e, college fashion, by
stopping the market, or as this great man was pleased wittily to call
it, _an embargo_. At length the men were given up to Shortland, who
put them in the _black hole_ for ten days.

To be a cook is the most disagreeable and dangerous office at this
depot. They are always suspected, watched and hated, from an
apprehension that they defraud the prisoner of his just allowance. One
was flogged the other day for skimming the fat off the soup. The grand
Vizier's office at Constantinople, is not more dangerous than a
cook's, at this prison, where are collected four or five thousand
hungry American sons of liberty. The prisoners take it upon themselves
to punish these pot-skimmers in their own way.

We have in this collection of prisoners, a gang of hard-fisted
fellows, who call themselves "THE ROUGH ALLIES." They have assumed to
themselves the office of accuser, judge and executioner. In my
opinion, they are as great villains as could be collected in the
United States. They appear to have little principle, and as little
humanity, and many of them are given up to every vice; and yet these
ragamuffins have been allowed to hold the scale and rod of justice.
These _rough allies_ make summary work with the accused, and seldom
fail to drag him to punishment. I am wearied out with such lawless
anti-American conduct.

_January 30th._ The principal conversation among the most considerate
is, when will the treaty be returned, ratified; for knowing the high
character of our commissioners, none doubt but that the President and
Senate will ratify, what they have approved. We are all in an uneasy,
and unsettled state of mind; more so than before the news of peace.
Before that news arrived, we had settled down in a degree of despair;
but now we are preparing and planning our peaceable departure from
this loathsome place.

I would ask the reader's attention to the conduct of Capt. Shortland,
the commanding officer of this depot of prisoners, as well as to the
conduct of the men under his charge, as the conduct and events of this
period have led on to a tragedy that has filled our native land with
mourning and indignation. I shall aim at truth and impartiality, and
the reader may make such allowance as our situation may naturally
afford, and his cool judgment suggest.

In the month of January, 1815, Captain Shortland commenced a practice
of counting over the prisoners out of their respective prisons, in the
cold,