270 French Prisoners. 



Captain D. de Maconex for ^6 i6s 5d on the Minister of 

 War, " which you will place to our account with the Govern- 

 ment of France." Another bill was drawn by Adjutant 

 Conticu, 2nd Regiment of Infantry, on Count Marescalcki, 

 Minister of Foreign Affairs in the kingdom of Italy, for the 

 curious sum of two pounds, twelve shillings, and twelvepence 

 (douze sols). Some of the documents were simple acknow- 

 ledgments of the debt, along with a promise to pay the same 

 as soon as possible, or on arrival in France. 



Mr James Hamilton, who acted as agent to the prisoners, 

 was Provost of Sanquhar, and was Captain of the Sanquhar 

 Company of Volunteers. He generously lent sums of money 

 to them from time to time out of his own pocket. One officer 

 obtained ;^35 15s from him, of which ^10 los was lent in lieu 

 of the officer's half-pay, the latter having been ill for several 

 months, during which he received no pay from his own 

 Government. One officer, a Captain Lefevre, of the 122nd 

 Regiment, owed also money to Mr Kerr, shoemaker ; Mr 

 Thomson, grocer ; and Mr Thomson, surgeon. Another 

 officer. Captain Daubine, of the 66th Line, owed Mr W. 

 Simpson, bootmaker, no less than ;^39 is io-|d. Among 

 the indebted persons were some cf the former Peebles 

 prisoners, Walther, Conor, etc. One of the promissory 

 notes read as follows : — " At three months after date, 

 and sooner if possible, here at the Post Office, I pro- 

 mise to pay to Mr Wm. Simpson as much for his account 

 as for that of other persons to whom I owe money in this city. 

 Nine pounds stg. for value received. Sanquhar, 7 June, 

 1814." These are peculiar drawing terms, and it is novel to 

 see a bill domiciled at the Post Office. There were in all 14 

 documents of debt forwarded to the French Commissioneis 

 for carrying out the exchanges. The last of them is dated 

 29th June, 1814, and probably fixes the actual date when the 

 prisoners finally left. Six days later, on the 5th July, 181 4, 

 Mr James Turnbull put himself for the second time in com- 

 rhunication with the French Commissioners, and sent them 

 all the bills and certified accounts referable to the Sanquhar 

 contingent. He said that these formed the only security 



