FROM PHILADELPHIA 127 



country were making threats of fearful vengeance if 

 the prisoner, who had been taken to Philadelphia, met 

 with any hurt. This was the occasion for arresting and 

 taking to prison several of the inhabitants of those 

 parts, believed to be associates of the man who had 

 been caught well known Tories apprehended merely 

 on suspicion. Thus our host fancied nothing less than 

 that we had come to haul him into court, but we soon 

 reassured him ; he let it be seen that he was a Tory 

 but of such an honorable character that we too absolved 

 him from any implication in these thefts committed in 

 the name of the king. However, after his first alarm 

 was over he was for some time mistrustful of us for 

 another reason, and would not believe that we were 

 simply neutrals on our travels. During the war the 

 Congress had adopted every conceivable means to spy 

 out the royalists, so as to keep them anxiously ineffect- 

 ive. Besides ordering frequent hangings, imprison- 

 ments, and outlawing of those persons who openly 

 and actively supported the British cause, the Congress 

 was at pains also to find out who were still on the side 

 of the old government, but not declared adherents. 

 Such people had an understanding among themselves, 

 and if they could do nothing else, were able to help 

 British prisoners regain their liberty. In this way 

 many British prisoners of war succeeded in escaping 

 from Maryland, Virginia, and elsewhere, traversing, 

 undiscovered, an enemy's country for many hundreds 

 of miles to New York directed from house to house, 

 everywhere joyfully received by the royalists, cared 

 for and hidden away until they were out of danger. 

 In order to discover what houses were giving shelter 

 in this way the Congress sent its agents about who pre- 



