A Journal of Two Campaigns of the Fourth Regiment of U.S. Infantry: In the Michigan and Indiana Territories, Under the Command of Col. John P. Boyd, and Lt. Col. James Miller During the Years 1811, & 12. — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
A Journal of Two Campaigns of the Fourth Regiment of U.S. Infantry: In the Michigan and Indiana Territories, Under the Command of Col. John P. Boyd, and Lt. Col. James Miller During the Years 1811, & 12.
John Stuart Mill · en
Sept. 9.--We embarked and continued on our passage--four of our men
were missing.--At sunset we arrived at Cornwall--were landed, and
marched into the jail yard, which appeared by the filth about us, to
have been a rendezvous for all the hogs of the village. The gate was
closed upon us, and we spread our blankets upon the ground and lay
quietly until morning. We tarried here the following day, and no man
was permitted to leave the yard on any consideration whatever.
Sept. 11.--We proceeded on our passage, and about 4 o'clock, P.M.
arrived at a town called Three Rivers; here our guard was relieved by
a company of the Glengary regiment. In this company we recognized
several of the former soldiers of the 4th regiment, who had deserted
us on our march through Pennsylvania.
Sept. 13.--We arrived at Quebec; and were immediately put on board two
transport ships laying in the river; and here commenced the greatest
of our sufferings as prisoners of war. The weather was cool and we
were destitute of sufficient clothing; the provision which was dealt
out to us was fit for none but hogs. Each man received three sea
biscuit for his daily allowance, about the size of a saucer; these
were full of small worms, and we drew no better bread while we
continued on board. Beef and pork was given us once a week, in
quantities too small to satisfy our appetites. We also drew peas,
rice, and oatmeal, which after being boiled they called _Burgoo_,
or some such name;--it was bitter and not at all palatable even to
stomachs as hungry as ours. We complained, petitioned, and
remonstrated against such treatment; but no notice was taken of us
whatever. The healths of the men in a short time began to waste away,
and another vessel was prepared to receive the sick. The weather
becoming too cool for our comfort, we were supplied with blankets, and
in a short time afterwards we found ourselves covered with vermin,
which no doubt we received from these blankets, as they were old, and
had probably been used on board of other prison ships, previous to our
arrival. We formed a kind of police on board to keep ourselves as
clean and make our situation as comfortable as possible, and each of
the decks above and below was scraped and washed down once a day;--we
had no soap allowed us to wash our clothing, neither had we money to
buy a single article for our comfort; and even if we had, the
extravagant price demanded for all articles, would have taken nearly
the whole pay of a soldier for one year to supply him with necessaries
for a month.