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
The report now goes on to mention, that on the evening of the 6th
of April, about six o'clock in the evening, a hole was made in one
of the walls of the prison sufficient for a full-sized man to
pass, and others had been commenced, but never completed, and that
a number of the prisoners were over the railing erected to prevent
them from communicating with the sentinels on the walls, and that
they were tearing up pieces of turf, and wantonly pelting each
other, in a noisy manner.
As to the hole made in the wall, we believe the causes and reasons
have been already sufficiently explained by the affidavits laid
before the public. With respect to the prisoners being between the
iron paling and the wall, it could have been, if it was not,
easily explained to Mr. King, had he given an opportunity. It
seems, that on the afternoon of the 6th, some of the prisoners
having obtained _leave_ of the sentinels on the walls to go over
and lay upon the grass, others seeing them laying so much at their
ease, went over to enjoy the same privilege; and as the sentinels
made no objection to this proceeding, the number was soon
increased to such a degree, that it became no longer an enjoyment
to those who first obtained the privilege; some scuffling then
ensued among themselves, and they began to pelt each other with
turf and old shoes, principally in play, and among so many, no
doubt, there must have been considerable noise; but how they can
possibly connect this circumstance with the hole made in the wall,
is entirely out of our power to conceive, as the iron railings
separated them from the pretended breach in the wall, and distant
from it more than half the length of the yard; of course, had the
hole been intended as a breach, the iron paling would have become
a barrier, instead of facilitating the means of an escape.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account