ashington. Beside the ordnance captured, there were two
thousand stand of arms, one hundred thousand flints, thirty thousand
round shot, and thirty-two tons of musket balls.

It was a cheering incident, and was eagerly turned to account. Among
the ordnance was a huge brass mortar of a new construction, weighing
near three thousand pounds. It was considered a glorious trophy, and
there was a resolve to christen it. Mifflin, Washington's secretary,
suggested the name. The mortar was fixed in a bed; old Putnam mounted
it, dashed on it a bottle of rum, and gave it the name of "Congress."

With Washington, this transient gleam of nautical success was soon
overshadowed by the conduct of the cruisers he had sent to the St.
Lawrence. Failing to intercept the brigantines, the objects of their
cruise, they landed on the Island of St. Johns, plundered the house of
the governor and several private dwellings, and brought off three of
the principal inhabitants prisoners; one of whom, Mr. Callbeck, was
president of the council, and acted as governor. These gentlemen made
a memorial to Washington of this scandalous maraud. He instantly
ordered the restoration of the effects which had been pillaged.

Shortly after the foregoing occurrence, information was received of
the indignities which had been heaped upon Colonel Ethan Allen, [who
was loaded with chains and thrown into prison,] when captured at
Montreal by General Prescott, who himself was now a prisoner in the
hands of the Americans. It touched Washington on a point on which he
was most sensitive and tenacious, the treatment of American officers
when captured.

[A correspondence ensued between Washington and General Howe, in which
the former threatened as retaliation to inflict upon General Prescott
the same treatment and fate which Colonel Allen should experience. In
reply, Howe asserted that his command did not extend to Canada and
that he had no knowledge of Allen or his fate. General Carleton, he
assumed, would not in this case forfeit his past pretensions to
decency and humanity. The measure of retaliation threatened by
Washington was actually meted out by Congress on the arrival of
General Prescott in Philadelphia. He was ordered into close
confinement in jail, though not put in irons; but subsequently, on
account of his health, he was released.]

At the time of this correspondence with Howe, Washington was earnestly
occupied preparing works for the bombardment of Boston