American Prisoners of the RevolutionDandridge, Danske
History
American Prisoners of the Revolution
Dandridge, Danske
United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Prisoners and prisons
“The Regiment was paraded in line about fifty yards in our rear, ready
to support us. Your Father of course on that day, and in the whole
of the action commanded Shepherd’s Company, which performed its
duty admirably. About two o’clock P. M. the Enemy obtained complete
possession of the hill, and former battle-ground. Our troops retreated
gradually from redoubt to redoubt, contesting every inch of ground,
still making dreadful Havoc in the ranks of the enemy. We laboured too
under disadvantages, the wind blew the smoke full in our faces. About
two o’clock A. Shepherd, being the senior Captain, took command of the
Regiment, [Footnote: After Rawlings and Williams were disabled.] and by
the advice of Col’o Rawlings & Major Williams, gradually retreated from
redoubt to redoubt, to & into the fort with the surviving part of the
Regiment. Col’o Rawlings, Major Williams, and Lt Hanson and myself
quitted the field together, and retreated to the fort. I was slightly
wounded, tho my right hand was rendered entirely useless. Your Father
continued with the regiment until all had arrived in the fort. It was
admitted by all the surviving officers that he had conducted himself
with great gallantry and the utmost propriety.
“While we were thus engaged the enemy succeeded much better in every
other quarter, & with little comparative loss. All were driven into the
fort and the enemy began by sundown to break ground within 100 yards of
the fort.
“Finding our situation desperate Col’o Magaw dispatched a flag to
Gen. Howe who Commanded in person, proposing to surrender on certain
conditions, which not being agreed to, other terms were proposed and
accepted. The garrison, consisting of 2673 privates, & 210 officers,
marched out, grounded arms, and were guarded to the White House that
same night, but instead of being treated as agreed on, and allowed to
retain baggage, clothes, and Side Arms, every valuable article was torn
away from both officers and soldiers: every sword, pistol, every good
hat was seized, even in presence of Brittish officers, & the prisoners
were considered and treated as _Rebels_, to the king and country. On
the third day after our surrender we were guarded to New York, fourteen
miles from Fort Washington, where in the evening we received some
barrels of raw pork and musty spoiled biscuit, being the first Morsel of
provision we had seen for more than three days. The officers were then
separated from the soldiers, had articles of parole presented to
us which we signed, placed into deserted houses without Clothing,
provisions, or fire. No officer was permitted to have a servant, but we
acted in rotation, carried our Cole and Provisions about half a mile on
our backs, Cooked as well as we could, and tried to keep from Starving.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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