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166

X. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS.

THE WITNESSES FOR THE PROSECUTION.

William Caton, Was sent by
the governor last August to
Queen Anne on business; saw
John Randall guarding some
prisoners and a deserter. The
two Hodges, prisoner and his
brother, rode up and demanded
them. ‘They said that a detach-
ment of the British army had en-
tered the town the evening be-
fore, and required them, and they
had declared, that unless they
‘were returned before 12 o'clock
the next day, they would lay the
town in ashes. I told prisoner if
he surrendered the deserter he
was no Ameriean—he would
stain his hands with human

blood. He replied that he knew -

what he wae about, and wanted
none of my advice. He was very
mueh agitated, and appeared to

have rode very hard; said hia
wife and children were held at
stake.

Jno. Randal, Jr. Saturday,
after the engagement at Bladens-
burgh, General Bowie brought
three prisoners to Queen Anne
and asked me to stand guard
over them, which I did; during
the night Mr, William Lansdale
brought another—the deserter.

Barly in the morning the two
Hodges appeared and demanded
them; they said that the British
had threatened to destroy the
town unless this requisition was
obeyed before 12 o'clock, etc,
and that they would hold their
wives and ¢hildren as hostages.
I sent for General Bowie, who at
first refesed to suffer them to go;
upon an explanation of the
threat, he said it was hard, but
he supposed they must be re-
tamed. Nothing was said par-
tieolarly of the deserter in the
presence of Hodges, that I know

of. It was not until the next
day that I heard one was a de-
serter; delivered all the prison-
ers to the two Hodges and Lane
dale, It was agreed that Hol-
den, the deserter, should not be
taken further then Halls mill,
which is about a mile from Up-
per Marlborough.

General Bowie. On Saturday,
while the enemy was retreating
from the eity, was at my son’s
farm, seven miles from Notting
ham; sent my son and Mr. Oden
to reconnoitre the enemy; ‘went
to Dr. Beane’s farm; in walking
over it they met a British sol-
dier whom they compelled to
surrender. Three others were af-
terwards captured by these gen~
tlemen and sent to Upper Marl-
borongh. The people of that
place tobe elarmed at
their beg kept there, because
the enemy were in the vicinity.
Fearing that they would release
the prisoners, I called on the
two Hodges and requested thelr
essistance in removing them fur-
ther into the interior. They im-
mediately complied, and depart-
e@ with three, one having pre-
viously been sent sway under the
eare of Robert Bowie and Oden.
They were taken to Queen Anne
and put under guard,

I wrote to the governor at An-
napolis informing him what he
had done; remember particularly
in this letter I said, in allusion
to the co-operation of the two
brothers (Hodges) that if it had
not been for their promptness
and patriotism I could not_have
got the prisoners out of Marl-
borough; next morning, after
they had been conveyed ta Queen
Anne, was informed of the de-
mand and threat made by the

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