French Prisoners. '255 ■ 



surprise, as he was on good terms with the best families in 

 Dumfries and neighbourhood. 



The attempts at escape numbered between twenty and 

 thirty, of whom the g"reater proportion were recaptured and 

 sent to V'alleyfield depot. Three (V'idal, Chanteleuze, and 

 Deri\et) were, howexer, lodg'ed in Dumfries jail, ha\ ing- been 

 taken at Moffat. An Italian belong"ing' to Carlisle received 

 money for helping- them to escape, and then informed on 

 them to the Sergeant of Police at Dumfries so as to g^et the 

 usual reward. He a.lso was committed to prison. One 

 prisoner (Herbelet) recaptured was sent to a prison ship in 

 Chatham, and the Ag-ent was told to put him on short allow- 

 ance till the ten g^uineas allowed for his recapture were 

 repaid. 



In June, 1812, a Swiss (Blattu), a Pole (Laskerisk\), 

 and two Frenchmen broke their pa.role. The PVenchmen had 

 been in the habit of absenting- themselves occasionally under 

 the plea of Hshing-, and \ isiting- their friends at Lochmaben — 

 another place for prisoners on parole, eig-ht miles off. While 

 on these excursions they g-radually conveyed away their valu- 

 ables. One of them (Petry) had received considerable remit- 

 tances from abroad, and the other (Hivert) in true French 

 fashion left a letter of apolog-y behind him. It was directed 

 to Major Jones, commanding- the Cameronian Reg-iment, 

 stationed in Dumfries, and Hivert in it explained that he left 

 because his presence abroad was necessary, but that he would 

 tr\- to get the release of an English officer of his own rank in 

 exchangee, and promised not to take up arms ag-ain against the 

 English. If fortune favoured him, he would be happy to 

 repay the civilities he had received in Scotland. All four 

 prisoners were traced and apprehended a.t Leith by Mr 

 Denovan, Superintendent of Police, and sent under military 

 escort to Valley field. 



Prisoners occasionally surrendered to the authorities 

 through being in a starving state or from despair at making 

 their escape. One of the Dumfries officers (Berche) gave him- 

 self up at Cupar-Fife in May, 181 3, and Mr Ferguson, the 

 then Provost of Cupar, was paid ;£^4 i8s 6d for taking care of 

 him while there and conx'eying him to Perth depot, x^s show- 



