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
We are, sir, your obedient humble servants,
(Signed) H. CLAY,
ALBERT GALLATIN.
R. G. Beasley, Esq. &c., &c.
PLYMOUTH, 26th April, 1815.
SIR,
In pursuance of instructions received from Messrs. Clay and Gallatin,
I have now the honor to transmit to you the report prepared by Mr.
Larpent and myself on behalf of our respective governments, in
relation to the unfortunate transactions at Dartmoor Prison of War,
on the 6th of the present month. Considering it of much importance
that the report, whatever it might be, should go forth under our joint
signatures, I have forborne to press some of the points which it
involves, as far as otherwise I might have done, and it therefore may
not be improper in this letter to enter into some little explanation
of such parts of the report. Although it does appear that a part
of the prisoners were on that evening in such a state, and under
such circumstances, as to have justified, in the view which the
commander of the depot could not but take of it, the intervention
of the military force, and even in a strict sense, the first use of
fire-arms, yet I cannot but express it as my settled opinion, that
by conduct a little more temporizing, this dreadful alternative of
firing upon unarmed prisoners might have been avoided. Yet as this
opinion has been the result of subsequent examination, and after
having acquired a knowledge of the comparatively harmless state of the
prisoners, it may be but fair to consider, whether in such a moment
of confusion and alarm, as that appears to have been, the officer
commanding could have fairly estimated his danger, or have measured
out with precision the extent and nature of the force necessary to
guard against it.
But when the firing became general, as it afterwards appears to
have done, and caught with electric rapidity from the square to the
platforms, there is no plea or shadow of excuse for it, except in the
personal exasperation of the soldiery, nor for the more deliberate,
and therefore more unjustifiable, firing which took place into three
of the prisons, No. 1, 3 and 4, but more particularly into No. 3,
after the prisoners had retired into them, and there was no longer
any pretence of apprehensions as to their escape. Upon this ground,
as you, sir, will perceive by the report, Mr. Larpent and myself had
no difference of opinion, and I am fully persuaded that my own regret
was not greater than his, at perceiving how hopeless would be the
attempt to trace to any individuals of the military these outrageous
proceedings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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. — John Shaqi
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