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 — John Shaqi
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
Actuated by this
sort of feeling, the steady Romans shook the world.
From this digression, let us return, and resume our Journal. We
arrived off Portsmouth the fifth of October, 1813; and were visited by
the health officer, and ordered to the Mother-bank, opposite that
place, where vessels ride out their quarantine. The next day the ship
was fumigated, and every exertion made by the officers to put her in a
condition for inspection by the health-officer. Letters were fumigated
by vinegar, or nitrous acid, before they were allowed to go out of the
ship. Their attention was next turned to us, miserable prisoners. We
were ordered to wash, and put on clean shirts. Being informed that
many of us had not a second shirt to put on, the captain took down the
names of such destitute men, but never supplied them with a single
rag.
The prisoners were now as anxious to go on shore, and to know the
extent of their misery, as the captain of the Regulous was to get rid
of us. The most of us, therefore, joined heartily in the task of
cleansing the ship, and in white-washing the lower deck, or the place
we occupied. Some, either through laziness or resentment, refused to
do any thing about it; but the rest of us said, that it was always
customary in America, when we left a house, or a room we hired, to
leave it clean, and it was ever deemed disreputable to leave an
apartment dirty. The officers of the ship tried to make them, and
began to threaten them, but they persisted in their refusal, and every
attempt to force them was fruitless. I do not myself wonder that the
British officers, so used to prompt and even servile obedience of
their own men, were ready to knock some of our obstinate, saucy
fellows, on the head. This brings to my mind the concise but just
observation of an English traveller through the United States of
America. After saying that the inhabitants south of the Hudson were a
mixed race of English, Irish, Scotch, Dutch, Germans and Swedes, among
whom you could observe no precise national character; he adds, "but as
to New-England, they are all true English; and there you see one
uniform trait of national manners, habits and dispositions.--The
people are hardy, industrious, humane, obliging, obstinate and brave.
By kind and courteous usage, mixed with flattery, you can lead them,
like so many children, almost as you please;" _but_, he adds, "_the
devil from h--l, with fire in one hand, and faggots in the other,
cannot drive them_." Neither Caesar, nor Tacitus ever drew a more true
and concise character of the Gauls, or Germans, than this. Here is
seen the transplanted Englishman, enjoying "_Indian freedom_," and
therefore a little wilder than in his native soil of Albion; and yet
it is surprising that a people, whose ancestors left England less than
a century and a half ago, should be so little known to the present
court and administration of Great Britain. Even the revolutionary war
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account