But is an enemy so execrable, that, though in captivity, his wishes and comforts are to be disregarded and even crossed?  I think not.  It is for the benefit of mankind to mitigate the horrors of war as much as possible.  The practice, therefore, of modern nations, of treating captive enemies with politeness and generosity, is not only delightful in contemplation, but really interesting to all the world, friends, foes, and neutrals.  Let us apply this:  the officers, after considerable hardships, have all procured quarters comfortable and satisfactory to them.  In order to do this, they were obliged, in many instances, to hire houses for a year certain, and at such exorbitant rents, as were sufficient to tempt independent owners to go out of them, and shift as they could.  These houses, in most cases, were much out of repair.  They have repaired them at a considerable expense.  One of the general officers has taken a place for two years, advanced the rent for the whole time, and been obliged, moreover, to erect additional buildings for the accommodation of part of his family, for which there was not room in the house rented.  Independent of the brick work, for the carpentry of these additional buildings, I know he is to pay fifteen hundred dollars.  The same gentleman, to my knowledge, has-paid to one person, three thousand six hundred, and seventy dollars, for different articles to fix himself commodiously.  They have generally laid in their stocks of grain and other provisions, for it is well known that officers do not live on their rations.  They have purchased cows, sheep, &c, set in to farming, prepared their gardens, and have a prospect of comfort and quiet before them.  To turn to the soldiers:  the environs of the barracks are delightful, the ground cleared, laid off in hundreds of gardens, each enclosed in its separate paling; these well prepared, and exhibiting, a fine appearance.  General Riedesel, alone, laid out upwards of two hundred pounds in garden seeds, for the German troops only.  Judge what an extent of ground these seeds would cover.  There is little doubt that their own gardens will furnish them a great abundance of vegetables through the year.  Their poultry, pigeons, and other preparations of that kind, present to the mind the idea of a company of farmers, rather than a camp of soldiers.  In addition to the barracks built for them by the public, and now very comfortable, they have built great numbers for themselves, in such messes as fancied each other:  and the whole corps, both officers and men, seem now, happy and satisfied with their situation.  Having thus found the art of rendering captivity itself comfortable, and carried it into execution, at their own great expense and labor, their spirit sustained by the prospect of gratifications rising before their eyes, does not every sentiment of humanity revolt against the proposition of stripping them of all this, and removing them into new situations, where from the advanced season of the