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
Henry Bull, ---- Connecticut.
Doct. Benjamin Mercer, New-York.
Mr. Reuben Sherman, ---- Mass.
N. B.--Out of the above list there are, at this time, only nine
survivors, as far as can be ascertained.
THE PRISONERS’ MEMOIRS,
OR
DARTMOOR PRISON.
The war between the United States of America and Great Britain, which
has been so costly in blood and treasure, and agonized the hearts
of so many thousands of our fellow-beings, was formally declared,
by a proclamation issued by the President of the United States, in
conformity with a solemn act of the supreme legislature of the nation,
on the eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and twelve. The nations were, by this act, at open
hostilities, and began to capture each other’s vessels upon the high
seas, wherever found. I myself happened to be so unfortunate as to be
among the first captives brought into England. On our first arrival
there, we were all collected from different ports, and confined in
different prisons. Some were sent to Chatham, some to Hamoze, and
others to Portsmouth; where a strict examination took place as to their
nativity and citizenship. After the examination, the officers who were
entitled to their parole, (such as commanders and first lieutenants
of privateers mounting fourteen guns, commanders and first mates of
merchantmen, non-combatants, &c.) received it, and were sent to the
little village of Ashburton, in Devonshire, or Reading, in Berkshire;
the former is situated about twenty-six miles inland from Plymouth,
and the principal place of confinement for paroled officers. The town
of Ashburton is pleasantly situated in a healthy and fertile part of
the country, where every article of provision is more easily obtained
and at a much cheaper rate than in many other parts of the kingdom.
Here all the officers on parole had their names registered, and
particular personal description taken of them. They had allowed them by
the British government one shilling and six pence, which is equal to
thirty-three and a quarter cents, money of the United States, per day
each man. With this small allowance, great numbers of paroled officers
were compelled entirely to subsist, for having no other dependence and
no friends in this country, they were obliged to purchase clothing,
board, and lodging, and all other necessaries of life, and to make use
of every economy to prevent themselves from suffering, notwithstanding
the cheapness of provisions, and the facility of obtaining them. They
were permitted, during the day, to walk one mile on the turnpike road
towards London or Plymouth, and at a certain early hour every evening
they had to retire to their respective lodgings, and there to remain
till next morning; those were their general restrictions for all the
days in the week, except two, on which every officer must answer at
a particular place appointed by their keepers, in the presence of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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