Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 18th century
His regiment was ordered to embark for Santo Domingo, and he had
so thoroughly subjugated her to his will, and she was so utterly
helpless, that she accompanied him on board as his ‘little foot page.’
Captain Bowen made John Taylor (for such was the name Miss Talbot then
took) thoroughly act up to her assumed character, and she had to live
and mess with the lowest of the ship’s company, and, what was more, had
to do her turn of duty with the ship’s crew.
After a stormy voyage, with short provisions, they arrived at
Port-au-Prince, but stayed there a very short time, as orders came for
them to return to Europe, and join the troops on the Continent, under
the command of His Royal Highness the Duke of York. Then it was that
Captain Bowen made her enrol herself as a drummer in his regiment,
threatening her unless she did so he would sell her up-country for
a slave. There was nothing for her but to comply, so she put on the
clothes and learned the business of a drummer-boy, having, besides,
still to be the drudge of her paramour.
At the siege of Valenciennes she received two wounds, neither of them
severe enough to incapacitate her from serving, and she cured them,
without going into hospital, with a little basilicon, lint, and Dutch
drops. In this siege Captain Bowen was killed, and she, finding the key
of his desk in his pocket, searched the desk and found several letters
relating to her, from her quondam guardian, Sucker.
Being now released from her servitude, she began to think of quitting
the service, and, having changed her military dress for one she had
worn on ship-board, she deserted, and, after some wandering, reached
Luxembourg, but, it being in the occupation of the French, she was not
permitted to go further. Being thus foiled in her design of reaching
England, and destitute of every necessary of life, she was compelled
to engage on board a French lugger, a cruiser. In the course of their
voyage, they fell in with the British fleet under the command of Lord
Howe. The French vessel made a show of fighting, and John Taylor
refused to fight against her countrymen, for which she received a
severe thrashing from the French captain.
After a very faint resistance the lugger was captured, and she,
as being English, was taken on board the _Queen Charlotte_ to be
interrogated by Lord Howe. Her story, being backed up by the French
captain, gained her release, and she was allowed to join the navy, a
berth being found for her on board the _Brunswick_ as powder-monkey,
her duty being to hand powder, &c., for the guns when in action.
Captain Harvey, of the _Brunswick_, noticed the pseudo lad, and
straightly examined her as to whether she had not run away from school,
or if she had any friends; but she disarmed his suspicions by telling
him her father and mother were dead, and she had not a friend in the
world; yet the kindly captain took such a friendly interest in her that
he made her principal cabin-boy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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