Article Contents
HISTORY OF THE LOYALISTS
LIEUT. JAMES MOODYS NARRATIVE
Of His Exertions and Sufferings In the Cause of the Government Since the Year 1776.
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A few other particulars respecting this poor man, who, though but a common soldier in a marching regiment, was in all the essential and best parts of the character a hero, the writer cannot excuse himself from the relation of. His situation and circumstances in the rebel country being peculiar, Mr. Moody, not thinking it proper himself to return thither so soon, took the earliest means he could to have him conveyed safe to New York. But no arguments, no entreaties, could prevail with him to leave his deliverer. "To you," said he, "I owe my life; to you, and in your service let me devote it. You have found me in circumstances of ignominy; I wish for an opportunity to convince you, that you have not been mistaken in thinking me innocent. I am, and you shall find me a good soldier." It was to this fatal but fixed determination that he soon after owed the loss of his life.
When he was brought to the place of execution, the persons who had charge of him, told him they had authority to promise him a reprieve, and they did most solemnly promise it to him on condition only that he would tell them who the Loyalists in the country were that had assisted Moody. His reply was most manly and noble and proves that real nobility of character and dignity of sentiment are appropriated to no particular rank or condition of life. "I love life," he said, "and there is nothing which a man of honor can do, that I would not do to save it; but I cannot pay this price for it. The men you wish me to betray must be good men because they have assisted a good man in a good cause. Innocent as I am, I feel this an awful moment; how far it becomes yon to tempt me to make it terrible, by overwhelming me in the basest guilt, yourselves must judge. My life is in your hands; my conscience, I thank God, is still my own."
Another extraordinary circumstance is said to have befallen him; which as well as the preceding Mr. Moody relates on the testimony of an eye-witness yet living. Though he was a small and light man; yet the rope with which he was suspended broke. Even still this poor man’s a admirable presence of mind, and dignity of conscious innocence did not forsake him. He instantly addressed himself to the surrounding multitude in the following words: "Gentlemen, I cannot but hope that this extraordinary event will convince you, of what I again solemnly protest to yon, that I am innocent of the crime for which you have adjudged me to die." But he still protested in vain.
The supposed crime for which he suffered was the plundering and robbing the house of a certain furious and powerful rebel. But it would be unjust to his memory not to certify, as Mr. Moody does, that he has since learned from the voluntary confession of a less conscientious loyalist that this honest man was charged wrongfully; inasmuch as he himself, without the knowledge of the other, on the principles of retaliation and revenge, had committed the crime. The name of the above mentioned honest soldier and martyr was Robert Maxwell, a Scotchman, who had had a good education.
Not long after, obtaining information of the British army’s moving towards Springfield, Mr. Moody concluded that the campaign was now opened. There appeared no way in which, with his small party of seven men, he could be more useful, than by securing as many as he could of the rebel militia. Accordingly, it was not long before be contrived to take prisoners, a major, a captain, two lieutenants, and sundry committee men; in all to the amount of 18.
Some requested to be paroled; and the ensign complied with their request; because it was not only reasonable and humane, but because also it left him at liberty to pursue fresh objects. Some requested to take the oath of neutrality and it was not less willingly administered to them.
The rebel part of the country was now again in an alarm, and the ensign was again panned and sought, according to the strong expression of scripture, "as a partridge in the mountains." But, "wandering in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth," by the blessing of God, he still eluded all their researches. At length however, being under a necessity of returning to New York he collected a few more of Burgoyne’s men; and having now augmented his party to 13 he set out for that capital. But his former good fortune now forsook him; and he himself was soon doomed to feel all those bitter calamities, from which it had been the object of his exertions to extricate others.
On the 21st of July 1780, it was his ill hap to fall in with an army, which the rebel General Wayne was conducting to the siege of the Blockhouse, commanded by Captain Ward. Resistance was vain, and retreat impracticable. Mr. Moody and the greater part of his men were now obliged to submit to captivity.
He and two of his men, were immediately sent to a place called the Slote; where they were confined with their hands tied behind their backs. On the 22nd they were removed to Stony Point, and on the 23rd to Colonel Robertson's house at West Point. The rebel General Howe, who commanded at this post, treated Mr. Moody with great civility, and permitted his servant to attend him. From thence, he was sent to Fishkill, to the rebel commissionary of prisoners, who passed him on to Eopus. At Eopus he remained till the 2nd of August; when in the night he was put into a strong room, guarded by four soldiers, two within the door and two without. The sergeant in the hearing of the ensign, gave orders to the sentinels who were in the room with him, to insist on his lying down on a bed and instantly to shoot him if he attempted to rise from it. On this he requested and insisted to see the commissary. The commissary came, and was asked if these orders were from him? His answer was: "The sergeant had done his duty; and he hoped the men would obey their orders." Mr. Moody remonstrated, and urged that it was no uncommon thing with him to rise from his bed in his sleep; he requested therefore only, that if he should happen now to be overtaken with such an infirmity, the men might be ordered to call him by his name, and at least to awake him before they fired. All the answer he could obtain, from this tyrant minion of tyrant masters, was a cool and most outing repetition of his former words.
After having twice mere changed the place; of his confinement, on the 10th of August he was carried back to West Point. And here his sufferings seemed to be but beginning for the cruelties he experienced under the immediate eye of General Arnold, who then commanded there, infinitely exceeded all that he has ever met with before or since.
Nothing can be further from Mr. Moody’s wishes than to become any man’s accuser, but no man should be afraid either to hear or to tell the truth, which is of no party and should be observed by all. Humanity is moreover so lovely and so necessary a virtue especially in times of civil war that Mr. Moody owns he is proud and loves to acknowledge and to praise it even in an enemy; of course he must lament and reprobate the want of it, though in his best friend. Under new masters, it is hoped, General Arnold has learned new maxims. Compelled by truth, however, Mr. Moody must bear him testimony that he was then faithful to his employers, and abated not an iota in fulfilling both the letter and the spirit of their general orders and instructions.
Mr. Moody feels this to be an unpleasant part of his narrative. It is with pain he pursues it. May it be permitted him then to give the subsequent part of it in the words of an affidavit taken in the Judge Advocate’s Office in New York from the mouth of William Buirtis, who was confined for his loyalty in the same prison with Mr. Moody.
"JUDGE ADVOCATE’S OFFICE,
New York, May 11, 1782
"This day personally appeared William Buirtis, a Refugee from the county of West Chester, in the province of New York, but now residing on York Island, in the province aforesaid, and being sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, deposeth and say:
"That sometime in the month of August 1780, he (the deponent) was confined in a dungeon at West Point Fort, under sentence of death, having been charged with giving certain intelligence and information to Gen. Mathew, one of his Britannic Majesty’s generals serving at that time in America. That about the middle of the month of August aforesaid, Lieutenant James Moody, of Brigadier General Skinner's first battalion, was brought under guard, and confined in the same dungeon with him ( he deponent); that the day following he (Lieutenant Moody) was put in irons and handcuffed; that the hand cuffs were of a particular sort and construction, ragged on the inside next the wrist, which raggedness caused his wrists to be much cut and scarified; that soon after he (Lieutenant Moody) was ironed and hand cuffed an officer came and demanded his money, saying, he 'was ordered to take what money he had, and should obey his orders punctually'; that the money was not delivered as he Lieutenant Moody was resolute in refuting, and determined not to give it up. He (Lieutenant Moody) then petitioned Gen. Benedict Arnold, at that time in the rebel service, and commanding officer at West Point, to grant him relief; in which petition he set forth the miserable situation he was in, as also the torment he suffered, occasioned by the hand cuffs; to which petition be received no answer, though he was told by two officers in the rebel service his petition had been delivered to General Arnold.
That about a week after his first petition had been sent, he petitioned a second time for relief from his suffering, requesting moreover to be brought to trial, observing that if he should be found guilty of death he should desire to suffer, as death was much preferable to torment, and being murdered by inches. Some little time after the delivery of the second petition, one of Gen. Arnold’s Aide-de-Camps, whose name he (the deponent) cannot recollect came to the dungeon; and on seeing him (Lieutenant Moody) asked if that was the Moody whose name was a terror to every good man? On his replying that his name was Moody, he (the Aide-de-Camp) replied in a scoffing manner, 'You have got yourself into a pretty situation'; on his (Lieutenant Moody’s) saying the situation was disagreeable but he hoped it would not be of long continuance; he answered he believed not, as he would soon meet with justice (pointing at the same time to a gallows that was erected in the sight and view of the dungeon); and also added, there is the gallows ready erected, which he (meaning Moody) had long merited. Lieut. Moody answered, he made no doubt he (the Aid-de-Camp) wished to see every loyal subject hanged, but he thanked God, the power was not in him; but if he (Lieut. Moody) was hanged, it could be for no other reason than being a loyal subject to one of the best of king’s, and under one of the best of governments, and added if he had 10 lives to lose, he would sooner forfeit the 10 as a loyal subject, than one as a rebel; and also said, he hoped to live to see him (the Aide-de-Camp) and a thousand such other villains, hanged for being rebels. The officer then said he was sent to examine his irons, as he (Lieut. Moody) had been frequently troubling Gen. Arnold with his petitions. On examining the irons, he said 'they were too bad,' and asked who put them on? saying 'Irons were intended for security, not for torment; but if any one merited such irons, he (Lieut. Moody) did in his opinion.' Lieut. Moody, however, was not relieved at that time from his irons; but about a week or 10 days afterwards, an officer came from Gen. Washington, ordered the irons to be taken off and Lieut. Moody to be treated better. In consequence of Gen. Washington’s order, he was better used; that he (the deponent) knows nothing further that happened, as he (Lieut. Moody) in a few days afterwards, was removed from that place.
WILLIAM BUIRTIS."
"Sworn before me at the time and place above mentioned.
RICHARD POSTER,
As. Dy. Judge Advocate."
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