MDXXXIV

THE CLAIMS OF THE AMERICAN LOYALISTS; AN

APOLOGUE

Lion, king of a certain forest, had among his subjects a body of faithful dogs, in principle and affection strongly attached to his person and government, and through whose assistance he had extended his dominions, and had become the terror of his enemies.

Lion, however, influenced by evil councellors, took an aversion to the dogs, condemned them unheard, and ordered his tigers, leopards, and panthers to attack and destroy them.

The dogs petitioned humbly, but their petitions were rejected haughtily; and they were forced to defend themselves, which they did with bravery.

A few among them, of a mongrel race, derived from a mixture with wolves and foxes, corrupted by royal promises of great rewards, deserted the honest dogs and joined their enemies.

The dogs were finally victorious; a treaty of peace was made, in which Lion acknowledged them to be free, and disclaimed all future authority over them.

The mongrels, not being permitted to return among them, claimed of the royalists the reward that had been promised.

A council of the beasts was held to consider their demand.

The wolves and the foxes agreed unanimously that the demand was just, that royal promises ought to be

kept, and that every loyal subject should contribute freely to enable his Majesty to fulfil them.

The horse alone, with a boldness and freedom that became the nobleness of his nature, delivered a contrary opinion.

"The king," said he, "has been misled by bad ministers, to war unjustly upon his faithful subjects. Royal promises, when made to encourage us to act for the public good, should indeed be honorably acquitted; but if to encourage us to betray and destroy each other they are wicked and void from the beginning. The advisers of such promises, and those who murdered in consequence of them instead of being recompensed, should be severely punished. Consider how greatly our common strength is already diminished by the loss of the dogs. If you enable the king to reward these fratricides, you will establish a precedent that may justify a future tyrant in making like promises; and every example of such an unnatural brute rewarded will give them additional weight. Horses and bulls, as well as dogs, may thus be divided against their own kind, and civil wars produced at pleasure, till we are so weakened that neither liberty nor safety is any longer to be found in the forest, and nothing remains but abject submission to the will of a despot, who may devour us as he pleases."

The council had sense enough to resolve,-That the demand be rejected.

MDXXXV

ANALYSIS OF THE AMERICAN LOYALISTS

Two hundred and eighty-eight persons called Loyalists, and specified by name in the Morning Post, classed in the following manner: Persons residing in Great Britain

Deceased persons

32

Apostates, that is to say, persons who had conformed to the American Government, and voluntarily taken the necessary oaths, among whom also are divers who had been demagogues and leaders of the people, and who had reformed in hopes of saving their estates after the capture of Charlestown by Sir Henry Clinton, and who are now desirous of being reformed for the same benefit, 139 Persons of doubtful principle, viz., who, from

12

the beginning, were endeavoring to play a safe game, and take the strongest side, as occasion might offer Persons whose names are unknown, and others who are known to be of no weight or importance, the greatest part of whom would probably come under the title of Apostates, 71

MDXXXVI

CATALOGUE LIST OF BRITISH CRUELTIES '

-), a

1. The burning of Charlestown, (date fine town by the waterside, being a port, but without any defence. A spire, rising among the houses, belonging to the House of Worship. A belfrey belonging to the Town House all in flames, the inhabitants had all left it.

2. The burning of Falmouth-date, November, 1775-a fine town and port, but without defence. Ships firing hot shot, and throwing bombs and carcases into the town; English colors. The houses partly in flames, sailors with torches setting fire to others.

The inhabitants flying out of it, carrying off the sick and aged. Women with children in their arms, some killed as they go off, and lying on the ground. 3. The burning of Norfolk, fine town and port, several churches, Town House. Inhabitants flying

8. The putting prisoners to death in cold blood after having surrendered their arms, and demanded quarter. Baylor's troop.

* Marked "Ideas for the prints."

9. Prisoners dying in their gaols with hunger, cold, and want of fresh air.

10. Dunmore's hiring the negroes to murder their master's family.

A large house.

Blacks armed with guns and hangers. Master and his sons on the ground dead, wife and daughters lifted up in the arms of the negroes as they are carrying off.

II. Savages killing and scalping the frontier farmers and their families, women and children. English officers mixed with the savages, and giving them orders and encouraging them.

12. Governor Tomyn sitting in state, a table before him, his soldiers and savages bringing him scalps of the Georgia people, and presenting them. Money on the table with which he pays for them.

13. The commanding officer at Niagara, receiving in like manner the scalps of the Wyoming families. 14. The King of England, giving audience to his Secretary at War, who presents him a schedule entitled Acct. of Scalps. Which he receives very

graciously.

15. American prisoners, put on board men-of-war, and whipped to make them fight against their countrymen and relations.

16. Americans put on board ships in irons to be carried to the East Indies, and Senegal, where they die with misery and the unwholesomeness of the climate.

17. Burning the wounded with straw at the Crooked Billet, small place in Pennsylvania.