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168 X, AMERICAN STATE TRIALS.

party just at a turn in the road,
near General Bowie’s mill.

Thomas Holden, I cama to
Marlborough when the army was
halting at Nottingham, Met two
gentlemen whom I told I was e
deserter from the British; they
took me to Dr. Beanes; after-
wards Lansdale took me to Queen
Anne, where F was confined with
the others; in the morning Hodg-
es and another person came to
the door; Mr. Sparrow demand.
ed the names of the prisoners,
end told us we were to be deliv-
ered up; I begged them not to
give my mame; I would certainly
be put to death; Hodges said to
me, “I am not determined to
earry you in.”

‘We all marched on the way to
the British lines; I and snother
prisoner were left at a house on
the road, under the guard of
Major Oden, After a while, a
detachment of the enemy ap-
peared in sight; I said, “I will
run,” and Oden gave me leave to
do 60; was afterwards taken and
made my escape a second time.

Solomon Sparrow. Saw Gen-
eal Bowie, John Thomas, and
Benjamin Hodges come into the
town over night; Bowie told me
they ‘had taken’ some prisoners
from the British and requested
me to get a few young men to
guerd them till morning; next
day John Hodges came and said
he must take back the prison-
ers or the town would be burnt;
heard the altereation between Ca-
ton and Hodges; Hodges told
Caton he wanted not his instrue-
tions; he knew what he was
about,

Robert Bowie. Hodges ‘went
with the prisoners 2s far as Gen-
eral Bowie's farm, where they
were reseued by the British;
witness and Oden took one up to

my house; on their way met an-
other whom we also took; next
morning we were informed that
the British had entered the town
during the night, and carried off
‘Dr, Beanes, Mr, Beanes, and Dr.
Hill whom they intended to hold
as hostages for ‘the safety of the
prisoners; was.informed of the
ete.

Lansdale and I got into a dis-
pute about the deserter.

Hodges proposed that some
one should go to the enemy and
ascertain precisely their demand.
Lansdale and I went forward
for that purpose; met a British
officer who aaid that the men
must be delivered up or the town
should be utterly destroyed

Benjamin Oden, Jr. Was re-
quested by General Bowie to go
with his son Robert to reconu-
noltre; went to Marlborough and
found the enemy was gone; we
‘went with one of the prisoners;
on our way we took another;
next moming Brooke and others
came and begged that they should
be brought back, as the British
had threatened fo destroy the
town.

Holden never said that he was
a deserter till we got to the
brick house. Hodges then said
they would go forward with the
four prisoners; the two desert-
ers were left in my custody; they
soon ran off, and in a few min-
utes Major’ Evans came in;
knocked me down; asked mo
where the men were; said I did
not Imow; he threatened to set
fire to the house; a ‘roman
pointed out the direction whieh
the man had taken and he de-
patted; shorily efter, Hodges
and others eame up; Hodges
said there was a detachment of
the British in sight and we had
better clear ourselves,

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