Opening the text

A journal, of a young man of Massachusetts, late a surgeon on board an American privateer, who was captured at sea by the British in May, eighteen hundred and thirteen and was confined first, at Melville Island, Halifax, then at Chatham, in England, and last at Dartmoor prison : $b Interspersed with observations, anecdotes and remarks, tending to illustrate the moral and political characters of three nations. To which is added, a correct engraving of Dartmoor prison, representing the massacre ofWaterhouse, Benjamin

History

A journal, of a young man of Massachusetts, late a surgeon on board an American privateer, who was captured at sea by the British in May, eighteen hundred and thirteen and was confined first, at Melville Island, Halifax, then at Chatham, in England, and last at Dartmoor prison : $b Interspersed with observations, anecdotes and remarks, tending to illustrate the moral and political characters of three nations. To which is added, a correct engraving of Dartmoor prison, representing the massacre of

Waterhouse, Benjamin

Dartmoor Prison; United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Prisoners and prisons

commander swore and raved terribly; when our worthy protector reminded
him that he was not on his own quarter deck. The coolness of Mr.
Wilson still further enraged our exasperated neighbor, and he left the
ship execrating every one on board, and swearing that he would make
complaint to the commodore.

When the prisoners saw how their own commander viewed the interference
of another, they collected all the potatoes they could find, and I am
sorry to add, pieces of coal, and as soon as he left the side of the
Bahama, they pelted him till he fairly skulked under cover in his own
prison ship. He directly drew his marines up in battle array, on his
quarter deck, when the captain of the Bahama seeing his folly, and
knowing his disposition, exerted himself to make every American go
below, and enjoined upon them _a cessation of potatoes_. We gained,
however, more by this short war, than most of the nations of the
world, for it entirely removed the cause for which we _took up
potatoes_ against one of his Britannic majesty's officers, within ten
leagues of the capital of his empire. I overheard captain Wilson say
to the second in command, "these Americans are the sauciest dogs I
ever saw; but damn me if I can help liking them, nor can I ever hate
men who are so much like ourselves--they are _John Bull_ all over."

In a course of kind and flattering treatment, our countrymen were
orderly and easily governed; but when they conceived themselves ill
treated you might as well attempt to govern so many East India tygers.
The British officers in this river discovered this, and dreaded their
combined anger; and yet the Americans are seldom or ever known to
carry their vengeance to blood and murder, like the Spaniard, Italian
and Portuguese.

A Swedish frigate has just arrived in the reach, to take away those
good boys, the Norwegians. _King Bernadotte_ sent them two and six
pence a piece, to secure their affections, and provide them with some
needed articles for their passage to Norway. A cartel is hourly
expected from London, to take home some of their soldiers. The Leyden,
an old Dutch 64, is preparing, at the Nore, to take us away.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.