14. Last night Captain Lee made his escape from the officers’ prison, in the same manner that Captain Rols and others did, before him; and there are several others who are fixed, and only waiting for an opportunity to go the same way.
15. It is twenty-three months to-day since I left Newbury. This morning when the guard counted the officers out, they missed one; and after a long search, they found it to be Captain Lee. But all they know about it, is that he is gone.
16. As it is twelve months to-day since General Burgoyne was taken, in commemoration thereof, at one o’clock, we all drew up in the yard, and gave three cheers: and at night, before we were turned in, we did the same. This afternoon, seven more American prisoners were brought to prison. They were lately brought from Liverpool, and were captured in different vessels.
17. For two days past, there have been no doctors here to attend to our sick, and I hear that the chief physician at the royal hospital has the charge of them. To-day a number were removed into this prison, from a separate prison, called the itchy ward, to make room for the sick. The masons are now at work, building a chimney in an old prison, in this yard, that has lately been repaired. This prison is to be made an hospital for the sick, as the other hospital is wanted for the French prisoners; for there is between five and six hundred of them in one large prison, in a separate yard, and they are very sickly. They have the spotted fever among them, which was brought by those taken in the French East Indiaman.
18. Sunday. Yesterday the officers in the other prisons received a private letter from without, which confirms the news concerning a cartel, giving the particulars, which causes great satisfaction in the yard.
19. A man in prison received a letter from the Russell, ship-of-war, which is now lying in the Sound, from those who went on board from this prison. They write that they are bound to a station in the East Indies.
20. This morning a pardon arrived from the King, for the fourteen men who petitioned to go on board the King’s ships.
21. This morning, the same man that brought the first draft, came, and called over the names of those fourteen men, and asked them of what country they were, and how long they had been to sea. Two of them being sick of their bargain, denied that their names were there.
I am in hopes of soon hearing that Rhode Island is taken, for I hear that the British troops there, have burnt five frigates and two sloops-of-war, fearing that they would fall into the hands of the Americans. From the same source we learn that the Albion, a ship of sixty-four guns, is taken by the French, and carried into France.—Also, that four sail of the line have lately sailed from France, bound to America, to join Count D’Estaing; and also, that the English have taken another East Indiaman from the French, besides that which was brought in here.
22. To-day some officers from the ships came after those men, and the two before mentioned denied that they signed their names. They did not ask them to go, but one man went that did not sign, so that on the whole they got thirteen, which, with the first draft, makes forty-five men that have gone on board the men-of-war. But those who remain, I believe, are true sons of America.