_THE AMERICAN PRISONERS._

In looking over old fyles of our city journals, we find in the _Quebec Mercury_ of 15th September, 1812, the following item:

"On Friday, arrived here the detained prisoners taken with Gen. Hull, at Detroit. The non-commissioned officers and privates immediately embarked on board of transports in the harbour, which are to serve as their prison. The commissioned officers were liberated on their parole. They passed Saturday morning at the Union Hotel, where they were the gazing-stock of the multitude, whilst they, no way abashed, presented a bold front to the public stare, puffed the smoke of their cigars into the faces of such as approached too near. About two o'clock they set off in a stage, with four horses, for Charlesbourg, the destined place of their residence."

The Union Hotel here mentioned is the identical building erected for a hotel by a company in 1805, and now owned by the _Journal de Quebec_, facing the ring.

Were these prisoners located at Charlesbourg proper, or at that locality facing Quebec, in Beauport, called _Le Canardière_, in Judge de Bonne's former stately old mansion, on which the eastern and detached wing of the Beauport Lunatic Asylum now stands?

Tradition has ever pointed to this building as that which sheltered the disconsolate American warriors in 1812, with the adjoining rivulet, _Ruisseau de l'Ours_, as the boundary to the east which their parole precluded their crossing.

The result of the American defeat at Detroit had been important--"one general officer (Wadsworth), two lieutenant-colonels, five majors, a multitude of captains and subalterns, with nine hundred men, one field- piece and a stand of colors, were the fruits of the victory, the enemy having lost in killed, wounded, missing and prisoners, upwards of fifteen hundred." (Christie's History.)

Amongst the American prisoners sent down to Quebec was the celebrated General Winfield Scott, who lived to cull laurels in the Mexican war. He was then Col. Scott, and there is yet (1878) living in Quebec an old resident, R. Urquhart, who well remembers, when a boy, seeing the "tall and stern American Colonel." He was six feet five inches in height. (Lossing, p. 408.)

Of these prisoners taken at Detroit, twenty-three had been recognized as British born and deserters from the English army. they were sent to England for trial. It is yet possible that some of the veterans of 1812, by their diaries or other sources of information, may tell us who were the Charlesbourg or Beauport captives in 1812. They had not been under restraint much more than a week, when, by the following advertisement in the _Quebec Mercury_, dated 29th September, we find the British Government attending to their comforts with a truly maternal foresight:--

Commissary General's Office,

QUEBEC, 28th Sept., 1812

"Wanted for the American prisoners of war, comfortable warm clothing, consisting of the following articles:

Jackets, Shirts, Trowsers, Stockings, Moccassins or Shoes. Also 2000 pounds of soap."

From which it is clear John Bull intended his American cousins should not only be kept warm, but suitably scrubbed as well. Two thousand lbs. of soap foreshadowed a fabulous amount of scrubbing. Colonel Scott and friends were evidently "well off for soap."

Colonel Coffin, of Ottawa, the annalist of the War of 1812, in reply to a query of mine, writes me:

"Scott remained in Canada from the date of his surrender, 23d October, 1812, to the period of his departure from Quebec, say May, 1813. But he was on parole the whole time, and from Quebec, as given in his life by Mansfield, p. 55, he went in a cartel to Boston, and soon after was exchanged. Under these circumstances, I do not think it likely that he would have been escorted militarily in custody anywhere. Winder may have been also taken to Quebec, or he may have been exchanged on the Western frontier. Armstrong's 'War of 1812' will probably give the details."

The _Quebec Mercury_, of 27th October, 1812, contains the following:

"The prisoners taken at Detroit and brought down to Quebec are on the point of embarking for Boston for the purpose of being exchanged. Five cannon are now lying in the _Château_ Court taken at Detroit."

In retaliation for the twenty-three American prisoners sent for trial to England, as deserters from the British army, the American Government had ordered that forty-six British prisoners of war should be detained in close confinement.

"In consequence of this," says Christie, "the Governor ordered all the American officers, prisoners of war, without exception of rank, to be immediately placed into close confinement as hostages, until the number of forty-six were completed over and above those already in confinement. In pursuance of this order, Generals Winder, Chandler and Winchester were conveyed from their quarters in the country at Beauport to a private house in Quebec, where their confinement was rendered as little inconvenient as their situation could admit of."

They were exchanged in April, 1814, against British officers, prisoners of war in the States.

In connection with General Scott's captivity at Quebec, Lossing relates a little incident, which redounds to his credit:--

"When the prisoners were about to sail from Quebec, a party came on board the vessel, mustered the captives and commenced separating from the rest those who, by their accent, were found to be Irishmen. These they intended to send to England for trial as traitors in a frigate lying near, in accordance with the doctrine that a British subject cannot expatriate himself. Scott, who was below, hearing a tumult on deck, went up. He was soon informed of the cause, and at once entered a vehement protest against the proceedings. He commanded his soldiers to be absolutely silent, that their accent might not betray them. He was repeatedly ordered to go below, and as repeatedly refused. The soldiers obeyed him. Twenty-three had been already detected as Irishmen, but not another one became a victim. The twenty-three were taken on board the frigate in irons. Scott boldly assured them that if the British Government dared to injure a hair of their head, his own Government would fully avenge the outrage. He at the same time as boldly defied the menacing officers, and comforted the manacled prisoners in every way. Scott was exchanged in January, 1813, and at once sent a full report of this affair to the Secretary of War. He hastened to Washington in person, and pressed the subject upon the attention of Congress. Fortunately, the President never had occasion to exercise this retaliation, the British Government having abstained from carrying out in practice, in the case of the American prisoners, its cherished doctrine of perpetual allegiance.

"The final result of Scott's humane and courageous conduct in this matter was very gratifying to himself. Almost three years after the event at Quebec, he was greeted by loud huzzahs as he was passing a wharf on the East River side of New York city. It came from a group of Irishmen, who had just landed from an emigrant ship. There were twenty-one out of the twenty-three prisoners for whom he had cared so tenderly. They had just returned from a long confinement in English prisons. They recognized their benefactor, and, says Scott's biographer, "nearly crushed him by their warm-hearted embraces." (Lossing's Field Book, p. 409.)

Some years back a discussion took place in the columns of the _Morning Chronicle_, of Quebec, as to the names of the volunteers of Bell's Cavalry who had escorted the U. S. prisoners of war in 1812 from Beauport to Quebec. The following extract from our diary throws some light on this subject:

_THE LAST SURVIVORS OF BELL'S CAVALRY IN 1812._

"Among more than one strange meeting, which that welcome haven of the wearied wayfarer, the way-side inn, has brought me, in course of many peregrinations through the length and breadth of the Province of Quebec, none can I recall less anticipated, than the one which happened to me this 22nd March, 1881. I reached that night at 10.30, direct from the Kennebec Railway, the parlor of Monsieur Lessard's Temperance Hotel at St. Joseph, Beauce. (Such the euphonious name the Licence Act awards to these fallacious emblems of comfort or good cheer). After a lengthy interview, I next day parted, possibly for ever, from an old and withered _sabreur_ of 1812, the last survivor, I think, of that dashing volunteer cavalry corps, raised by Capt. the Hon. Matthew Bell at Quebec in 1812.

I had the rare luck of having from the very lips of this octogenarian, an account of the share he had in conducting as one of the cavalry detachment detailed to escort Colonel Winfield Scott and brother officers from Beauport, where they were confined as prisoners on _parole_, to the district prison in St. Stanislas street (the Morrin College) from whence the "big" Colonel and his comrades were taken and lodged in Colonel Coffin's house in St. Louis street.

How different the careers! Scott in time became the hero of the war with Mexico, and the dashing cavalry corporal who escorted him, aged now 89, after 30 years tenure of office, still holds the position of village Postmaster, in the township of Broughton, Beauce. Among the incidents of which my ancient acquaintance seems proud, is that of his having played at cards with General Scott and his captive comrades.

"Charles Hy. J. Hall," (such his clear and well written autograph authenticating the memorandum I drew up for him) a roystering _militaire_ and _bon vivant_, in our good city, seventy years ago, presents in his person a rare instance of mental and physical faculties well preserved until the end--memory, sight, mind, appetite, all unimpaired.

I was so interested when he informed me that he had been one of Col. Bell's cavalry, (I felt convinced that, of all the members of this dashing corps, he was the last survivor,) that I questioned him very closely, and cross-examined him on such matters of detail, which an eye-witness alone could know. Mr. Hall, the son