The prisoners' memoirs, or, Dartmoor prison : $b containing a complete and impartial history of the entire captivity of the Americans in England, from the commencement of the last war between the United States and Great Britain, until all prisoners were released by the treaty of Ghent. Also a particular detail of all occurrences relative to the horrid massacre at Dartmoor, on the fatal evening of the 6th of April, 1815.Andrews, C. (Charles)
History
The prisoners' memoirs, or, Dartmoor prison : $b containing a complete and impartial history of the entire captivity of the Americans in England, from the commencement of the last war between the United States and Great Britain, until all prisoners were released by the treaty of Ghent. Also a particular detail of all occurrences relative to the horrid massacre at Dartmoor, on the fatal evening of the 6th of April, 1815.
Andrews, C. (Charles)
Dartmoor Prison; United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Prisoners and prisons
At the same time that the firing was going on in the square, a cross
fire was also kept up from several of the platforms on the walls round
the prison where the sentries stand, by straggling parties of soldiers
who ran up there for that purpose. As far as this fire was directed to
disperse the men assembled round the breach, for which purpose it was
most effectual, it seems to stand upon the same ground as that in the
first instance in the square. But that part, which it is positively
sworn was directed against struggling parties of prisoners running
about the yards and endeavoring to enter in the few doors which the
turnkeys, according to their usual practice, had left open, does seem,
as stated, to have been wholly without object or excuse, and to have
been a wanton attack upon the lives of defenceless, and at that time
unoffending individuals. In the same, or even more severe terms, we
must remark upon what was proved as to the firing into the door-ways
of the prisons, more particularly into that of No. 3 prison, at a
time when the men were in crowds at the entrance. From the position
of the prison and of the door, and from the marks of the balls which
were pointed out to us, as well as from the evidence, it was clear
this firing must have proceeded from soldiers a very few feet from
the door-way; and although it was certainly sworn that the prisoners
were at the time of part of the firing at least, continuing to insult
and occasionally to throw stones at the soldiers, and that they were
standing in the way of, and impeding the turnkey, who was there for
the purpose of closing the door, yet still there was nothing stated
which could in our view at all justify such excessively harsh and
severe treatment of helpless and unarmed prisoners, when all idea of
escape was at an end. Under these impressions we used every endeavor
to ascertain if there was the least prospect of identifying any of the
soldiers who had been guilty of the particular outrages here alluded
to, or of tracing any particular death at that time to the firing
of any particular individual, but without success; and all hopes of
bringing the offenders to punishment should seem to be at an end. In
conclusion, we, the undersigned, have only to add, that whilst we
lament, as we do most deeply, the unfortunate transaction which has
been the subject of this inquiry, we find ourselves totally unable to
suggest any steps to be taken as to those parts of it which seem to
call for redress and punishment.
(Signed) CHARLES KING,
FRAS. SEYMOUR LARPENT.
LONDON, 18th April, 1815.
SIR,
At the request of Lord Castlereagh, we have had interviews with him
and Mr. Goulburn on the subject of the transportation of the American
prisoners now in this country, to the United States, and of the late
unfortunate event at the depot at Dartmoor.
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