The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1778-01-28 00:00:00, page 5

In C^NGR ES S, December 19, 1777.
WH E REAS Sir William Howe,
Commander in Chief of his Bri
tannic Majesty's forces, has required, that
provisions Kould be lent in for the subsist
ence of the American prisoners in his pel
feffion, and for the purchase of such neces
saries, as thev may hand in need of, and
lias prohibited the circulation of the money
Rruck by the authority of these States,
within such parts of the country as are, at
present, fubjeded to his power, whereby
great difficulties have occurred in relieving
the distresses of the American prisoner's:
And whereas large turns of Continental
bills of credit have been counterfeited and
issued by the Agents, Emissaries and Abet
tors of Sir William Howe,
Refolded, That the accounts of all pro
visions and other necessaries, which already
have been, .or hereafter' may be lupphed
by tne public to prisoners in the power of
these States, shall be difeharged, either by
receiving, fiom the British Commissary of
prisoners or-any of his Agents, provisions
or other necessaries equal in quality and
kind to what have been Applied, or the
amount thereof, in gold and silver at the
rate of four Killings and fix pence sterling
.tor every dollar of the currency of these
States; and that all thele accounts be li
quidated arid difeharged, previous to the
release of any priioners, to whom provisions
or other necessaries shall have been Supplied.
In CONGRESS, January 21, 177^.
rrr H E Board of War reported, that,
{ having conferred with Mr. Elias
Boudinot, Commissary of prisoners, on the
2ilf of December, and carefully examined
the evidences produced by him, they el
teem it their duty to state to Congrels the
following tads relating to the American
prisoners, in the power of the enemy.
That as far as can be collected from the
testimony of prisoners and inhabitants, who
have left the enemy, there are about nine
hundred privates and three hundred officers
in the city of New-Yorl<, and about five
hundred privates and fifty officers in the
city of Philadelphia.
1 hat the privates in New-York have been
crouded all summer in fugar-houles, and
the officers boarded on Long- Island, except
about thirty, who have been confined in,
the provoltguard and in the most loath
fume gaols.
I hat, since the beginning of O&ober,
all thele priioners, both officers and pri
vates, have been confined in prifen-Kips
or the provost.
That the privates in the city of Phila
delphia have been kept in the two public
gaols and the officers in the State-houle.
That from the bed evidence, which the
nature of the lubjed will admit of, it ap
pears, that the general allowance of pro
visions, at the mod, does not exceed tour
ounces of meat and the lame quantity of
bread (oftimes so damaged as nor to be
eatable) per man per day, and often much
lets, although the profeffed allowance is
from eight to ten ounces; and that the
prisoners have been treated in general (of
ficers not excepted) with a cruelty Icarce
to be paralleled, and with the most studi
ed and illiberal inlult.
That it has been a common practice with
tne enemy, on a prisoner being firft cap
tured, to keep him three, four, and even
five days without a morlel of provisions of
SUPPLEMENT to the Pennsylvania Packet. Lancafer, January 29, 1778.
any kind, and then to tempt him to inlift
with the new levies in order to save his life.
That there are numerous instances of
prisoners of war periling in- all the ago
nies of hunger, from th^irkvefe treatment;
That being generally dripped of what
cloaths they have when taken, they have
Differed greatly for want thereof during
their confinement.
That; in the beginning of lad summer,
bills of exchange to the amount of £ 600
sterling, purchased of David Franks, Bri
tilh Commiflary of prisoners, redding with
in the jurikhdion of these States, wefe lent
into New-York for the relief ofthe prison
ers ; that every obdacle was thrown in the
wav to prevent the negociation of thele
bills, and after a delay of two months,
they were retained to Mr. Boudinot, the
American Commissary of prisoners.
That the American Commissary of pri
soners had permission to fend in provisions
from Hudson's and Rariton rivers to New-
York, and to purchase ck athing there for
about two months pad; but on this con
dition, that the sloop carrying the provi
sions stop at the man of war Rationed in
the mouth of Hudson's river, where the
hands are taken on board of the flops, and
the Agent tor American prisoners in New-
York is obliged to lend hands from thence
to take the (loop over to the city, and re
turn her again to the man of war; which
not only renders it 1 ery tedious and expen
sive, but prevents getting (loops for the
purpose, as ' very few owners chufe to trull
their veffcls in the enemy's hands, and to
remain priioners on board of the man of
war till the (loop returns.
That provisions, which have been sent
into the city of New-York for the lubfid
ence of the American prisoners, h 4 ve been
prevented byapublic ordinance from being
fold at a higher rate than forty -five kil
lings per cwt. for flour, although the cur
rent price ofthat article was fix pounds per
cwt. and it actually fold current at that
price between individuals, while the flour
belonging to these States was fold at the
ordinance price.
That the American officers in the power
of the en'erny, had not had any allowance
made to them for their subsistence, altho'
the British officers, in the power of thele
States, have been allowed, by a Resolu
tion of Congress, two dollars a week for
their lubfiftence.
\ That in consequence of repeated remon
strances from General WaKington to Ge
neral Howe, concerning the injurious
treatment of prisoners in his power, Gen.
Howe in his letter to Gen. \\ alhington, in
November last, promiled " 1 hat a Com
missary (hould be permitted to carry in a
supply of cloathing, money and other ne
cessaries for the prisoners in Philadelphia,
and to visit the places where they were con
fined.
That on a conference which passed be
tween Mr. Ferguson, the British Commis
sary of Prisoners, and Mr. Boudinot, the
Commissary of Prisoners for these States,
who was ordered by Gen. Walhimgton to
visit the prisoners, agreeable toGen. Howe's
promise, Mr. Ferguson laid, that he was
desired by Gen. Howe to let Mr. Boudinot
know " That there could be no necessity
for his coming into the city, as ^e.would
fee that the prisoners were properly dealt
bv;" and Mr. Boudinot was not fuffered to
go in.
' That on this conference Mr. Ferguson,
the Britilh Commissary of Priioners, com
plaining of the inattention paid to the tup
plying of priioners in their hands with
cloaths, laid " 1 hat there was plenty of
eloathing in Philadelphia, which we were
at liberty to purchase for provisions, and
to appoint Agents tor that purpole;" that: £
on Mr. Boudinot's expressing his doubts on /
this point, Mr. Ferguson viewed great fur-,,
prize at his unbelief, and assured him re
peatedly that full liberty to purchase eloath
ing would be granted.
That Mr. Ferguson, in his letter of the
2d of December, fays " I hat permission
will be given 10 fend in (loathing to our
prisoners, but that Gen. Howe does not
think fit to allow it to be purchased in Phi
ladelphia." ••
Congress taking into cohfideration the
foregoing fads, and considering that dur
ing the whole time, in which the Ameri
can priioners have buffered such unparal
leled rigour and insult, and every obstacle
has been thrown in the way to obftrua:
their relief, the prisoners taken from the
enemy have been plentifully supplied with
provisions either at the expence of these
States, or by Commiflaries in the service
of the enemy permitted to reside and pur
chase without controul, within the jurif
didion of these States ; that their officers
have been admitted on their parole in good
quarters and a weekly allowance made
them ; that few, ever, of their privates,
have been for any time confined in gaol,
but, on the contrary, that they have been
permitted co work abroad and to receive
the full price of their labour : d hereupon,
Refolded, 1 hat the allowance of two
dollars a week to officers, who arc prison
ers of war to thele United States, do ceale,
unless to those officers, who may be enii
thereto by any contrast made on or before
their captivity or surrender.
That neither David Franks, nor any
other Agent or perlon whatsoever, be p r
mitted to negotiate bills within thele Uni
ted States, for the supply of prilon rs taken •
from the enemy, or to purchase provifi ns
or other necessaries for luch purpose with
in the jurifdidion of thele States, except
in the manner herein after provided.
That every British Cemmiffary, or any
other perlons or Agents, employed to sup
ply prisoners taken from the enemy with
provisions, shall make returns of the pri.
loners under his or their refpedive care to
the purchasing Commissary of the dißrid,
wherein such priioners are confined, who
shall deliver a lufficient number or rations
for their weekly or monthly lubfiitence, as
circumstances shall render necessary, taking
duplicate promiffary receipts for the fame,
payable in thirty days'after date, one of
which receipts shall be forthwith tranimit
ted to the Commissary General of Fur^
chafes, or to the Deputy Commissary Ge
neral of the department in which the pro
visions are supplied.
1 hat the provisions so received shall be
paid for in the manner prescribed by the
relolution of Congiels of the i,th of De
cember last ; and in cate the lame Kall be
accounted for in gold and silver, the Com
missary General or Deputy CoiprnTary of
Furchafes receiving the fame Kall remit it
without delay to the Board of T reafury, in
order that the fame may be applied as a
fund for relieving the Distresses of the pri
soners in the power of the enemy.