n
are occasionally enlisted in the regular American army; a proof of
which was witnessed last winter at Sackett's Harbour, where some of
our officers from Kingston saw a man who had been received, and who
had deceived all the American officers, except the surgeon. This
gentleman, suspecting he was not a free and enlightened citizen,
although he assumed the drawl and guess, suddenly said to him,
"Attention!" upon which the deserter immediately dropped his hands
straight, and stood, confessed, a soldier.

[Footnote 1: Brown Bess, a musket--_vide Infantry Dictionary._]

It would appear that in peace-time deserters should not be received
into the ranks of a friendly power. Even in war, they are received by
European nations with difficulty and distrust; for a man who once
voluntarily breaks his oath and casts off his allegiance is very
likely to be a double traitor.

The deserters from the regiments stationed in Canada frequently apply
to be received back, but it is a rule to refuse them; and very
properly so.

It is incredible what pains are taken on the frontier, by the loafing
population from the States, to persuade the young soldiers to desert;
and that, too, without any adequate prospect of benefit, but merely
out of hatred, intense hatred, to England; for they soon leave the
unfortunate men, who usually are plied with liquor, to their fate,
when once in the land of liberty; and this fate is almost invariably a
very miserable one.

The soldier I had with me told me that, while we were at the Falls, a
man made up to him at the hotel, for he was then in uniform, being on
the British side, and introduced himself as a general, saying that he
was surprised he could remain in such a service, and volunteered to
place him in their army, which he laughed at, and told him he
preferred Queen Victoria's. This man he described to me as a
gentleman, in his dress and manner; but, if he was a general, he was
certainly a militia one, for the regular generals are not very plenty;
and, from what I have heard of them, are above such meanness.

We had a military general, who is, I believe, a shoemaker of Buffalo
or of New York, at Kingston last winter, who gave out that he had
crossed over the ice to see if it was true that fortifications were
actually in progress at Kingston. He met a keen young gentleman, who
was determined to have a little fun with General Crispianus, who was
attired in a fine furred, frogged, winter coat, and po