weather might become boisterous, or the winds obstinate, wc
might starve before any supply could arrive. As soon as the
boats returned, regiment after regiment embarked, and set
sail for the fleet ; but the distance being considerable, and the
wind foul, many days elapsed before the whole could be got
off*; by the end of the month, we were all once more on board
our former ships."

Capture of Fort Boyer. This armament, being now all on
ship-board, proceeded to a more easy and obtainable con-
quest. The brave Colonel Lawrence, who so nobly defend-
ed fort Boyer at Mobile point, on the 15th of September, was
now besieged at the same place by this whole force. On the
oth of February, nearly one hundred sail appeared oft' the
island of Dauphine, and commenced a cannonade on the fort ;
this continued until the 11th, when a landing having been ef*
fected, and batteries erected in the rear of the fort. Colonel
Lawrence was summoned to -surrender, and reluctantly
obhgedto yield to an overwhelming power. The garrison con-
sisted of three hundred and seventy-five, including ofticers; the
opposing force, by land and water, to nearly ten thousand. This
was the last and only successful achievement of the New-Or-
leans armament, which had excited the highest expectation of
its friends, and the apprehensions of its enemies.



CHAPTER XX.

Treatment of American Seamen in BritisU service at the Commence
meat of the V'/ ar. — Colonel Beasley's Correspondence with the Brit«
ish Government on the subject. — Those who refuse to serv, treated
as prisoners of War, and confined iu Dartmoor Prison. — Descriptiott
of that place. — INornber of American Prisoners confined there.—
Ijscape of Lieutenant R. G. — Attack upon, and Slaughter of
the Prisoners on the 6th of April, 1815. — Keport of joint Com-
missioners appointed to examine the subject — Meeting of the Legisla-
ture of Massachusetts, October 1814. — View of the situation of that

State Governor's Message and Documents. — Report of Committee

recommending a Convention of Delegates from the New-England
States. — Protest of the Minority against the Report — Proceedings
of those Statiis on the subject. — Meeting of the Delegates at Hart-
ford. — Their Powers examined. — Their Journal, Proceedings, and
Report. — Proceedings of Massachusetts and Connecticut on the Re-
port of the Convention. — Amendments to the Constitution recom-
mended. — ^Transmitted to the other States, and rejected.

At the commencement of the war, all British subjects found
in the United States, were permitted to return to their native
country, and every facihty granted for their accommodation.
Those who chose to remain, were laid under no other embar-
rassment in the pursuit of their ordinary concerns, than being
obliged to retire from thirty to fifty miles from the sea-board,
to prevent an intercourse with the enemy.

Treatment of Americans in England^at the Declaration of
War, In Great Britain, similar faciUties were granted to such
Americans as were there for the purposes of business, travel-
ling, or amusement. But there was another class of Ameri-
can citizens, who were destined to receive a very different
treatment. Seventy American vessels found in British ports
when the news of the declaration of war reached England,
were seized and condemned, and their crews detained as pri-
soners of war.



1814. HXSTORjr OF THE LATE WAR. 42^

Of impressed Seamen. Between two and three thousand
impressed American seamen, found on board British ships, at.
sea and in port, at the commencement ot the war, claimed
the right of being exempt from serving against their native
country. Every method was adopted which ingenuity could
devise, by promises, threats, and in many instances by actual
violence, to compel them to serve. Such Americans as were
in port, and could find opportunity, communicated their griev-
ances to Colonel Beasley, the American agent for prisoners
of war in England, and sought his advice and assistance. His
advice, whenever he could have an opportunity to communi-
cate with them, was, that under no circumstances they should
bear arms against their country ; to demand their discharge
and their privileges as American citizens ; and, in case of re-
fusal, to surrender themselves prisoners of war. His assist-
ance was given them in a very able and eloquent appeal to
the board of admiralty in their behalf. In reply they requir-
ed of him the names of the persons in whose behalf he inter-
fered and the vessels, on board of which they were detained.
He named John Ballord on board the Zenolia, who offered
himself as a prisoner, was refused to be received as such, and
put in irons. John Davis on board the Thistle, who gave
himself up as a prisoner, and refused further services, for
which he was flogged. Ephraim Court on board the La Hogue-r
gave himself up as a prisoner, and refused further service, in
consequence of which he was kept seven days in irons. John
Hosman, and Ritssel Brainard, of the same ship, for the same
conduct, were put in irons and threatened with further pun-
ishment. Thomas W. Marshal^ Peter Lazette^ Edward W,
Banks, and Leri ZoMw^er, on board the Royal William, gave
themselves up as prisoners, and were in consequence thereof
put into close confinement for eight days. But the great
mass of American impressed seamen, Mr. Beasley could have
no access to, and no opportunity was given them to state
their cases. On his requesting of the admiralty, the liberty
of addressing an open letter to them on the subject, he was



4^)4 HISTORY OF THE LATE WAR. Chap. 20:,-

peremptorily refused. The admiralty determined that snch
as could not be induced to continue their service, should be
treated as prisoners of war. The result of these proceedings
was, that on each application a strict examination was had
of the case of the applicant, under every disadvantage on his
part, and before judges under the strongest bias to decide
against him. Even under these circumstances, more than^two
thousand applicants proved themselves to be American citi-
zens, and instead of being paid for their past services, and
honourably discharged, were without a shilling immured in
prison ships, and in the Dartmoor prison during the war.

It attempting to compel American seamen to fight against
their native country, the British government set at defiance
all those nice principles on the subject of natural allegiance,
which they so strenuously advocated, when it suited their
views.

Mr. Beasley was indeed offered, that if he would give his
receipt for them as prisoners of war, to be accounted for in a
future exchange, with condition not to serve until exchanged,
they should be delivered to him to be transported to America
at the expense of his government. To this proposition, neither
he nor the government could accede j and these unfortunate
men, in whose behalf alone the war was now carrying on, to the
amount of more than two thousand, were doomed to undergo
a confinement, less ehgible than that from which they had
been transferred.

Remonstrance of American Agent for Prisoners, To a pro?
ceeding so cruel to the unfortunate subjects, and such an out^
rage upon the principles and usages of national law, IVIr^
Beasley presented an able and eloquent remonstrance 5 stating
that " taking into view the manner in which these unfortu-
nate persons came into the power of the British government,
that their own rights and inclinations, the rights of their coun-
try, the law of nations, and every principle of justice was vio-
lated, by the very act by which these men were brought with-
in its power, and that the injury accumulates so long as any



iJii4. HISTORY OP THE LATE WAR. U:,

of them so remain. Thoy arc on every ground entitled to, luid
the Britisii government arc lioiind to grant theirinmirdialo and
complete release. It acquired them only as the spoils of un-
lawful violence ; how then can it retain them ns tho iViiils of
lawful war ? Its right to conlrul them, can only ari.sc from
the lawfulness of their deterilion, but that which was unlawfully
tak'n cannot be rightfully held ; and to acknowledge the pre-
tension to such control, as their lordships'' purpose implies,
would be to legitimate the act by which they came info their
power. The British government, Mr. Beasley observes, dis-
claims all right and all intention to take them ; this disavowal
IS an acknowledgment of its obligation to restore them to thf.
same condition, and to the same freedom from which they
were taken. On what ground is it that they are to be treated
as prisoners of war ? Not many years since, all lOurope re-
sounded with the complaints of Great iiritaiti against France,
for detaining as prisoners of war, certain British subjects, who.
having entered France in time of peace, were tnund there av
the breaking out of the war. But if this was regarded in Eng-
land as an outrage, what will be thought of this detention as
prisonersof war of American seamen, who, having been un-
lawfully taken on the high seas, and forcibly carried into the
13ritish service in time of peace, are found therein at the break-
ing out of a war, doing her service, and fighting her battles '
The conduct of France was in this instance attempted to be
justified by certain acts of England, which were alleged to
be equally contrary to the law of nations. But what justifica-
tion or excuse can be setup for the conduct of Great Britain
toward American seamen ? What infraction upon the law
of nations, what violence or injustice toward British subjects,
or what outrage is this cruel act to retaliate ? It cannot be the
free and spontaneous permission given by the United States
at the commencement of the war, for every British subject of
every class and description found within their territories, or
within their power, to return to his country, that this impri-
sonment of American seamen is to requite. Surely this can-

54



>m HISTORY OP THE LATE WAR. Chap. 20,

not be the indemnification -which Great Britain oflers thes*^
unfortunate men for the wrongs she has inflicted on them ; oi-
the reward she offers for the service she has received at
their hands."

To the unquahfied prohibition of all intercourse between
the American agent, and the impressed seamen, Mr. Beasley
answers, that " he must submit. The relation in which Uhey
stood to him seemed to authorize a communication. Their
object was to obtain information and counsel, as to the proper
mode of conducting under circumstances so difficult and novel,
and on an occasion the most solemn and important." His
object was, after having waited five months in vain for an an-
swer to his application on their behalf, and having failed in
all his attempts to obtain their release, to recommend to them
to give themselves up as prisoners of war.*

It was scarcely to have been expected, after the prince re-
gent's proclamation requiring all British born subjects in for-
eign nations to return to their country, and after the princi-
ples on the subject of natural allegiance which the British
government adopted in relation to the prisoners at Queenston.
that such measures would have been adopted to force Ameri-
can impressed seamen to fight the battles of Britain against
their native country. This reasoning of Mr. Beasley, wa^
never attempted to be answered. But it had no effect upon
a government determined to pursue a course of policy which
it condemned. The communication lay seventy-three days
before the admiralty board to whom it was addressed, and
was then handed over to the transport officer ; who replied,
that "the lords of the admiralty did not think proper to an-
swer the letter, because it related to subjects w^hich the powers
of the American agent did not authorize him to discuss, and
though it would have been easy to have completely answered
the misconceptions and misstatements it contained, it would



Mr. Beasley's letter to the admiralty.



181^. HISTORY OF THE LATE WAR. 407

be useless to proceed with a corrcspondoncr which would con-
duce to no practical result-,'' acquainting him at the same
time, that no person confined in prison as an American sea-
man, could be released, unless in each individual case he
should produce satisfactory proofs, that such person was a
natural born American citizen, in which case he would be im-
mediately released from prison upon the usual terms of ex-
change, if he had been a volunteer in their service, or if an
impressed seamen, freely and without exchange. The pro-
tections and certificates of citizenship, with which American
seamen had been generally furnished, had been repeatly de-
clared by the admiralty to furnish no evidence in their favour,
and these unfortunate men, confined in prison without the
privilege of communicating with their friends, or with the
American agent, were unable generally to procure any other.
Mr. Beasley exerted himself to procure the requisite testimo-
ny in all the cases, which came to his knowledge ; and out of
one hundred and eighty-four, presented by him to the British
admiralty, from the 9th of March, to the 18th of September.
1813, he obtained only one discharge. The British were in
possession of several thousand American seamen on board
their ships of war, and were determined to retain them. Some,
of these persons were found on board their ships in most of
the battles fought and captures made. Many times, however,
in actual engagement, their services were no benefit to their
oppressors.

Impressed Seamen treated as Prisoners of War, and confin-
ed in Dartmoor, Those who could not be induced to bear
arms against their country, were conveyed to Dartmoor pri-
son, and there confined until the end of the war. The Amer-
ican government could not exchange them, without in some
measure recognising the right of the British government to
treat them as prisoners. Most of them, therefore, were con-
fined in Dartmoor, hopeless of exchange.

Description of Dartmoor Prison, This dep6t is situate in
the county of Devon, fifteen miles north-east of the naval sta



428 HISTORY OF* THE LATE WAR, Chap. -20

lion aL Plymouth, twcnly-sixnorth-Avcst of Exeter, the capital
of the county, and two hundred miles south-west of London.
It is elevated seventeen hundred feet above the level of the
sea, in a region of country, uneven, barren, and dreary. It
consists of seven prisons, cacli calculated to contain from
eleven to fifteen hunched men. The prisoners are under the
care of an agent, appointed by, and subject to the control oL
the trans})ort board. Two thousand militia, and two compa-
nies of royal artdlcry are stationed here to guard the prison-
ers. This is the general depot for all that are taken and
brought into England, until they are exchanged. The pri-
sons are all strongly built of stone, and surrounded by two
circular walls, the outer one measuring a mile in circumfer-
ence, and enclosing an area of fifty acres. Upon the inner
wall arc nulitary walks for centlnels. Within it are iron pal-
lisadoes ten feet high, and twenty feet distant from each other :
adjoining the outer wall, are guard-houses on the north, east,
and south sides. There are three separate yards which com-
municate with each other, through a passage one hundred and
twenty feet long, and twenty broad, guarded on each side by
iron bars, over which, and fronting the prison No. 4, is a walk
for the centinels. Opposite this passage, is the market square r
a person passing into cither yard, has to pass through two
iron gates : so that all communication between the yards, may
be stopped at pleasure by shutting the gates. The first yard
contains the prisons, Nos. 1, 2, and 3. The second con-
tains. No. 4, and is allotted to blacks, and separated from the
other yards by two stone walls, fourteen feet high. The third
yard contains Nos. 5, 6, and 7. Within the first yard, and
just north of No. 1, stands the condemned prison, a place of
punishment for various oficnccs committed by the prisoners ;
this is capable of containing only about sixty prisoners, who
are allowed a blanket and straw, instead of their ordinary
bedding, and are kept on short allowance ; a small aperture
near the roof admits the only light. Fronting the first yard,
u a wall separating it from the hospital : from the third yard



1814. HISTORY OF THE LATE WAK. .i:-*^

is another wall separating it from the barracks. The nuukc <
place, fronting ths passage leading from one yard to the other
is nearly square, and capable of containing five thousand
persons. The market is oj)en every day excc|)t Sundays, al
eleven, and closed at two ; where the country people come tr.
trade with the prisoners. At the u})per part of tiie market
square, are two storehouses, one for the prisoners, and one
for the king's stoies. The other buildings attached to the es-
tablishment, are the houses for the agent, physician, clerks,
and turnkeys. To enter either of the prison yards from with-
out, a person must pass through five gates. Fronting the outer
gate, is a reservoir of water which supplies the establishment,
brought the distance of live miles. The hosj)ital department
is under the su})erintcndence of a physician and two assist-
ants. The American prisoners of war, comprehending im-
jji-essed seamen, the balance of all prisoners taken, or
brought into America after the exchanges were made, being
transported to England, and all maritime prisoners carried
into Great Britain, were confined, and strictly guarded in this
depot.* On the 6th of April, 1815, they had accumulated
10 five thousand six hundred.

The prisoners were evei'y night at a given signal, soon af-
ter sunset, obliged to retire to their rooms, and were there
locked up until morning. At the same time the gates were
all closed ; and numerous sentinels on the walls, and at thr
gates and avenues.

Escape of LicxUenant R. G, An escape seemed impossi-
ble ; one, however, was attempted by Mr. R. G. lieutenant of
the privateer Rattlesnake, which was finally attended with
success. He procured a sufficient quantity of old ropeyarn^
with which he constructed a rope eighty feet in length, and ob-
lained a^uniform and a great coat resembling those which the



* Relation by an American officer, who had been prisoner in Dart-
moor, published in Essex Re.^ister, June 1816.— S^a/em, Mass.



430 HISTORY OF THE LAlE WAR. Chap. iiO

sentinels wore while on duty ; having made these prepara-
tions, he obtained the countersign for six guineas, from one
of the guards ; and a short time previous to the reHefat mid-
night, silently lowered himself down by his rope from the
window of his room in the upper loft, eighty feet from the
ground ; armed with a dagger, and accoutred as a Sentinel,
with his umbrella under his great coat, in the manner the
guards usually carried their guns while on duty. He conceal-
ed himself under the walls of the prison until the relief came
round, and when the gates opened to relieve the guard, he
boldly marched up and was challenged by two sentinels at
the first gate, and the countersign demanded ; this he readily
gave, and was directed to pass on by the sentinel who chal-
lenged him ; but the other who was the one that had received
the bribe, said no, it was one of the American prisoners, and
immediately seized him. The lieutenant, finding his case des-
perate, and indignant at the villain who had received his mo-
ney only to betray him, sprung upon him with his dagger, and
Avould have taken exemplary vengeance, at the expense of
his own life, but he was immediately overpowered by the
guards, taken back and confined in the black hole or con-
demned prison, without light, furnished only Avith a little
straw, and fed on bread and water for ten days. He was then
taken out, brought before the superintendent, and required
to give up the name of the person, from whom he received
the countersign. Had the sentinel been faithful to the lieu-
tenant, no consideration would have induced him to give
him up ; but as the soldier had been guilty of a double
treachery, he was under no honorary obligation to conceal
his name. He informed the superintendent of the name and
conduct of the villain, who received three hundred lashes for
his villany. Mr. G. being now restored to the condition of
ordinary prisoners, and having preserved his accoutrements,
determined to make another attempt, notwithstanding the
guards were doubled in consequence of the first. He again
obtained the countersign for three guineas, let himself down



V«14. HISTORY OF THE LATfi WAK.



•1.31



in the same manner as before, mixed with the guards at \hv
lime of relief, and succeeded in passing all the barriers, after
being stopped and examined seventeen times. No time was
to be lost, the night was fast spending, when he gave Dart-
moor prison a last look, and made his way across the fields,
towards the coast, without money or friends, and apprehen-
sive of being arrested by every person he should meet. Hav-
ing reached the coast, weary and hungry, he found a boat
eighteen feet long, furnished with one oar; without provision,
water, compass, or any guide, he put himself to sea in this
htde bark for the coast of France, a distance of one hundred
miles. Having obtained a good offing, he converted his um-
brella and apart of his clothes into a sail, and with his oar in
the stern, steered for the continent. About half-passage over,
the sea running high, and the wind fresh, he discovered a brig
of war near him, he immediately hauled in his sail, and made
from the brig. Fortunately he was too small an object to be
discovered, and passed her unnoticed. After a perilous voy-
age of thirty-six hours, he landed in safety on the coast ol
France, and soon afterwards found a passage to the United
States.

Immediately after the ratification of the treaty of peace by
the prince regent, the third article of which provides " that
all prisoners of war taken on either side, shall be restored as
soon as practicable," Colonel Beasley applied to the British
government for the discharge of the prisoners confined at
Dartmoor, proposing as a condition, that they should be con-
sidered still as prisoners of war, and not at liberty to serve un-
til regularly exchanged in the event of the treaty's not being
ratified by the American government. This proposition was
refused, and the prisoners still held in custody. Intelligence
of the ratification of the treaty by the President, arrived in
England on the 20th of March ; arrangements, however,
were not completed for the discharge of the prisoners and
their transportation to America, until the last of April 5 the
governments not agreeiniG^ which should bear the expense of



,\:^2 HISTORY OF THE LATE WAR. Chap. 20.

transportation. 'I'ho intervening time to persons who had
been so long confined, was a period of much anxiety, and
disquietude. A great and increasing misunderstanding exist-
ed between the prisoners and Captain Shortland the superin-
tendent, '

Disturbances at Dartmoor, On the 6th of April, some of
the prisoners, as a matter of amusement, had perf rated the
walls of one of the buildings, and made a hole sufficient to ad-
mit a person to pass 'hrough. Captain Shortland observing
this, and seeing also, what he apprehended to be some unu-
sual movements among the prisoners, supposed they were at-
tempting to make an escape. He ordered the alarm bell to
be rung, a signal for calling together the military. The pri-
soners, very lew of whom had any knowledge of the perfora-
tion, and none had any idea of making an escape, rushed out
into the adjoining yards, to inquire into the cause of the alarm.
A scene of confusion and disorder now ensued. The military
assembled at the sound of the alarm bell ; and by order of
the superintendent, fired on the prisoners. They attempted
to regain their prisons, but the confusion and crowd was so
great, that a considerable time elapsed, during which the guard
continued firing into the passages where the crowd was the
greatest : and after the greater part of the prisoners had re-
gained the buildings, several of the last were shot down.
Slaughter of the Prisoners, Seven were killed outright,
ihirty-three wounded, some of whom died soon after of their
wounds. This transaction was viewed by the prisoners as a
wanton act of cruelty and murder on the part of the superin-
tendent. As they were then in hourly expectation of being
honourably discharged with the means of returning to their
native country, there could be no possible inducement for an
escape : and had the prison doors been opened under these