presenting to the sympathy?

I cannot understand what " presenting to the sympathy" means. Could you please rewrite with plain English the following sentence for me?

Context:

And, what was never before seen, British commanders have extorted victory over the unconquerable valor of our troops by presenting to the sympathy of their chief captives awaiting massacre from their savage associates.

More:

http://www.vlib.us/amdocs/texts/07mad2.htm

oristarA wrote:

I cannot understand what " presenting to the sympathy" means. Could you please rewrite with plain English the following sentence for me?

Context:

And, what was never before seen, British commanders have extorted victory over the unconquerable valor of our troops by presenting to the sympathy of their chief captives awaiting massacre from their savage associates.

More:

http://www.vlib.us/amdocs/texts/07mad2.htm

I’m not sure but maybe it could be rewritten in this way:

British commanders have a new deception which they use to gain victory by dishonest means. They pretend to have sympathy (when talking to captured senior officers) for our heroic captured troops who are waiting to be massacred by their allies.

It's a very badly- written sentence. In fact, it reads like a bad translation from another language.
It means that the British achieved victory, which they could not achieve by fighting alone, by using the threat of executing prisoners.

It's a very badly- written sentence. In fact, it reads like a bad translation from another language.

McTag wrote:

It's a very badly- written sentence. In fact, it reads like a bad translation from another language.

It's from the second inaugaral address of James Madison - March 4, 1813

McTag wrote:

It's a very badly- written sentence. In fact, it reads like a bad translation from another language.

It's from the second inaugaral address of James Madison - March 4, 1813

It's from the second inaugaral address of James Madison - March 4, 1813

I think McTag knew that before expressing his opinion.

oristarA wrote:

I think McTag knew that before expressing his opinion.

apparently not