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JOHN HODGES.

169

Thomas Sparrow. Was solic-
F Rendall to help goard
the prisoners; Randall, Benson,
Wells, and myself mounted guard
that night; at 12 o’clock Lans-
dale came in with a deserter;
next morning, Sunday, the two
Hodges came with informetion
of the threat, ete. and required
that the men should be delivered
up; went to consult General
Bowie, who ssid it was very

hard; that the capture was legal,
but he supposed we must sub-
mit; there were three prisoners
and Tom Holden, the deserter.

General Bowie (recalled).
Hodges never pressed the deliv-
ery of the deserter. Dr. Beanes
ig @ men aniversally esteemed
and respected—in whose situs-
don every one would feel an in-
terest; the other hostages also
were vary respectable men.

THE WITNESSES FOR THE PRISONER,

Dr. Bradley Beanes. Was at
my brother's on Saturday when
they took one of the men (Hol-
den) whom they conducted to
town, and gave in charge to
Lansdale to be conveyed to
Qneen Anne, In the night a de-
tachment of British cavalry,
about fifty or sixty, came to my
house; jor Evans searched
the house for men or arms, but
finding none went away; s00n
afterwarda Captain Brooke
eame; he was very much agitat-
ed; said that they had carried off
Dr. Beance and the others, and
spoke of the threat; wished me
to go with him to the two Hodg-
es and persnade them to go ¢o
Queon Anne and brig back
some of the prisoners, and to
Robert Bowie, who had another;
the two Hodges immediately
agreed to go. .

Mr. Robert Bowie strenuously
contended that they bad no right
to demand his prisoner, as he did
aot live in the town, and acted
independently of the town. If
he was a deserter it would be
murder; he actually ehed tears
in speaking of the fate of the
man; told bim he need not be un-
easy about the desertere, that that

thing could be managed; by
which I +t Mr. Bowie
might understand that an oppor-
tunity would be given to the de-
eerters to make their escape.

J. Donaldson, Before day-
break waa aroused by Captain
Brookes, whe told me of the visit
and threat of dhe British.

Beanes and I met Holden end
hailed him; he at once said he
‘Was our prisoner; never consid-
ered him ae a deserter and when
Hodges went for the prisoners it
was impossible that he should
know anything of his character,
2s he bad not returned from
Queen Anne, when the man was
taken.

When Dr. Beanes wanted me
to go with him in pursuit of
some English soldiers I declined,
because the town had capitulat-
ed, and I thought the people
should take no active steps of
that description.

Mr. Pinkney read an address
from the grand _jury to the Pres-
ident of the United States, in
which the jurors expressed their
reepeet for the motives of the
prisoner, and prayed for a nolé
prosegui.

Mr. Glenn prayed the court to direet the jury that the mere act of
delivering up prisoners or deserters is an overt act of high treason.

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