|
|
Lib. J. R.
& U. S.
|
ing a Man and two Women near the Creek's Side, I advanced
towards them, and one of them saying you may come through
here I immediately waded through, and the sentry conducted
me to Colonel Stevens the Commandant, I was glad to have
thus escaped from the ffrench and Indians by whom I had
and should have been treated as a Slave, but I was at the
same time very anxious, and much afraid, I should be now
discovered and punished as a Deserter; I therefore pretended
that I had been taken Prisoner by a party of Indians some
time before and carried off by them from the Frontiers as
other poor Wretches had been, I communicated to Colonel
|
|
|
|
p. 151
|
Stevens all that I knew of the late Transactions of the French
and their Indian Allies, the Strength of their Forts, and
Garrisons and what I had heard of their future Designs, and
concealed nothing from him but my Desertion from Fort
Cumberland, the discovery of which I apprehended might
endanger my Life. The Colonel seemed satisfied with the
Account I gave, ordered me some Cloaths and Victuals, and
I was treated kindly while I remained there, which was
part of three Days, one Plummer who lives near Fort Fred-
erick, happened to be then at Fort Cumberland, and a Party
was ordered to escort him thence to Cresap's Fort, they took
me with them and as they had given me some spirituous
Liquor before we set off and made me drink more on the
Road as well as after we reached Cresap's, I became very
drunk and was intirely deprived of my Senses whether I did
say any thing about my having heretofore lived in Baltimore
County with Darby Tool, or any other Roman Catholics I
know not, but next day Plummer and some others of the
party told me that I had confessed in my Liquor that I had
lied to Colonel Steven, that I was not taken prisoner but
went off voluntarily to the French being incited thereto by
several Roman Catholics who corresponded with the Enemy,
on my insisting that T had uttered no such Words, or that if
I had there was not the least Truth in them, some of the
Company beat me unmercifully, and one of them heated a
Gun Barrel, and swore he would instantly put me to Death
with it, if I dared to deny a Syllable of what they said I had
spoke over night, and in short they threatned me so terribly
that I was persuaded there was no other Way for me to save
my Life than by acknowledging what they told me I had
declared while I was drunk, and by assenting to all the Ques-
tions that they thought proper to ask me. I found that they
would be pleased with my making some Information against
the Catholicks, and as I knew some of that profession, and
had heard the Names of others, while I lived in Baltimore,
I framed such a Story as T thought would be believed, and on
|
|
