80th regiment, the senior officer
of the British troops prisoners of war, he made it his business to wait
upon the French Ambassador, and desired in the most impressive manner
his Excellency's interference with the Congress, to prevent the
execution of Captain Asgill. The Ambassador refused complying with the
entreaty, but it was thought he afterwards relented, as he was seen
going to Congress; and that his remonstrances, together with the strong
representations of the captains, who wrote and applied in the most
decided manner to General Count De Rochambeau, who commanded the French
troops in besieging York Town, had the effect of at least suspending the
sanguinary intentions of Congress and of General Washington, to put
Captain Asgill to death, until the Government and the Queen of France,
to whom application had been made to interfere in his behalf, and if
possible save his life, were ascertained. The only reason alleged for
the above transactions, was, that a rebel captain named Huddy, who was
patrolling with Americans, fell in at night with another patrol of
royalists commanded by Captain Lippencott, who was taken prisoner by
Huddy, and who, without trial or any other cause but his being a
loyalist attached to the British army, hung poor Lippencott. The
latter's brother, shortly after this most infamous occurrence, was
patrolling and took Huddy prisoner, upon which, to retaliate for the
murder of his brother, he executed Huddy. The above transactions were
made known to the thirteen captains whilst prisoners on parole, and
credited by them. They were also informed very frequently, that General
Washington had often declared, that of the two events of his life which
grieved him and that he lamented most, one was his not having done his
utmost to prevent the thirteen captains taken by capitulation drawing
lots.

[16] Brigade of Guards:--Earl Ludlow, Sir Charles Morgan,
Captains Eld, Greville, Asgill, and Perrin. Captain Saumarez,
23rd, or Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Captain Coote, 37th Regiment.
Captains Graham and Barclay, 76th Regiment. Captains Arbuthnot
and Hathorn, 80th Regiment. Captain ----, name unknown.

Captain Saumarez being the senior officer of the British troops, during
the time they were prisoners at Winchester and at York Town, in
Pennsylvania, had the charge and superintendence of 3000 men, stationed
at each of these places during nineteen months, which caused the
greatest anxiety,