American Prisoners of the RevolutionDandridge, Danske
History
American Prisoners of the Revolution
Dandridge, Danske
United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Prisoners and prisons
“Immediately on our arrival at the fort the Governor called a court
martial, to have us tried. We were soon all condemned to be shot next
morning at seven o’clock, and ordered to be sent into the dungeon and
confined in irons, where we were attended by an adjutant who brought a
priest with him to pray and converse with us, but Folgier, who hated the
sight of an Englishman, desired that we might be left alone. * * *
the clergyman reprimanded him, and told him he made very light of his
situation on the supposition that he would be reprieved; but if
he expected it he deceived himself. Folgier still persisted in the
clergyman’s leaving us, if he would have us make our peace with God,
‘for,’ said he, ‘the sight of Englishmen, from whom we have received
such treatment, is more disagreeable than the evil spirits of which you
have spoken;’ that, if he could have his choice, he would choose death
in preference to life, if he must have it on the condition of such
barbarous usage as he had received from their hands; and the thoughts of
death did not seem so hideous to him as his past sufferings.
“He visited us again about midnight, but finding his company was not
acceptable, he soon left us to our melancholy reflections.
“Before sunrise we heard the drums beat, and soon after heard the
direful noise of the door grating on its iron hinges. We were all taken
out, our irons taken off, and we conducted by a strong guard of soldiers
to the parade, surrounded by a circle of armed men, and led into
the midst of them, where three white officers were placed by our
side;--silence was then commanded, and the adjutant taking a paper out
of his pocket read our sentence;--and now I cannot describe my feelings
upon this occasion, nor can it be felt by any one but those who have
experienced some remarkable deliverance from the grim hand of death,
when surrounded on all sides, and nothing but death expected from
every quarter, and by Divine Providence there is some way found out for
escape--so it seemed to me when the adjutant pulled out another
paper from his pocket and read: ‘That the Governor and Council, in
consideration of the youth of Randall and myself, supposing us to be
led on by Folgier, who was the oldest, thought proper to pardon us from
death, and that instead we were to receive 800 lashes each.’
“Although this last sentence seemed terrible to me, yet in comparison
with death, it seemed to be light. Poor Folgier was shot in our
presence,--previous to which we were told we might go and converse with
him. Randall went and talked with him first, and after him I went up to
take my leave, but my feelings were such at the time I had not power to
utter a single word to my departing friend, who seemed as undaunted and
seemingly as willing to die as I was to be released, and told me not
to forget the promises we had formerly made to each other, which was to
embrace the first opportunity to escape.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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