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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

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 there was any provocation given to the soldiers to justify
    their subsequent brutal conduct, the commissioners themselves seem
    to find it very difficult to trace any evidence, although they
    say, it appears, that there was some resistance made to the
    turnkeys in shutting the prison, and that stones were thrown at
    the military. Had they examined the _prisoners_ sufficiently, they
    would have been convinced that no resistance was made to the
    turnkeys in shutting the doors. As to throwing stones at the
    military, while they were chasing them from corner to corner, and
    firing at them in every place where they had taken shelter from
    the balls, could it be expected but they would seize on something
    for self defence, when they saw the soldiers running at them with
    their bayonets, and having no possible means of escape, as it has
    been before stated, all the doors in the prisons had been
    previously closed except one, and that one perhaps, the length of
    the prison from him. Is there a man, in such a situation, but
    would seize on the first weapon that offered itself, and sell his
    life as dear as possible. How can they, then, make that the
    slightest justification for such outrageous conduct on the part of
    Shortland or the military?

    As to most of the officers being absent is erroneous; it could
    have been proved that there was an officer in every yard, and in
    one instance where he was heard to give the order to fire on a
    party of prisoners close by the door, and running and making every
    exertion to enter the prison.

    As to Captain Shortland being busy in the square with the
    turnkeys, receiving and taking care of the wounded, certainly
    shows the commissioners' want of correct information, for it is
    already before the public, in affidavit, the cruel manner in which
    the wounded were treated by him, and of his abuse to the prisoners
    who were bearing the wounded to the hospital gate. That part of
    the report which relates that the time and commencement of this
    transaction was the officers' dinner hour, is too ridiculous for a
    comment. We do not believe that there was a prisoner in the depot
    that knew when or where the officers dined, and therefore, can be
    no ground for an argument, that the prisoners were taking this
    opportunity to escape.

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