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
_Enoch Burnham_, having been duly sworn, deposeth--
That he was standing at the market gate at the time Capt.
Shortland came into the market square with a large party of
soldiers (it being then about 6 o'clock.) They immediately formed
a line in the square--at that time a number of prisoners got into
the square from the yard of No. 1 prison, and had advanced a few
steps; the soldiers then charged, and the prisoners immediately
retreated to their prisons, without the least resistance. After
the prisoners had retired to the yards of the prison, the soldiery
formed a line, and commenced firing in the yards, the prison gates
being closed by the prisoners; shortly after they kept up a heavy
fire, and I saw one man fall. I immediately hastened to No. 5
prison, but on reaching No. 7, I found there was a party of
soldiers on the wall, firing from every direction. I then got safe
in No. 7, where, after remaining at the north end window for a few
moments, _I saw a man (a prisoner) leaning against the wall,
apparently wounded, with his hands in a supplicating posture--at
the same time, I saw several soldiers present and fire at the
prisoner, and he fell dead on the spot_.
ENOCH BURNHAM.
No. IX.
_Edward Coffin_, being duly sworn, deposed, that on the sixth of
April, about six o'clock in the afternoon, a few prisoners
belonging to No. 5 and 7 prisons, broke a hole through the wall
opposite No. 7 prison, as they said, to get a ball out of the
barrack yard, which they had lost in their play. After they had
broke through the wall, the officers and soldiers that were in the
barrack yard, told them to desist, or they would fire upon them.
Immediately after that the drum beat to arms, and the square was
filled with soldiers, and without telling the prisoners to go to
their prison, immediately commenced to charge and fire upon them.
I immediately started to go to No. 5 prison, and the soldiers on
the platforms on the walls commenced firing, and I should think
near forty fired at myself and three others, as I am sure there
were no other men in sight at that time between Nos. 5 and 6
prisons. In going round No. 5 cook house, a prisoner was shot and
killed very near me.
EDWARD COFFIN.
_Attest_, HENRY ALLEN.
No. X.
_Thomas B. Mott_, having been duly sworn, deposed--
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