Prompted by a paragraph in one of the evening papers I went to see the American prisoners brought home by the Tartar. I intended to contribute something towards cloathing them, and expected to find them all in irons; but how great was my disappointment, when I found them removed from the Tartar to the Resolution, at free liberty, victualled the same as the ship's company, and since removed on board the Centaur, where their old cloaths were changed for new, at the expence of Government; this surprised me much.
The weather has been so bad that few would venture to the place, nor do I find many of the American friends so free with their contributions. The commander of these poor Americans, who seems to be an intelligent man, gave me the following information: I think he said his name was Nightingale, that being bred to the sea, he was commanded, by General Washington, together with seventy men, to fit out the vessel, and although he saw the impropriety of embarking in such hazardous enterprizes, and represented to the General the same; and though a petition was drawn up by the whole crew, and sent, begging they might return again to the camp, their answer was, that if they did not proceed to sea immediately, they were to be sent to him in irons, and would have been hanged as traitors to America, for daring to refuse his orders.
Many of them say they are married men, and were forced into the field against their own inclination; that the common soldiers grumbled much at their situation, and, in fact, that the whole camp is in such a state of rebellion against their commanders, that they entertain not one doubt but the army before Boston is by this time dispersed;... As these people are under no apprehensions, kindly treated, denied no liberty but that of going on shore, these facts may easily be credited, as they were not forced into a confession.
P.S. The sick, to near twenty. are in Hasler Hospital: I believe one is dead of the small-pox.