s who avowed that they had been brought to the colonies against
their own will, declaring that they had been "compelled to go on board
the transports where they were chained down to the ring-bolts and fed
with bread and water; several of whom suffered this torture before they
could be made to yield and sign the papers of enlistment." In
confirmation of this declaration, he had in his lap a letter written to
General Washington by Arthur Lee, June 15, 1777, which read: "Every man
of a regiment raised in Ireland last year had to be shipped off tied and
bound, and most certainly they will desert more than any troops
whatsoever." To corroborate this claim he had obtained several
clippings, advertisements that had appeared in the New York newspapers,
offering rewards for the apprehension of Irish soldiers who had deserted
to the rebels.

The same methods he learned were now being employed in the recruiting of
the Catholic regiment. Blackmail had been resorted to with splendid
results. In several instances enormous debts had been liquidated in
favor of the recruits. Even commissions in the army of His Majesty had
been offered as a bounty. There was success, if the few hundred faces in
the ranks could be reckoned as a fair catch, yet the methods of
recruiting did not begin to justify the fewness of the numbers.

Just how this idea had taken root, he was at a loss to discover.
Certainly not from the disloyalty manifested by the Catholic population
during the war. The exploits of the famous "Congress' Own" Regiments
might, he thought, have contributed much to the enemy's scheme. It was
commonly known that two regiments of Catholics from Canada, raised in
that northern province during the winter of 1775-76, had done valiant
service against the British. A great number of the Canadian population
had welcomed the patriots under Generals Schuyler, Montgomery and Arnold
upon their attempted invasion of the country, and had given much
assistance towards the success of their operations. Inasmuch as many had
sought enlistment in the ranks as volunteers, an opportunity was
furnished them by an act of Congress on January 20, 1776, authorizing
the formation of two Canadian regiments of soldiers to be known as
"Congress' Own." The First was organized by Colonel James Livingston;
the Second by Colonel Moses Hazen. Both of these regiments continued in
active service for the duration of the war, and both obtained a vote of
thanks from the Ameri