l their wants.

When we first arrived here, we wrote in a respectful style to Mr.
Beasly, as the Agent from our government for the prisoners in England.
We glanced at our sufferings at Halifax; and stated our extreme
sufferings on the passage to England, and until we arrived in the
river Medway. We remarked that we expected that the government of the
United States intended to treat her citizens in captivity in a foreign
land all equally alike. We represented to him that we were, in
general, destitute of clothing, and many conveniences, that a trifling
sum of money would obtain; that we did not doubt the good will, and
honorable intentions of our government; and that he doubtless knew of
their kind intentions towards us all.--_But he never returned a word
of answer._ We found that all those prisoners, who had been confined
here at Chatham, from the commencement of the war, bore Mr. Beasly an
inveterate hatred. They accuse him of an unfeeling neglect, and
disregard to their pressing wants. They say he never visited them but
once; and that then his conduct gave more disgust, than his visit gave
pleasure. "Where there is much smoke there must be some fire." The
account they gave is this--that when he came on board, he seemed
fearful that they would come too near him; he therefore requested that
additional sentries might be placed on the gangways, to keep the
prisoners from coming aft, on the quarter deck. He then sent for one
of their number, said a few words to him relative to the prisoners;
but not a word of information in answer to the questions repeatedly
put to him; and of which we were all very anxious to hear. He acted as
if he was afraid that any questions should be put to him; so that
without waiting to hear a single complaint, and without waiting to
examine into any thing respecting their situation, their health, or
their wants, he hastily took his departure, amidst the hooting and
hisses of his countrymen, as he passed over the side of the ship.

Written representations of the neglect of this (nominal) agent for us
prisoners, were made to the government of the United States, which we
sent by different conveyances; but whether they ever reached the
person of the Secretary of State, we never knew. Several individuals
among the prisoners wrote to Mr. Beasly for information on subjects in
which their comfort and happiness were concerned, but received no
answer. Once, indeed, a letter was received from his clerk, in