Just 160 Yevars Ago the Doors of the Jail
In Historic Williamsburg, Vaz Ganged Shut *
i Behind One of "Most Hated Men in America"
.
By ELMO Sc6tT WATSON
(Released by Western Newspaper Union.)
IT IS a June morning in the
year 1779. Citizens of Wil
liamsburg, Va., out for a
stroll along its elm-shaded
sidewalks, glance curiously
at a procession that is plod
ding up historic Duke of Glou
cester street. In the center
of the group of armed men
ride two horsemen. They are
clad in the uniform of British
army officers but its scarlet
brilliance is now dusty and
travel-stained. They ride with
bowed heads, leaning deject
edly over their saddle horns
on which rest their hands,
held closely together by
bracelets of iron.
' Who are these two captives at
whom the passers-by in old Wil
liamsburg are staring? That one
in the lead, who lifts his head
long enough to give back at them
a coldly contemptuous glance is
one. of toe mS?t hagd mfifl to
America. For he is Henry Ham
ilton, untila few months ago Brit
ish governor-general of the West
ern outpost of Detroit. The Ken
tucky frontiersmen call him toe
"Hair Buyer General" becaffie
they believe he has been offering
his Indian allies a higher price
for scalps than for prisoners.
His .companion is Capt. Guil
laume La Mothe, a famous
French-Canadian partisan leader,
who is held responsible for some
of the scalping raids against the
Kentucky settlements. But his
raiding days are over now, for
when George Rogers Clark and
his heroic band of Kentuckians
besieged Fort Sackville to the old
French town of Vincennes and
forced Hamilton and his garrison
to surrender, La Mothe, recently
returned from one of his forays,
was among those who were taken
prisoners.
The story of George Rogers
Clark's epic march across the
"Drowned Lands" from Kaskas
kia to Vincennes and his capture
of that post is a familiar one to
every American. But the school
histories, always more concerned
with the victor than with the van
quished, while paying a well-de
served tribute to Clark's prowess,
have little to say about the sub
sequent fate of his adversary.
This article proposes to tell the
"aftermath of Vincennes" be
cause it h a chapter to the his
tory of Williamsburg, whose re
cent restoration to its former glo
ries as the colonial capital of
Virginia causes thousands of
Americans to make patriotic pil
grimages there every year.
Hamilton's Story
That "aftermath" can beat be
told, perhaps, in the words oI the
man who experienced it?Hamil
ton himself. In July, 1781, the ex
governor of Detroit sat himself
down in his lodgings in Jermyn
street, London, and wrote a long
report to his superior officer. Gen.
Sir Frederick Haldimand, gover
nor-general of Canada. That re
port, which is still preserved in
England, tells in detail how he
'w?* besieged by Clark and his
Kentuckians at Vincennes, how he
surrendered, how he and his men
were sent as prisoners of war first
to the Palls of the Ohio (Louis
ville, Ky.) and then to Virginia.
He then continues:
"On the 26th, (May, 1779) A
Rebel C&ptain wttb a Guard
marched us from Beaver dam to
Richmond, from thence to Ches
terfield. where we remain'd till
the 15th. June, on which day an
Officer having a written order un
der the hand of the Governor of
the Province Thomas Jefferson
for taking me in Irons to WU
liamsburgh. I was accordingly
handcuff'd. put upon a horse, and
my servant not being suffered to
go with me, my Valise was fast
en*tf bthtod me?Csptn La mo the
was order'd to accompany ma,
being in like manner handcuffd
?The fatigues of fflh march hav
& heated, mi blood , to a vto
dagree J had several large
bofls ten my legs, toy handcuffs
wars too tight but were cased et
a Smiths shop on the road thus
Sometimes riding and sometimes
walking wa arrived the Sd eve
ning at WUUamsburgh having
come 80 Miles?We were conduct
ad to the Palace where wa re
main'd about half an hour in tha
Street at the- Governors door, in
wet cloaths, weary, hungry, and
thirst, but had not oven a cup of
water offered to us?During this
time a considerable Mob gather'd
about us, which accompanied us
to |ail?On our arrival there we
ware put into a cell, not ten feet
square where we found five crim
inals and Mr. Dejean who was
alab handcufrd.
"This poor man could not re
frain from tears oo see tag our
equipment We bad the floor for
-?-* Old Jail at WUUamabnrf, Vi., in which Gen. Henry Hamilton was
held prisoner for more than a year. (Picture taken before the restoration)
we were left to our repose for
that night.
"The next day we three were
taken out about 11 oClock, and
before a number of people our
handcuffs taken off and fetters
put on in exchange?I was hon
ored with the largest which
weighed eighteen pounds eight
ounce?As I thought opportunities
might not offer frequently, and
seeing some of the delegates
present, I took occasion while my
irons were rivetting to speak a
few words.
"I told them that the ignomin
ious manner in which we were
treated without any proof of crim
inality, or any hearing, without
even a crime being laid to our
charge, was a reproach to those
only who could act in that man
ner by prisoners of War, under
the sanction of a Capitulation?
.That after a proceeding so un
just I was prepared for any ex
tremity, but desired the persons
present to observe that punish
ment .was exercised on us before
any enquiery had taken place or
any person who might have ac
cused us being confronted with
us?some by their gestures ap
GEN. HENKY HAMILTON
peared to feel for us, but no one
utter'd a word, and when our fet
ters were properly fixed we were
remanded to our Dungeon from
which the five felons were re
moved?The light we received
was from a grate, which faced
the Court of 20 feet square with
walls 30 feet high?The prison
having been built 60 Years it may
be ooeceived we were subject to
one very offensive convenience, in
the heat of summer almost suffo
cating, our door was only open'd
to give us water, we were not al
lowed any candle, and from the
first to the last of our confine
ment we never could find that
the Governor or Council had or
der'd provision of any kind to be
made for us except Water with
which we were really very well
supplied.
"Having been by order of the
Governor (with the advice of his
Council) prohibited the use of pen
Ink and paper, or the converse of
any one but our Jailor are had no
employment but in our reflec
tions ...
"August 31st.?Major Hay with
other Prisoners from Chesterfield
arrived at Williamsburgh, the
Soldiers were confined in the
debtors room, the officers 9 in
Number were put into the Dun
geon arith us which made the
beat intolerable.
"At eleven at night we were
obliged to alarm the prisoners in
the next cell who pass'd the arord
to the Guard for the Jailor, our
Surgeon being on the point of suf
focating an asthma to which he
was Subject having seized him *
at this time arith that violence
that he lost his pulse for ten min
utes, we had tried by wafting a
Blanket to draw some air thro'
the grate but this was insufficient
and if be had not had presence
enough of mind to open a vein,
he would probably have expired,
for the state of the air was such
that a Candle arith which are had
lately been indulged, arould bare
ly live if held at the top of the
Cell.
"The door of our Cell contin
uing shut for several days, the
poor prisoners Young and old,
lien and Women, offered to be
lock'd up and debarr'd the use
of the court, if we might be al
io w'd Ifeat liberty, which at length
we had. ??
"October 1st. ? A Parole was
tendered us which having read
and duly considered we all re
jected, as some people thought a
spirit of obstinacy rather than
prudence dictated on this occa
sion . . .
"As we had suffer'd already
from the simple assertions of ob
scure persons, one of whom was
John Dodge was well known by
several Virginias to be an un
principled and perjured renegado
and as we had experienced the
unhumanity of the executive pow
er, It plainly appeared that this
parole was offer'd from no other
motive than to lay us open to the
malice of the first informer, when -
we should probably have been im
prisoned as before, with the addi
tional Stigma of having broken a
parole, which it was next to im
possible to observe in all its
parts.
"October the 9th. The Soldiers
were sent from the Jail to the
Barrack, where being allowed to
cut wood a part was sent to the
Jail for us, and even the Ameri
can soldiers on guard, tho' mis
erably bare of clothing them
selves, used to spare a part of
their own fuel for the dressing
our victuals.
"On Christmas Day the Sol
diers were march'd away to King
William County?The weather at
this time became so intensely
cold, that we could not rise from
the floor but continued day and
night in our blankets, The scurvy
began to make it's appearance,
and our legs to swell?The Jailor
then concluding we could not sur
vive the sever% of the cold in
our present situation, took us to
an upper room in the Jail, where
prisoners had formerly been kept,
this tho it had no window but an
open grate was more tolerable
than the Dungeon, we could light
a fire in the Chimney and by sac
rificing part of our blankets to
stop the grated window and stuff
the cracks in the cieling we made
a shift to endure in the daytime,
at night we were remanded to
our Dungeon.
His Captivity Ends
"August 1st. (1780) We were
march'd from Williamsburgh?
Major Hay and I sent to the Jail
at Chesterfield?Captn La Mothe
and Mr. Dejean some time in last
October accepted the parole for
merly recejected, the former
went to Hanover, the latter went
to Coll Clarke but what is be
come of him. I have not since
leam'd."
Thus the captivity of the "Hair
Buyer General" in Old Williams
burg ended. The severity of his
treatment was due in large part
to John Dodge, whom Hamilton
calls an "unprincipled and per
jured renegado" (a characteriza
tion, incidentally, which Ameri
can historians indorse). Dodge
had been a trader in Detroit
whom Hamilton had imprisoned
for suspected disloyalty but who
managed to escape and return to
the East. Then, according to Milo
M. Quaife, in the book "The Cap
ture of Old Vincennes" (published
in 1877 by the Bobbt-Merrill com
pany):
"Gifted with a fluent tongue
and a pliable conscience. Dodge
sought to revenge himself upon
his former adversary by repre
senting to the Virginia authori
ties that Hamilton at Detroit had
been guilty of repeated violations
of the recognized laws of warfare
and of humanity. Relying upon
this highly untrustworthy testi
mony, Governor Jefferson de
clined to accord Hamilton the
treatment due an honorable pris
oner of war; instead, he was
made the scapegoat of the now
odious system iff warfare it had
been his duty to administer, and
was long treated es a common
felon; at length General Washing
ton interposed his powerful Influ
ence in opposition to this proce
dure and Hamilton obtained his
exchange and was allowed to re
turn to England."
Is History Unfair
In Recalling Him as
"Hair Buyer General"?
' '
Not only does this distinguished
historian (Or. Milo M. Quaife,
secretary of the Burton Histori
cal Collection in the Detroit Pub
lic library) show that Hamilton
was v*ry unjustly treated while a
prisoner at Williamsburg, but he
also doubts if history has dealt
fairly with the Britisher in per
petuating his "Hair Buyer Gen
eral" title. Four years ago the
Burton Historical Collection was
presented with the ledgers and
account books of Alexander and
William Macomb, fiscal agents
for the British government at De
troit during the Revolution. No
where in these records, according
to Dr. Quaife, is there any ref
erence to the purchase of scalps.
In an interview with Dr. Quaife
which Ralph L. Peters of the De
troit News staff obtained at that
time, the historian said:
"I am convinced that Hamilton
hasn't been given a fair deal?in
more modern parlance, he hasn't
been given much of a break.
"Now I have no desire to make
a hero of Hamilton. It is entirely
true that Hamilton, as lieutenant
Soveraor of Detroit, sent out In
ian parties to attack the frontier
settlements. It is true that these
war parties committed innumera
ble outrages. Those are facts?
and they are terrible facts.
"But it seems only fair to point
out that, in sending out such par
ties, Hamilton was doing no dif
ferently than Montcalm, Sir Wil
liam Johnson and many others
before him?and as others did aft
er him without receiving the cen
sure that accrued to him.
"There is Be Peyster, for ex
ample, the man who took com
mand at Detroit after Hamilton
had marched to Vincennes and
been captured by Clark. De Pey
Window at Hamilton'! cell in
the restored WlllUmsbnrc Jail.
iter continued to send out war
parties against the Kentucky set
tlements just as Hamilton had
done. The Indians committed out
rages?but De Peyster has come
down to the present day as pretty
much of a popular figure.
"Hamilton and De Peyster
were not responsible for the raid
ing parties. They were acting
under orders. The responsibility
rests squarely on the king and
the ministry at home. Hamilton
and De Peyster were agents of
the government, discharging the
duties imposed on them.
,'Jndhui waff are was a terrible
thing. I certainly 'have no' desire
to condone it. Here was the situ
ation, however. England and the
Cokxiies were at war. As far as
England was concerned, it was
a civil war, a rebellion. The
English wanted to hold the terri
tory north of the Ohio. There
were but a few white soldiers
available?so they turned to the
Indians. . ,
"In taking that action, no mat
ter how much we may deplore it
today, the fact remains they were
doing what every civilized nation
has done through the ages?em
ploying savage allies when they
were needed. As recently as the
World war, you will recall, the
major powers used native forces
to aid them in battle.
"Jefferson included in the Dec
laration of Independence an in
dictment of the king for using
'merciless Indian savages'
against the colonists?yet the
Continental congress was not slow
in making overtures for like em
ployment of the savages.
"However the Indian warfare
may have seemed to the settlers
against whom it was directed, it
Is wholly unfair for posterity to
single out Hamilton for peculiar
responsibility or infamy. Yet,
upon him George Rogers Clark
Axed the dreadful name 'the Hhir
Buyer' and by' this he remains
even to the present time.
"I have been able to find no
evidence, when properly exam
ined to show that Hamilton ever
bought a scalp. On the other
hand, there is evidence to show
that he made repeated efforts to
control the savage instincts of the
Indians. He denied, in private
reports to his superiors, and to
Jefferson and others as wen, that
he ever bought a scalp.
"Those are some of the rea
sons why I feel that Hamilton
was not as bad as he has been
pictured?that he hasn't been giv
en a fair bearing."
Cleaning Muid
Stops Bleeding
Science Coi^ereHemqphilia
With Oxalic Acid,'
Ink Remover.
TORONTO.?A startling discov
ery that the common hat-cleaning
fluid and ink remover, oxalic acid,
stops the "royal curse" hemophilia
and all other kinds of hemorrhage,
has been announced here.
The report was made to the Fed
eration of American Scientists for
Experimental Biology by Arthur
Steinberg and William R. Brown of
Kensington hospital, Philadelphia.
At first the assembled biologists
gasped in surprise and refused to
believe. Oxalic acid is a poison and
is known, in test tubes, to do Ex
actly the opposite in helping blood
to clot quickly. #
Even when the Philadelphians
disclosed that more than 500 < hu
mans, in more than a dozen large
hospitals, have had their hemor
rhages stopped, and in some cases
their lives saved, with oxalic acid,
the biologists continued skeptical
Process Demonstrated.
The fact that a tiny amount of
the acid injected into a living body
acted exactly the opposite from jtg
test tube ways was Anally demon
strated before the eyes of a group
of doubters. They went t$> a Uni
versity of Toronto laboratory,
where acid was taken from the
shelf, injected into a rabbit and re
duced the animal's blood clotting
time from two and a half minutes
down to one and a half. Hemo
philia has been called the "curse of
kings and "curse of the Haps
burgs" because it is common ih. the.
Hapsburg royal family and^p'sonUt1
extent in the Spanish and RilSblan
royal lines. Is cf 1>
Tests Successful, m t -
Six American hemophiliacs; the
report stated, hadibeirtimeof stopi
ping hemorrhage cut-to less than
that of normal persons by'injections
of oxalic acid.
One was a child' 3 who had
scratched his throat bating rock
candy. His normal tipne to end
bleeding was 45 minutes. The acid
reduced this time to 45 seconds.
It was necessary to continue giv
ing the acid from time to time until
the wounds healed in thesd hemb
philiacs. if', t -r
The report told of the actd< stop
ping childbirth hemorrhage where
all other remedies had failed,, lit
stopped hemorrhage of-"obstructive
jaundice"'in 15 to 30 minutes, after
vitamin K, the new dotting vitamin,
had. failed. It wae used far several,
different types of "bloodless' opera
tions successfully^ ;,y
Free ? I
Park Service Inaugurates ? "
Charge for Auto Trailers
Following recommendations of the
advisory committee on camping,
the national park service has an
nounced a revision of fees in federal
recreational demonstration aredk,
inaugurating a trailer charge, but
reducing Individual fees.
A SO-day trailer permit will cost
90 cents. A charge of Ave cents a
night per camper, and 20 cents per
week for the use of tent camp sites
is established for organized camps.
The regular fee of 25 cents a night
per camper for organized camping
facilities by groups is reduced to
15 cents. No charge is made in
rates for permanent camps used for
seasonal organized camping.
, Sixty organized camps have been
prepared for this season, with more
than 1,000,000 camper-days use ex
pected, the park service said.
1
For Blind Visitors
NEW YORK.?Blind visitor! to
the New York World's lair may en
ter the gates with an attendant or
guide at the price of a single ad
mission ticket, it was announced
by Robert B. Irwin, executive di
rector of the American Foundation
far the Blind, 15 West Sixteenth
street.
The foundation and the New York
Association for the Blind have set
up a service whereby blind persons,
both residents and out of town visi
tors, may employ guides through the
association. The association will
furnish accommodations for blind
visitors at Ks residential clubhouse,
and the New York Travelers' Aid
society will make arrangements for
blind visitors desiring other accom
modations.
-
Dog, Missing 14 Months
Returns to Mistress
CLEVELAND. ? Olga Choma,
20, would jive a lot if her dog.
Brownie, could talk.
Fourteen months after he dis
appeared he trotted back in her
yard with a new license on his
collar.
The license was issued to Mrs.
Louisa Micak, who said the dog
was given to her a year ago by
a friend. Her friend had found
Brownie.
Miss Choma identified Brownie
as hers, and at the suggestion of
a police prosecutor arbitor, paid
Mrs. Miciak $3 for Brownie's
"keep."
By L. L. STEVENSON
Spooks: Recently word spread
that an old brownstone house rapid-v
ly falling into ruin on the outskirts
of the Bronx was haunted. The tale
ran that the ghost was that of a
woman who had been killed there
by her husband many years ago. No
one saw the ghost but several per
sons declared that in the darkness
of the night they heard unearthly
groans. Finally four young men, all
deeply interested in psychic phe
nomena, decided to investigate.
Meeting at midnight, they boldly en
tered the house. What was taken
to be a moan or a groan sent three
of them out hurriedly. The fourth
remained. His companions waited
for him breathlessly and just when
they had made up their minds to
notify the police, out he came. With
him he brought not one "ghost" but
two. They were a pair of small
owls that had evidently decided that
a ruined and deserted house made
a^fln^residence.
Zoological: Friends of Medrano
and Donna, Hispanic dancers, ob
served them sneaking in and out of
vegetarian restaurants lately. As
they seldom eat anything but meat,
so much curiosity was aroused that
a checkup was made. It seems that
on their last trip to Argentina, the
dancers acquired a pet ocelot. It's
a gorgeous, sleek animal, closely
related to the leopard. When young,
it makes a playful and entertain
ing pet But when it grows older,
.it reverts to nature and becomes a
fierce, meat-eating beast. So, to
keep their pet tame and happy.
Medrano and Donna have been en
deavoring to fool it with a diet of
vegetable and meat balls.
Stories: Several correspondents
have called attention to the (act that
the Hitler death prediction, pub
lished here a little while ago, was
old. I hadn't happened to hear it
before. A week after it appeared,
one of the wire services carried a
Monterey, Cal., dispatch giving the
same yarn with a slightly different
twist Thus I wasn't the only one.
Curious how such tales keep bob
bing up. Comes to mind the corpse
in the subway, the woman wh<*died
of leprosy in a hotel bedroom, the
old woman hitch-hiker who, when
given a lift, disappeared from the
back seat, the famous: "Jersey dev
il" and a number of others, always
told by the friend of a friend who'd
had the experience. And possibly,
the foundation for a fine lot of Amer
ican folklore.
? ? ?
Pictures: Chatted a bit with Miss
Betty Broadbent, the "tattooed
Venus" in the Strange As It Seems
building at the World's fair. It
seems that Miss Broadbent, blonde
and lovely, ha^to wear two pairs of
stockings whenever she appears in
public because of the decorations on
her legs. /She loves to dance but
never can wear an evening gown.
She has nice shoulders but there is
an American eagle extending from
one to the other. Though tattooed
from the nape of her shapely neck
to her heels, on her body is die pic
ture of onl$> one living person?
Colonel Lindbergh. She also de
clared that when she decided to
become a tattooed girl she ordered
a large picture first so if she lost
her nerve, she couldn't back out. ''
>. r i i? Vt 'jt e ' ? '"n
Salutes: To Katharine Cornell lor
her excellent portrayal of an actress
in "No Tirrie fot Comedy"'.. To
Katharine Hepburn for her simula
tion of a girl of wealth in "The
Philadelphia Story" .. To young
Sidney Lumet for the way he acts
tha poet's son in "My Heart's In the
Highlands" ... To that wonder
fully garbed grand dame who took
three dirty-faced gamins into a
swank midtown soda dispensary,
loaded them up with ice cream and
sent them away each clutching a
half dollar ... To John Chapman
for his Third avenue columns, which
are satires of Broadway gossip col
umns.
? ? ?
End Piece: Ira Wolfert was driv
ing to a Brooklyn hospital with his
two children. Each had to have an
imipediate tonsil operation. His
thoughts on the youngsters, ..he
passed a red light A policeman
stopped him. He tried to explain
the circumstances. The officer
wouldn't listen. So Wolfert went to
traffic court, waited all morning and
paid a fine. It's tough to be a cop.
And it's tough to be the father of
two sick children.
Rtkutd by B?U Syndicate. Inc.
Nazi Medical Cost Rites;
Blame Elderly La borers
WASHINGTON.?A report to the
commerce department from the
American consul at Frankfort-on
Main said Germany's medicine bill
jumped 8 per cent in 1938 to $104,
000,000. The 1938 expenditure per
person, the report said, was $2.98,
compared with $1.40 in 1929
"The increased expenditure per
person is said to have resulted
largely from bringing into employ
ment older and less robust persona
the report added.
Pretty Patterns l hat
Are Oh So Practical!
COMEWHAT formal, so that you
^ can wear it smartly for shop
ping and runabout, is the wide
shouldered dress with buttons
down the scalloped bodice and
braid used to give the effect of a
bolero. Hie circular skirt has a
charming, animated swing to it.
In batiste, linen or flat crepe, it's
a dress you'll thoroughly enjoy all
summer long.
Indispensable Slacks Suit.
If you're planning to have a lot
of outdoor fun this summer (and
of course you are) then a slacks
suit is an indispensable part of
your vacation wardrobe. This one
includes a topper with front gath
ers that flatter your figure, well
cut, slim-hipped slacks, and a bo
lero with wide revers that you can
wear with daytime frocks, too.
Denim, gingham, flannel or gab
ardine are practical materials for
this.
Hie Patterns.
No. 1741 is designed for sizes 14,
16, 18, 20, 40 ad 42. Size 16 re
quires 4% yards of 35 inch mate
rial with nap. Three yards of
braid.
No. 1750 is designed for sizes 12,
14, 16, 18, 20 ad 40. Size 14 re
quires 3% yards of 39 Inch mate
rial for slacks and bolero; % yard
for topper.
Spring and Summer Pattern Book.
Send 15 cents for the Barbara
Bell Spring and Summer Pattern
Book, which is now ready. Make
yourself attractive, practical and
becoming clothes, selecting de
signs from the Barbara Bell well
planned, easy-to-make patterns.
Send your order to The Sewing
Circle Pattern Dept., 247 W.
Forty-third street, New York,
N. Y. Price of patterns, 15 cents
(in coins) each.
(Bell Syndicate?WNP Service.)
OJ.D FOLKS
Here le Amazing Relief for
ConBltlone Dee to Slueeleh Bo wele
mtkoai Ibk Ha??&??*,2p.S5
II ? MW* Muni te tattaWiig
WHSBK
Prop en in Action
The man who does things makes
many mistakes, but he never
makes the biggest of all?doing
nothing.?Poor Richard.
Hn)l? U lodicotad. Soothing
Wil III f* and raafoHln^ Pint for
children and trim ^a
Noble Character
Nobleness of character is noth
ing but steady love of good, and
steady scorn of evil.?Froude.
^l^NY INSECTS I
I on nowtis?rtvils I
? vkitabiis & shiubs I
I D* Mil 111 if ftrtnliml .jr. 1.4 I
imtUm.*!SSwSrSSSi |
MERCHANDISE
I Must Bt GOOD
to bo
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