French Prisoners. 259 



mostlv French Army officers. The reason why no sailors 

 were placed on parole there was because of the proxunity of 

 Dumfries to the sea, and the consequent risk of their escaping- 

 in boats. When the Dumfries contingent — no in all — was 

 about finally to leave for France, the following' appeared in 

 the Dumfries Courier, 26th April, 1814 : — 



To the Inhabitants of Dumfries. 



The calamities which have so long- overwhelmed my 

 country are at last terminated. A victim of the vicissitudes 

 consequent to war, and necessarily exposed to encounter all 

 the distresses attached to my bad fortune, it was on that 

 account that I was made prisoner the 19th of July, 1808. 



The extraordinary events which have lately taken place 

 (directed by an all powerful hand) ha\e released France from 

 a deplorable yoke to which it was subjected, and procured to 

 me the delightful satisfaction of seeing- myself free, and to 

 return to my native country. 



I should be indeed very ungrateful were I to leave this 

 country without publicly expressing; my g-ratitude to the 

 inhabitants of Dumfries. 



From the moment of my arri\-al in Scotland, the vexa- 

 tions indispensable in the situation of a prisoner have dis- 

 appeared before me. 



I have been two years and five months in this town, 

 prisoner on my parole of honour ; and it is with the most 

 lively emotion that I quit a place where I have found so many 

 alleviations to my melancholy situation. 



I must express my thanks for the generous proceedings 

 with which I have been loaded by the most part of the in- 

 habitants of Dumfries during my captivity — proceedings 

 which cannot but give an advantageous opinion of the Scot- 

 tish nation. I will add, that the respectable magistrates of 

 this town, have constantly given proofs of their generous 

 dispositions to mitigate the situation of the prisoners ; and 

 that our worthy Agent, Mr Shortt, has always softened our 

 lot by the delicate manner in which he fulfilled the duty of his 

 functions. 



It is then with a remembrance full of gratitude, esteem. 



