USA > New York > Kings County > Revolutionary incidents of Suffolk and Kings Counties; with an account of the Battle of Long Island and the British prisons and prison-ships at New York > Part 20
USA > New York > Suffolk County > Revolutionary incidents of Suffolk and Kings Counties; with an account of the Battle of Long Island and the British prisons and prison-ships at New York > Part 20
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AND PRISON-SHIPS AT NEW-YORK.
sick privates when unable to stand, many of whom are daily obliged to enlist in the New Corps to prevent perishing for want of the necessaries of life. Neither pen, ink, or paper allowed, (to prevent their treatment being made public,) the consequence of which, indeed, the prisoners themselves dread, knowing the malignant disposition of their keeper.
Gaine, Jan. 5, '78. Nurses wanted immediately to attend the prison hospitals in this city. Good recommendations required, signed by two respectable inhabitants.
LEWIS PINTARD.
The Board of War report, Jan. 21, '78, that there are 900 pri- vates and 300 officers in N. Y., and that the privates have been crowded all summer in sugar-houses and the officers boarded on L. I., except about 30, who have been confined in the provost-guard, and in most loathsome jails, and that since Oct. 1, all those prisoners, both officers and privates, have been confined in prison, prison-ships, or the Provost.
Lists of prisoners in Provost, Nov. 5, '77 : those taken by the Falcon, Dec. '77 (see 638), and those belonging to Conn., Jan. "78, in the Quaker and Brick Meeting Hospitals, may be found in the Trumbull Papers, VII, 170, 228, 258; VIII, 62.
" Gen. Lee, on receiving $500, which he drew in the New-York Lottery, immediately distributed it among the American prisoners. It is said that the American prisoners, since we have had a Commis- sary in New-York, are well served with good provisions, which are furnished at the expense of the States, and are in general very healthy .- N. London, Feb. 20, "78.
May 6, '78. N. J. Gaz. Col. Miles, Irvin, and 50 more prisoners exchanged. Report says, of 3000 prisoners taken at Ft. Washington, only 800 are now living.
Conn. Gaz., July 10, "78. About three weeks ago, Rob't Shef- field, of Stonington, made his escape from N. Y., after confinement on board a prison-ship. After he was taken, he with his crew (10) were thrust into the forepeak and put in irons. On their arrival at N. Y., they were carried on board a prison-ship and to the hatchways, on opening which, tell not of Pandora's Box, for that must be an alabaster-box, in comparison to the opening of these hatches. True there were gratings but they kept their boats upon them. The steam
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of the hold was enough to scald the skin and take away the breath- the stench enough to poison the air all around. On his descending these dreary mansions of woe, and beholding the numerous spectacles of wretchedness and despair, his soul fainted within him. A little epitome of hell-about 350 men confined between decks, half French- men. He was informed there were three more of these vehicles of contagion, which contained a like number of miserable Frenchmen also, who are treated worse (if possible) than Americans ; the heat so intense (the hot sun shining all day on deck) that they were all naked, which also served the well to get rid of vermin, but the sick were eaten up alive. Their sickly countenances and ghastly looks were truly horrible ; some swearing and blaspheming ; some crying, praying, and wringing their hands, and stalking about like ghosts ; others delirious, raving, and storming ; some groaning and dying- all panting for breath ; some dead and corrupting-air so foul at times that a lamp could not be kept burning, by reason of which the boys were not missed till they had been dead ten days. One person only admitted on deck at a time after sunset, which occasions much filth to run into the hold and mingle with bilge-water, which was not pumped out while he was aboard, notwithstanding the decks were leaky, and the prisoners begged permission to let in fresh water and pump it out again. While Mr. S. was on board (6 days) 5 or 6 died daily and 3 of his people. He was sent for on shore as evidence in a court of admiralty for condemning his own vessel and happily es- caped. He was informed in N. Y. that the fresh meat sent in to our prisoners by our Commissary, was taken by the men of war for their own use. This he can say : he did not see any aboard the ship he was in, but they were well supplied with soft bread from our Com- missary on shore. But the provision (be it what it will) is not the complaint. Fresh air and fresh water, God's free gift, is all their cry.
July 31, "78. N. London. Last week 500 or 600 American pris- oners were released from confinement at N. Y., and sent out chiefly by way of N. Jersey, being exchanged.
N. London, Sep. 26, '78. All American prisoners are nearly sent out of N. Y., but there are 615 French prisoners still there.
Oct. 18, '78. Ship Good Hope lies in the North River.
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AND PRISON-SHIPS AT NEW-YORK.
Dec. 14, '78. Gaine. The Jersey hospital-ship lies at Franklin, near Tolmie's Wharf, E. River.
N. London, Dec. 18, '78. A Flag with 70 men from the hor- rible prison-ships, N. Y., arrived ; 30 very sickly, two died since they arrived.
N. London, Dec. 25, "78. A cartel arrived here from N. Y. with 172 American prisoners. They were landed here and in Groton- greater part sickly and in most deplorable condition, owing chiefly to the ill-usage in the prison-ships, where numbers had their feet and legs froze.
Col. Magaw, Lt. Col. Kichline, Nich's Lutz, Maj. Aquilla Giles, and Lt. Sam'l Dodge, who went home on parole, are ordered back to N. Y. by Loring, Oct 31, "78. Gaine, Jan. 18, "79.
Jan. 15, '79. Riv. Privateers arriving in N. Y. Harbor are to put their prisoners on board the Good Hope or Prince of Wales prison-ships. JAS. DICK.
Boston, Feb. 4, "79. A cartel lately brought 136 prisoners from prison-ships in N. Y. to N. London. Such was the condition in which these poor creatures were put aboard the cartel, that in this short run, 16 died on board ; and 60, when they landed, were scarcely abl, to move, and the remainder greatly emaciated. The greatest inhumanity was experienced in a ship, of which one Nelson, a Scotchman, had the superintendence. Upwards of 300 were con- fined at a time on board. There was but one small fireplace to cook the food of such a number. The allowance was moreover frequently delayed. In the short days of November and December, it was not begun to be delivered out till 11 A. M., so that the whole could not be served till 3. At sunset the fire was ordered to be quenched, so that some had not their food dressed at all ; many were obliged to eat it half raw. No flour, oatmeal, and things of like nature, suited to the condition of infirm people, were allowed to the many sick-nothing but ship-bread, beef, and pork.
N. London, June 16, "79. Our prisoners on board the prison-ships suffer beyond description, being turned down in great numbers below decks, where they are compelled to languish in stench and dirt.
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N. Haven, June 23, '79. 200 prisoners were landed in N. Jersey from the prison-ships.
Sir Geo. Collier forbids privateers landing prisoners on L. I., to the damage and annoyance of His Majesty's faithful subjects. Ju. 29, "79.
Aug. 23, '79. To be sold, the sails and rigging of the ship Good Hope. Masts, spars, and yards, good as new.
Aug. 18, '79. Last week, 5 or 600 American prisoners ex- changed.
A flag returned here with 47 American prisoners, and though taken out of the Good Hope prison-ship, it must (for once) be ac- knowledged, all are very well and healthy : only 150 left. Aug. 25, '79. N. London.
N. London, Sep. 1, "79. D. Stanton was taken, June 5, and put in the Jersey prison-ship. An allowance from Congress was sent aboard. About 3 or 4 weeks past, we were removed on board the Good Hope, where we found many sick. There is now a hos- pital-ship provided, to which they are removed, and good attention paid.
Returned to this port, Alex. Dickey, Commissary of Prisoners, from N. Y., with a cartel, having on board 180 American prisoners. Their countenances indicate they have undergone every conceivable inhumanity. Boston, Sep. 2, '79.
New London, Sep. 29, "79. A Flag arrived here from N. Y., with 117 prisoners, chiefly from N. England.
N. J. Gaz., Oct. 12, '79. Last Wednesday morning, one o'clock, 9 Capts., among them Thos. Dring and Jas. Munroe, and 2 privates made their escape from the Good Hope, prison-ship, in the N. River. They confined the Mate, disarmed the sentinels, and hoisted out the boat which was on deck. They brought off 9 stand of arms and ammunition. They had scarce got clear before the alarm was given, when they were fired on by 3 ships, but none were hurt. Capt. Prince speaks in the highest terms of the commander of the prison- ship, Capt. Nelson, who used the prisoners with a great deal of hu- manity.
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AND PRISON-SHIPS AT NEW-YORK.
N. London, Feb. 16, '80. 15 prisoners arrived here, who three weeks ago escaped from the prison-ship in the E. River. A num- ber of others escaped about the same time from the same ship, some of whom being frost bitten and unable to endure the cold, were tak- en up and carried back, one frozen to death before he reached the shore.
Riv., Mar. 8, '80. Last Sunday afternoon, the Good Hope, prison-ship, lying in the Wallebocht Bay, was entirely consumed, after having been wilfully set on fire by a Con't man, named Wood- bury, who confessed the fact. He with others of the incendiaries are removed to the Provost. The prisoners let each other down from the port-holes and decks into the water.
Col. John Ely and Capt. Ed. Bulkley, in behalf of officers pris- oners at Flatbush, petition Gov. Trumbull for hard cash. They are in debt for clothing and sickness in the fall. Their board has been paid to May last. Ap. 24, '80.
I am now a prisoner on board the ship Falmouth, in N. Y., a place the most dreadful ; we are confined so that we have not room even to lie down all at once to sleep. It is the most horrible cursed hole that can be thought of. I was sick, and longed for some small beer while I lay unpitied at death's door, with a putrid fever, and though I had money, I was not permitted to send for it. I offered repeatedly a hard dollar for a pint. The wretch who went forward and backward would not oblige me. I am just able to creep about. Four prisoners have escaped from this ship. One having, as by ac- cident, thrown his hat overboard, begged leave to go after it in a small boat, which lay alongside. A sentinel with only his side-arms on, got into the boat. Having reached the hat, they secured the sentinel and made for the Jersey shore, though several armed boats pursued, and shot was fired from the shipping.
Con. Gaz., May, 25, '80.
Two young men, brothers, belonging to a rifle corps, were made prisoners, and sent on board the Jersey. The elder took the fever, and in a few days became delirious. One night (his end was fast approaching) he became calm and sensible, and lamenting his hard fate, and the absence of his mother, begged for a little water. His brother, with tears entreated the guard to give him some, but in
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vain. The sick youth was soon in his last struggles, when his bro- ther offered the guard a guinea, for an inch of candle, only that he might see him die. Even this was refused. "Now," said he, dry- ing up his tears, " if it please God that I ever regain my liberty, I'll be a most bitter enemy !" He regained his liberty, rejoined the army, and when the war ended, he had 8 large, and 127 small notches on his rifle stock !- Capt. Talbot was removed to the Provost or Jail, where he was locked up in a small room with 30 prisoners. The dog in office, Cunningham, when Capt. T. and his fellow prisoners entered the prison, and gave in their names, abused and insulted them with the most indecent language. " Yes, I knew your family well ; your mother or sister has been my w-e many a good time." To another, " Was not your brother in the rebel army ? Aye, I thought as much. The d-d Yankee was hung as a spy a few days since." The prisoners on board the Strombolo, in the N. River, having been irritated by ill treatment to rise one night on their guard, several in attempting to escape, were either killed or wounded. A poor fellow lying on deck almost exhausted by a mortal wound, begged of the Captain "for God's sake a little water, for he was dying." The Capt. applied a light to his face, and exclaimed, " What ! is it you, d-n you ! take that, you d-d rebel rascal !" and dashed his foot in the face of the dying man.
Life of Silas Talbot, 127.
N. J. Gaz., June 4, '80. 35 Americans, including five officers, made their escape from the prison-ship at N. Y., and got safely off.
Gaine, July 1,'80. For sale, the remains of the Hospital prison- ship, Kitty, as they now lie at the Wallebocht, with launch, anchors and cables.
N. Haven, July 20, '80. Only three marine prisoners, 'tis said, in N. Y.
N. J. Gaz., Aug. 23, '80. Capt. Grinnel, who made his escape from the Scorpion prison-ship, at N. Y., on the evening of the 15th, says : More lenity is shown the prisoners. There are 200 in the Strombolo, and 120 in the Scorpion.
Freneau, sailor and poet, was confined in the Scorpion in the N. River, 1780, with 300 prisoners, and has given a poetical account of his treatment.
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AND PRISON-SHIPS AT NEW-YORK.
Chatham, N. J., Nov. 8, '80. Forty of our officers, and 150 privates (prisoners with the enemy) were exchanged at Elizabeth- Town.
. Riv., Dec. 6, '80. For sale, the hulls of his Majesty's sloops Scorpion and Hunter ; and of the Strombolo fire-ship, now lying in N. River, by order of the Naval Storekeeper. [Not sold].
Washington's Letters on Treatment of Prisoners .- Sparks.
Nov. 23, '79. W. says the treatment of prisoners is more within the line of humanity under Clinton.
Ap. 14, '79. Commissioners for the exchange of prisoners, met at Amboy, but disagreed. They then tried a partial cartel for American officers, prisoners on L. I.
Jan. 4, '80. Cols. Magaw, Ely, Matthews and Ramsay, (yet pris- oners at N. Y.) came out on parole with new propositions of exchange.
July 10, '80. W. says, exchanges of prisoners, though urged by hu- manity, is not politic. It would give force to the British, and add but little to our own. Few of the American prisoners belong to the army, and the enlistment of those who do, is nearly expired.
Before Nov. 7, '80, 140 officers and all American prisoners, in N. Y. (476) are exchanged.
Jan. 25,'81. W. writes to Arbuthnot, that the American naval prisoners in N. Y., suffer all extremities of distress, from too crowded, disagreeable and unwholesome situation in prison-ships, and want of food and other necessaries. He wants a permit for an American officer to visit them.
Ap. 21, '81. Arbuthnot replies, he has ordered a scrutiny into the conduct of all concerned in victualling and treatment of prisoners, and assures Washington their testimony is true.
Aug. 21.'81. W. complains to the British Commanding officer, at N. Y., of the inadequacy of room in prison-ships, there is room on shore, wishes an agent may be allowed to visit prison-ships, and report.
Aug. 30, '81. Capt. Affleck replies that he feels for the distress of prisoners, and has endeavored to regulate the Hospital and prison-ships. Tables of Diet are affixed ; officers visit weekly, redress and report grievances ; their numbers are thinned, when shipping can be provided, an American officer may witness the treatment of prisoners, but they can't be confined on shore.
Dec. 27, '81, and Mar. '82. W. says, for above two years past no complaints have been made of treatment of land prisoners in N. Y.
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The suffering of seamen for some time past arises mostly from the want of a general regulation, that no American privateers should set their prisoners free ; whereas now the British prisoners enter the American service, or are allowed to escape, so that the balance of prisoners is against the Americans.
Feb. 18,'82. W. declines Sproat's proposition to exchange British soldiers for American seamen, as it will give the British considerable reinforcement, and be a constant draft hereafter on prisoners of war in our hands. Few or none of the naval prisoners in N. Y. belong to the Continental service. Captains of all vessels, public and private, should throw their prisoners into common stock under the direction of a Com- missary General of prisoners ; as it is now, the greater part is dispersed, and there are few to exchange for British prisoners.
Geo. Batterman, who had been prisoner on board the prison-ship at N. Y., deposes that he had 8 oz. of condemned bread per day, and 8 oz. of meat. He was afterwards put on board the Jersey, where were (as was supposed) 1,100 prisoners ; recruiting officers came on board, and find- ing American officers persuaded the men not to enlist, removed them (as he was told) to the Provost. The prisoners were tempted to enlist to free themselves from confinement, hopeless of exchange. Dec. 5, prisoners had a pint of water for the day, and sick not sent to the hospital ship, till they were so weak and ill, that they often expired be- fore they got out of the Jersey. The commanding officer said his or- ders were, if the ship took fire we should be all turned below and perish in the flames. By accident the ship took fire in the steward's room, when the Hessian guards were ordered to drive the prisoners below, and fire among them if they resisted or got in the water.
Riv., Dec. 19, '80.
Riv., Feb. 7,'81. Sproat writes to Skinner, that very many prisoners on board the Jersey are sick and dying, but their disorders proceed only from dirt, nastiness, and want of clothing. On the first complaint made about provisions, I went on board the prison-ship, wrote down in large- hand on a folio sheet, the quantity of each kind of provisions allowed to prisoners, and caused it to be posted up in the most public place in the ves- sel, that each prisoner might get his full quantity : and I ordered when a cask of provisions was damaged, it should be headed up and not served out. When I was appointed Commissary, Oct. 13, '79, I examined into the state of the prisoners and prison-ships and reported to Ad. Arbuth- not, who ordered me to make every necessary regulation for the accom- modation of the prisoners. Accordingly carpenters ran a bulkhead
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AND PRISON-SHIPS AT NEW-YORK.
across the prison-ship Good Hope ; the officers berthed abaft and the men before this partition. Two excellent large stoves were erected, one for the officers, another for the men. The hospital ship was equipped in the same manner, and every sick or wounded person had a cradle, bed- ding, surgeons. In this comfortable situation did the prisoners remain till March 5, '80, when they wilfully burnt the best prison-ship in the world. The perpetrators were not hanged, but ordered to the Provost, (see p. 231). The ship lay in the Wallebocht, near a number of transports, whose people were so alert in snatching the prisoners from the flames, that but two out of some hundreds were missing. They were put in the nearest ship the Woodlands, where they remained a short time till the ships Strom- bolo and Scorpion were got ready. The officers were always admitted to parole in that pleasant village, Jamaica, till July 10, '80, when many of them had broke their paroles and otherwise behaved so ill, that it was refused them. This alteration had not taken place above two months when the prisoners were all moved to the ship Jersey, where there is a variety of apartments for officers, and plenty of room between decks for men. I have offered to exchange prisoners man for man, but if Congress retaliate, it will only hurry on the miseries of the American prisoners faster than Congress are aware of, and in a short time put the honor of every man to the test who is out on parole. Riv., Jan. 29, '81.
Peter Robinson, acting purser of His Majesty's prison-ship, the Jersey, maketh oath, that he has acted as purser, during the time she has been employed as a prison-ship, and that the allowance to each pris- oner for one week is 66 oz. of bread, 43 oz. of beef, 92 oz. pork, 1% pint of peas, 2 pints of oatmeal, and 8 oz. butter, which quantity of provi- sions hath been and still is served out to each prisoner (by daily allow- ances) every week, without any deduction, for eighths or otherwise, and that such provisions have always been the same in goodness and quality, as were supplied to the crews of His Majesty's said hospital ship, and the other King's ships on the American station. Gaine, Feb. 12, '81.
Jeremiah Downer maketh oath, that he commanded His Majesty's prison-ship the Strombolo, in the harbor of N. Y., from Aug. 21, to Dec. 10, 1780, (provisions as above,) and that the number of prisoners con- fined on board, was never less than 150 at one time, and frequently above 200 : and only one died in that time. Gaine, Feb. 12, '81.
The Jersey was a large and roomy vessel, once had carried 64 guns, but now was stripped and reduced to a naked hulk. All her ports were close shut, which prevented any current of air between
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decks, where the prisoners were all shut down from sunset to sunrise, and during these melancholy hours all intercource with the upper deck was prohibited. The guards were forbid on pain of severe pun- ishment, to relieve the wants of any distressed prisoner. She was anchored in a solitary nook, called the Wallebocht, where at low water her rotten remains are still to be seen, 1803. At the time I was on board, there were about 1,100 prisoners, no berths to lie in, or benches to sit on ; many almost without clothes. Dysentery, fever, pleurisy, and despair prevailed. The scantiness and bad quality of provisions, the brutality of the guards, and the sick pining for com- forts they could not obtain, altogether furnished the greatest scene of human distress ever beheld. The weather was cool and dry, the nights frosty, so that the number of deaths were reduced to an average of 10 per day, which was small compared with the mortality for three months before. The human bones and skulls yet bleach- ing on the shore of L. I., and daily exposed by the falling down of the high bank, on which the prisoners were buried, is a shock- ing sight.
I was one of the 850 souls confined in the Jersey, in the summer of '81, and witnessed several daring attempts to escape. They generally ended tragically. They were always undertaken in the night, after wrenching or filing the bars of the port-holes. Having been on board several weeks, and goaded to death in various ways, four of us concluded to run the hazard. We set to work and got the bars off, and waited impatiently for a dark night; we lay in front of Mr. Remsen's door, inside of the pier head, and not more than twenty yards distant. There were two guard sloops, one on our bow and the other off our quarter, a short distance from us. "The dark night" came-the first two were lowered quietly into the water -the third made some rumbling. I was the fourth that descended, but had not struck off from the vessel before the guards were alarmed, and fired upon us. The alarm became general, and I was immediately hauled on board. They manned their boats, and with their lights and implements of death, were quick in pursuit of the un- fortunates, cursing and swearing, and bellowing and firing. It was awful to witness this scene of blood. It lasted about one hour-all on board trembling for our shipmates. These desperadoes returned to their different vessels rejoicing that they killed three d-d rebels.
Talbot, p. 106.
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AND PRISONS-SHIPS AT NEW-YORK.
About three years after this, I saw a gentleman in John street, near Nassau, who accosted me thus :-- " Manley, how do you do ?" I could not recollect him. " Is it possible you do not know me ? re- collect the old Jersey," and he opened his vest and bared his breast. I immediately said to him, " You are James McClean." " I am," he replied. We both stepped into Marrener's public house, at the corner, and he related his marvellous escape to me.
" They pursued me-I frequently dived to evade them, and when I came up, they fired on me. I caught my breath, and immediately dove again, and held my breath, till I crawled along on the mud. They no doubt thought they had killed me. I, however, with much exertion, though weak and wounded, made out to reach the shore, and got into a barn, not far from the ship, a little north from Mr. Remsen's house. The farmer, the next morning, came into his barn-saw me lying on the floor, and ran out in a fright. I begged him to come to me, and he did. I gave an account of myself-where I was from-how I was pursued, with several others. He saw my wounds ; took pity on me ; sent for his wife, and bound up my wounds, and kept me in the barn till nightfall-took me into his house-nursed me secretly, and then furnished me with clothing, &c. ; and when I was restored, he took me with him, into his market boat, to this city, and went with me to the west part of the city --- procured me a passage over to Bergen, and I landed somewhere in Communipaw. Some friends helped me across Newark Bay, and then I worked my way, until I reached Baltimore, to the great joy of all my friends."
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