Life and remarkable adventures of Israel R. Potter, (a native of Cranston, Rhode-Island.)

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LIFE

AND

REMARKABLE ADVENTURES

OF

&

(A NATIVE OP CRANSTON, RHODE-ISLAND.)

WHO WAS A SOLDIER IN THE

AMERICAN REVOLUTION,

And took a distinguished part in the Battle of Bunker
Hill (in Which he received three wounds,) after
which he was taken Prisoner by the British, convey-
ed to England, where for 30 years he obtained a
livelihood for himself and family, by crying " Old
Chairs to Mend" through the Streets of London.—*
In May last, by the assistance of the American Con
sul, he succeeded (in the 79th year of his age) ia
obtaining a passage to his native country, after an
absence of 48 years.

PROVIDEXCE:

Printed by HENRY TRUMBULL — 1824.
(Price 28 Cents.)

DISTRICT OF RH^DE ISLAND TO WIT:
BE IT REMEMBtRfcD Tnat on the thirtieth day of
January one Thouband eight hundred and twenty four
and in the forty eighth year of the Independence of
the United States of America, HENRY TRUM-
BULL, of said District, deposited in tins office the
title of a bock, ihe right whereof he claims as author,
in the following woids, to wit :— «• Life and Remarka-
ble Adventures, of Israel R Potter, a native ol Crans-
ton Rhode Island — who was a soldier in the American
Revolution, and took a distinguished part in the battle
of Bunker Hill (in which he received three wounds)
after which he was taken Prisoner by the British, and
conveyed to England where for thirty years he attain-
cd a livelihood for himself and family by crying '* old
Chairs to mend" through the Streets of London — In
May last by the assUtance of the American Consul
he succeeded in (the 79th year of his age) in obtain-
ing a passage to his uaiive Country after an absence of
48 years."

In conformity to an Act of Congress entillec! " An
Act for the encouragement of learning, by secuii g
the copies of maps, charts, and books to the authors
and proprietors of such copies, during the time there
in mentioned" and also to an act entitled ** An Act
for the encouragement of learning by securing the co-
pies of maps charts, and book, to the authors and pro-
prietors ot such copies during the time therein men.
tioned, and extending the benefit thereof to the Art of
designing, engraving, and etching, historical, and other
prints."

Witness, — BENJAMIN CCWELL,

Clerk of the Rhode Island District.

TO THE PUBLIC.

IN the foregoing pages we have attempted a
simple narrative of the lite and extraordinary ad-
ventures of one of the few survivors who fought
and bled for American Independence. There is not
probably another now living who took an equally ac-
tive part in the Revolutionary war, whose life has
been marked with more extraordinary events, and
who has drank deeper of the cup of adversity, than
Ihe aged veteran with whose History we now beg
liberty to present the American public. Doomed
by the fate of War to be early seperated from kindred
and friends, and to be conveyed by a foreign Le u
prisoner of war from his native land, to a iar distant
country, where after having for 48 yeais expeiien-
ced almost every hardship and deprivation of which
adverse fortune is productive, providence appears at
length to have so far interfered in his behalf, as to
provide means whereby he has been enabled at an
advanced age once move to visit and inhale the pure
air of his native land. At the age of Seventy-Nine,
an age in which it cannot be expected tha.t the lamp
of human life can long remain unextinguished, he
has arrived among us, in a state of penury and want,
to seek in common with his countrymen the enjoy-
ment cf a few ti" the blessings produced by Amcr-

lean valour, in her memorable conflict with the
mother country, and in which he took a distinguish-
cd part*

As it yet remains doubtful whether (in consquence
of his long absence) he will be so fortunate as to be
included in that number to whom Government has
granted pensions for their Revolutionary services, it
is to obtain if possible a humble pittance as a remu-
neration, in part, for the unprecedented privations
and sufferings of which he has been the unfortunate
subject, that he is now induced to present the pub-
lic with the following concise and simple narration
tf the most extraordinary incidents of his life.

<

LIFE AND ADVENTURES

OF

ISRAEL R. POTTER,

I WAS born of reputable parents in the town of
Cranston, State of Rhode Island, August 1st, 1744,
—1 continued with my parents there in the full en-
joyment of parental affection and indulgence, un-
til I arrived at the age of 18, when, having formed
an acquaintance with the daughter of a Mr. Richard
Gardner, a near neighbour, for whom (in the opin-
ion of my friends) entertaining too great a degree
of partiality, I was repremanded and threatened by
them with more severe punishment, if my visits
were not discontinued. Disappointed in my inten-
tions of forming an union (when of suitable age)
with one whom I really loved, 1 deemed the con-
duct of my parents in this respect unreasonable and

6 LIFE AND ADVENTURES

oppressive, and formed the determination to leave
then), for the .purpose of seeking another home and
other friends. '•«*•'<-

It was on Sunday^ while the family were at meet-
.ingvthajt i,patfeed'up as many Articles of my cloadi-
•ingrai could be contained in a ' pocket handkerchief,
which, with a small quantity of provision, I convey-
ed to and secreted in a piece of woods in the rear
of my father's house ; I then returned and continu-
ed in the house until about 9 in the evening, when
with the pretence of retiring to bed, I passed into
a back room and frem thence out of a back door and
hastened to the spot where I had deposited my
cloathes, &c.— it was a warm summer's night, and
that I might be enabled to travel with the more fa-
cility the succeeding day, I lay down at the foot of a
tree and reposed myself until about 4 in the morning
when 1 arose and commenced my journey, travelling
westward, with an intention of reaching if possible
the new countries, which 1 had heard highly spoken
of as affording excellent prospects for industrious
and enterprizing young men— to evade the pursuit
of my friends, by whom I knew 1 should be early
missed and diligently sought for, I confined my trav-
el to ihe woods and shunned the public roads, until
I had reached the distance cf about 12 miles from
my father's house.

At noon the succeeding day 1 reached Hartford,
in Connecticut, and applied to a farmer in that town
for work| and for whom I agreed to labour for one

OF ISRAEL R. POTTER. /

wonth for *he sum of six dollars Having comple-
ted my month's work to the satisfaction of my em«
plover 1 received my money and started from Hart-
ford for Otter Creek; but, when I reached Spring-
field, I met with a man hound to the Cahos country,
and who offered me four do lars to accompany him,
of which offer I accepted and the next morning we
left Springfield and in a canoe ascended Connecticut
river, and in about two weeks after much hard labor
in paddling and pol;ng the boat against , the currenti
we reached Lebanon, (N. H.) the place of our des-
tination. Ir was with som e difficulty and not until I
had procured a writ, oy the assistance of a respecta-
ble innkeeper in Lebanon, by the name of Hill, that
I obtained from my last employer the four dollars
which he had agreed to pay me for my services.

From Lebanon I crossed the river to New-Hart-
ford (then N. Y.) where I bargained with a Mr,
Brink of that town for 200 acres of new land, lying
in New Hampshire, and for which L was to labour
for him four months. As this may appear to some
a small consideration f.,r so g-eat a number of acres
of land, it may be well here to acquaint the reader
with the situation of the country in that quarter, at
that early period of its settlement —which was an
almost impenetrable wilderness, containing but few*
civilized inhabitants, far distantly situated from each
other and from any considerable settlement j and
whose temporary habitations with a few exceptions
were constructed of logs in their natural state— the

8 LIFE AND ADVENTURES

woods abounded with wild beasts of almost
description peculiar to this country, nor were the
few inhabitants at that time free from serious appre-
hension of being at some unguarded moment sud-
denly attacked and destroyed, or conveyed .nto cap-
tivity by the savages, who from the commencement
of the F ench war, had improved every favourable
opportunity to cut oft' the defenceless inhabitants of
the frontier towns.

Alter the expiration of my four months labour the
person who had promised me a deed of 200 acres
of land thrrefor, having refused to fulfill his engage*
nnents.I was obliged to engage with a party of h.s Ma*
jesty's Surveyors at fifteen shillings per month as an
assistant chain bearer, to survey the wild unse'tkd
lands bordering on the Connecticut river, to its
source. It was in the winter season, and the snow
so deep that it was impossible to travel without
snow shoes— at the close of each day we enkind-
led a fire, cooked our victuals and erected with the
branches of hemlock a temporary hut, which serv-
ed us tor a shelter for the night. The Surveyors
having completed their business returned to Leba-
non, after an absence of about two months. Receiv-
ing my wages I purchased a fowling-piece and ma-
munition therewith, and for the four succeeding
months devoted my time in hunting Deer, Beavers,
&c, in which 1 was very successful, as in the four
mon hs I obtained as many skins of these animals
as produced me forty dollars— * with my money I pu-r-

OF ISRAEL R. POTTER* 9

chased of a Mr John Marsh, 100 acres of new
land lying on Water Qutchy River, (so called) a-
bout five miles from Hartford, (N Y.) on this land
| went immediately to work, erected a small log
hut thereon* and in two summers without any assis-
tance, cleared up thirty acres fit for sowing — in the
winter seasons I employed my time in hunting and
entrtping such animals whose hides and furs were
esteemed of the most value. I remained in pos-
session of my land two years, and then disposed oif
it to the same person of whom I purchased it, at
the advanced price of 200 dollars, and then convey-
ed my skins and furs which I had collected the tvK>*
preceding winters, to NO. 4, (now Charlestowa,)
where I exchanged them tor Indian blankets, wan*-
peag, and such other articles as I could convenient*
ly convey on a hand sied, and with which I started
for Canada, to barter with the Indians for furs.—
This proved a very profitable trip, as I very soon
disposed of every article at aft advance of more-
than two hundred per cent, and received payment iu
furs at a reduced price, and lur which I received i,i
NO. 4, SCO dollars, cash. With this rncney, togeth-
er mth what I was befoie in possession of, I now
set out for home, once more to visit my parents at-
ter an absence of two years and nine months, ir*
which time my friends had not been enabled to re-
ceive any correct information of me. On my arriv*
al, so greatly effected were my parents at the pre-
sence of a sen \vhur.; they had considered daad, ihui.

1*

'10 LIFE AND ADVENTURES

It was sometime before either could become suffi-
ciently composed to listen to or to request me to
furnish them with an account of my travels.

Soon after my return, as some atonement for the
anxiety which I had caused my parents, 1 presented
them with most of the money that I had earned in
my absence, and formed the determination that I
would remain with them contented at home, in con-
sequence of a conclusion from the welcome recep-
tion that I met with, that they had repented of their
opposition* and had become reconciled to my in-
tended union— but, in this, I soon found that I was
mistaken ; for. although overjoyed to see me alive}
whom they had supposed really dead, no sooner did
they find that my long absence had rather increased
than diminished my attachment for their neighbor's
daughter, than their resentment and opposition ap-
peared to increase in proportion — in consequence of
which I formed the determination again to quit them,
aud try my fortune at sea, as I had now arrived at
an age in which I had an unquestionable right to
think and act for myself.

After remaining at home one month, I applied for
and procured a birth at Providence, on board the
Sloop , Capt. Fuller, bound to Grenada— hav-
ing completed her loading (which consisted of stone
lime, hoops, staves, 8tc.) we set sail with a favora-
ble wind, and nothing worthy of note occurred until
the 15th day from that on which we left Providence,
when the sloop was discovered to be on fire, bj a.

OF ISRAEL vR. POTTER. li

smoke issuing from her hold — the hatches were inn.
mediately raised, but as it was discovered that the
fire was caused by water communicating with the
lime, it was deemed useless to make any attempts
to extinguish it— orders were immediately there-
upon given by the captain to hoist out the long
boat, which was found in such a leaky condition as
to require constant bailing to keep her afloat : we
had only time to put on board a small quantity of
bread, a firkin of butter and a ten gallon keg of wa-
ter, when we embarked, eight in number to trust
ourselves to the mercy of the waves, in a leaky
boat and many leagues from land. As our provi-
sion was but small in quantity, and it being uncer-
tain how long we might remain in our perilous sit-
uation, it was proposed by the capiain soon after
leaving the sloop, that we should put ourselves on
an allowance of one buiscuit and halt a pint of water
per day, for each man, which was readily agreed
to by all on boaid— in ten minutes after leaving the
sloop she was in a complete blaze, and presented an
awful spectacle. With a piece of the fi> ing-jib,
which had been lortunately thrown into the boat, we
made shift to erect a sail, and proceeded in a south
west ditection in hopes to rct.cn the Spanish maine,
if not so fortunate as to fall in with some vessel in
our course — which, by the interposition of kind prov-
idence in our favour, actually took place the second
day after leaving the sloop- we were discovered
und picked up by a Dutch ship bound from Eusta-

12 LIFE AND ADVENTURES

tia to Holland, and from the captain and crew met
with a humane reception, and were supplied with
every necessary that the ship afforded — we continu-
ed on board one week when we fell in with an A-
jnerican sloop bound from Piscataqua to Antigua,
which received us all on board and conveyed us in
safety to the port of her destination. At Antigua I
got a birth on board an American brig bound to Porto
Rico, and from thence to Eusta'ia. At Eustatia I
received my discharge and entered on board a Ship
belonging to Nantucket, and bound on a whaling
voyage, which proved an uncommonly short and
successful one— we returned to Nantucket full of
oil after an absence of the ship irom that port of
only 16 months. After my discharge I continued
about one month on the island, and then took pas-
sage for Providence, and from thence went to Cran-
ston, once more to visit my friends, with whom I
continued three weeks, and then returned to Nan-
tucket. From Nantucket I made another whaling
voyage to the Scuih Seas and after an absence of
three years, (in which time I experienced almost
all the hardbhips and deprivations peculiar to Whale-
men in long voyages) I succeeded by the blessings
of providence in reaching once more my native
home, perfectly sick of the sea, and willing to re-
turn to the bush and exchange a mariner's life for
one less hazardous and fatiguing,

I remained with my friends at Cranston a few
•weeks, and then hired myself to a Mr. James W<>

*Y ISRAEL R. HOTTER- 13

terman, of Coventry, for 12 months, to work at
farming. This was in the year i774> and I contin-
ued with him about six months, when the difficul-
ties which had for some time prevailed beiween the
Americans and Britons, had now arrived at that
crisis, as to render it certain that hostilities would
soon commence in good earnest between the two na-
tions ; in consequence of which, the Americans at
this period began 'to prepare themselves for the e-
vent — companies were formed in several of the
towns in New England, who received the appella-
tion of •" minute men," and who were to hold them-
selves in readiness to obey the first summons of
their officers, to march at a moment's notice j— a
company of this kind was formed in Coventry, into
which I enlisted, and to the command of which
Edmund Johnson, of said Coventry, was appoint-
ed.

It was on a Sabbath morning that news was re-
ceived of the destruction of the provincial stores at
Cone rd, and of the massacre of our countrymen
at Lexington, by a detached party of the British
troops from Boston : and 1 immediately thereupon re-
ceived a summons from the captain, 'to be prepared
to march with the company early the morning ensu-
ing— and? although I felt not less willing to obey
the call of my country at a minute's notice, and4 to
-face htr foes, than did the gallant Putnam, yet, the
nature of the summons did not render it necessary
&r me, like him, to quit my plough in the field \ as
3

44 LIFE AND ADVENTURES

having the day previous commenced the ploughing '
of a field often or twelve acres, that I might not leave
my work half done, I improved the sabbath to com-
plete it.

3y the break of day Monday morning I swung
fny knapsack, shouldered my musket, and with the
company commenced my march with a quick step
for Charlestown, where we arrived about sunset, and
remained encamped in the vicinity until about noon
of the 16th June; when, having been previously
joined by the remainder of the regiment from Rhode
Island, to which our company was attached, we
received orders to proceed and join a detachment
of about 1000 American troops, which had that
morning taken possession of Bunker-Hill} and which
we had orders inn mediately to fortify, in the best
manner that circumstances would admit of. We
laboured all night without cessation and with very
Kttle refreshment, and by the dawn of day succeed-
ed in throwing up a redoubt of eight or nine rods
square. As soon as our works were discovered by
the British in the morning, they commenced a heavy
fire upon us^ which was supported by a fort on
Copp's hill ; we however (under the command of
the intrepid Putnam) continued to labour like be-
vers until our breast-work was completed*

About noon, a number of the enemy's boats and
barges, filled with troops, landed at Charlestown,
and commenced a deliberate march to attack us—
we were now harangued by Gen. Putnariy who re-

07 ISRAEL R. POTTER, ?£

minded us, that exhausted as we were, by our in-
cessant labour through the preceding night, the most
important part of our duty was yet to be performed*
and that much would be expected from so great a
number of excellent marksmen — he charged us to
be cool, and to reserve our fire until the enemy ap-
proached so near as to enable us to see the white of
their eyes— when within about ten rods of our works
we gave them the contents of our muskets, and
which were aimed with so good effect, as soon to
cause them to turn their backs and to retreat with a
much quicker step than with what they approach-
ed us. We were now again harangued by « old
General Put," as he was termed, and requested by
him to aim at the officers, should the enemy renew
the attack — which they did in a few moments, with
a reinforcement— their approach was with a slow
step, which gave us an excellent opportunity to
obey the commands of our General in bringing
down their officers, 1 feel but little disposed to
boast of my own performances on this occasion,
and will only say, that alter devoting- so many
months in hunting the wild animals of the wilder-
ness, while an inhabitant of New. Hampshire, the
reader will not suppose me a bad or unexperien-
ced marksman, and that such were the fare shots
which the epuletted red coats presented in the two
attacks, that every shot which they received from
xne, 1 am confident on another occasion would have.,
produced me a deer skin.

16 LlIE ANB ADVENTURES

So warm was the reception that the enemy met
with in their second attack) that they again found it
necessary to retreat, but soon after receiving a fresh
reinforcement, a third assault was made, in which,
in consequence of our ammunition Jailing, they too
Well succeeded— a close and bloody engagement
now ensued— to fight our way through a very con-
siderable body of the enemy, with clubbed muskets
{for there were not one in twenty of us provided with
.bayonets) were now the only means left us to es-
cape ;— - the conflict, which was a sharp and severe
one, is still fresh in my memory) and cannot be for-
gotten by me while the scars of the wounds which 1
then received, remain to remind me of it !— fortu.
Iiately for me, at this critical moment, 1 was armed
with a cutlass, which although without an edge, and
much rust-eaten. 1 found of infinite more service to
me than my musket— in one instance I am certain it
was the means of saving my lite— a blow with a cut-
lass was aimed at my head by a British officer, which
I parried and received only a slight cut with the
point on my right arm near the elbow, which 1 was
then unconscious of, but this slight wound cost my
antagonist at the moment a much more serious one,
which effectually disarmed him, for with one well
directed stroke I deprived him of the power of very
soon again measuring swords with a " yankee rebel I'*
We finally however should have been mostly cut cff>
and compelled to yield to a superiour and belter e-
quipped force, had net a body of three or four hurr

OF ISRAEL R POTTED IT

dred Connecticut men formed a temporary breast
work, with rails 8cc and by which means held the
enemy at bay until our main body had time to as-
cend the heights, and retreat across the neck ;— in
this retreat I was less fortunate than many of my
comrads— I received two musket ball wounds, one
in my hip and the other near the ancle of my left leg
— I succeeded however without any assistance in
reaching Prospect Hill, where the main body of the
Americans had made a stand and commenced fortify-
ing—>fro:n thence I was soon after conveyed to the
Hospital in Cambridge, where my wounds were
dressed and the bullet extracted from my hip by one
of the Surgeons ; the house was nearly filled wkh
the poor fellows who like myself had received wounds
in the late engagement, and presented a melAnchoily
spectacle.

Bunker-Hill fight proved a sore thing for the Brit-
ish, and will I doubt not bi long remembered by
them; while in London I heard it frequently spoken
of by many who had taken an active part therein ?
some of whom were pensioners* asid bore indelible
proofs of American bravery— by them the Yankees
by whom they were opposed, were not unfrequently .
represented as a set ot infuriated beings, whom noth-
ing could daunt or intimidate : and who, after their
ammunhion failed, disputed the ground, inch by inch,
for a full hour with clubbed muskets, rusty swords,
pitchforks and billets of wood, against the British
bayonets.

2*

19 LIFE AND ADVENTUxl&S

I suffered much pain from the wound which I re-
ceived in my ?ncle, the bone was fcadly fractured and
several pieces were extracted by the surgeon, and it
was six weeks before I was sufficiently recovered to
be able to join my regiment quartered on Prospect-
Hifll) where they had thrown up entrenchments with-
in the distance of little more than a mile of the ene-
my's camp, which was full in view, they having en»
trenched themselves on Bunker-hill after the engage.
ment.

On the 3d July, to the great satisfaction of the A-
mericans, General WASHINGTON arrived from the
south to take command — I was then confined in the
Hospital, but as far as my observations could extend*
he met with a joyful reception, and his arrival was
welcomed by every one throughout the camp— the
troops had been long waiting with impatience for his
arrival as being nearly deslitute of ammunition and
tbe British receiving reinforcements daily, their pros-
pects began to wear a gloomy aspect.

The British quartered in Boston began soon to suf-
fer much from the scarcity of provisions, and Gener-
al Washington took every precaution to prevent their
gaining a supply— from the country ail supplies
could be easily cutoff, and to prevent their receiving
any from Tories, and other disaffected persons by
water, the General found it necessary to equip two
or thiee armed vessels to intercept them—among
these was the brigantine Washington of [0 guns,
commanded by capt. Martindale,— -as seamen a; this.

OF ISRAEL R. POTTKB. i

time could not easily be obtained, as most of them
had enlisted in the land service, permission was giv-
en to any of the soldiers who should be pleased lo ac-
cept of the offer, to man these vessels — consequently
myself with several others of the same regiment went
on board of the Washington, then lying at Plymouth,
and in complete order for a cruize.

We set sail about the 8th December, but had, been
out but three days when we were captured by the
enemy's ship Foy. of 20 guns, who took us all out and
put a prize crew on board the Washington— the Foy
.proceeded with us immediately to Boston bay where
v?e was put on board the British frigate Tartar and
orders given to convey us to England.-— VV hen two
or three days out I projected a scheme (with the as-
sistance of my fellow prisoners, 72 in number) to take
the ship, in which we should undoubtedly have suc-
ceeded, as we bad a number of resolute fellows on
board, had it not been for the treachery of a renegado
Englishman, who betrayed us — as i was pointed out
by this fellow as the principal in the plot, I was or-
dered in irons by the Officers of the Tartar, and in
which situaiion 1 remained until the arrival of the
ship at Portsmouth (Eng ) when I was brought on
deck and closely examined, but protesting my inno-
cence, and what was very fortunate for me in the
course of the examination, the person by whom 1 had
been betrayed, having been proved a British deserter,
his story was discredited .and I was relieved of my i*
rons*

39 LIFE AND ADVENTUSES

The prisoners were now all thoroughly cleansed"
and conveyed to the marine hospital on shore, where
many of us took the small-pox the na.ural way, by
some whom we found in the hospital effected wiih
that disease, and which proved fatal to nearly one
half our number. From ihe hospital those of us who
survived were conveyed to Spitheid, and put on
board a Guard Ship, and where I had been confined
with my fellow prisoners about one month, when I
was ordered into the boat, to assist the bargemen (in
consequence of the absence of one of their gang) in
rowing the lieutenant on shore. As soon as we
reached the shore and the officer landed, it was pro-
posed by some of the boat's crew to resort tor a few
moments to an ale -house, in the vicinity, to treat
themselves to a few pots of beer ; which being agreed
to by all, I thought this a favourable opportunity and
the only one that might present > to escape from my
Floating Prison, and felt determined not to let it past
unimproved ; accordingly, as the boat's crew were a*
bout to enter the house, 1 expressed a necessity of my
seperating from them a few moments, to which ihey
(not suspecting any design,) readily assented. As
soon as 1 saw them all snugly in and the door clos-
ed. I gave speed to my legs, and ran, as 1 then con-
eluded, about four miles whhout once halting— 1
steered rny course toward London, as when there
by mingling with the crowds 1 thought it probable
that 1 should be least suspected.

Wften I had reached the distance of about teh

OF ISRAEL R, POTTER. 31

miles from where I quit the bargemen and begin-
ning to think myself in little danger of apprehen-
sion, should any of them be sent by the lieutenant in
pursuit of me, as ! was leisurely passing a public
house, 1 was noticed and hailed by a naval officer at
the door with " ahoi, what ship ?"-«l«no ship." was
my reply, on which he ordered me to stop, but or
which I took no-other notice than to observe to him
that if he would attend to his own busiuess I would
proceed quietly about mifie---this rather increasing
than diminishing his suspicions that I was a deser-
ter, garbed as I was, he gave chase— finding my-
self closely persued and unwilling again to be made
a prisoner of, if it was possible to escape, 1 had
once more to trust to my legs, and should have a-
gain succeeded had not ihe officer, on finding him-
self likely vo be distanced, set up a cry of "stop
thief!" ihis brought numbers out of their houses
and work- shops, who. joining in the pursuit, suc-
ceeded after a chace of nearly a mile in overhaul-
ing me

Finding myself once more in their power and a
perfect stranger to the country, I deemed it vain to
attempt to deceive them with a lie, and therefore
made a voluntary confession to the officer that I was
£ prisoner of war, and related to him in what man-
ner I had that morning made my escape. By the
officer I was conveyed back to the Inn, and left in
custody of two soldiers — the former (previous to re-
tiring) observing to the landlord that believing me

12 L1IE AND ADVENTURES

to be a true blooded yankee, requested him to sup*
ply me at his expence with as much liquor as I
should call for.

The house was thronged early in the evening by-
many of the " good and faithful subjects of King
George," who had assembled to take a peep at the
" yankee rebel," (as they termed me) who had so
recently taken an active part in the rebellious war,
then raging in his Majesty's American provinces-
while others came apparently to gratify a curiosity
in viewing, for the first time, an u American Yan-
kee !" whom they had been taught to believe a kind
of non descripts — beings of much less refinement
than the ancient Britains, and possessing Iktle more
humanity than the Buccaniers.

As for myself I thought it best not to be reserved,
but to reply readily to all their inquiries ; for while
my mind Was wholly employed in devising a plan to
escape from the custody of my keepers, so far from
manifesting a disposition to resent any of the insuUs
offered me, or my country, to prevent any suspicions
of my designs, I feigned myseit not a little pleased
with their observations, and in no way dissatisfied
vith my situation. As the officer had left orders
with the landlord to supply me with as much liquor
as I should be pleased to call for, I felt determined
to make my keepers merry at his expence, if possi-
ble, as the best means that I could adopt to effect
my escape.

The loyal group having attempted in vain to irri-

t>f ISRAEL R. POTTER, ^3

late me, by their mean and ungenerous reflections)
by one (who observed that he had frequently heard
it mentioned that the yankees were extraordinary
dancers,) it was proposed that I should -entertain
the company with a jig ! to which 1 expressed a
willingness to assent with much feigned satisfaction,
if a fiddler could be procured— fortunately for them,
there was one residing in the neighborhood, who
was soon introduced, when 1 was obliged (although
much against my owt» inclination) to lake the floor
— with the full determination) however that if John
Bull was to be thus diverted at the expence of an
unfortunate prisoner of war, uncle Jo,, athan should
come in for his part of the sport before morning)
by show-ing them a few Tankee steps which they then
Httle dreamed of.

By my performances they were soon satisfied
tliat in this kind of exercise, I should suffer but
Httle in competition with the most nimble footed
Britain among them : nor would they release me
cntil I had danced myself into a state of perfect
perspiration ; which, however, so far from being any
disadvantage to me, I considered all in favour of
my projected plan to escape— tor while I was pleas-
ed lo see the flowing bowl passing merrily about;
and not unfrequently brought in contact with the
lips of my two keepers, the state of perspiration
that I was in, prevented its producing on me any
intoxicating effects.

The evening having become now for spent and

24 LIFE AND ADVENTURES

the company mostly retiring my keepers (who,
to use a sailor's phrase 1 was happy to discover
" half st as over") having much to my dissatisfaction
fun ished me with a pair ot handcuffs spread a blank-
et by the side of their bed on which i was to re-
pose for the night, I feigned myself very grate-
ful to them for having huiiiaueiy fin nibbed me with
so comfortable a bed, and on which 1 stretched my-
self with much apparent unconcern* and remained
quiet about one hour, when I *vas sure that the
family had ail retired to bed The important mo-
ment had now arrived in which 1 was resolved to
carry my premeditated plan into execution, or die
in the attempt — for certain I was that it I let this
opportunity pass unimproved, I might have cause
to regret it when it was too late -that I should
most assuredly be conveyed early in the morning
back to the floating prison from which I had so re-
cently escaped, and where 1 might possibly re-
main confined until America should obtain her in-
dependence, or the differences between Great-Britain
and her American provinces were adjusted. Yet
should I in my attempt to escape meet with more
opposition (u;m rt-y keepers, than what 1 had cal-
culated from their apparent state of inebriaty, the
contest I well knew would be very unequal— they
were two full grown stout men, with whom (if
they were assisted by no others) J should have to
contend, handcuffed! but, after mature delibera*
tion, I resolved that however hazaidous the attempt;
it should be made, and that immediately.

0» ISRAEL R. POTTER. 25

After remaining quiet, as Ibetore observed, until
I thought it probable ihat all had retired to bed in
the house, I intimated to my keepers that I was un-
der the necessity of requesting permission to retire
for a few moments to the back yard ; when both in-
stantly arose and reeling towatd me seiz.d each an
arm, and proceeded to conduct me through a long
and narrow entry to the backdoor, which was no
sooner unbolted and opr ned by one of them, than I
tripped up the heels of boih and laid them sprawling,
and in a moment was at the garden wall seeking a
passage whereby I might gain the public road— a:
new and unexpected obstacle now presented, for I
found the whole garden enclosed with a smooth brick-
tn wall, of the heighth of twelve feet at least, and
was prevented by the darkness of the night from,
discovering an avenue leading therefrom— in this
predicament, niy only alternative was cither to scale
this wall handcuffed as> I was, and without a moment's
hesitations or to suffer myself to be made a captive of
again by my keepers, who had already recovered
their feet and were bellowing like bullocks for assis-
lance— had it not been a very dark night, Tmust cer*
tainly have been discovered and re-taken by them ;—
fortunately before they had succeeded in rallying the
family, in groping about I met with a fruit tr«e sit-
untc-.d within ten or twelve feet of the wall, which I
ascended as expeditiously as possible, and by an ex-
traordinary leap from the branches reached the top
of the wall> and was in an instant on the opposit side.

26 LIFB AN» ADVENTURES

The coast being now clear, I ran to the distance of
two or three miles, with as much speed as my situa-
tion would admit of ;•— my next object now was to rid
myself of my handcuffs, which fortunately proving
none of the stoutest, 1 succeeded in doing after much
painful labour.

It was npw as I judged about 13 o'clock* and 1 had
succeeded in reaching a considerable distance from
the Inn from which 1 had made my escape, without
hearing or seeing any thing of my keepers, whom I
had left staggering about in the garden in search of
their " Yankee captive !" — it was indeed to their in-
toxicated state, and the extreme darkness of the -night!
that I imputed my success in evading their pursuit.
— I saw no one until about the break of day, when I
met an old man, tottering beneath the weight of his
pick-ax, hoe and shovel, clad in tattered garments)
and otherwise the picture of poverty and distress ; he
had just left his humble dwelling, and was proceed-
ing thus early to his daily labour j— and as 1 was now
satisfied that it would be very difficult for me to
travel in the day time garbed as 1 was, in a sailor's
habit, without txciting the suspicions of his Royal
Majesty's pimps, who (1 had been iiiformed) were
constantly on the look-out for deserters, I applyed to
the old man, miserable as he appeared, for-a change
ofcloathing, offering those which I then wore for a
suit of inferior quality and less value — this I was in-
duced to do at that moment, as 1 thought that the
proposal could be made with per feet safety, for what-

07 ISRAEL R, POTTER. 2/

over might hare been his suspicions as to my mo-
tives in wishing to exchange my dress» I doubted not,
that with an object of so much apparent distress, self*
interest would prevent hit communicating them.—
The old man however appeared a little surprised at
my offer, and after a short examination of my pea-
jacket) trowsers, &c« expressed a doubt whether i
would be willing to exchange them for his " Church
suit," which he represented as something worse for
wear, and not worth half so much as those I then,
were— taking courage however from my assurances
that a change of dresi was my only object, he depot
sited his tools by the side of a hedge, and inviteu*
me to accompany him to his house, which we soon
reached and entered, when a scene of poverty and
wretchedness presented, which exceeded every thing
»f the kind that 1 had ever before witnessed— the
internal appearance of the miserable hovel, I am
confident would suffer in a comparison with any of
the meanest stableg of our American farmers— there
•was but one room* in one corner of which was a bed
of straw covered with a coarse sheet, and on which
reposed his wife and five small children. I had
heard much of the impoverished and distressed sit»
uatien of the poor in England, but the present pre-
sented an instance of which 1 had formed no concep-
tion— liule indeed did I then think that it would be
my lot, before I should meet with an opportunity to
return to my native country, to be placed in an infi-
nitely worse situation ! but, alas, such was my bar!
fortune t

28 LIFE AN» ADVENTURES

The first garment presented by the poor old man,
of his best, or " church suit," as he termed it, was a
coat of very coarse cloth, and cootaining a number of
patches of almost every colour but that of the cloth
«f which it wa« originally made— the next was a
waistcoat and a pair of small cloathes, which appear-
ed each to have received a bountiful supply of patch-
es to correspond with the coat — the coat 1 put on
•without much difficulty, but the two other garments
proved much too small for me, and when I had suc-
ceeded with considerable difficulty in putting them
on, they set so taught as to cause me some apprehen-
sion that they might even stop the circulation of
blood I— my next exchange was my buff-cap for an
old rusty large brimmed hat.

The old man appeared very much pleased with
his bargain, and represented to his wife that he could
now accomp&erp her to chutch nuch more decently
clad— he immediately tried on the pea-jacket and
trowsers, and seemed to give himself very little con-
cern about their size, although 1 am confident that
one leg of the trowsers was sufficiently large to admit
his whole body — but, however ludicrous his appear-
ance, in his new suit, I am confident that it could not
have been more so than mine, garbed as I was, like
an oilman of seventy 1 — From my old friend I learn-
ed the course that I must steer to reach London, the
towns and villages that I should have to pass through,
and the distance thereto, which was between 70 and
80 miles, He likewise repiesemed to me that the

03T- ISRAEL Fw POTTER i $-

country was filled with soldiers, who were, on the
constant look-out for deserters from the navy and ar-
ray, for the apprehension of which they received a
stipulated reward.

After enjoining it on the old man not to give any*
information of me, should he meet on the road an-y
one who should enquire for such a person, I took -my
leave of him, and again set out with a determination
lo reach London, thus disguised, if possible ; — I tra-
velled about 30 miles that day, and -at night enVeretb
a barn in hopes to find some straw or hay on which
to repose for the night, for I had not money sufficient
to pay for a night's lodging ai a public house, hscl f
thought it prudent to app.ty for one —in nvy expecta-
tion to find either hay or straw in the barn I-was sad-
ly disappointed, for I soon found that it contained not
a lock of either, and sfier groping about in the dark
in search of something ihat might serve fop a s-ubsti.-
tute, I .found nothing better than an undressed sheep.
skin— wi'.h no other bed on which to repose-my woa»
ried limbs ! spent a sleepless night; cold, hungry and-
weary, and impatient for Use arrival of the mortiing'a-
dawn, that 1 might be enabled to pursue mv journey*

By break of day I -again set out and soon found my-
self within the suburbs of a considerable village, in
passing which I was fearful there would be some risk
of detection, but to guard myself as much as possible
against suspicion, I furnished myself with a crutch,
and feigning myself a cupple, hobled through the-
town without meeting with any interruption In two

3,9 LIFE AND ADVENTURES

hours after, I arrived in the vicinity of another still
more considerable village, but fortunately for me, at
the moment* I was overtaken by an empty baggage
waggon, bound to London — again feigning myself
very lame, 1 begged of the driver to grant a poor
•ripple the indulgence to ride a few miles, to which
he assenting, I concealed myself by lying prostrate on
the bottom of the waggon, until we had passed quite
through the village ; when, finding the waggoner dis-
posed to drive much slower than what I wished to
travel, after thanking him for the kind disposition
which he had manifested to oblige me, I quite the
waggon, threw away my crutch and travelled with a
speed, calculated to surprise the driver with so sud-
den a recovery of the use of my legs — the reader will
perceive that I had now become almost an adept at
deception, which I would not however have so fre-
quently practiced, had not self preservation demand-
ed it.

As I thought there would be in my journey to
London, infinitely more danger of detection in pas-
sing through large towns or villages, than in con-
fining myself to the country, I avoided them as
much as possible ; and as I found myself once more
on the borders of one, apparently of much larger
size than any that I had yet passed, I thought it
most expedient to take a circuitous route to avoid
it; in attempting which, I met with an almost in-
surmountable obstacle, that I little dreamed of—
when nearly abreast of the iown; 1 found my route

OF ISRAEL R. POTTER. 31

obstructed by a ditch, of upwards of I* feet in
breadth, and of what depth I could not determine^
as there was now no other alternative left me, but
to leap this ditch, or to retrace my steps and pass
through the town, after a moment's reflection I de-
termined to attempt the former, although it would
be attempting a fete of activity, that I supposed my-
self incapable of performing ; yet, however incred-
ible it may appear, I assure my readers that I did
effect it, and reached the opposite side with dry
feet!

1 had now arrived within about 16 miles of Lon-
don, when night approaching, I again sought lodg-
ings in a barn ; which containing a small quantity
of hay, I succeeded in obtaining a tolerable com*
fortable night's rest. By the dawn of day I arose
somewhat refreshed, and reasumed my journey
with the pleasing prospect of reaching London be-
fore night— but, while encouraged and cheered by
these pleasing anticipations, an unexpected occur-
rence blasted my fair prospects— I had succeeded
in reaching in safety a distance so great from the
place where I had been last held a prisoner, and
within so short a distance of London, the place of
my destination, that J began to think myself so far
out of danger, as to cause me to relax in a meas-
ure, in the precautionary means which I had made
use of to avoid detection ; — as I was passing through
the town ot Staincs, (within a few miles of London)
about 1 1 o'clock in the forenoon, I was met by

$£' 5LIF2 AND ADVENTURES

three or four British soHic rs, whose notice I at-
tracted, and who unfortunately for me, discovered
by the collar (which i had not taken the precaution
to conceal) that I wore a shirt which exactly cor-
responded with those uniformly worn by his Majes-
ty's seamen— not being able to give a satisfactory
account of myself, I was made a prisoner of, on
suspicion of being a deserter from hi* Majesty's
service, and was immediately committed to the
the Round House ; a prison so called, appropriated
to the confinement of runaways, and those convic-
ted of small offences — 1 was committed in the even-
ing: and to secure me the more effectually, I was
handcuffed, and left supperless by my unfeeling jail-
or, to pass the night in wretchedness.

I had now been three days without food (with
the exception of a single two- penny loaf) and felt
myself unable much longer to resist the cravings
of nature— my spirits, which until now had armed .
me with fortitude began to forsake me—indeed I.
was at this moment on the eve of despair ! when,
easing to mind that gri f would only aggravate
my calamity, 1 endeavoured to arm my soul with
patience ; and habiiuate myself as well as I could,
to woe.— -Accordingly 1 roused my spirits ; and ban-
isimi^ for a few moments, these gloomy ideas, I
began to reflect semusiy. on the methods how to.-
extricat* mys; ;f irom this labyrinth of horror*

My first object was to rid myseif of my hand-
Guffs, whicn ^succeeded in doing after two hours

OF ISRAEL R. POTTER. 33

Hard labour, by sawing them across the grating of
the window ; having my hands now at liberty) tho
next thing to be do^e was to force the door of my
apartment, which was secured on the outside by a
hasp and padlock ; 1 devised many schemes but for
the want of tools to work with, was unable to carry
them into execution---! however at length succeed*
cd, with the assistance of no other instrument than
the bolt of my handcuffs ; with which, thirsting my
arm through a small window or aperture in the
door, I forced the padlock* and as there was novr
no other barrier to preveot my escape, after an
imprisonment of about five hours, I was once more
at large.

It was now as I judged about midnight, and al-
though enfeebled and tormented with excessive
hunger and fatigue, I set out with the determina*
tion of reaching London if possible, early the en-
suing morning. By break of day I reached and pas-
sed through Brintford, a town of considerable note
and within six miles of the Capital —but so great
was my hunger at this moment, that I was under
serious apprehension of falling a victim to absolute
starvation, if not so fortunate soon to obtain some-
thing to appease it. I recollected of haying read in
my youth, accounts of the dreadful effects of hung*
er which had led men to the commission of the
•most horrible excesses, but did not then think that
fate would ever thereafter doom me to an almost
similar situation.

34 LIFE AND ADVENTURES

When I made my escape from the Prison ship six
English penny s was all the money that I possessed —
with two I had purchased a two penny loaf the day af.
ter I had escaped from my keepers at the inn, and the
other four still remained in my possession, not having
Diet with a favourable opportunity since the purchase
of the first loaf to purchase food of any kind. When
1 had arrived at the distance of one and an half miles
from Biiniford, I met with a labourer employed in
building H pale fence, to whom my deplorable situa-
tion induced me to rpply for work ; 01 for i^f->t n»a-
tion of any one in th& neighborhood, that might be in
want of a band to work av farming or gardening. He
informed me that he did not v/kh himself to hire, but
that Sir John Millet, whose seat he represented but
a short distant?, was in the habit of employing many
hand*, at thai season of the year (which was in the
spring of 1776) and he doubled not but lhal I might
there meet with employment.

With my spiruf a iulle revived., at even a distant
pjrospect of obtaining something to alleviate my suf-
ferings, I started- in quest or the seat of Su John, &•
greeable to the directions which 1 had received; in
attempting to. reach which, I. mistook my way, and
proceeded up a gia.vellcd and beautifully omumemed
walk, which unconsciously led me dheciiy to the
garden of the Brincess Amelia — I* had approached
within view of the Royal Mansion when a glimse of ft
number of "red coats" who thronged t ho yard, sat.
me of my mistake, and caused me to make aa-,

«V ISRAEL H. POTTER, tj

instantaneous and precipitate retreat, being determin-
ed, not to afford any more of their mess an opportu-
nity of boasting of the capture of a '* Yankee Rebel,"
— indeed, a wolf or » bear, of the American wilder-
ness, could not be more terrified or panic-struck at
the sight of a firebrand, than I then was at that of a
British red coat I

Having succeeded in making good my retreat
from the garden of her highness, without being dis»
covered I took another path which led me to where
a number of labourers were employed in shovelling
gravel, and to whom I repeated my enquiry if they
could inform me of any in want of help, &c— *• why
in troth friend (answered one in a dialect peculiar tc
the labouring class of people of that part of the
coumiy) me master, Sir John, hires a goodly many,
and as we've a deal of work n,p*y, may-be he'll hire
you; 'spose he btop a little with us 'until work is
done, he may then gaqg along, and we'll question
Sir John, whither him be wanting another like us or
noi"

Although I was sensible that an application of this
kind, might lead to a discovery of my situation,
whereby 1 might be again deprived or my liberty,
and immured in a loathsome prison ; yet, as there
was now no other alternative left me but to se^k in
this way, something to satisfy the cravings of hung-
er, or to yield a victim to starvation, with all Us
attending horrors: of the the two evils 1 preferred
the least, and concluded as the honest labourer had

36 LIFE AVD ADVENTURES

proposed, to await until they hnd completed their
work, and then to accompany them home to ascer-
tain the will of Sir John.

As I had heaid much of the tyrannical and domi-
neering disposition of the rich and purse-proud of
England, and who were generally the loids of the
manor, and the paiticular favourites* of the crown ;
it was not without feeling a very considerable de-
gree of diffidence, that 1 introduced my sell into the
presence of one whom 1 strongly suspected to he
of thai class — but, what was peculiarly fortunate
for me, a shoit acquaintance was sufficient to satis*
fy me that as regarded this gentleman, my appre-
hensions were without cause. 1 found him walking
in his front yard in company with several gentleman, .
and en being made acquainted with my business, his
first enquiry was whether I had a hoe, or money
to purchace onet and on being answered in the
negative, he requested me to call early the ensu-
ing morning} and he would endeavour to furnish
me with one.

It is impossible for me to express the satisfaction
that I felt at this prospect of a deliverance from
my wretched situation. 1 was now by so long fast-
ing reduced to such a state of weakness, that my
legs were hardly able to support me, and it was
with extreme difficulty that I succeeded in reach-
ing a baker's shop in the neighborhood, where with
my four remaining pennys, which I had reserved
for a last resource> 1 purchased two two-penny
leaves.

Of ISRAEL R. POTTER* 3f

After four days of intolerable hunger, the reader
may judge how great must have been my joy, to
find myself in possession of even a morsel to ap-
pease it — well might I have exclaimed at this mo.
ment with the unfortunate Trenck — " O nature I
what delight hast thou combined with the gratifica^
tion of thy wants ! remember this ye who rack in.
vention to excite appetite, and which yet you can-
not procure ; remember how simple are the means
that will give a crust of mouldy bread a flavour more
exquisite than ail the spiees :of the east, or all the
profusion of land or sea ; remember this, grow
hungry, and indulge your sensuality."

Although five times the quantity of the '" staff of
life" would have been insufficient to have satisfied
my appetite, yet, as I thought it improbable that I
should be indulged \vith a mouthful of any thing to
eat in the morning, I concluded to eat then but one
loaf, and 10 reserve the other for another meal ;
but having eaten one, so far from satisfying, it seem*
cd rather to increase my appetite for the other— the
temptation was irresistabie — the cravings of hunger
predominated, and would not be satisfied until I had
devoured the remaining one.

The day was now far spent and I was compelled
to resort wiih reluctance to a carriage house, to
•spend another night in misery j 1 found nothing
therein on which to repose my wearied limbs but
U,e bare floor, which was sufficient to deprive me
of sleep, however much exhausted nature required

4

38 LIFE AND AB VENTURES

it ; my spirits were however buoyed up by the pleas-
ing consolation that the succeeding day would bring
relief ;— as soon as day light appeared. I hastened
to await the commands of one, whom, since my first
introduction! I could not but flatter myself would
prove my benefactor, and afford me that relief which
iny pitiful situation so much required— it was an
Jiour much earlier than that at which even the domes-
tics were in the habit of arising, and I had been a
considerable time walking back and fourth in the
barn yard, before any made their appearance. It
was now about 4 o'clock, and by the person of whom
I made the enquiry, I was informed that 8 o'clock
was the usual hour \n which the labourers commen-
ced their day's work — permission was granted me
by this perso» (who had the care of the stable) to
repose myself on some straw beneath the manger,
until they should be in readiness to depart to com-
mence their day's work — in the four hours I had a
more comfortable nap than any that I had enjoyed
the four preceding nights. At 8 o'clock precisely
all hands were called, and preparations made for a
commencement of the labours of the day— I was
furnished with a large iron fork and a hoe, and or*
dered by my employer to accompany them, and al-
though my strength at this moment was hardly suf-
ficient to enable me to bear even so light a bur-
then, yet was unwilling to expose my weakness, so
long as it could be avoided—but, the time had now
arrived in which it was impossible for me any long*

OF ISRAEL R» POTTER. $>'

«r to conceal it, and had to confess the cause to my
fellow. labourers, so far as to declare to them, that
such had been my state of poverty, that (with tha
exception of the four small loaves of bread) I had
not tasted food for four days ! I was not I must
confess displeased nor a little disappointed to witness
the evident emotions of pity and commiseration,
which this woeful declaration appeared to excite in
their minds : as I had supposed them too much ac-
customed to witness scenes of misery and distress,
to have their feelings much effected by a brief reci-
tal of my suffering§ and deprivations — but in justice
to them I must aay, that although a very illiterate,
1 found them (with a few exceptions) a human*
and benevolent people.

About 11 o'clock we were visited by our employ*
er, Sir John : who, noticing me particularly, and
perceiving the little progress I made in my labour,
observed, that although 1 had the appearance of be-
ing a stout hearty man; yet 1 either feigned myself
or really was a very weak one ! on which it was
immediately observed by one of my friendly fellow
labourers, that it was not surprising that I lacked
strength, as I had eaten nothing of consequence for
four days J Mr. Millet, who appeared at first lit-
tle disposed to credit the fact, on being assured
by me that it was really so, put a shilling into my
hand, and bid me go immediately and purchase to
that amount in bread and meat— a request which
the reader may suppose 1 did not hesitate to comply
with.

4§ LI?E AND ADV3NTUBES

Having made a tolerable meal, and feeling some-
what refreshed thereby, I was on my return when I
was met by my fellow labourers on their return home »
four o'clock being the hour in which they usually
quit work. As soon as we arrived, some victuals
was ordered for me by Sir John, when the maid pre-
senting a much smaller quantity, than what her be-
nevolent master supposed sufficient to satisfy the ap-
petite of one who had been four days fasting, she was
ordered to return and bring out the platter and the
•whole of its contents» and of which I was requested
to eat my fill, but of which T eat sparingly to prevent
the dangerous consequences which might have re-
sulted from my voracity in the debilitated state to
Which my stomach was reduced.

My light repast being over, one of the men were
ordered by my hospitable friend to provide for me a
tfomfortabie bed in the barn, where 1 spent the night
on a couch of clean straw, more sweetly than ever I
had done in the days of my better fortune. 1 arose
early much refreshed, and was preparing after break-
fast to accompany the labourers to their work, which
was no sooner discovered by Sir John, than smiling,
he bid me return to my couch and there remain un-
til 1 was in a better state to resume my labours ; in- ;
deed the generous compassion and benevolence of
this gentleman was unbounded* After having on
that day partook of an excellent dinner, which had
been provided expressly for me, and the domestics
having been ordered to retire, 1 was not a little sur-

OF ISRAEL R. POTTEft. 41

prised to hear myself thus addressed by him—" my
honest friend, 1 perceive that you are a sea-faring
man, and your history probably is a secret which you
may not wish to divulge; but, whatever circumstan-
ces may have attended you, you may make them-
known to me with the greatest safety, for I pledge
my honour I will never betray you,"

Having experienced so many proofs of the friend-
ly disposition of Mr Millet, I could not hesitate a
moment to comply witb his request, and without at-
tempting to conceal a single fact» made him acquain-
ted with every circumstance that had attended me
since my first enlistment as a soldier— after expres-
sing his regret that there should be any of his coun-
trymen found so void of the principles of humanity,
as to treat thus an unfortunate prisoner of war, he as-
sured me that so long as I remained in his employ
he would guarantee my safety— adding, that notwith-
standing (in consequence ot the unhappy differences
which then prevailed between Great Britain and her
American colonies) the inhabitants of the latter were
denominated Rebels, yet they were not without their
friends in England, who wished well to their cause,
and would cheerfully aid them whenever an oppor-
tunity should present— he represented the soldiers
(whom it had been reported to me, were constantly
on the look out for deserters) as a set of mean and
contemptible wretches, little better than a lawless
banditti, who, to obtain the fee awarded by govern-
ment, for the apprehension of a deserter, would be-
u* their best friends,

42 tlFE ANB ADVENTURES

Having been generously supplyed with a new suit
ofcloathes and other necessaries by Mr. M. I con-
tracted with him for six months, to superintend his
strawbury garden, in the course of which so far from
being molested, 1 was not suspected by even his own
domestics of being an American— at the expiration
of the six months, by the recommendation of my hos-
pitable friend, I got a birth in the garden of the Prin-
ces, Amelia, where although among my fellow la-
bourers the American Rebellion was not unfrequent-
Jy the topic of their conversation, and the " d— d
Yankee Rebels" (as they termed them) frequently
the subjects of their vilest abuse, 1 was little suspec-
ted of being one of that class whom they were pleas-
ed thus to denominate— -1 must confess that it was
not without some difficulty; that I was enabled to sur«
press the indignant feelings occasioned by hearing
my countrymen spoken so disrespectfully of, but as
a single word in their favour might have betrayed me,
1 could obtain no other satisfaction than by secretly
indulging the hope that I might before the conclusion
of the war, have an opportunity to repay them, in
their own coin> with interest.

1 remained in the employ of the Princess shout
three months, and then in consequence of a misun-
derstanding with the overseer, I hired my self to a far-
mer in a small village adjoining Brintford, where I
had not been three weeks employed before rumour
•was afloat that I was a Yankee Prisoner of war ! trom
whence the report arose, or by what occcasioned> i

OF ISRAEL R. POTTER. 4

never could learn— it no sooner reached the ears of
the soldiers, than ihey were on the alert, seeking an
opportunity to seize my person —fortunately I was
apprised of their intentions before they had time to
carry them into effect; I was however hard pushed)
and sought for by them with that diligence and per-
severance that certainly deserved a better cause — I
had many hair breadth escapes, and most assuredly
should have been taken, had it not been for the friend-
ship of those whom I suspect felf not less friendly to
the cause of my country, but dare not publicly avow
it— I was at one time traced by the soldiers in pursuit
of me to the house of one of this description, in whose
garret I was concealed, and was at that moment in
bed ; they entered and enquired for me, and on be-
ing told that 1 was not in the house, they insisted on
searching, and were in the act of ascending the cham-
ber stairs for that purpose, when seizing ray cloathes,
1 passed up through the scuttle, and reached the root'
of the house, and from thence half naked passed to
those of the adjoining ones to the number of ten or
twelve, and succeeded in making my escape without
being discovered.

Being continually harrassed by night and day by
the soldiers, and driven 1'rona place to place, without
an opportunity to pertorm a day's work, I was ad-
vised by one whose sincjrfty 1 could not doubt, to
apply for a birth as a wbourer in a garden of his
Royal Majesty, situated in the village o' Quew, a
few miles from -filiation) j where, under the pro*

44 LIFE AND AIM'ENTURSS

tection of his Majesty, it was represented to me
that I should be perfectly safe, as the soldiers dare
not approach the royal premises, to molest any one.
therein employed—he was indeed so friendly as to
introduce me personally to the overseerv as an ac-
quaintance who possessed a perfect knowledge of
gardening, but from whom he carefully concealed
the fact of my being an American born, and of the
suspicion entertained by some of my being a pris-
oner of war, who had escaped the vigilance of ray-
keepers.

The overseer concluded to receive me on trial ;
—it was here that I had not only frequent oppor-
tunities to see his Royal Majesty in person, in his
frequent resorts to this, one of his country retreats,
but once had the honour of being addressed by him.
The fact was, that I hud not been one week em*
ployed in the garden, before the suspicion of my,
being either a prisoner of war, or a Spy, in the
employ of the American Rebels, was communica-
ted, not only to the overseer and other persons em-
ployed in the garden, but even to the King him-
self ! As I was one day busily engaged with three
ethers in gravelling a walk, I was unexpectedly ac.
costed by his Majesty : who, with much apparent
good nature, enquired of me of what country I
was— '* an American born, may it please your ma-
jesty/' was my reply (taking off my hat, which he
requested me instantly to replace on my head,)-—
'( ah 1 (continued he with a smile) an American, a-

OF ISRAEL R, FOTTSR. 45

stubborn, a very stubborn people indeed i — and what
brought you to tbis country, and how long have you
been here?" M the fate of war, your Majesty-— I
was brought to this country a prisoner about eleven
months since,"— and thinking this a favourable op*
portunity to acquaint him with a few of my griev-
ances, I briefly Mated to him how much I had been
harassed by the soldiers — " while here employed
they will not trouble you," was the only reply he
made, and passed on. The familiar manner in
which I had been interrogated by his majesty, had
I must confess a tendency in some degree to pre-
possess me in his favour —I at least suspected
iiim to possess a disposition less tyrannical, and ca-
pable of better views than what had been imputed
to him ; and as I had frequently heard it repre-
sented in America, that uninfluenced by such of his
ministers, as unwisely disregarded the reiterated
complaints of the American people, he would have
been foremost to have redressed their grievance^
of which they so justly complained.

I continued in the service of his Majesty's gardner
at Qeuw, about.four months, when ihe'season having
Thrived in which the work of tne garden required less
labourers I with three others was discharged ; and
the day after engaged myself for a few months, to a
farmer in the town and neighborhood where 1 had
been last employed— but, not one week had expired
before the old story of my being an American priso-
ner of war &c, was revived and industriously circle

46 LIFE AMD ADVENTUR2*

Jated, and the soldiers (eager to obtain the proffered
bounty) like a pack of blood-hounds were again on
the track seeking an opportunity to surprise me—
the house wherein I had taken up my abode, was se-
veral times thoroughly searched by them, but 1 was
always so fortunate as to discover their approach in
season to make good my escape by the assistance of
a friend-— to so much inconvenience however did
this continual apprehension and fear subject me, that
1 was finally half resolved to surrender myself a pri-
soner to some of his Majesty's officers; and submit to
my fate, whatever it might be, when by an unexpec-
ted occurrence . and ihe seasonable interposition of
providence in my favour, I. was induced to change my
resolution.

I had been strongly of the opinion by what I had
myself experienced, that America was not without
her friends in England, and those who were her well
wishers in the important cause in which she was at
that moment engaged ; an opinion which i think no
one will disagree with me in saying, was somewhat
confirmed, by a circumstance of that importance^ as
entitles it to a conspicuous place in my narrative*
At a moment when driven almost to a state of des-
pondency by continual alarms and fears of falling in-
tojthe hands of a set of desperadoes, who for a very
small reward would willingly have undertaken the
commission of almost any crime; I received a mes-
sage from a gentleman of respectability of Brintford
(J, Woodcock EsqO requesting me to repair imnie-

tF ISRAEL R. POTTER. 47

diately to his house— the invitation 1 was disposed to
pay but little attention tot as I viewed it nothing more
than a plan of my pursuers to decoy and entrap me
—but, on learning from my confidential friend that
the gentleman by whom the message had been sent,
was one whose loyalty had been doubted, I was in-
duced to comply with the request*

I reached the house of 'Squire Woodcock about 8
e'clock in the evening, and after receiving from him
at the door assurances that I might enter without fear
or apprehension of any design on his pan against me,
I suffered myself to be introduced into a private
chamber, where were seated two other gentlemen,
who appeared to be persons of no mean rank, and
proved to be no other than Home Touke and James
Bridges Esquires— -as all three of these gentlemen
tiave long since paid the debt of nature, and are pla-
ced beyond the reach of such as might be disposed
to persecute or reproach them for their disloyally, I
can now with perfect safety disclose their names-
names which ought to be dear to every tiue Ameri-
can.

After having (by their particular request) furnHi.
-ed these gentlemen with a brief account of the most
important incidents of my life, I underwent a very
strict examination, as they seemed determined to sat-
isfy themselves, before they made any important ad-
vances or disclosures, that I was a person in whom
they could repose implicit confidencet Finding me
Firmly attached to the interests of my country, so

48 LIFE AN» ADVENTURES

much so as to be willing to sacrifice even my life if
necessary in her behalf,they began to address me with
less reserve ; and after bestowing the highest encom-
iums on my countrymen, for the bravery which they
had displayed in their recent engagements with the
British troops, as well as for their patriotism in pub*
licly manifesting their abhorrence and detestation of
the ministerial party in England, who to alienate their
affections and to enslave them, had endeavoured to
subvert the British constitution ; they enquired of me
if (to promote the interests of my country) I should
have any objection to take a trip to Paris, on an
important mission, if my passage ar.d other expert
ces were paid, and a generous compensation ai-
lowed me for my trouble ; and which in all prob-
ability would lead to the means whertby I might
be enabled to return to rny country — 10 which I
replied that I should have none. After having en-
joined upon me to keep every thing which they
had communicated, a piofound secret, they pre-
sented me with a guinea, and a letter for a gen-
tleman in White Waltam (a country town about SO
miles from B;intibrcl) which they requested me to
reach as soon as possible, and there remain until
they should send lor me, and by no means to fail
to arrive at the precise hour that they should ap-
point.

After partaking of a little refreshment I set out
at 12 o'clock at night, and reached White Wat-
tarn at half past 11 the succeeding day, and imiwe*

OT ISRAEL R. POTTER; 49

dlately waited on and presented the letter to the
gentleman to whom it was directed, and who gave
me a very cordial reception, and whom I soon
found was as real airiend 10 America** cause as the
three gentlemen in whose company I had last been-
It was from him that 1 received the first info' maiion
of the evacuation of Boston by the Biitish troops, and
of the declaration of IKDEPEMOENCL, by the Ameri-
can Congress— he indeed appeared to possess a
knowledge of almost every important transaction ire
America, since the memorable battle of Banker-Hill^
and it was to him thai 1 was indebted for many par-
ticulars, not a little interesting to myself, and which
I might otherwise have remained ignorant of, as I
have always found it a principle of the Britains, to
conceal every thing calculated to diminish or tarnish
their fame, as a " great and powerful nation 1"

1 remained in the family of this gentleman about
a fortnight, when I received a letter from "Squire
Woodcock, requesting me to be at his house with*
out fail precisely at 2 o'clock the morning ensuing-—
in compliance of which I packed up and started im-
mediately for Brintford, and reached the house of
'Squire Woodcock at the appointed hour—I found
there in company with the latter, the two gentlemen
whose names, I have before mentioned, and by whom
the object of my mission to Paris was now made
known to me— which was to convey in the most se-
cret manner possible a letter to Dr. FRANKLIN ; eve-
ry thing was in readiness, and a chaise ready harness-
5

53 LIFE AND ADVENTURES

ed which was to convey me to Charing Cross, wait-
ing at the door — I was presented with a pair of boots.,
made expressly for me, and for the safe conveyance
of the letter of which 1 was to be the bearer, one of
them contained a false heel, in which the Utter was
deposited, and was to be thus conveyed to the Doc-
tor. After again repeating my former declarations,
4hat whatever might be my fate, they should never
be exposed, I departed, and was conveyed in quick
time to Charing Cross, where ] took the post coach
for Dover, and from thence was immediately convey-
ed in a packet to Calais, and in fifteen minutes after
landiag, started for Paris ; which 1 reached in safety,
and delivered to Dr. Franklin the letter of which I
was the bearer.

What were the contents of this letter! was never
informed and never knew, but had but little doubt
but that it contained important information relative to
the views of the British cabinet, as regarded the af«
fairs of America ; and although I well knew that a
discovery (while within the British dominions) would
have proved equally fatal to me as to the gentlemen
by whom I was employed, yet, 1 most solemnly de-
clare, that to be. serviceable to my country at that im-
portant period, was much more of an object with me,
than the reward which 1 had been promised, howev-
er considerable it might be. My interview with Dr»
Franklin was a pleasing one — for nearly an hour he
cu^ersed with me in the ir.ost agreeable and instruc-
tive xnanr.er, and Jistf ned to the tale of my sufferings

OJf ISRAEL R. POTTER. i

with much apparent interest, and seemed disposed to
encourage me with the assurance that if the Ameri-
cans should succeed in their grand object, and firm*
ly establish their Independence, they would not fail
to remunerate their soldiers for their services— but,
alas ! as regards myself, these assurances have not
as yet been verified !•— I am confident, however, that
had it been a possible thing for that great and good
znan (whose humanity and generosity have been the
theme of infinitely abler pens than mine) to have liv-
ed to this day, I should not have petitioned my coun-
try in vain for a momentary enjoyment of that provi-
sion, which has been extended to so great a portion
of my fellow soldiers ; and whose hardships and de-
privations, in the cause of their country, could not I
am sure have been half so grear as mine !

After remaining two days in Paris, letters were de-
livered to me by the Doctor, to convey to the gentle-
men by whom I had been employed, and which for
their better security as well as my own, I deposited
as the other, in the heel of my boot, and with which
to the great satisfaction of my friends 1 reached Brint-
ford, in safety, and without exciting the suspicion of
any one as to the important, (although somewhat dan-
gerous) mission that I had been engaged in. JB re-
mained secreied in the house of 'Squire Woodcock
a few clays, and then by his and the two other gentle-
mei.'s request, made a second trip to Paris, and in
reaching which and in delivering my letters, was e*
qually as fortunate as in my first. If I should sue-

52 LIFE AND ADVENTURES

eed in returning in safety to Brintford this trip, i
Was (agreeable to the generous proposal of Doctor
Franklin) to return immediately to France, from
Whence he was to procure me a passage to America ?
—but, although in my return I met with no difficul-
ty} yet, as if fate had selected me as a victim to en-
dure the miseries and privations which alterward at-
tended me, but three hours before 1 reached Dover
to engage a passage for the third and last time to Ca.
Jaist all intercourse between the two countries was
prohibited !

My flattering expectations of being enabled soon
to return to my native country, and once more to
meet and enjoy the society of my friends, (after an
absence of more than twelve months) being thus by
an unforeseen circumstance completely destroyed, I
returned immediately to the gentlemen by whom I
had been last employed to advise with them what it
Would be best for me to do, in my then unpleasant
situation — for indeed, as all prospects were now at an
end, of meeting with an opportunity very soon to re-
turn to America, I could not bear the idet of remain-
ing any longer in a neighborhood where I was so
strongly suspected of being a fugitive from justice
and under continual apprehension ot being retaken,
and immured Hke a felon in a dungeon,

By these gentlemen 1 was advised to repair imme-
diately to London, where employed as a labourer, if I
did not imprudently betray myself they thought there
was little probability of my being suspected ot being

OF ISRAEL a, POTTER. 53

an American. This advice 1 readily accepted as the
plan was such a one as exactly accorded with my o-
pinion, for from the very moment that I first escaped
from the clutches of my captors, I thought that i i
the city of London I should not be so liable to be sus-
pected and harrassed by the soldiers, as I should to
remain in the country. These gentlemen supplied
me with money sufficient to defray ray expence* and
would have willingly furnished me with a recom-
mendation had they not been tearful that if 1 should
be so unfortunate as to be recognised by any one ac-
quainted with the circumstance of my capture and es«
cape, those recommendations (as there loyalty was
already doubted) might operate much against them}
in as much as they might furnish a clue to the dis-
covery of some transactions which they then felt un-
willing to have exposed. I ought here to state that
before 1 set out for London, I was entrusted by these
gentlemen with Five Guineas, which I was request-
ed to convey and distribute among1 a number of A-
mericans, then confined as prisoners of war, in one of
the city prisons

I reached London late in the evening and the next
day engaged board at Five Shillings per week, .-t a
public house in Lombard Street, where under. a ficti-
cious name I passed for a farmei from Lincolnshire—
my next object was to find my way to the prison where
were confined as prisoners of war a number of my
countrymen, and among whom I was directed to dis-
tribute the 5 guineas with which 1 had been entrust- >
5* '

54 L1IE AND ADVENTURES

cd for that purpose by their fi lends at Brintfcrd.— •£
found the prison without much difficulty, but it was
•with very considerable difficulty that 1 gained admit-
tance, and not until I had presented the turnkey with
a considerable lee would he consent to indulge me,
The reader will suppose that I must have been very
much surprised, when, as soon as the door of the pri-
soner's apartment was opened, and 1 had passed the
threshold* to hear one of them exclaim with much
apparent astonishment, u Potter 1 is that you J how in
the name of heaven came you here !'* — an exclama-
tion like this by one of a number to whom 1 suppos-
ed myself a perfect stranger, caused me much un-
easiness for a few moments, as I expected nothing
less than to recognize in this man, some one of my
old shipmates, who had undoubtedly a knowledge oi
the fact of my being a prisoner of war, and having
been confined as such on boaid the guard ship at spit-
head— but| in this I soon found to my satisfaction
that I was mistaken, for after viewing for a moment
the person by whom I had been thus addressed, I
discovered him to be no other than my old friend
seargent Singles, with whom 1 had been intimately
acquainted in America — as the exclamation was in
presence of the turnkey, least I should have the key
turned upon me, and be considered as lawful a pri-
soner as any of the rest, 1 hinted to my iriend that
lie certainly mistook me (a Lincolnshire farmer) for
another person, and by a wink which he received from
me at the same moment gave him to understand that

OF ISRAEL R, POTTER. 55

a renewal of our acquaintance or an exchange of ci-
vilities would be more agreeable to me at any other
time. I now as 1 hail been requested divided the mo-
ney as equally as possible among tnem, and to pre-
vent the suspicions of the keeper, I represented to
them in a feigned dialect peculiar to the labouring
people of the Shire-towns, that," me master was ow-
ing a little trifle or so to a rebel trader of one of his
Majesty's American provinces, and was quested by
him to pay the ballance and so, to his brother yankee
rebels here imprisoned ."

1 found the poor fellows (fifteen in number) con-
fined in a dark filthy apartment of about 18 feet
square; and which I could not perceive contained
any thing but a rough piank bench of about IO feet
in length, and a heap of straw with one or two tatter,
ed, filthy looking blankets spread thereon, which was
probably the only bedding allowed them— although
their situation was such as could not fail to excite my
pity, yet» I could do no more than lament that it was
not in my power to relieve them — hew long they re-
mained thus confined or when exchanged, I could ne-
ver learn, as I never to my knowledge saw one of
them afterwards.

For four or five days, after I reached London, I did
very little more than walk about the city, viewing
such cuiiosities as met my eye ; when, reflecting
that remaining thus idle, I should not only be very
soon out of funds, but should run the risk of being
suspected and apprehended as one belonging to one

5 LIFE AND ADVENTURES

of the numerous gangs of pick pockets Sec. which in-
fest the streets of the city; I applied to an Iivelli-
gence Office for a coachman's birth, which I was so
fortunate, as to procure, at '5 shillings per week--
my employer (J. Hyslop, Esq») although rigid in
his exactions; was punctual in his payments, and by
my strict prudence and abstinence from the numer-
ous diversions of the city, I #as enabled in the six
months which I served him, to lay up more cash
than what I had earned the twelve months prece-
ding. The next business in which I engaged was
that of brick making, and which together with that
of gardening, I pursued in the summer seasons al«
most exclusively for five years ; in all which time
I was not once suspected of being an American,
yet, I must confess that my feelings were not un-
frequently most powerfully wrought upon, by hear-
ing my countrymen dubbed with cowardice, and by
those too who had been thrice flogged or frighten*
ed by them when attempting to ascend the heights
of Bunker Hill ! and to De obliged to brook these
insults with impunity, as to have resented them
•would have caused me to have been suspected di-
rectly of being attached to the American cause,
which might have been attended with serious con*
sequences.

I should now pass over the five years that I was
employed as above mentioned, as cnecquered by
few incidents worth ielating; was it not for one or
two circumstances of some little importance that.

OF ISRAEL R, PATTER. &7

cither«attcnded me, or came within my own person-
al knowledge. The reader has undoubtedly heard
that the city of London and its suburbs, is always
more or less infested with gangs of nefarious wretch-
es, who come under the denomination of Robbers,
Pickpockets, Shoplifters, Swindlers, Beggars, &c.
who are constantly prowling the streets in disguise,
seeking opportuniiies to surprise and depredate on
the weak and unguarded — of these the former class
form no inconsiderable portion, who contrive to e-
lude and set at defiance the utmost vigilance of
government— they are a class who in the day time
disperse each to his avocation, as the better to blind
the scrutinizing eye of justice, they make it a prin-
ciple to follow some laborious profession, and at
night assemble to proceed on their nocturnal rounds,
in quest of those whose well stored pockets promise
them a reward, equal to the risk which they run in
obtaining it. As I was one evening passing through
Hyde Park, with five guineas and a few pennys in
my pockets, 1 was stopped by six of these lawless
footpads ; who, presenting pistols to my breast, de-
manded my money— .fortunately for me I had pre-
\iously deposited the guineas in a private pocket of
my pantaloons, for their better security ; thirsting
their hands into my other pockets and finding me in
possession of but a few English pennys, they took
them and decamped. I hastened to Bow Street and
lodged information of the robbery with the officers,
and who U my no little surprise informed me that

»

LIFE AND ADVENTURES

mine was the fifth instance, of information of simi-
lar robberies by the same gang, which had been
lodged with them that evening !— • runners had been
sent in every direction in pursuit of inerty but with
what success I could never learn.

Despairing of meeting with a favourable oppor-
tunity to return to America, until the conclusion of
peace, and the prospects of a continuation of the
war being as great then (by what I could learn) as
at any period from its commencement, I became
liiore reconciled to my situation, and contracted an
intimacy with a young irouaan whose parents were
poor but respectable, and who I soon after married,
J took a small ready furnished chamber, in Red
Cross street, where with the fruit* of my hard
earnings, I was enabled to live tolerable comforta-
ble for three or fomr years—when, by sickness and
other unavoidable circumstances, 1 was doomed to
endure miseries uncommon to human nature.

In the winter of 1781, ne\vs was received in Lon-
don of the surrender of the army of Lord Corn*
wallis, to the French and American forces ! — the
receipt of news of an event so unexpected operated
on the Biitish ministers and members of Parlia-
ment, like a tremendous clap of thunder— deep sor-
row was evidently depicted in the countenances of
those who had been the most strenuous advocates
for the war— i, ever was there a time in which I
longed more to exult, and to declare myself a true
blooded yankee— and what was still more pleasing

OS1 ISRAEL R. POTTER. 59

to me, was to find myself even surpassed in expres-
sions of joy and satisfaction, by my wife, in conse*
quence of the receipt of news, which, while it went
to establish the military fame of my country men^
was so calculated to humble the pride of her own !
greater proofs of her regard for me and my country
I could not require,

The ministerlpparty in Parliament who had been
the instigators of the war* and who believed that
even a view of the bright glistening muskets and
bay ones of John Bull, would frighten the leather
apron Yankees to a speedy submission, began now
to harbour a more favourable opinion of the courage
of the latter. Mis Majesty repaired immediately
to the house of peers, and opened the sessions of
parliament —warm debates look place, on account
of the ruinous manner in which the American war
was continued ; but Lord North and his party ap-
peared yet unwilling to give up the contest. The
capitulation of Cornwallis had however one good
effect, as it produced the immediate release of Mr.
juaurens from the Tower, and although it did not
put an immediate end to the war, yet all hopes of
conquering America from that moment appeared to
be given up by all except North and his adher*

There was no one engaged in the cause of Ameri-
ca> that did more to establish herfa:.ns m Enghnd,
and to satisfy the high boasting Britains of the
bravery and unconquerable resolutions of the ¥"an-

60 LIFE AKD ADVENTURES

kees, than that bold adventurer capt. Paul Jones ;
who, lor ten or eleven months kept all the western
coast of the island in alarm — he boldly landed at
Whitehaven, where he burnt a ship in the harbour,
and even attempted to burn the town ;— nor was
this to my knowledge the only instance in which
the Britains were threatened Mritjwa very serious
conflagration, by the instigation SPtheir enemies
abroad — a daring attempt was made by one James
Aitkin, commonly known in London by the name
of John the Painter, to set fire to the royal dock
ar;d shipping at Portsmouth, and would probably
Jiave succeeded, had he not imprudently communi-
cated his intentions to one, who, lor the sake of a
few guineas, shamefully betrayed him— poor Aiikin
was immediately seized, tried, Condemned, execu-
ted and hung in chains— -every means was used to
extort from him a confession by whom he had been
employed, but without any success— it was however
strongly suspected that he had been employed by
the FreRch, as it was about the time that they open-
ly declared themselves in favour of the Americans.
With regard to Mr. Laurens, I ought to have
mentioned that as soon as I heard of his capture on
his passage to Holland, and of his confinement in
the Tower, 1 applied for and obtained permission
to visit him in his apartment, and ;with some dis-
tant hopes that he might point out some way in
which I might be enabled to return to America) I
itated to him every particular as regarded my situ*

OF ISRAEL H. POTTER. 6)

ation. He seemed not only to lament very much
my hard fortune, but (to use his own words) " that
America should be deprived of the services of such
men, at the important period too when she most re-
quired them.*' — He informed me that he was him-
self held a prisoner, and. knew not when or on what
conditions he would be liberated, but should he
thereafter be in a situation to assist me in obtaining
a passage to America, he should consider it a duty
which he owed his country to do it.

Although I succeeded in obtaining by my indus-
try, a tolerable living for myself and family, yet, so
far from becoming reconciled to my situation, I was
impatient for the return of Peace, when (as 1 then
flattered-myself) I should once more have an oppor-
tunity to return to my native country. I became eve-
ry dsy less attached to a country where i could not
meet with any thing (with the exception of my little
family) that could compensate me fur the loss of the
pleasing society of my kindred and friends in Amer-
ica— born among a moral and humane people, and
having in my early days contracted their habits, and
a considerable number of their prejudices, it would
be unnatural to suppose that I should not prefer their
society, to either that of rogues, thieves, pimps and
vagabonds, or of a more honest but an exceedingly
oppressed and forlorn people.

1 found London as it haci been represented to me,

a large and magnificent city, filled with inhniiu it*

fcf almost every description and occupation— and

6

LIFE AND ADVENTURES

an one indeed as might be pleasing to an English-
man, delighting in tumult and confusion, and accus.
tomed to witness scenes of riot and dissapation, as
well as those of human infliction ; and for the sake of
variety, would be willing to imprison himself wiihin
the walls of a Bedlam, where continual noise would
deafen him, where the unwholesomenesa of the air
would effect his lungs, and where the closeness of
the surrounding buildings would not permit him to
enjoy the enlivening influence of the sun ! There is
not perhaps another city of its size in the whole
world, the streets of which display a greater contrast
in the wealth and misery, the honesty and knavery,
of its inhabitants, than the city of London, The eyes
of the passing stranger (unaccustomed to witness
such scenes) is at one moment dazzled by the ap-
pearance of pompous wealth, wilh its splendid equip-
page— at the next he is solicited by one apparently
of the most wretched of human beings, to impait a
single penny for the relief of his starving family !
Among the latter class, there are many ; however,
\viio so far from being the real objects of charity that
they represent themselves to be, actially possess
more wealth than those who sometimes benevolently
bestow it— these vile imposters, by every species of
deception that was ever devised or practiced by man,
aim to excite the pity and compassion, and to exiort
chaiity from those unacquainted with their easy cir-
cum| lances — they possess the faculty of assuming a-
tiy character that may best suit their purpose— -some-

OJ ISRAEL R» POTTI5B. 63

times hobbling with a crutch and exhibiting a wood-
en leg — at other times » an honourable scar of a
wound, received in Egypt, at Waterloo or at Trafal-
gar, fighting for their most gracious sovereign and
master King George I"

Independent of these there is another species of
beggars (the gypsies) who form a distinct clan, and
will associate with none but those of their own tribe
— they are notorious thieves as well as beggars, and
constantly infest the streets of London to the great
annoyance of strangers and those who have the ap-
pearance of being wealthy — they have no particular
home or abiding place, but encamp about in open
fields or under hedges, as occasion recpjires — they
are generally of a yellow complexion, an 1 cnnvc-sc
in a dialect peculiar only to themselves — their thiev-
ing propensities does not unfrequently lead them to
kidnap little children, whenever an opportunity pre-
sents ; having first by a dye changed their complex-
ion to one that corresponds with their o vn, they re-
present them as their own offspring, and carry them
about hali naked on their backs to excite the pity and
compassion of those of whom they beg chanty. An
instance of this species of theft by a party of these
unprincipled vagabonds, occurred once in my neigh«
borhood while an inhabitant of London — the little
girl kidnapped was the daughter of a Capt. Kellem
of Coventry Street — being sent abroad on some busi-
ness ior her parents, she was mst by a gang of Gyp-
sies, consisting of five men and six women, who seiz-

£4 LIFE AND ADVENTURES

ed her, and forcibly carried her away to their camp,
In the country, at a considerable distance, having1
first stripped her of hero wn cloathes, and in exchange
dressed her in some of their rags— thus garbed she
travelled about the country with them for nearly 7
months, and was treated as the most abject tlavev and
her life threatened if she should endeavour to escape
or divulged her slory ; — she stated that during the
time she was with them they entrapped a little boy
about her own age, whom they also stripped and c^p-
lied with them, but took particular care he should
never converse with her, treating him in the like sa-
vage manner ; she said that they generally travelled
by cross roads and private ways, ever keeping a
watchful eye that she might not escape, and thai no
opportunity offered until when, by some accident,
they were obliged to send her from iheir camp to a
neighboring farm house, in order to procure a lig-t,
which she took advantage of ; and scrambling over
hedges and ditches; as she Supposed for the distance
of 8 or 9 miles, reached London worn out with fa-
tigue and hunger, her suppoit with then, b-.ing al-
ways scanty, and of the worst sort ; to which was ad-
ded the misery of sleeping under hedgys, and expo.,
sure to the inclemency of the weather — it was the in-
tention of the gypsies she said to have coloured her
and the boy when the walnut season approached.

The streets of London and its suburbs are also in-
fested with another and a still more dreadful species
of rogues, denominated Fcotpads, and who often mur-

OF ISRAEL R. POTTER* 65

der in the most inhuman manner, for the sake of on-
ly a few shillings, any unfortunate people who hap-
pen to fall in their way — of this I was made acquain-
ted with enumerable instances, while an inhabitant of
London ; I shall however mention but two that 1 have
now recollection of:—

A Mr Wylde while passing through Marlborough
Street, in a chahe, was stopped by a footpad, who,
on demanding his money, received a few shillings.
but being dissatisfied with the little booty he ob'ained,
slill kept a pistol at Mr. Wylde's head, and on the
latter's attempting gently to turn it aside, the villain
fired, and lodged seven slugs in his head and breast,
which caused instant death— Mr. W. expired hi the
arms of his son and grandson without a groan. A
few days after as a Mr. Gre.enhill was passing through
York-Street in a single horse chaise, lie was met and
stopped by three footpadss armed with pistols owe of
them seized and held the horse's head, while ihe o-
ther two most inhumanely dragged Mr. G. over the
back of his chaise, and alter robbing him of his notes,
watch and hat gave him two severe cuts on his head
and left him in that deplorable state in the road.—
The above are but two instances of hundreds of a
similar nature^ which yearly occur in the most public
streets* of the city of London* The city is infested
with a slill higher order of rogues, denominated pick*
pockets or cmpurses, who to carry on their nefarious
practices, garb themselves like gentlemen, and inirc-

•'• ce themselves into the most fashionable circles j
6*

66 LIFK AND ADVENTURES

many of them indeed are persons who once sustain-
ed respectable characters, but who, by extravagance
and excesses, have reduced themselves to want) and
find themselves obliged at last to have recourse to
pilfering and thieving.

Thus have I endeavoured to furnish the leader
with the particulars of a few of the vices peculiar to a
large portion of the inhabitants of the city of London
—to these might be added a thousand other misde.
meanors of a less criminal nature, daily practiced by
striplings from the age of six, to the hoary headed of
ninety I—this 1 assure my readers is a picture cor-
rectly deliniated and not too highly wrought of a ci-
ty famous for its magnificence,and where 1 was doom-
ed to spend more than 40 years of my life, and in
which time pen, ink, and paper would fail, were I to
attempt to record the various instances of misery and
want that attended me and my poor devoted family.

In September 1783, the glorious news of a defin-
itive treaty of Peace having been signed between the
United States and Great-Britain, vas publicly an-
nounced in London— while on i he minds of those
who had been made rich by the war, the unwelcom-
cd news operand apparently like a paralytic stroke^
a host of those whose views had been inimical to the
cause of America, and had sought refuge in England,
attempted to disguise their disappointment and cejec»
tion under a veil of assumed cheerfulness. As re-
garded myself, 1 can only say, that had an event so
long and ardently vusl.cu lor by me taken place but

OF IS.RAEL R« POTTER. 67

a few months before, I should have hailed it as the'e-
poch of my deliverance from a state ?of oppression
and privation that I had already too long endured.

An opportunity indeed now presented for me to
return once more to my native country, after so

ong an absence, had I possessed the means ; but
.'uch was the high price demanded for a passage,
and such had been my low wages, and the expences
attending the support of even a small family in Lon-
don, that I found myself at this time in possession
of funds hardly sufficient to defray the expsnce of
my own passage, and much less that of my wife and
child— hence the only choice left me was either to
desert them, and thereby subject them (far sepera-
ted from me) to the frowns of an uncharitable peo-
ple, or to content myself to remain with them and
partake of a portion of that wretchedness which e-
ven my presence could not avert. When the af-
fairs of the American Government had become so
far regulated as to support a Consul at the British
court, I murht indeed have availed myself individ-
ually of t ie opportunity which presented of pro-
uring a passage home at the Government's ex«
•ence ; but as this was a priviledge that could not
>e extended to my wife and child, my regard for
hem. prevented my embracing the only means pro-
vided by my country for the return of her captured
soldiers and seamen.

To make the best of my hard fortune, 1 became
as resigned and reconciled to my situation as cir-

68 LIFE AND ADVENTURES

cumstances would admit of; flattering myself that
fortune might at some unexpected moment so far
decide in my favour, as to enable me to accomplish
my wishes— I indeed bore my afflictions with a de-
gree of fortitude which I couid hardly have believ-
ed myself possessed of— I had become an expert
workman at brick making, at which business and
at gardening, I continued to work for very small
wages, for three or four years after the Peace—but
still found my prospects of a speedy return to my
country, by no ways flattering. The peace had
thrown thousands who had taken an active part in
the war, out of employ ; London was thronged with
them— who, in preference to starving, required no
other consideration for their labour than a humble
living, which had a lamentable effect in reducing
the wages of the labouring class of people ; who,
previous to this event were many of them so ex-
tremely poor, as to be scarcely able to procure the
necessaries of life for their impoverished families
— among this class I must rank myself, and from
this period ought I to date the commencement of
my greatest miseries, which never failed-, to attend
me in a greater or less degree until that happy mo-
ment, when favoured by providence, I was per-
mitted once more 10 visit the peaceful shores of the
land of my naiivity.

When I first entered the city of London, I was
almost stunned, while my curiosity was n-.-t a liuie
excited bv what is termed the t:- cries oi London"

Or ISRAEL R. POTf J£R. 69

—the streets were thronged by persona of both sex-
es and of every age, crying each tho various articles
which they were exposing for sale, or for jobs of
work at their various occupations ;— I ht'Je thea
thought that this was a mode which I ahiulcl be o-
bliged myself lo adapt to obtain a scanty pittance
for my needy family— but, such indeed proved to be
the case. The great increase of labourers produ-
ced by the cessation of hostilities, had S3 great an
effect in the reduction oi wages, that the trifliag
consideration now allowed me by my employers for
my services, in the line of business in which I had
been several years engaged, was no longer an ob-
ject, being insufficient to enable me to procure a
humble sustenance. Having in vain sought for
more profitable business, i was induced to apply ta
an acquaintance for instruction in the art of chair
bottoming, and which 1 partially obtained from him
for a trifling consideration.

It was now (which was in the year 1789) thai I
assumed a line of business very different from that
in which 1 had ever before been engage J — fortun-
ately for nie, I possessed strong lungs, which I
found very necessasy in an employment the success
of which depended, in a great measure, in being
enabled to drown the voices of others (engaged hi
the same occupation) by my own— " Oid Chairs to
Mend," became r.0w niy constant cry trough the
streets of London, from morning tonight; and al-
though 1 found my business not so profitable as I

70 LITE AND ADVENTURES

could have wished, yet it yielded a tolerable support
for my family some lime, and probably would have
continued so to have done, had not the almost con-
stant illness of my children, rendered the expences
of my family much greater than they otherwise
would have been— thus afflicted by additional cares
and expence, (although I did every thing in my
power to avoid it) I was obliged, to alleviate the
sufferings of my family, to contract some trifling
debts which it was not in my power to discharge.

I now became the victim of additional miseries—
I was visited by a biliff employed by a creditor, who
seizing me with the claws of a tyger, dragged me
from my poor afflicted family and inhumanly thurst
me into prison I indeed no misery thai I ever be-
fore endured equalled this — seperated from those
dependent on me for the necessaries of lii'e, and
placed in a situation in which it was impossible tor
me to afford them any relief !— fortunately for me
at this melaricholly moment, my vile ebjoyed good
health, and it was to her praise»worthy exertions
that her poor helpless children, as well as myself,
owed our preservation from a slate of starvation !—
this good woman had become acquiinted with many
who had been my customers, whom she made ac-
quainted with my situation, and the sufferings of my
family> and who had the humanity to furnish me
with work ,4ft ring my co^firienisru-- -the chairs were
conveyed to and from the prison by my wife--. in
this way I was enabled to support myself and to

•» ISRAEL R. POTTER. 71

contribute something to the relief of my afflicted
family. I had in vain represented to my unfeeling
creditor my inability to satisfy his demands, and in
vain represented to him the suffering condition of
those wholly dependent on me ; unfortunately for
me, he proved to be one of those human beasts*
who, having no soul, take pleasure in tormenting
that of others, who never feel but in their own
misfortunes, and never rejoice but in the afflictions
of others-. .of such beings, so disgraceful to hu-
man nature, I assure the reader London contains
not an inconsiderable number.

After having for four months languished in a
horrid prison, I was liberated therefrom a mere
skeleton; the mind afllicted had tortured the body;
so much is the one in subjection to the other—I
returned sorrowful and dejected to my afflicted fam»
ily, whom I found in very little better condition.
We now from necessity took up our abode in an
obscure situation near Moorfields ; where, by my
constant application to business, I succeeded in
earning daily a humble pittance for my family,
bearly sufficient however to satisfy the cravings
of nature ; and to add to my afflictions, some one
of my family were almost constantly indisposed,

However wretched my situation there were many
others at this period, with whom I was particularly
acquainted, whose sufferings were greater if possible
than my own; and whom want and misery drove to
this commission of crimes, that in any other situation

thpv wr

LIFE AND ADVENTURES

they would probably not have been guilty of. Such
was the case of the unfortunate Bellamy, who was
capitally convicted and executed for a crime which
distresses in his family, almost unexampled, had in
a moment of despair, compelled him to commit. He
was one who had seen better days, was once a com*
missioned t fficer in the army, but being unfortunate
he was obliged to quit the service to avoid the hor-
rors cf a prison, and was thrown on the world, with-
out a single penny or a single friend. The distress-
es of his family were such that they were obliged to
live for a considerable time deprived of all susten-
ance except what they could deiive from scanty and
piecarious meals ot potatoes and n ilk- -in this situ-
ation his unfortunate wife was confined in child bed
--Itdgirg in an obscure ganet, she was destitute of
every species of these tcnvtniexcc* almost indekpen-
sable with feu, ales in her cor c'hion, being herself
withe ut clothes, and to procure a covering for her
new born infant, el) iheir resources were exhausted.
In this situation his wife and children must inevita-
bly have starved, were it not for the lean < f five shill-
ings which he walked frcm London to Blackheaih to
borrow. At his trial lie made a solemn appeal to
heaven, as to the truth of every particular as a.
bove stated- -and that so far from wishing to ex-
aggerate a single fact, he had suppressed many
n;cie instances of calamity scarcely to be parral-
leled— that after the disgrace brought upon him-
self by this single transaction, life could not be a

OF ISRAEL R. POTTftB. 73

boon he would be anxious to solicit, but that nature
pleaded in his breast for a deserving wife and help-
less child— all however was ineffectual, he was con-
demned and executed pursuant to his sentence.

I have yet one or two more raelancholly instances of
the effects of famine to record, the first of which hap*
pened within a mile ot my then miserable habitation
— a poor widow woman, who had been left destitute
with five small children, and who had been driven to
th? most awful extremities by hunger, overpower-
ed at length by the pitiful cries of her wretched off-
spring, for a morsel of bread, in a fit of despair, rush-
ed into the *hop of a baker in the neighborhood, antf
seizing a loaf of bread bore it off to the relief of her
starving family, and while in the act of dividing it a-
mong them, the baker (who had pursued her) enter-
ed arc! charged her with the theft— the charge she'
did not deny, but plead the starving condition of her
wretched family in palliation of the crime I— the ba-
ker noticing a platter on the table containing a quan-
tiiy of roasted meat, he pointed to it as a proof that
she could not have been driven to such an extremity
by hunger — but, his surprize may be better imagin-
ed than described, when being requested by the half
distracted mother to approach and inspect more
closely the contents of tire phtter, to frid it to con-
sist of !he remains of a roasted (tog ! and which she
i. (termed him had been her only food, and lhat of her
poor children, for the three preceding days !— the
baker struck with so shocking a proof of the poverty

LIFE AND ADVENTURES

and distress of the wretched ianiily, humanely contri-
buted to their relief until they were admitted into
the hospital*

1 was not personally acquainted with the family,
but I well knew one who was, and who communica*
lid to me the following melancholly particulars of its
wretched situation ; and with which I now present
my readers, as another proof of the deplorable situa-
tion of the peer in England, after the close of the A-
merican war :•— The minister of a parish was sent
for to attend the funeral of a deceased person in his
neighborhood, being conducted to the apartment
which contained the corpse (ar.d which was the only
one improved by the wretched family) he found it so
low as to be unable to stand upright in it — in » dark
corner of the room stocd a three legged stool, which
supported a coffin of rough boards, and which con-
tained the body of the wretched mother, who- had the
day previous expired in labour for the want of assis-
tance. The father was sitting on a little stool over
a lew coals of fire, and endeavouring to keep the in-
fant warm in his bosom ; five of his seven childien,
half naked, were asking their father for a piece of
bread, while another about three years old was stand-
ing over the corpse of his motherland crying, as Ue
was wont to do, "take me, take me, mammy !" —
» Mammy is asleep,*' said one of his sisters with
tears in her eyes, " mammy is asleep, Johnny, don't
cry, the good nurse has gone to beg you some bread
and will soon return I"— In a few minutes after, an

Of ISRAEL R. POTTER. ?5

old woman, crooked with age, and clothed in tatters
came hobbling into the room, with a two-penny loaf
in her hand, and after heaving a sigh, calmly set
down, and divided the loaf as far as it would go n-
mong the poor half famished children ? and which
she observed was the only food they had tasted for
the last 24 hours I By the kind interposition of the
worthy divine, a contribution was immediately raised
for the relief of this wretched family.

I might add many mbre melancholly instances of
the extreme poverty and distress of the wretched
poor of London, and with which 1 was personally ac-
quainted ; but the foregoing it is presumed will be
sufficient to satisfy the poorest class of inhabitants of
America, that, if deprived of the superfluities, so Ion;*
as they can obtain the necessaries of life, they ought
not to murmer, but have reason to thank the Almigh-
ty that they were born Americans. That one half the
world knows not how the other haif lives, is a com-
mon and just observation;— complaints and murmers
are frequent I find among those of the inhabitants of
this highly favoured country j who are not only bles-
sed with the liberty and means of procuring for them-
selves and their families, the necessaries and com.
forts, but even many of the luxuries of life !-~they
complain of poverty, and yet never knew what it was
to be really poor ! having never either experienced
or witnessed such scenes of distress and woe as I
have described, they even suppose their imaginary
wants and privations equal to those of almost any of
the human race !

LIFE AND ADVKJJTURE9

Let theae of my countrymen wh/o thus i
themselves ijniaerraUle amid plenty, -cwws fthe atlamic
and visit the misei^bte habitation* of seal ewJ jupaf-
fected woe-* if their hearts ane not destitute ofjfeiel-
»g, they will return satisfied to their own peaceful
*nd happy shores, and pour fourth the ejaculations
•I gratitude to that universal parent, who has given
Ibem abundance and exempted them from ihe thous-
and ills, under the pressure of which a great portion
of his children drag the load of life. Permit ,rae to
enquire ot such unreasonable murmerers. have you
compared your situation and circumsiance&of which
you so much complain, with that of those of your
fellow creatures, who are unable to earn by their hard
labour even a scanty pittance for their starving fam-
ilies ? have you compared your situation and circum-
stances with that of those who have hardly ever seen
the sun, but live confined in lead mines, stone quar-
ries, and coal pits ? — before you call yourselves
wretched, take a survey of the goals hi Europe, jin
which wretched beings who have been driven to the
commission of crimes by starvation, or unfortunate
and honest debtors (who have been torn trom their
impoverished families) are doomed to pine.

So far from uttering unreasonable complaints, tjie
hearts of my highly favoured countrymen ought ra-
ther to be filled with gratitude to that Being, by whose
assistance they have been enabled to avert so jmany
of the miseries of life, so peculiar to a portion tf the
oi Europe at the present day— and

OF ISRAEL B. POTTER. 77

after groaning themselves for some time under the
yoke of foreign tyranny, succeeded in emancipating
themselves from slavery and are now blessed with
the sweets of iibtrtv and the undisturbed enjoyment
of their natural rights Britain, imperious Britain?
who once boasted the freedom of her government and
the invincible power of her arras- now finds herself
reduced to the humiliating necessity of receiving les-
sons of liberty from those whom till late she dispis-
ed as slaves ! — while our own country on ihe other
hand, like a phenix rom her ashes, having emerged
from a long, an expensive and bloody war, and es-
tablished a constitution upon the broad and immova-
ble basis of national equality, now promises to be-
come the permanent residence of peace, liberty, sci-
ence, and national ftlicity. — But, to return to the tale
of my own sufferings-
While hundreds were daily becoming the wretch-
ed victims of hunger and slarvaiior , I was enabled by
my industry to obtain a morsel each day for my fam-
ily ; although [hit morsel, which was to b* divided a-
nii>ng four, would ma.iy times have proved insuffici*
ent to have satisfied the hunger of one— I seldom e-
ver failed from morning to night to cry ** old chairs
to mer.d," through thu principal streets of the city,
but many times with very little success— -if f obtained
four chairs to rebottum in the course of one day, I
considered myself loi tunaie indeed, but instances of
such good luck were very rare ; it was more fre-
quent that I did not obtain a single one, and after cry-
7*

78 LIFE AND ADVENTUBR3

ing the whole day until 1 made myself hoarse, I was
obliged to return to nay poor family at night empty
handed.

So many at one time engaged in the same business,
that had 1 not resorted to other means my family must
inevitably have starved— while crying " old chairs to
mend," I collected all the old rags, bits of paper, nails
and broken glass which I could find in the streets,
and which I deposited in a bag, which I carried with
me for that purpose— these produced me a trifle, and
that trifle when other resoarces failed, procured me
a morsel of bread, or a few pounds of potatoes, lor
xny poor wife and children— yet I murmeicd nut at
the dispensation of the supreme Arbiter of allot-
ments, which had assigned to me so humbled a line
of duty; although I could not have believed once,
that 1 should ever have been brought to such a state
of humiliating distress, as would have required such
means to alleviate it.

In February 1793, War was declared by Great
Britain against the republic of France— and although
War is a calamity that ought always to be regretted
by friends of humanity, as thousands are undoubted •
ly thereby involved hi misery ; yet, no event could
have happened at that time productive of so much
benefit to me. as this— it was the means of draining
the country of those who had been once soldiers, and
Vho, thrown out of employ by the peace, demanded
a sum so trifling for their services, as to cause a re-
duction in the wages of the poor labouring class of

OF ISRAEL R- POTTER. 7

people, to a sum insufficient to procure the necessa-
ries of life for their families ;— this evil was now re-
moved—the old soldiers preferred an employment
more in character of themselves, to doing the drud-
gery of the city— great inducements were held out
to them to enlist, and the army was not long retard-
ed in its operations for the want of recruits My
prospects in being enabled to earn something to sat-
isfy the calls of nature, became now more flattering ;
— the great number that had been employed during
-the Peace in a business similar to mv own, were now
reduced to one half, which enabled me to obtain such
an extra number of jobs at chair mending, that I no
longer found it necessary to collect the scrapings of
the streets as I had been obliged to do for the many
months past I was now enabled to purchase for my
family two or th-iee pounds of fresh meat each week,
an article to which (with one or two exceptions) we
had been strangers for more than a year— having
subsisted principally on potatoes, oat meal bread, and
salt fish, and sometimes, but rarely however, were
enabled to treat ourselves to a little skim milk.

Had not other afflictions attend? d me, I should not
have had murh cause to complain of very ex .^or-
dinary hardships or privations from this period, un-
til the conclusion of the war in 1817 ; — my family
had increased, and to increase my cares there was
scarcely a week passed but that some one of them
was seriously indisposed— of ten children of which I
was the faiher, 1 had the misfortune to bury seven

LIFR AKD ADVENTURES

under five years of age. and two more after fhev hacl
arrived to the age of twenty— mv last and only child
now living, it pleased the Almiirhtv to spare to me,
to administer help and comfort to his poor affl cted
parent, and without whose assistance I should (to
far from having been enabled ot ct more to visit the
land of my nativity) 'ere this have paid the debt of
nature in a fore gn land, and that too by a death nt
less horrible than that of starvation 1

As my life wa« unattended with any very extraor-
dinary circumstance (except the one just mentioned)
from lh; commencemen* of the war, until the re-es»
tablishment of monarchy ii, France- and ihe cessation
of hostilities on the part of G<eat Britain, in 1817, I
shall commence on the miration of mv unpirralel*
cd sufferings, frovp the latter period, until that when
by the kind interposition of P evidence^ 1 was enabled
finally to obtain a pas^e to my na'ive country ; and
to bid an adieu, and I hope and trust a final one, to
that Island, where 1 had endured a complication of
miseries beycwl the power of description.

The peace produced similar effects to that of 1783
—thousands were thrown out of employ and ti;e
streets of London thronged wi'h soldiers seeking
means to e-rn 3 humble subsistence. The ciy of
u Old Chairs to Mend/' (and that too at a very r-'duc-
ed price) was reiterated through the streets of Lon-
don by numbers \vho but the month before were at
\Vat rloo fighting the battles ol their country— which?
so seriously effected my Lioness in this line, that to

Q* ISRAEL R. POFTEB. 81

obtain food (and that of the most bumble kind) for
my . family j I was obliged once more to have recourse
to the collecting of scraps of rags, paper., glass, and
such other articles of however trifling value that I
could find in the sueets.

It was at this distressing period, that, in conse-
quence of the impossibility oi so great a number who
had been discharged from the service procuring a
livelihood by honest means, that instances of thefts,
and daring robberies, increased throughout Great
Britain three fold. Bands of highwaymen and rob-
bers hovered about the vicii.ity of London in num-
bers which almost defied suppression ; many were
taken and executed or transported ; but this seemed
to render the rest only the more desperately bold
and cruel, while house-breaking and assassination
were daily perpetrated with new arts and outrages
in the very capital. Nor were the starving condi.ion
of the ho nest poor, who were to be met with at all
times of day and in every street, seeking something
to appease their hunger, less remarkable— unable to
procure by any means within their power sustenance
sufficient to support nature, some actually became
the victims of absolute starvation, as the following
melancholly instance will show :— .a poor man ex-
ha u sted by want ; dropped down in the street — those
who were passing unacquainted with the frequency
of such melancholly events, at first thought him in-
toxicated ; but alter languishing half an hour, he ex-
pired . On the following day, an inquest was held

82 LIFE AND ADVENTURES

on the body, and the verdict of the jury not giving
satisfaction to the Coroner, they adjourned to the
next day— In the interim, two respectable surgeons
were engaged to open the body, in which not a par-
ticle of nutriment was to be found except a little yel«
low substance, supposed to be grass, or some crude
vegetable ; \fhich the poor man had swallowed to ap-
pease the cravings of nature !-»-this lamentable proof
confirmed the opinion of the jury, that he died for
want of the necessaries of life, and gave their ver.
diet accordingly.

Miserable as was the fate cf this man and that of
many others, mine was but little better, and would
ultimately have been the same, had it not been for
the assistance afforded me by my only remaining
child, a lad but six years of age, I had now arriv-
ed to an advanced age of life, and although posses-
sing an extraordinary constitution for one of my
years, yet by my incessant labours to obtain subsis-
tence for my family, I brought on myself a severe
fit of sickness, which confined me three weeks to
my chamber ; in which time my only sustenance
was the produce of a few half pennys, which my
poor wife and little son had been able to earn each,
day by, disposing of matches of their own make,
and in collecting and disposing of the si tides of
small value, of which I have before made mention*
which were to be found thinly scattered in the streets.
In three weeks it was the will of providence so far
to restore to me my strength, as to enable me one«

OF ISRAEL B. POTTER. «l

tnore to move abroad in search of something to
support naiure.

The tenement which I at this time rented and
which was occupied by my family, was a small and
wretched apartment of a garret, and for which I
had obligated myself to pay sixpence per weekj
which was to be paid at the close of every week ;
and in case of tailure (agreeable to the laws or cus-
toms of the land) my furniture was liable to be
seized* In consequence of my illness, and other
misfortunes? I fell six weeks in arrears for rent ;
and having returned one evening with my wife and
son, from the performance of our daily task, my
kind readers may judge what my feelings must
have been to find our room stripped of every arti-
cle (of however trifling value) that it contained I—-
alas, oh heavens ! to what er state of. wretchedness
were we now reduced ! if there was anything want-
ing to complete our misery, thh additional drop to
the cup of our afflictions, more than sufficed. Al-
though the real value of all that they had taken
from me, or rather robbed me of, would not if
publicly disposed of, have produced a sum probably
exceeding five dollars ; yet it was our all, except
the few tattered garments that we had on our backsf
and were serviceable and alUimportant to us in our
impoverished situation. Not an article of bedding
of any kind w^s left us on which to repose at night;
or a chair or stool on which we could rest our
wearied limbs ! but, as destitute as we were, and

84 LIFE AND ADVENTURES

naked as they had left our dreary apartment, we
had no other abiding place.

With a few halfpenny's which were jointly our
hard earnings of that day, I purchased a peck of
coal and a few pounds of potatoes ; which while
the former furnished us with a little fire, the latter
served for the moment to appease our hunger— by
a poor family in an adjoining room I was obliged
with the loan of a wooden bench* which served as
a seat am) a table, Irom which we partook of our
homely fare In this woeful situation, hovering o-
ver a few half consumed coals, we spent a sleepless
night. The day's dawn brought additional afflic-
tions--my poor wife who had until this period borne
her troubles without a sigh or a murmur, and had
passed through hardships and sorrows, which noth-
ing but the Supreme Giver of patience and forti-
tude, and her peifect confidence in him, could have
enabled her to sustain ; yet so severe and unexpec-
ted a stroke as the last; she could not withstand—
I found her in the morning gloomy and dejected,
and so extremely feeble as to be hardly able to
descend the stairs.

We left our miserable habitation in the morning,
with hopes that the wretched spectacle that we pre-
sented, weak and emaciated as we were, would
move some to pity and induce them to impart that
relief which our situations so much required"-it
would however be almost endless to recount the
many rebuffs we met with in our attempts to crave

6f ISRAEL ft. JOTTER. 85

fcgsistance* Some few indeed were more merciful,
and whatever their opinion might be of the cause
of our misery, the distress they saw us in excited
their chanty, andfcr their own sakes were induced
to contribute a trifle to our wants We alternately
happened among savages and Christians, but even
the latter, too much influenced 0y appearances, were
very sparing of their bounty.

With the small trifle that had been charitably be-
stowed on us. we relumed at night to our wretched
dwelling, which, stripped as it had been, could pro-
mise us but little more than a shelter, and where we
spent the night very much as the preceding one.—
Such was the debilitated state of my poor wife the
ensuing morning:, produced by excessive hunger and
fatigue, as to render it certain, that sinking under the
weight of misery, the hand of death in mercy to hers
was about to release her from her long and unpar-
alelled sufferings. 1 should be afraid of exciting too
pimful sensations in the minds of my readers, were
I to attempt to describe my feelings at this moment,
and to paint in all their horror, the miseries which
afterward attended me ; although so numerous had
been my afflictions, that it seemed impossible for a-
ay new calamity to be capable of augmenting them ;
— men accustomed to vicissitudes are not soon de-
jeoted, but there are trials which human nature a-
lone cannot surmount—indeed to such a state of
wretchedness was I now reduced, that had it not beea
'for my suffering family, life would have been nolon*
8

8« LIFE AND ADVENTURES

ger desirable. The attendance that the helpless sit-
uation of my pcor wife now demanded it was* not
within my power to afford her, as early the next day
1 was reluctantly driven by hunger abroad in search
of something that might serve to contribute to our
relief. } teft my unfortunate companion, attended by
no other person but our little son, destitute of fuel
and food, and stretched en an armful of straw, which
I had been so fortunate as to provide myself with the
clay preceding ;— the whole produce of my labours
this day (which I may safely say was the most mcl-
ancholly one of iny life) amounted to no more than
one shilling! which I laid out to the best advantage
possible, in the purchase of a few oi the necessaries,
which the situation of my sick companion most re-
quired.

I ought to have mentioned, that previous to this
melancholly period, when most severely afHicud, I
had been two or three limes driven to the necessity
of making application to the Overseers of the poor, of
the parish in which I resided, for admittance inio the
Almshouse, or for some assistance, but never with a-
ny success ; having always been put off by them with
some evasive answer or 'frivolous pretence— some-
times charged by them with being an imposter, and
that laziness more than debility and real want, hed
induced me to make the application— at other times
} was told that being an American born, I had no law-
ful claim on the government of that country for sup-
port ; that I ought to have made application to the

Wr ISRAEL* R. POTTBB. < 87

American Consul for assistance, whose business it
was to assist such of his countrymen whose situations
required it.

But such now was my distress, in consequence of
the extreme illness of my wife, that I must receive
that aid so indispensably necessary at this important
trisis, or subject myself to witness a scene no less
distressing, than that of my poor wretched wife, ac-
tually perishing for the want of that care and nour-
ishment which it was not in my power to afford
her ! Thus situated I was induced to renew my ap-
plication to the Overseer for assistance, representing
to him the deplorable situation of my family, who
were actually starving for the want of that sustenance
which it was not in my power to procure for them ;
and what I thought would most probably effect his
feelings, described to him the peculiar and distress-
ing situation of my wife, the hour of whose dissolu-
tion was apparently fast approaching— but, I soen
found that f was addressing one who possessed a
heart callous to the feelings of humanity— one, whose
feelings were not to be touched by a representation
of the greatest misery with which human nature
could be Afflicted. • Tho same cruel observations
were made as before, that I was a vile imposture who
was seeking by imposition to obtain that support in
England, which my own country had withheld from
me — that the American Yankees had fought for and
obtained their Independence, and yet were not inde-
pendent enough to support their own poor !— that

LIFE AN» ADTBNTUB1S

Great Britain would find enough to do, was she to
afford relief to every d— d yankee vagabond that
should apply for it ! — fortunately for this abusive
feritish scoundrel, 1 possessed not now that bodily
strength and activity, which I could once boast of, or
the villian (w-hether within his majesty's dominions
•r not) should have received on the spot a proof of
"Yankee Independence" for- his insolence

Failing in my attempts to obtain the assistance
which the lamentable situation of my wife required,
lhad recourse to other means —I waited on two or
three gentlemen in my neighborhood, who had been
represented to me a» persons of humanity, and in-
treated them to visit my wretched dwelling, and to
satisfy themselves by occular demonstration, of the
state of my wretchedness, especially that of my dying
companion— they complied with my request, and
were introduced by me to a scene, which for misery
and distress, they declared surpassed every thing that
they had tv<r before witnessed !— they accompanied
me immediately to one in whom was invested the
principal government of the poor of the parish, arid
represented to him> the scene of human misery which
they had been an eye witness to — whereupon an or-
der was issued to have my wife conveyed to the
Hospital, which was immediately clone and where
she was comfortably provided for— but, alas, the re-
lift which her situation had so much required had
been too long deferred— her deprivation and suffer-
ings had been too great to admit of her being nojF .:,

07 ISRAEL R. POTTER. #9

restored to her former state of health, or relieved by
ary thitis: thai. cou«J be administered —after her re-
moval to the H > pita), she lingered a few days i • a
staie of perfect insensibility, and then closed her eyes
forever on a world, where for many years, she had
been the unhappy subject of almost constant afflio
tion.

I felt very sensibly the irreparable loss of one who
had been my companion in adversity, as well as in
prosperity ; and when blessed with health, had affor-
ded m by her industry that assistance, without
which, the sufferings of our poor chi dren would
have been greater if possible than what they were.
My situation was now truly a lonely one, bereaved of
my wife, and all my children except one ; who', al-
though but little more than seven years of age, was a
child of that sprig hliness and activity, as to possess
himself with a pe; feet knowledge of >be chair bottom-
ing business, and by which he earned not only enough
(when work could be obtained) to furnish himself
with food, but contributed much to the relief oi his
surviving parent, when confined by illness and infir-
mity.

We continued to improve the apartment from
which my wife had been removed, until I was so for*
tunate as to be able to rem a ready furnished apart*
ment (as it was termed) at four shillings and sixpence
per week. Apartments of this kind are not uncom-
mon in London, and are intended to accommodate
poor families, situated as we were, who had been so
S*

90 LIFE AND AD VENT USES

tinfortunate as to be stripped of every thing but the
cloathes on their backs by their unfeeling landlords.
The.se « ready furnished rooms" were nothing but
miserable apartments in garrets, and contain but few
more conveniences than what many of our common
prisons in America afford — a bunk of straw, with
two or three old blankets, a couple of chairs, and a
rough table about three feet square, with an article
or two of iron ware in which to cook our victuals (if
we should be so fortunate as to obtain any) was the .
contents of the " ready furnished apartment" that we
was now about to occupy— but even with these few
conveniences, it was comparatively a palace to the
one we had lor several weeks past improved.

When my health would permit, 1 seldom failed to
visit daily the most public streets of the city, and
from morning to night cry for old chairs to mend —
accompanied by my son Thomas, with a bundle of
flags, as represented in the Plate annexed to this vol-
ume If we was so fortunate as to obtain a job of
work more than we could complete in the day, with
the permission of the owner, I would convey the
chairs* on my back to my humble dweLirig, and witrr
the assi lance of my little son, improve the evening
to complete the work, which would produce us a few
half prnnys to purchase something for our breakfast
the next morning— l>ut it was very seldom that in»
stances of this kind occurred, as it was more fre-
quently the ease that after crjing for old chairs to
mend, the whole day, we were obliged to return^

ISRAEL It. POTTER 9 1

hungry and weary, and without a tingle half penny
in our pockets, to our humble dwelling, where we
were obliged to fast until the succeeding day ; and
indeed there were some instances in which we were
compelled to fast two or three days successively)
without being able to procure a single job of wjrk«
•—The rent I had obligated myself to pay every night,
and freqaently when our hunger was such as hardly
to be endured, I was obliged to reserve the few pen-
nys that 1 was possessed of to apply to this purpose.
In our most starving condition when every ofher
plan failed, my little son would adopt the expedient
of sweeping the public cause- ways (leading from one
walk to the other) where he would labour the whole
day, with the expectation of receiving no other re-
ward than what the generosity of gentlemen, who had
occasion to cross, would induce them to bestow in
chuity, and which seldom amounted to more than
a few pennys— sometime the poor boy would toil
in thi • way the whole day, without being so fortunate
as to receive a single half penny— it was then he
would return home sorrowful and dejected, and while
he attempted to conceal his own hu ger. with tears
in his eyes, would lament his hard fortune in not be-
ing able to obtain something to appease mine.— -
While he was thus employed i remained at home,
bat not idle, being as busily engaged in making
matches, with which ('.vhen he returned home emp-
ty handed j we were obliged as fatigued jt* we were,
to visit the markets to expose for sale, and where we

JS LIFE AND ADVENTURES

were obliged sometimes to tarry until eleven o'clock
at night, before we could meet with a single purcha-
•er

Having one stormy night of a Saturday, visited the
market with my son for this purpose, and after expos-
ing ourselves to the chilling rain until pastjlO o'clock;
without being able either of us to sell a single match)
1 advised the youth (being thinly clad to return home
feeling disposed to tarry myself a while longer, in
hopes that better success might attend me, a* having
already fasted one day and r,irht> it was indispensa-
bly necessary that 1 should ob am something to ap-
pease our hunger the succeeding day (Sunday) or
what seemed almost impossible, to endure longer its
torments ! 1 remained until the clock struck eleven,
the hour at which the market closed, and yet had
met with no better success ! It is impossible to de-
scribe the sensation of despondency which over-
wlie;med me at this moment I 1 now considered it
as certain that I must return home wiih nothing
wherewith to satisty our craving appetites— and with
my mind filled with the most heart rending reflec-
tions, I was about, to return, when. Heaven seemed
pleased to interpose in my behalf, and to send relkf
when I little expected it ; -passing a beef stall I at-
tracted the notice of the butcher who viewing me,
probably as I was, a miserable object of i;»'y, emaci-
ated i)> L-ng iastings, and cla i in tattered garments,,
fro n wuica the water wa^ frst drippling, and judg-
ing uo doubt b) my appearance lhat on no one could

Or ISRAEL ». POTTER. 9&

charity be more properly bestowed, he threw into my
basket a beeve's heart, with the request that 1 would
depart with it immediately . for my home, if any I
had ! — I will not attempt to describe the joy that 1 felt
on this occasion, in so unexpectedly meeting with
that relief, which my situation so«much required, I
hastened home with a much lighter heart than what
3 had anticipated ; and when I arrived; the sensations
of joy exhibited by my little son on \iewing the prize
that I bore, produced effects aa various as extraordi-
nary ; he wept, then laughed and danced with trans-
port.

The reader must suppose that while I found it so
extremely difficult to earn enough to preserve us
from starvation, I had little to spare for cloathing and
other necessaries ; and that this was really my situ*
ation, i thiiik no one will doubt, when 1 positively
declare that to such extremeties was i driven, that
being unable to pay a bavber for shaving me I was
obliged to adopt the expedient ior more than two
years, of clipping my beard as close as possible with
a pair of scissors, wfcich 1 kept expressly ior that pur-
pose ' — as strange and laughable as the circumstance
may appear to some, I assure the reader that I state
facts, and exaggerate nothing. As regarded our
cloathes, 1 can say no more than that they were the
best that we could procure, and were such as persons
in cur situation! were obliged to wear— they served
to conceal our nakedness, but would have proved in*
ftufficiem to have protected our bodies, from .the if*»

;94 L1IE AND ADVENTURES

clemency ef the weather of a colder climate. Such
indeed was sometimes our miserable appearance,
t lad in tattered garments, that while engaged in our
employment in crying for old chairs to mend, we not
•nly attracted the notice of many, but there were in-
stances in which a few half pennys unsolicited weie
bestowed on us in charity — an instance of this kind
happenetione day as I was passing through thread-
needle street ; a gentleman perceiving by the appear-
ance of the shoes that 1 wore, that they were about
to quit me, pat a half crown in my hand, and bid me
go and cry " old i hoes to meed !'•

In long and gloomy winter evenings, when unable
to furnish myself with any other light than that emit-
ted by a little fire of se« -coal, I vrould attempt to
drive away mcbncholly by amusing my son with an
account of my native country, and of the many bles-
•ings there enjoyed by even the poorest classof peo-
ple—of their fair fields producing a regular supply
of bread— their convenient houses, to which they
could Repair after the toils of the day, to partake of
the fruits of their labour, safe^ from the storms and
the cold, and where they could lay down their heads
lo rest without any to molest them or to make them
afraid. Nothing could have been better calculated
to excite animation in the rr.ind of the poor child, than
an account so flattering of a country which had giv-
en birth to his father, and to which he had received
my repeated assurances he should accompany me as
soon as an opportunity should present — after expres-

OF ISRAEL ft. POTTER* 95

sing his fears that the happy day was yet far distant*
with a deep sigh he wouid exclaim " would to God
it was to morrow \"

About a year after the decease of my wife, T was
taken extremely ill insomuch that at one time my
life was 'desparred of, and had it not been for the '
friendless and lonely situation in which such an event
would have placed my son, I should have welcomed
the hour of my dessolution and viewed it as a con*
summation rather to be wished than dreaded ; for so
great had been my sufferings of mind and body, and
the miseries to which I was still exposed, that life '
had reaily become a burthen to me—indeed I think
it would have been difficult to have found on the face
of the earth a being- more wretched than I had been
for the three years past.

During my illness my only friend on earth waa my
son Thomas, who did every thing to alleviate my
wants within the power of his age to do—sometimes
by crying for old chairs to mend (for he had become
as expert a workman at this busmen as his father)
and sometimes by sweeping the cause-ways, and by
making and selling matches, he succeeded in earn*
ing each day a trifle sufficent to procure for me and
himself a humble sustenance. When 1 had 'so far
recovered as to be able to creep abroad, and the youth
had been so fortunate as to obuin a good job, ! wouid
accompany him, although/very feeble, and assist him
in conveying the chairs home— -h wai> on such occa-
sions that my dear child would manifest .-bis tender-

tfi LIFE AND ADTBNTUH13

ness and affection for me, by insisting (if there were
four chairs) that I should carry but one, and he wouid
carry the remaining three, or in that proportion rfa
greater or less '-umber.

From the moment that I had 'informed him of the
many blessings • njoved by my countrymen of every
class I \vas almost constantly urged by my son toap.
ply to the A nerican Consul tor a passage — it *as in
vain that I it presented to him that if such an appli-
cation was aitended wiih success, and the opportuni-
ty should be improved by me, 'it must rause our se-
peration, pefhaps forever ; as he would not be per-
miued to accompany me at the expence oi govern-
ment —"never mind me (he would repl> ) do noi lather
suffer any more on my account \ if you can only suc-
ceed in obtaining a passage to a country where you
can enj< y .he blessings that you have described to
me, 1 mav hereafter 'be so fortunate as to meet with
an opportunity to join you- -and it not, it will be a
consolation to me, whatever my afflictions may be, to
think that yours have ceased!" My ardent wish to
return to America, was not less than that of my son,
but could not bear the thoughts ot a seperation \ of lea-
ving him behind exposed to all the miseries peculiar
to the friendless poor of that country ;---he was a
child of my old age, and from whom I had received
too many proofs of his love and regard lor me, not to
feel that parental aff'Ction for him to which
able disposition entitled him.

i was indeed unacquainted with the place of

«T ISRAEL R. POTTES. $?

dence of the American Consul— I had made frequent
enquiries, but found no one that could inform me
eorrectly where he might be found ; but so anxitus
was my son that I should spend the remnant of my
days in that country where I should receive (if noth-
ing more) a Christian burial at my decease, and bid
adieu forever to a l&nd where I had spent so great a
portion of my life in sorrow, and many years had en-
dured the lingering tortures of protracted famine »
that he ceased not to enquire of every one with whom
he was acquainted, until he obtained the wished for
information. Having learned the place of residence
of the American Consul, and fearful of the conse-
quences of delay, he would give me no peace until
1 promised that I would accompany him there th*
succeeding day, if my strength would admit Of it ;
for although ! had partially recovered from a severe
Tit of sickness, yet I was still so weak and feeble as
to be scarcely able to walk.

My son did not forget to remind me early the next
morning oi my promise, and to gratify him more than
with an expectation of meeting; with much success*
I set out with him, feeble as I was, for the Consul's.
The distance was about two miles, and before I had
succeeded in reaching half the way, I had wished
myself a dozen times safe home again and had it not
been for the strong persuasions of my son to the con*
trary, 1 certainly should have returned.-*! was never
before so sensible of the effects of my long suffer-
ings—which had produced thatrdegree of bodily

91 fclFR AND ADTBNTUBE&

weakness and debility, as to leave me scarcely
strength sufficient to move without the assistance of
my son ; who, when he feund me reeling or halting
through weakness, would support me until 1 had
gained sufficient strength to proceed.

Although the distance was but two miles, yet such
was the state of my weakness, that although we star-
ted early in the morning* it was half past 3 o'clock
P. M. when we reached the Consul's office, when I
•was so much exhausted as to be obliged to ascend
the steps on my hands and knees. Fortunately we
found the Consul in, and on my addressing him and
acquainting him with the object of my visit, he seem-
ed at first unwilling to credit the fact that 1 was an
American born— but after interrogating me some-
time, as to the place of my nativity, the cause which
first brought me to England, 8cc, he seemed to be
more satisfied ; he however observed (on being in-
formed that the lad who accompanied me was my son)
that he could procure a passage for me, hut not for
him, as being born in England, the American gov-
ernment would consider him a British subject, and
under no obligation to defray the expence of his pas-
sage—-and as regarded myself, he observed, that he
had his doubts, so aged and infirm as I appeared to
be, whether I should live to reach America, if I
should attempt it.

I cannot say that I was much surprised at the ob-
servations of the Consul, as they exactly agreed with
what I had anticipated— and as anxious as I then felt

OF ISRAEL R. POTTER. $9

to Tiiit once more my native country, I felt deter-
mined not to attempt it, unless 1 could be accompa-
nied by my son, and expressed myself to this effect
to the Consul— the poor lad appeared nearly over-
come with grief when he saw me preparing to return
without being able to effect my object ; indeed so
greatly was he affected, and such the sorrow that hs
exhibited, that he attracted the notice (and I believe
1 may add the pity) of the Consul— who, after mak-
ing some few enquiries as regarded his disposition,
age, &c. observed that he could furnish the lad with
a passage at his* own expence, which he should have
no objection to do if I would consent to his living
with a connexion of his (the Consul,) on his arrival
in America— ."but (continued he,) in such a case you
must be a while sepe rated, for it would be imprudent
for you to attempt the passage until you have gained
more strength— 1 will pay your board, where by bet-
ter living than you have been latterly accustomed to,
you may have a chance to recruit— but your son
must take passage on board the London Packet*
which sails for Boston the day after to-morrow."

Although but a few moments previous, my son
would have thought no sacrifice too great, that would
have enabled us to effect our object in obtaining pas-
sages to America ; yet, when hs found that instead of
himself, I was to be left for a while behind, he ap-
peared at some loss how to determine— but on being
fissured by the Consul that if my life was spared I
should soon join him, he consented ; and being fur-

lOO LIVE AND

niched by the Consul with a few necessary articles c?
eloathing, I the next day accompanied him on board
the packet which was to convey him (o America—
and after giving him the best advice that I was cap-
able of as regarded his behaviour and deportment
while on his passage, and en his arrival in America,
1 took ray leave of him and saw him no! again uniij
] met him on the wharf on my arrival at Boston.

When I parted with the Consul he presented me
with half a crown, and directions where to apply for
board— -it was at a public Inn where I found many
American seamen, who, like myself, were boarded
there at the Consul's expence, until passages could
be obtained for them to America— i was treated by
them with much civility, and by hearing tht-sn daily
recount their various and remarkable adventures, as
well as by relating my own, 1 passed my time more
agreeably than what I probably should have done in
other society.

In eight weeks I was so far recruited by good liv-
ing, as in the opinion of the Consul, to be able to en»
dure the fatigues of a passage to my native country,
and which was procured for me on board the ship
Carterian, bound to New- York. We set sail on the
3th April, t 823, and after a passage of 42 days, arriv-
ed saie at our port of destmaticn. Afttr having expe-
rienced in a foreign land so much ill treatment from
those from whom I eouid expect no mercy, and for
no oiher fault than that of being an American, I could
not but flatter myself that when I bid adieu to tha$

•V ISRAEL 1

country, I should no ^longer ije tjiq .subject <$; .uajutt
persecution, or nave occasion W complain af' ill ir eat*
ment from those whose duty it was to afford me pro-
tection. But the sad reverse which 1 experienced
while on board the Carterian, convinced me of the
incorrectness of my conclusions. For my country's
sake, I am happy that I have it in my power to s-»y
that the crew of this ship> was not composed alto-
gether of Americans— there was a mixture of all
natiens ; and among them some so vile, and destiiu^
of every humane principle, as to delight in nothing
so much as to sport with the infirmities of one, who*c
grey lock* ought at least to have protected him. By
those unfeeling wretches (who deserve not the name
of sailors) 1 was not only most shamefully ilUused
on the passage, but was robbed of some necessary
articles of cloathing, which had been chaiitably be-
stowed on me by the American Consul.

We arrived in the harbour of New-York about
midnight, and such were the pleasing sensations pro*>
duced by the reflection that on the morrow I should
be indulged with the priviledge of walking once more
on American ground after an absence of almost 50
years, and that but a short distance now separated me
from my dear son, that it was in vain that 1 attempt-
ed to close rny eyes to sleep. Never was the morn*
ing'* dawn so cheerfully welcomed by me. I solici-
ted and obtained the permission of the captain to be
early set on shore, and on reaching which, I did not

forget to offer up my unfeigned thanks to that Al«
9*

102

> whtf had toot or-iy sustained me
•ing tny Wavy afflicii<ih» 'abfoAd, but had finally re-
stored me te my native country. The pleasure that
I enjoyed in viewing the streets thronged by those,
who, although I could not claim as acquaintances, 1
could greet as my countrymen, wa» unbounded, I
felt a regard for almost every object that met my eye,
because it was American.

Great as was my joy on finding myself once more
amor g my countrymen, 1 felt not a Tittle impatient
for the arrival of the happy moment when I should
be able to meet my eon. Agreeable to the orders
which I received from the American Consul, I appli-
ed to the Custom House in New-York for a passage
from thence to Boston, and with which I was provid-
ed on board a regular packet which sailed the morn-
ing ensuing— in justice to the captain, I must say
that I was treated by him as well as by all on board,
with much civility. We arrived at the Long Whaif
in Boston after a short and pleasant passage I had
been informed by the Consul, previous to leaving
London, of the name of the gentleman with whom
my son probably lived, and a fellow passenger on
board the packet was so good as to call on and in-
form him ot my arrival — in less than fifteen minutes
after receiving the information my son met me on
the wharf I Reader, you will not believe it possible
forme to describe my feelings correctly at this joy fu!
moment I if you are a parent, you may have some
conception of them j but a faint one however unless

O? ISRAEL ». POTTER. W3

you and an only and beloved child have been placed
in a fcimilar situation.

After acquainting myself with the statt of my
boy's health, 8cc. my next enquiry was whether he
iound the country as it had been described by me,
and how he esteemed it— * well, extremely well (was
his reply) since my arrival I have fared like a Prince,
I have meat every day, and have feasted on American
puddings and pies (suth as you used to tell me about)
until I have become almost sick of them !"" I was
immediately conducted by him to the house of the
gentleman with whom he lived, and by whom 1 was
treated with much hospitality — in the afternoon of
the day succeeding (by the earnest request of my
son) I visited Bunker-Hill, which he had a curiosity
te view, having heard it so frequently spoken of by
me while in London, as the place where the memor-
able battle was fought and in which J received my
wounds.

I continued in Boston about a fortnight, and then
set out on foot to visit once more my native State.
My son accompanied me as far aa Roxbury, when 1
was obliged reluctantly to part with him, and pro-
ceeded myself no farther on my journey that day.
than Jamaica plains, where at a public house I tarri-
ed all night — from thence I started earty the nest
morning and reached Providence about 5 o'clock in
the afternoon> and obtained lodgings at a public Inn
Hi High- Street.

It may not be improper here to acquaint my

*•* LIFE AND ADVENTURES

ders that as 1 had left my father possessed of very
considerable preperly, and of which at his decease I
thought myself entitled to a portion equal to that of
the other children, which (as my father was very e-
eonomical in the management of his affairs) 1 knew
could not amount to a very inconsiderable sum ; it
Tras to obtain thU if possible, that I becawe extreme-
ly anxious to visit immediately the place of my na-
tivity—accordingly the day after 1 arrived in Provi-
iclence. I hastened to Cranston, to seek my connex-
ions if any were to be found ; and if aot to seek among
the most aged of the inhabitants, some one who had
not forgotten me, and who might be able to furnish
me with the sought for information. But, alas, loo
•oon were blasted ray hopeful expectations of finding
something m reserve far me, that might have affor-
ded me a humble support, the few remaining years
of my life. It was by a distant connexion that I was
informed that my brothers had many years since re-
moved to a distant part of the country — that having
credited a rumour in circulation of my death, at the
decease of my father had disposed of the real estate
of which he died possessed, and had divided the pro-
ceeds equally among themselves ! This was anoth-
er instance of adverse tortune that I had not antici-
pated!— it was indeed a circumstance so foreign
Ironi my mind that 1 felt myself for the first lime,
tinhappy, since my return to my native country, and
even believed myself now doomed to endure, among
»y own counirymen 'vfor whose liberties 1 had foughlt

G* ISRAEL R. POTTER. 105

and bled) miseries ilmilar to those that had attended
me for many years in Europe. With these gloomy
forebodings I returned to Providen«e, and contract-
ed for board with the gentleman at whose house I
had lodged the Hist night of my arrival in town, and
to whom for the kind treatment that 1 have recei?ed
from him and his family, 1 shall feel till death under
the deepest obligations that gratitude can dictate ; for
I can truly say of him, that 1 was a stranger and he
took me in, I was hungry and naked) and he fed and
cloathed me.

As I had never received any remuneration for ser»
vices rendered, and hardships endured in the cause
of my country, I was now obliged, as my last resort>
to petition Congress to be included in that number of
the few surviving soldiers of the Revolution, for
whose services they had been pleased to grant pen-
sions—and I would to God that I could add, for the
honour of my country, that the application met with
iis deserving success— but. although accompanied by
the deposition of a respectable gentleman (which de-
position I have thought proper to annex to my nar-
lative) satisfactorily confirming every iact as therein
stated— -yet on no other principle, than that / was ab-
sent from the country it/hen the pension law fiassfd—my
Petition was REJECTED ! ! I Reader, I have bee n
for 30 years (as you will perceive by what I have sta-
ted in the foregoing pages) subject, in *. foreign coun-
try; to almost all the miseries with which poor hu-
man nature IB capable of being inflicted — yet) in DO.

106 LIFE AND ADVENTURES

one instance did I ever feel so great degree of a dev
pression of spirits, as when the fate of ray Petition
was announced to me! 1 love too well the country
vhich gave me birth, and entertain too high a respect
for those employed in its government, to reproach
them with ingratitude ; yet, it is my sincere prayer
that this strange and unprecedented circumstance) of
withholding fiom me that reward which they have
so generally bestowed on others, may never be told
in Europe, or published in the streets of London, least
it reach the ears of some who had the effrontery to
declare to me personally, that for the active part that
I had taken in the « rebellious war" misery and star-
vation would ultimately be my reward I

To conclv»de«*althcugh I may be again unfortun-
ate in a renewal of my application to govenment, for
that reward to tviich my services so justly entitle
me — yet 1 feel thankful that I am priviledged (after
•nduring so much) to spend the remainder of my
days, among those who I am confident are posses-
sed of too much humanity, to see me suffer ; and
which I am sensible I owe to the divine goodness*
which graciously condescended to support me un»
dei my numerous afflictions, and finally enabled me
to return to my native country in the 79th year of
my age— for this 1 return unfeigned thanks to the
Almighty ; and hope to give during che remainder
of my life, convincing testimenies of the strong im-
pression which those afflictions made on my mind,
fcy devoting myself sincerely to the dunes of religion.

01? ISRAEL A. FOTTE&. JOf

DEPOSITION OF JOHN VTAL.
f JOHN VIAL of North Providence, in the county
of Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, on
oath certify and say, that sometime in the latter part
of November or the beginning of December A.D.
1775--- 1 entered as gunner's mate on board the
Washington, a public armed vessel in the service
of the United States, and under the command of
S. Martindale, Esq«— said vessel was sent out by
order of Gtneral WASHINGTON, from Plymouth
(Mass.) to cruize in Boston harbour to intercept
supplies going to Boston, ther* in the possession of
the British troops. Alter we had been out a short
time, we were captured by a British 20 gun ship,
called the " Foy " and weie carried to Bcstor, wher*
we remained about a week and were then put on
board the frigate Tartar, and sen* to England as
prisoners'—and 1 the sa<d John further testify ard
say, that 1 well remember lsr.M-1 K Potter, now re-
siding in Cranston, who was a mariner on board the
Washington also — said Potter entered about the time
1 did and was captured and carried to Eagland with
me. We arrived in England in January 1776, we
were then put into the Hospital, the greater part of
the crew being sick in consequence of the confine-
ment during the voyage, where many died — 1 remain-
ed in imprisonment about sixteen iror.ths when I
tnncle my escape— what became of sakt Potter after*
wards 1 do net know bin I have not the least doubt
lie remained a piiboner until the ptace 1783 as he

10S U*B AMD ABVENTUAP.S »? ScC.

stated in his application for a pension— I have a*
doubt he suffered a great deal during his captivity.
According to my best recollection nearly one third
of the crew died in the hospital— -1 do remember an
affair which took place during our voyage to England
which caused Potter to suffer a great deal more than
perhaps he otherwise would— a number of the crew
of the Washington formed a plan to rise and take the
Frigate but was defeated in their purpose, among
%vhom I believe Potter was one, and in consequence,
put in irons for the remaining part of the voyage with
a number of others. And 1 the said John do further
testify that I do not know of any of the said crew of th4
Washington now being alive except said Potter and
myself-— and that I do not believe it to be in the pow-
er of said Potter to procure any other testimony of
the above mentioned facts except mine.

JOHN VIAL.

Rhode Island District— Providence Aug 6, 1823.

The said John Vial, who is well known to me and
is a creditable witness, made solemn oath to the truth
of the foregoing doposition by him subscribed in my
presence. DAVID HOWELL.

DISTRICT JUDGE.

ERRATA.

In page 82, 15th line ftom the top for " a child but
six years of age" read •' a child but seven years of
age" — In page 82, sixth line from the top, for " six-
pence per week" read " sixpence per day"— In ad.
diticntothe above some few typographical errors of
vcrds m prrperly spelled, escaped the notice of thfc
publisher, until too late to correct them.

M92562

*

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