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
That on the 6th of April, about 6 o'clock in the evening, I was in
the market-square, where the soldiers were drawn up. There was a
number of Americans in the square--to the best of my judgment,
between fifty and a hundred. I distinctly heard Captain Shortland
order the soldiers to charge on the prisoners, which they did not
do till the order was repeated by their own officers, when they
charged, and the prisoners retreated through the gates, which they
shut to after them. In this interim I had got behind a sentry box,
in the square, and the soldiers went past me. I saw Captain
Shortland open the gates, and distinctly heard him give the word
to fire, which was not immediately obeyed, the commanding officer
of the soldiers observing, that he would not order the men to
fire, but that he (Shortland) might do as he pleased. I then saw
Captain Shortland seize hold of a musket, in the hands of a
soldier, which was immediately fired--but I am not able to say
whether he or the soldier pulled the trigger. At this time I was
endeavouring to get through the gate to the prison-yard--in so
doing several stabs were made at me with bayonets, which I evaded.
Immediately after the firing became general, and I retreated, with
the remainder of the prisoners, down the yard, the soldiers
following and firing on the prisoners; after I had got into No. 3
prison, I heard two vollies fired into the prison, that killed one
man and wounded another--and further the deponent saith not.
ADDISON HOLMES.
We, the undersigned, being duly appointed and sworn as a committee
to take the depositions of those persons who were eye witnesses of
the late horrid massacre, certify that the above deponents, being
duly and solemnly sworn on the holy evangelists of Almighty God,
did depose and say as before written, which was severally read to
each one who subscribed the same.
_William B. Orne_,
_Francis Joseph_,
_Walter Colton_,
_Wm. Hobart_,
_James Adams_,
_James Boggs_.
[A certificate similar to the foregoing, is attached to each of
the depositions. The originals are now in our hands.]
No. II.
We, the undersigned, being each severally sworn on the holy
evangelists of Almighty God, depose and say--
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