cer who had command of the fleet which had captured us. Although
some Americans are under the impression that nothing good can come from
British officers, which idea in many instances has been justified; yet,
with regard to Sir Thomas Hardy, it might truly be said, that he was
"One of Nature's noblemen;" for such his conduct to myself and crew
fully showed him to be. He appeared to be a man about forty-five years
of age, about six feet in height, elegantly formed, and possessing a
benign expression of countenance, scarcely to be expected from one who
had been following, from his youth, a sea-faring life, and had been
engaged in some of the most bloody naval battles on record. When a poor
boy he was taken on board the English fleet by Lord Nelson, continued
with him during his various engagements, and became Nelson's principal
fighting commander. At the battle of Trafalgar the admiral died in his
arms.

On a signal being made we were ordered on board the commodore's ship. My
vessel being old and shabby, I thought it best to keep on my working
clothes to show my apparent poverty, which would excite some sympathy,
but I had a good suit of clothes in my chest. When I got on board I
found I was in his majesty's ship Ramillies, Sir T. W. Hardy, commander.
I cast my eyes about in as awkward a manner as I could; the officers
gathered round to have a little sport with a poor Yankee. They commenced
their conversation by asking me if I were ever on board of a
seventy-four before; I answered in the negative. The captain of marines
then, taking hold of my striped cotton pantaloons, asked me if we made
such fine cloth as that in our country. I told him a little, just to
cover our nakedness during the war. Soon after a message came for me to
go aft to see the commodore. I thought I would show myself very
submissive by taking off my hat and putting it under my arm. The first
salutation I had from him was, "Put on your hat, sir. Did you know that
we were lying here." "Yes, sir," was my reply. He said, "How dare you
venture out." I answered that I had been lying at Stonington a number of
days, waiting for a dark night to get past him. He then told me he must
burn my vessel and send me to Halifax. I told him if the sentence was
irrevocable, I had nothing to offer. I then left him and went forward
and sat down on a gun in a pensive manner. He soon accosted me by asking
me to go and get some breakfast, saying, "If I keep you I will not
star