Sospecting the prisner to be a tory

A Continental Army Court Martial, July 1777

John U. Rees
1998, 2002

A Country Girl, 1770 by Paul Sandby (Royal Collection Trust)

 Don Hagist has been instrumental in bringing to light the proceedings of a number of British
courts martial have been brought to light, providing another window on the day-to-day activities
of common soldiers and their female retainers (see British Soldiers, American Revolution,
http://redcoat76.blogspot.com/ ). The following document, found in the George Washington
Papers, is an indication of the treasure trove of untapped information still available from that and
other sources.
This court martial of a civilian took place in Brigadier General Prudhomme de Borre's 2nd
Maryland Brigade, Major General John Sullivan's Division. The units comprising the brigade
were the 2nd, 4th, and 7th Maryland Regiments, along with the German Regiment and Hazen's
2nd Canadian Regiment. Of particular interest in these proceedings are the arguments used to
entice the soldiers to desert, reasons for their dissatisfaction, and the testimony of Alice Wood,
attached to Hazen's Regiment, who had left her children behind when she followed her husband
into the army.

At A Court Martial held at Newarke [New Jersey]

on Thursday 31 day of July 1777 by order of Brigadier Generall Deborre

Colon [Thomas] Price [2nd Maryland Regiment] President ...

[Members of the court: Colonels John Gunby (7th Maryland) and Samuel Smith (4th Maryland),
Majors John Taylor (Hazen's), John Stewart (2nd Maryland) and Uriah Forrest (3rd Maryland),
Captains Patten(?), Grush(?), Henry Dobson (6th Maryland), Robert Burns (Hazen's), Dorsey
(either Daniel, 4th Maryland, or Ely, 2nd Maryland), Joseph Marbrey (3rd Maryland) and James
Henry (5th Maryland).]

... Richard Ennes Confined by order of Major Taylor on Suspicion of having induced Contanatel
Soldiers to Desert to the Enemy was brought before the Court When the following witness
appeared to witt (Alice Wood) Wiffe to (Jeams Wood) [supposed to belong to Hazens
Regiment, but James Wood could not be found in the Complied Service Records, National
Archives] who was absent at Roll Call this Morning being sworn deposeth that she went with
Her Housband to the house of (Richard Ennes) last Night When a Conversation arose between sd
Ennes her Housband and two other Soldiers of (Colo Hazen) Regiment who made some
Complants Relative to there pay upon which Ennes Informed them that Deserters to the Enemy
were well Treated and not be Compelled to inlist by them wold if thay Chose it be sent to Ireland
that thay Recivd if thay Carryed Thare armes with them fifteen or sixteen Dollers - that the
Soldiers Compland of being stinted in provisions when sd Ennes Infor[me]d them that the
Soldiers of the Enemy was Well fed that woman & Children draw Rations in the same Manner as
the Soldiers did & ware alowd together with the men half a pinte of Rum Per Day that artifissers
Recivd a Doller & Labourers five shillings per Day That Goods ware Very Cheape and as a prof
of which he shewed them some that he had purchased and told them the Rates The witness
declares that after much of this Conversation Had passed (pennergrass) Swore that if he Cold git
over the River He wold Desart when the prisner pointed out to him apertickler Spot whare it was
fordable his wiffe said that a woman Cold git over with out weting her self that the prisner & his
wiffe asked her Housband & her Self in to the house to Drink tea on doing which her housband
asked her what she wold think of Going to the place the prisner had bin discribing to which she
answered that she hoaped to Go next to Phillidelphia and git home to see her Child - that thay
had no money and payed nothing for what thay Had (Micheal Lary [private, 4th Maryland
Regiment]) being Sworn deposeth that he was with the men that Desarted last Night and severall
others Cooking near the house of the prisner who Came out to them that (Wood) was
Complaining about his pay and bounty When the prisner informed him that if he was with the
Enemy He wold git his bounty before he was Sworn and Recive [three?] shilling hard money pr
week that Each man had half a pinte of Rum pr Day - that he asked [James] wood what was his
trade who made answer the Talers [tailor], then the prisner Sayed he wold git a Doller a Day
at New York & that Labourers wold git five shillings - the witness declars that sospecting the
prisner to be a tory from his Conversation He had a mind to try him and said he wold desart to
the Enemy if he Cold git over the River when the prisner gave Him information of the ford -
That he told them that (Colon McDonnald) lay within five miles of them - and Derected them the
Road to New Yorke that as thay ware Coming off the prisner Called to the witness, and asked
him if he was the man to who he was talking at the wood when (Pennegrass) who desarted last
Night made answer that he was and went back and Remand some time with the prisner who
asserted that prisners was not Compelled to inlist but was If thay Chose sent to Irland or
permited to do what that pleased The Court haveing Considered the Evidence are unanimously of
opinion that the prisner is Guilty of the Charge and His sentence is that he Shall be hanged untill
he is dead

Thos Price presadt

I approve this sentence & ordered
to be put in execution at 3 o clock
afternoon
Le P DeBorre Brig Gnal

Sources:

Proceedings of A Court Martial held at Newarke, New Jersey, 31 July 1777, George
Washington Papers, Presidential Papers Microfilm (Washington, D.C., 1961), series 4, reel 43.
Samuel S. Smith, The Battle of Brandywine (Monmouth Beach, N.J., 1976), 30.
Francis B. Heitman, Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army During the War of
the Revolution - April 1775 to December 1783 (Baltimore, Md., 1982)
Archives of Maryland: Muster Rolls and Other Records of Service of Maryland Troops in the
American Revolution 1775-1783 (reprint, Baltimore, Md., 1972), 135.

See also: British Soldiers, American Revolution: Information about British soldiers who served
during the American Revolution, 1775-1783. Thousands of soldiers wore red coats, but little is
known about them as individuals. This site changes that, soldier by soldier.
http://redcoat76.blogspot.com/ and https://allthingsliberty.com/author/don-n-hagist/