those obligations of blind obedience, on which the efficiency of military institutions exclusively depend. "After our losses by deaths, desertions, and discharges since we left Sackett's Harbor, I think we shall not be able to show you more than 6000 men at this point, exclusive of the dragoons who have been ordered to Greenbush and Pittsfield for convenience and economy."

SIR,

FOURTH VICTORY OVER THE CREEKS.

CAMP, WEST CHATAHOUCHIE, December 4th, 1813:

I have the honour to communicate to your excellency an account of an action fought on the 29th ultimo on the Talapoosie river, between part of the force under my command, and a large body of the Creek Indians.

Having received information that a number of the hostile Indians were assembled at Autossee, a town on the southern bank of the Talapoosie, about 18 miles from the Hickory Ground, and 20 above the junction of that river with the Coosa, I proceeded to its attack with 950 of the Georgia militia, accompanied by between 3 and 400 friendly Indians. Having encamped within nine or ten miles of the point of destination the preceding evening, we resumed the march a few minutes before one on the morning of the 29th, and at half past six, were formed for action in front of the town.

Booth's battalion composed the right column, and marched from its centre. Watson's battalion composed the left, and marched from its right. Adams's rifle company and Meriwether's under lieutenant Hendon, were on the flanks. Captain Thomas's artillery marched in front of the right column in the road.

It was my intention to have completely surrounded the enemy by appaying the right wing of my force on Canleebee creek, at the mouth of which I was informed the town stood, and resting the left on the river bank below the town, but to our surprise, as the day dawned, we perceived a second town about 500 yards below that which we had first viewed and were preparing to attack. The plan was immediately changed: three companies of infantry on the left were wheeled into echellon, and advanced to the lower town accompanied by Meriwether's rifle company and two troops of light dragoons under the command of captains Irwin and Steele.