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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

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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

SIR--In pursuance of the instructions received from Messrs. Clay
    and Gallatin, I have now the honor to transmit to you the report
    prepared by Mr. Larpent and myself on behalf of our respective
    governments, in relation to the unfortunate transactions at
    Dartmoor Prison of War, on the 6th of the present month.
    Considering it of much importance that the report, whatever it
    might be, should go forth under our joint signatures, I have
    forborne to press some of the points which it involves, as far as
    otherwise I might have done, and it therefore may not be improper
    in this letter to enter into some little explanation of such parts
    of the report.

    Although it does appear that a part of the prisoners were on that
    evening in such a state, and under such circumstances as to have
    justified in the view which the commander of the depot could not
    but take of it, the intervention of the military force, and even
    in a strict sense, the first use of fire arms, yet I cannot but
    express it as my settled opinion, that by conduct a little more
    temporising this dreadful alternative of firing upon unarmed
    prisoners might have been avoided. Yet as this opinion has been
    the result of subsequent examination, and after having acquired a
    knowledge of the comparatively harmless state of the prisoners, it
    may be but fair to consider, whether in such a moment of confusion
    and alarm, as that appears to have been, the officer commanding
    could have fairly estimated his danger, or have measured out with
    precision the extent and nature of the force necessary to guard
    against it.

    But when the firing became general, as it afterwards appears to
    have been, and caught with electric rapidity from the square to
    the platforms, there is no plea nor shadow of excuse for it,
    except in the personal exasperation of the soldiery, nor for the
    more deliberate, and therefore more unjustifiable firing which
    took place into three of the prisons, No. 1, 3 and 4, but more
    particularly into No. 3, after the prisoners had retired into
    them, and there was no longer any pretence of apprehensions, as to
    their escape.--Upon this ground, as you, sir, will perceive by the
    report, Mr. Larpent and myself had no difference of opinion, and I
    am fully persuaded that my own regret was not greater than his at
    perceiving how hopeless would be the attempt to trace to any
    individuals of the military these outrageous proceedings.

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