Life of Count Rumford. 131 



fleet came passengers, his Excellency the Earl of Dunmore, 

 Governor of Virginia, Colonels Small and Thompson, and sev- 

 eral other gentlemen of high rank." 



It would be agreeable to be able to recognize here 

 any effort made by Colonel Thompson to communicate 

 with the members of his own family, or even with his 

 friend Baldwin, in New Hampshire or Massachusetts, 

 now that he was again so near them. I cannot say that 

 he did not make such an effort, but I have been unable 

 to find any trace or token of it. The attempt would 

 have been attended with difficulties, though these were 

 by no means insurmountable. Constant intercourse 

 was kept up across Long Island Sound between the 

 British troops in New York, and neutrals, loyalist sym- 

 pathizers, and time-servers in Connecticut, and con- 

 trivance and money would have effected the object had 

 it been one of strong desire. I am forced to the conclu- 

 sion that Thompson was either indifferent to or alien- 

 ated from his family. But of this something more will 

 be said in another connection. 



It is somewhat derogatory to the fair fame of Thomp- 

 son, to have to connect him with the following recruit- 

 ing bulletin for filling up the thinned ranks of his com- 

 mand. 



In Rivington's Royal Gazette, for July 24, 1782, we 

 find this tempting advertisement for attracting recruits 

 for the " King's American Dragoons." 



" Any likely and spirited young lads who are desirous of dis- 

 tinguishing themselves by serving their King and country, and 

 who prefer riding on horseback to going on foot, have an oppor- 

 tunity of gratifying their inclinations : ten guineas to volunteers, 

 or five to any one who brings a recruit, and five to the recruit. 

 For the convenience of those who may come from the continent 



