American Prisoners of the RevolutionDandridge, Danske
History
American Prisoners of the Revolution
Dandridge, Danske
United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Prisoners and prisons
“Our officers,” says Sherburne, “were paroled and allowed to retain
their waiters. We were for several days entirely destitute of provisions
except muscles, which we gathered from the muscle beds. I was at this
time waiter to Captain Pierce Powers, master’s mate of the Ranger. He
treated me with the kindness of a father.”
“At this time,” he continues, “Captain Simpson and the other officers
procured a small vessel which was employed as a cartel, to transport
the officers, their boys and baggage, agreeably to the terms of
capitulation, to Newport, R. I. It being difficult to obtain suitable
casks for water they procured such as they could. These proved to be
foul, and after we got to sea our water became filthy and extremely
noxious. Very few if any on board escaped an attack of the diarrhoea.”
After his return he next shipped under Captain Wilds on the Greyhound,
from Portsmouth, N. H., and at last, after many adventures, was taken
prisoner by Newfoundlanders, off Newfoundland. He was then put on board
the Fairy, a British sloop of war, commanded by Captain Yeo, “a complete
tyrant” “Wilds and myself,” he continues, “were called to the quarter
deck, and after having been asked a few questions by Captain Yeo, he
turned to his officers and said: ‘They are a couple of fine lads for his
Majesty’s service. Mr. Gray, see that they do their duty.’”
When the sloop arrived in England the boys complained that they were
prisoners of war, in consequence of which they were sent to the Old Mill
Prison at Plymouth, accused of “rebellion, piracy, and high treason.”
Here they found acquaintances from Portsmouth, N. H. The other prisoners
were very kind to young Sherburne, gave him clothing and sent him to a
school which was kept in the prison. Ship building and other arts were
carried on in this place, and he learned navigation, which was of great
service to him in after life.
The fare, he declared, was tolerably good, but there was not enough
of it. He amused himself by making little toy ships. He became ill and
delirious, but recovered in time to be sent to America when a general
exchange of prisoners was effected in 1781. The rest of his adventures
has nothing to do with prisons, in England, and shall not now be
detailed.
Although the accounts of the English prisons left by Herbert, Sherburne
and others are so favorable, yet it seems that, after the year 1780,
there was some cause of complaint even there. We will quote a passage
from the British Annual Register to prove this statement. This passage
we take from the Register for 1781, page 152.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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