ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



441 



but is lost in the mazes of end- 

 less minutiae. The intelligent 

 and learned author of the history 

 before us is attached only to wliat is 

 iutcrcstinsj and oreat ; and while he 

 keeps liis subject steadily in view, 

 the origin, progress, and trr:nination 

 of the Anierican war, he occasion- 

 ally instructs. and amuses his readers 

 by curious anecdotes, though not 

 necessarily, yet naturally, connected 

 with his design, and reflections, not 

 formally dictated, but beautifully in- 

 terwoven with his narrative. For 

 example, having mentioned the dis- 

 appointment of lord Cornvvallis in 

 not being joined by the inhabitants 

 of North Carolina, he relates the 

 following anecdote, connected with 

 this subject, and in itself not a little 

 curious : " The commissary, who 

 considered it as his duty not only to 

 furnish provisions for the army but 

 also to learn the dispositions of the 

 inhabitants, fell in about this time 

 with a very sensible man, a Quaker, 

 who bcinsr interrogated as to the 

 state of the country, replied, that 

 it was the general wish of the people 

 to be reunited to Britain ; but that 

 they had been so often deceived in 

 promises of support, and tiie British 

 had so frequently relinquished posts, 

 that the people were now afraid to 

 jpliithe IJritish army lest tliey should 

 leave the province, in which case 

 tiie resentment of the revolutioners 

 would be excercised with more 

 cruelty : that although the men 

 might escape, or go with the army, 

 yet sucli was the diiibolical conduct 

 of those people, that they would in- 

 flict the severest punishment upon 

 their families. ' Perhaps,' said tlie 

 Quaker, 'thou art not ac<ju.iinted 

 with the conduct of thy enemies 

 towards those who wish well to llie 

 cause thou art engaged in. There 



are some who have lived for two, 

 ai d even three years in the woods, 

 without daring to go to their houses, 

 but have been secrttly supported 

 by their families. Others having 

 walked out of their houses, under 

 a promise of being safe, have pro- 

 ceeded but a few yards before they 

 have been shot. Others have been 

 tied to a tree and sevei-ely whipped. 

 I will tell thee of one instance of 

 cruelty : a party surrounded the 

 house of a loyalist ; a few entered : 

 the man and his wife were in bed ; 

 the husband was shot dead by the 

 side of his wife.' The writer of 

 this repliod,th3t those circumstances 

 were hoirid ; but under what go- 

 vernment^ could they be so happy 

 as when enjoying the privileges of 

 Englishmen ? * True,' said the Qua- 

 ker, • but the people have expe- 

 rienced such distress, that I believe 

 they would submit to any govern- 

 ment in the world to obtain peace.' 

 The couimisc-ary, Ending the gen- 

 tleman to be d, very sensible and 

 intelligent man, took great pains to 

 find out his character. Upun en- 

 quiry, he proved to be a man of the 

 most irreproachable manners, and 

 well known to some gentlemen, of 

 North Carolina, then in our 'army, 

 and whose vericity was undoubt- 

 ed. But a few days after tiiis, the 

 army had a strong proof of the 



truth of what Mr. -, who still 



resides in North Carohna, and for 

 that reason must not be mentioned 

 by name, had said. The day before 

 the British army reached Cross 

 Creek, a man bent witii age joined 

 it : lie had scarcely the appearance 

 of ht.ing human ; he wore the skin 

 of a racoon for a hat, his beard was 

 some inclics Jong, and he was so 

 thin, that he looked as if he had 

 mftde his escape from Surgeons 



Hall. 



