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
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
The month of June commenced with deep distress; for disease was then
added to nakedness and famine; and we were still more severely dealt
by. For Doctor Dyer, who was head surgeon of the Hospital-department,
would not permit an American prisoner to be brought into the hospital,
until his complaint was completely confirmed, and often not until he
was so weak, and reduced so low, that it would take four men to remove
him on his hammock. For this conduct, he justified himself by saying,
that he had been acquainted with the impositions of the Americans
during the revolutionary war, and that these impositions were not to
be played off on him any more.
A moment’s reflection must have convinced him, that it was impossible
for these men not to be sick, in their starved, naked and wretched
condition; sleeping in a prison, whose walls were constantly wet and
cold, occasioned by the constant rainy, foggy, and damp weather on this
mountain.
But he refused to admit the American prisoners into the hospital,
because, he said, such numbers would breed every kind of pestilence and
disease among the French prisoners. We attributed these evils to the
shameful and criminal neglect of the agent of American prisoners, whose
conduct deserves the severest censure of every prisoner, and requires a
strict and impartial investigation by the authority of his country.
From the first to the fifteenth of May, we were every day called out of
the prison and counted, to see if any remained in prison. The soldiers
then entered the prison, and searched every hammock; if they found any
prisoner, he was hastened out into the yard, though they were often
found so weak and feeble, that it required assistance to enable them to
walk.
The guards discharged this duty with great reluctance; their feelings
often revolted, when compelled to do this unkind office, and though
accustomed to scenes of distress, were very sensibly touched at the
miserable situation of these their fellow beings.
On the eighteenth of May, we received letters from the other depots,
and were informed that there were seven hundred prisoners at Plymouth,
on board the Hector, which was so much crowded, that Captain Pelew, of
the Royal Navy, and principal agent of the Board, had received orders
from the Board, to remove the prisoners to other depots, either to that
of Chatham, Dartmoor, or Stapleton, which is near Bristol. This last
place was fixed on by the Board as a necessary precaution to prevent
any disturbance, which was apprehended might arise, should too many
American prisoners be confined in one place.
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