immense foot bolt fastened to his leg, without a com
panion to bear him company and cheer his lonely hours.
This victim of persecution and sorrow would sometimes
come among us in the yard, bearing up his bolt, slung
by a cord hitched over his shoulder. Nothing could
damp his spirits. He talked, laughed and sung inces
santly. Some others besides those, were similarly
situated. Those who were so lucky as to have light
hand cuffs, bore them about with them. The greatest
danger of discovery arose from those who could free
themselves from the heavy irons. The usual visitations
were increased from twice to thrice a day, in the first
and last the smith searched the bolts of each person.
But there were other intrusions intermediately, by offi
cers evidently despatched by the suspicions of govern
ment, for the purpose of discovery. To counteract
these new measures of caution and jealousy, we were
well prepared. Sentries, on our part, were regularly
stationed at certain windows of the jail, to descry the



Campaign against Quebec , 1775. l & l

approach of any one in the garb of an officer. The
view from these windows was pretty extensive down two
of the streets, particularly that leading to the palace.
Notwithstanding every caution to avoid detection, yet
the clang of the lock of the great door, was upon some
occasions the only warning given us of the impending
danger. The scamperings at those times were truly
diverting, and having always escaped discovery, gave us
much amusement. The clanking of the fetters followed,
and was terrible ; such as the imagination forms in child
hood, of the condition of the souls in Tartarus ; even
this was sport. Happily our real situation was never
known to any of the government officers ; unless the
good blacksmith (a worthy Irishman, of a feeling heart),
might be called such, and he was silent.

Towards the middle of April the scurvy, which we had
been imbibing during the winter, now made its appear
ance in its most virulent and deadly forms, preceded and
accompanied by a violent diarrhoea. Many of those
who were first affected were taken to the hospital. But
the disease soon became general among us. We were
attended several times by Doctor Maybin, the physician-
general, who, by his tender attentions, and amiable man
ners, won our affections : he recommended a cleansing
of the stomach, by ipecacuanha and mild cathartics,
such as rhubarb, together with due exercise. Those
who were young, active and sensible of the doctor s
salutary advice, kept afoot, and practiced every kind of
athletic sport we could devise. On the contrary, those
who were supinely indolent, and adhered to their blankets,
became objects of real commiseration their limbs con
tracted, as one of mine is now ; large blue and even
black blotches appeared on their bodies and limbs the
gums became black the morbid flesh fell away the
teeth loosened, and in several instances fell out. Our minds
were now really depressed. That hilarity and fun which
supported our spirits in the greatest misfortunes, gave
way to wailings, groanings and death. I know, from



1 62 Campaign against Quebec > 1775.

dire experience, that when the body suffers pain, the
mind, for the time, is deprived of all its exhilarations
in short, almost of the power of thinking. The elbow
joints, the hips, the knees and ancles were most severely
pained. It was soon observed (though the doctor s
mate attended us almost daily, and very carefully), there
was little or no mitigation of our diseases, except that
the diarrhoea, which was derived from another cause
than that which produced the scurvy, was somewhat
abated ; and that our remedy lay elsewhere in the materia
medica which was beyond the grasp of the physician. The
diarrhoea came from the nature of the water we used
daily. In the month of April the snows begin to melt,
not by the heat of the sun, but most probably by the
warmth of the earth beneath the snows. The ground,
saturated with the snow-water, naturally increased the
fountain-head in the cellar. Literally, we drank the
melted snow. The scurvy had another origin. The
diet salt pork, infamous biscuit damp and close con
finement in a narrow space, together with the severity
of the climate, were the true causes, of the scurvy.

There was no doubt in any reflective mind among us,
but that the virtuous and beneficent Carleton, taking
into view his perilous predicament, did every thing for
us, which an honest man and a good Christian could.

An observation may be made in this place with pro
priety, that is, that in the climates of all high southern
or northern regions, the soil is very rich and prolific.
This beneficial operation of nature, is, in all likelihood at
tributable to the nitrous qualities which the snow deposits.
Of the fact that nitre is the principal ingredient which
causes fertility in the earth, no man of observation can
at this day reasonably doubt. The earth is replete of
it. Wherever earth and shade unite, it is engendered
and becomes apparent. This idea is proved by the cir
cumstance that nitre may be procured from caves, the
earth of cellars, outhouses, and even from common earth,
if kept under cover. During the late revolution, when



Campaign against Quebec , 1775. 163

powder was so necessary, we every where experienced
the ^ood effects of this mineralogical discovery ; it gives
me pleasure to say that it is most fairly ascribable to our
German ancestors. The snows which usually fall in
Canada about the middle of November, and generally
cover the ground until the end of April, in my opinion,
fill the soil with those vegetative salts, which forward
the growth of plants. This idea was evinced to me by
my vague and inconsiderate mind, from observations
then made, and which were more firmly established by
assurances from Captain Prentis, that muck or manure,
which we employ in southern climates, is there never
used. In that country, the moment the ground is freed
from snow, the grass and every species of plant, spring
forward in the most luxuriant manner. Captain Prentis,
besides the continuation of his care and friendship to
Gibson and myself, did not restrain his generosity to
individuals, but procured for us a permission from go
vernment, to send out an old Irishman, of the New
York line, an excellent catholic, to collect for us vege
table food. The first specimen of this good old man s
attention and industry, was the production of a large
basket-full of the ordinary blue grass of our country ;
this grass, by those who got at it, was devoured
ravenously at the basket, if so happy as to be able
to come near it. Scurvy grass, in many varieties,
eschalots, small onions, onion-tops and garlic, suc
ceeded, and were welcomed by all of us for several
months afterwards. This voracious appetite for vege
tables, seems to be an incident always concurring in that
terrible disease, the scurvy ; nature seems to instil into
the patient, a desire of such food, and of acids, which are
the only specific, with a due attention to cleanliness,
hitherto discovered, that do eradicate the stamina of the
disease. From my contracted knowledge, it is imper
ceptible that there is any material discrepancy between
the sea-scurvy and the land-scurvy of high southern and
northern latitudes. The descriptions given by Robins



164 Campaign against Quebec , 1775.

(or if you please, the Rev. Mr. Walter), and other voy
agers, of the causes, the symptoms and the effects of
that disorder, seem to concur in everv particular with
our various experience at Quebec. Recollect it is not
a physician who speaks. 1

About the time above spoke of Governor Carleton
directed that we should be supplied with fresh beef.
This was no other than that which had been brought
into the city when we lay at Aux-Tremble, in the
foregoing autumn, and in aid of the stores of the garri
son. It had lain in a frozen state during the winter,
without salting, but now as warm weather was approach
ing, it began to thaw and was liberally disposed of to
the garrison and prisoners. The beef was sweet,
though here and there a little blueish, like the mould of
stale bread, very tender, but somewhat mawkish. It
was palatable and nutritive to men afflicted as we were.
This beef, connected with vegetables, soon animated us
with an idea of returning health and vigor ; yet, though
it mitigated the pains we endured, it did not totally ex
pel the scurvy.

The seventh of May arrived. Two ships came to
the aid of the garrison, beating through a body of ice,
which perhaps was impervious to any other than the in
trepid sailor. This relief of men and stores, created
great joy in the town. Our army began their disorderly
retreat. My friend Simpson, with his party, were
much misused, from a neglect of giving him information
of the intended flight of our army. Some few of the
men under his authority, straggled and were taken in the
retreat. They came to inhabit our house. Now, for
the first time, we heard an account of the occurrences
during the winter s blockade, which to us, though of



1 The late Captain Thomas Boyd, the strongest and largest man among
us, when coming to the air, frequently fainted ; one Rothrock, of Morgan s,
had so fetid a breath that it was disgusting to enter the room he inhabited ;
one of Lamb s company lost his gums and some of his teeth, all were loose,
of which I am certain as his mouth was examined by me. Henry.



Campaign against Quebec ^ 1775. 165

trivial import, were immensely interesting. The sally
of this day, produced to the prisoners additional comfort.
Though the troops took a severe revenge upon our
friends without, by burning and destroying their pro
perties. The next day, more ships and troops arrived ;
a pursuit took place, the effect of which was of no con
sequence, except so far as it tended to expel the colonial
troops from Canada. To the prisoners, this retreat had
pleasing consequences ; fresh bread, beef newly slaugh
tered, and a superabundance of vegetables, was a salu
tary diet to our reduced and scorbutic bodies. Still
freedom, that greatest of blessings, and exercise were re
quired to bring back to us genuine health. About this
time an incident occurred, which threw us into ecstasy,
as it relieved our minds and faculties from a most tortur
ing piece of preservative duty ; this was no other than
an authoritative divestment of the irons. One day,
perhaps the fifteenth or eighteenth of May, Colonel Mac
lean, attended by Major Carleton, a younger brother of
the general s, Major Maibaum, 1 a German officer, both
of whom had just arrived from Europe, together with
Captain Prentis, and other officers, entered the jail about
mid-day. The prisoners paraded in the jail-yard com
pletely ironed. Captain Prentis, by the direction of



1 This gentleman was six feet and four or five inches high and as well pro
portioned. His disposition was a kindly one. He spoke his own language
admirably, and French fluently, but no English. Knowing from his mili
tary dress and manners, that he was a German, I was induced to address
him in that language. He appeared astonished, yet pleased at hearing his
own tongue from an American lad, inquired concerning Pennsylvania, our
way to Quebec, etc., but seemed apprehensive of the jealousy of the English
officials, who did not understand us. The Baron Knyphausen wanted an
interpreter. Captain Prentis, who was really my friend, made me the pro
position, as from the Baron, and used various arguments to induce a com
pliance, all of which were spurned. In 1778 or 1779, I had again the
pleasure of seeing the major at Lancaster, in the company of my father,
but he was then a prisoner. Henry.

This is supposed to have been Major Juste Christoph von Maibom, who
was taken prisoner at Bennington, and died at Wolfenbuttel, duchy of
Brunswick, in Germany, 17 Feb., 1804. M..



1 66 Campaign against Quebec ^ 1775.

Colonel Maclean, pointed out to the other officers :
" This is general such-a-one, that is colonel such-a-
one," and in this manner proceeded to name all the
leading characters. Happening to be very near the
amiable, it might be said, admirable Major Carleton,
he was overheard to say, " Colonel, ambition is laudable ;
cannot the irons of these men be struck off?" This
the colonel ordered to be done immediately. Our
kind-hearted blacksmith was not distant : he came and
the officers remained to see some of the largest bolts
divested, and then left us. " Come, come, gentlemen,"
said the blacksmith, " you can put off your irons." In
a minute, the vast pile lay before him. Being now at
full bodily liberty, we completed a ball court, which had
been originally formed, as it were, by stealth. Here a
singular phenomenon which attends the scurvy, dis
covered itself. The venerable and respectable Maybin
had recommended to us exercise, not only as a mean of
cure, but as a preventive of the scorbutic humors operat
ing. Four of the most active would engage at a game
of fives. Having played some games in continuation, if
a party incautiously sat down, he was seized by the
most violent pains in the hips and knees, which incapa
citated him from play for many hours, and from rising
from the earth, where the patient had seated himself.
These pains taught us to keep afoot all day, and even to
eat our food in an erect posture. Going to bed in the
evening, after a hard day s play, those sensations of
pain upon lying down, immediately attacked us. The
pain would continue half an hour, and often longer.
My own experience will authorize me to say two hours.
In the morning, we rose free from pain, and the routine
of play and fatigue ensued, but always attended by the
same effects, particularly to the stubborn and incautious,
who would not adhere to the wholesome advice of Doctor
Maybin. Those who were inactive, retained those ex
cruciating pains to the last, together with their distorted,
bloated, and blackened limbs. Upon our return from



Campaign against Quebec ^ 1775. 167

Canada, in the autumn of 1776, I saw five or six of my
crippled compatriots hobbling through the streets of
Lancaster on their way home. It cost a tear all that
could be given. By the month of August, the active
were relieved from those pains.

Towards the end of May, Governor Carleton ordered
each of the prisoners a linen shirt. This gift, to me,
was most agreeable, as linen next the skin, for some
months past, was unfelt, and few persons who have not
felt the extremity of such endurances as ours, can form
a full conception of the gratification we enjoyed. Having
had but one shirt on at the time of our capture, it was
soon destroyed by the wearing, and the repeated washings
it required. Delicacy forbids a dilation upon the cause
and effects. You would laugh at the description of one
of our washing parties. Rising early, the prime object
was to make a strong ley of wood ashes, of which we
had plenty, into which the linen was plunged, and con
cocted for an hour or more, under a hope of putting an
end to certain vagrants, of a genera with which most of
us are acquainted. During the boiling, the votaries of
cleanliness, cloaked in a blanket, or blanket coat, watched
the ebullitions of the kettle. The boiling done, the
linen was borne to the yard, where each one washed his
own, and watched it during the drying, almost in a state
of nature. Captain Prentis, pitying my sad condition,
pressed upon me often to accept from him, money to
purchase a suit of clothes, and he would trust to the
honor and integrity of my father for payment, whose
character he knew. Adhering to my first determination,
this polite and generous proposal of my amiable and de
serving friend was as often, yet most thankfully declined,
maugre the advice of my bosom friends Boyd and
Cunningham to the contrary. He however forced upon
me a half Johannes. This small sum was applied to the
solace of my heart. In the first place, to an article still
more necessary than a shirt. The residue was expended
upon matters which cheered the hearts of my messmates,



1 68 Campaign against Quebec, 1775.

whom I dearly loved ; cheese, sugar, tea, coffee, etc.,
spirits was detested, as we knew it to be a poison to
scorbutic persons. What pleased me much more, and

Sve me pure delight, was the following occurrence :
f my own accord, no one knowing of the intention,
the good old Irishman was delegated to purchase three
or four pounds of tobacco. It was secretly brought,
and as secretly borne to our room. A pound was pro
duced and fairly parted among our tobacco chewers.
You cannot conceive theirjoy. When the first paroxysm
was over, the remainder was disposed of in the same
way. The thankfulness of those brave, but destitute
men, arose towards me, nearly to adoration. You will
ask why ? Hear the reason. From your small knowlege
of mankind, you can have little conception of the force
habit has on the human race. One who chews, smokes
or snuffs tobacco, is as little able to abstain from that
enjoyment, as you would be, if compelled to refrain from
your usual meals. This particular is spoken of, to
persuade you by no mean to use tobacco in any shape.
It is a poison, of the most inveterate kind, which like
opium, arsenic, and several other medicaments, may be
applied to healthful purposes, yet, if employed in an
extreme degree, produces instantaneous death. These
ideas are not visionary, but are supportable by the authority
of some of the best physicians. You are at full liberty
to put your own constructions upon these observations.
But to return to my fellow-prisoners.

In the wilderness where the army soon run out the
article of tobacco, the men had many valuable succeda-
neums. The barks of the different kinds of firs, the
cedar, the red willow, 1 and the leaves of many astrm.-



1 Red willow (Salix purpurea). This shrub, which is a native of the-
United States, is spread throughout our climates. The outer bark of a deep
red color, peels in a very thin scale, the inner is scraped off with a knife,
and is dried either in the sun or over the fire. The scent when burning,
is delightful. To increase the flavor, the Indians pluck the current year s-
branches of the upland sumach, and dry it in bunches over the smoke of



Campaign against ghtevec, 1775. 169

gent or bitter plants supplied the place ; but within the
bare walls of our jail there was no substitute for this
dear and inebriating vegetable. Thus was all my money
expended and much to my satisfaction and to the heart
felt pleasure of my brave and worthy companions, whose
sufferings in certain points, were greater than my own.
The table of the virtuous and generous Prentis had
often furnished me liberally with wholesome viands.
With convalescency, though pennyless, we again became
merry and lighthearted.

In the beginning of August we were told by Captain
Premis, that the governor had concluded to send us by
sea to New York upon parole for the purpose of being
exchanged ; that the transports which had brought the
late reinforcements from Europe, were cleansing and
preparing for the voyage. Now there was exultation.
On the seventh of August we subscribed our written



a fire. A half" part of red-willow bark, added to as much of the dryed
sumach forms the killiknick. Those ingredients added to a third part of
leaf tobacco, and the mass rubbed finely together in the palm of the hand,
makes that delicious fume, so fascinating to the red, and also to the white
men. Care must be taken by the consumer, not to use the swamp sumach
(Rbus vernix^for the upland (Rbus glabrum) as the former is most poison
ous, and resembles the latter, in the bark and leaf so much, that an in
curious eye might be deceived. The difference to a stranger may be
distinctively marked by observing that the bunch of berries of the upland
sumach, is a cone closely attached to each other, and when ripe of a reddish
color. The berries of the swamp sumach hang loosely pendant, from a
lengthy foot-stalk, and when ripe, are of a greenish-gray : at least I never
saw the berry in any other state. The unhappy person who would em
ploy the swamp sumach in smoking, would forfeit his eyesight. This truth
I had from Natanis in Canada, and it has since, many years ago, been con
firmed to me by the celebrated Seneca, The Cornplanter. You know
the experience of our own family, when clearing the swamp, as to the
deleterious qualities of the wood as fuel : your mother suffered greatly
from its poisonous vapors. The moose-deer prefer the red-willow as food j
we most frequently observed them in its neighborhood. The vanilla of
South America, has been applied by the Spanish manufactors of tobacco,
in various ways : it is strange, that we have never assayed the killikinick.
Henry.

15



170 Campaign against Quebec^ 1775.

paroles. 1 Captain Prentis procured me permission from
government with a few friends to traverse the city. An
officer of the garrison attended us. Our first desire
was to see the grave of our general, and those of his
aids, as well as those of the beloved Hendricks and
Humphreys. The graves were within a small place of
interment, neatly walled with stone. The coffins of
Montgomery, Cheeseman and M Pherson, were well
arranged side by side. Those of Hendricks, Humphreys,
Cooper, etc., were arranged on the south side of the
inclosure, but as the burials of these heroes took place
in a dreary winter, and the earth impenetrable, there was
but little soil on the coffins, the snow and ice which had
been the principal covering being now dissolved, the
foot of the general s coffin was exposed to the air and
view. The coffin was well formed of fir plank. Cap
tain Prentis assured me that the graves should be
deepened and the bodies duly deposited ; for he also
knew Montgomery as a fellow soldier, and lamented his
untimely fate. Thence we proceeded past the citadel,
along the ramparts to Cape Diamond, descended the
declivity slantingly, and examined the stockades and
block house. It is this little tour which enabled me to
describe to you the site and defences of that formidable
pass. Proceeding thence through a part of the lower
town, we came to a narrow street which led us to an
immense stair way, one of the ascents into the upper
town. Ascending here we came to the main passage,
which curvatured down the hill into the lower town,



1 It will perhaps be proper to give you an idea of the parole exacted at
that time. " We whose names are hereunder written, do solemnly promise
and engage, to his Excellency General Carleton, not to say or do any thing
against his majesty s person or government 5 and to repair, whenever re
quired so to do by his excellency, or any of his majesty s commanders in
chief in America, doth please to direct, in testimony of which, we have
hereunto set our hands this day at Quebec. August yth, 1776.

J. J. H. &c."

I received the original paper in 1778, in consequence of an exchange of
the St. John s prisoners for us. Henry.



Campaign against Quebec > 1775. 171

and which was to lead us in our supposed attack upon
the upper town ; this we pursued and came to the place
of the second barrier, which had been lately demolished.
The houses on both sides of the street in which we had
taken our stand, were now in ruins, having been burnt
by the garrison as were the suburbs of St. Roque and
St. Johns. This was done to render them unfit for the
shelter of future assailants. Thus it is that war destroys
the wealth and robs the individual of happiness. We
had no time to make observations but such as could be
done in passing hastily. Returning to the upper town
by the principal and winding road, we were strongly im
pressed with the opinion that if our whole force, as was
intended, had formed a junction in the lower town, that
it was utterly impracticable, either from our numbers or
our means, to mount by a road such as this was. Sup
pose it not to have been barricaded and enfiladed by
cannon, it must be assailed by the bayonet, of which
weapon we had very few and the enemy was fully sup
plied. But when we reflect that across the road at the
centre of the arc of each curve there was a barricade,
and cannon placed to rake the intervals between the
different barricades, the difficulties of the ascent, which
is very steep, would be increased even to insurmounta
bility. The road is very narrow and lined next the hill
by a stupendous precipice ; on the other hand there were
some houses romantically perched on the side of the
declivity, and some rocks. The declivity of itself was
an excellent defence if the besieged could maintain the