The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1778-02-11 00:00:00, page 1

That there are numerous instances of prisoners of
war periling in all the agonies of hunger, from their
severe treatment.
1 hat being generally stripped of what cloaths they
have when taken, they have fuffered greatly for
want thereof during their confinement.
That, in the beginning of last summer, bills of ex
change to the amount of £ 600 sterling, purchased
°f David Franks, British Commissary of prisoners,
residing within the jurifdidion of these States, were
sent into New-York for the relief of the prisoners ;
that every obstacle was thrown in the way to pre
vent the negociation of these bills, and after a delay
of two months, they were returned to Mr. Boudinot,
the American Commissary of prisoners.
That the American Commissary of prisoners had
permission to fend in provisions from Hudson's and
Rariton rivers to New-York, and to purchase eloath
ing there for about two months past ; but on this
condition, that the sloop carrying the provisions stop
at the man of war stationed in the mouth of Hud
son's river, where the hands are taken on board of
the ships, and the Agent for American prisoners in
In CONGRESS, January nr, 1778.
TH E Board of War reported, that, having con
ferred with Mr. Elias Boudinot, Commissary of
prisoners, on the 21st of December, and carefully
examined the evidences produced by him, they es
teem it their duty to state to Congress the following
fads relating to the American prisoners, in the pow
er of the enemy.
That as far as can be collected from the testimony
of prisoners and inhabitants, who have left the ene
my, there are about nine hundred privates and three
hundred officers in the city of New-York, and about
five hundred privates and fifty officers in the city of
Philadelphia.
That the privates in New-York have been croud
ed all summer in sugar-houses, and the officers board
ed on Long-Island, except about thirty, who have
been confined in the provost-guard and in the most
loathsome gaols.
That, since the beginning of October, all these
prisoners, both officers and privates, have been con
fined in prison-ships or the provost.
That the privates in the city of Philadelphia have
been kept in the two public gaols and the officers in
the State-house.
That from the belt evidence, which the nature of
the lubjedt will admit of, it appears, that the gene
ral allowance of provisions, at the most, does not
exceed four ounces of meat and the fame quantity
of bread (oftentimes so damaged as not to be eatable)
per man per day, and often much less, although the
p ofeffed allowance is from eight to ten ounces ; and
that the prisoners have been treated in general (of
ficers not excepted) with a cruelty scarce to be pa
ralleled, and with the most studied and illiberal insult.
That it has been a common practice with the
enemy, on a prisoner being firft captured, to keep
him three, four, and even five days without a mor
sel of provisions of any kind, and then to tempt him
to inlift with the new levies in order to save his life.
WHEREAS Sir William Howe,
Commander in Chief of his Bri
tannic Majesty's forces, has re
quired, that provisions should be
sent in for the subsistence of the
American prisoners in his posses
sion, and for the purchase of such necessaries, as
they may stand in need of, and has prohibited the
circulation of the money struck 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 prisoners : And whereas large sums of
Continental bills of credit have been counterfeited
and issued by the agents, emissaries, and abettors of
Sir William Howe,
Refolded, That the accounts of all provisions and
other necessaries, which already have been, or here
after may be supplied by the public to prisoners in
the power of these States, shall be discharged, either
by receiving, from the British Commissary of pri
soners or any of his agents, provisions or other ne
cessaries equal in quality and kind to what have been
supplied, or the amount thereof, in gold and silver
at the rate of four shillings and fix-pence sterling for
every dollar of the currency of these States ; and that
all these accounts be liquidated and discharged, pre
vious to the release of any prisoners, to whom pro
visions or other necessaries shall have been supplied.
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
In CONGRESS, December 19, 177 7-
[Vol. I.]
WEDNESDAY, February 11, 1778.
to purchase for provisions, and to appoint agents for
that purpose ;" that on Mr. Boudinot's expressing
his doubts on this point, Mr. Ferguson shewed great
furprize at his unbelief, and assured him repeatedly
that full liberty to purchase cloathing would be
granted.
That Mr. Ferguson, in his letter of the ad of De
cember, fays " ' r hat permission will be given to fend
in cloathing to our prisoners, but that Gen. Howe
does not think fit to allow it to be purchased in
Philadelphia."
Congress taking into consideration the foregoing
fads, and considering that during the whole time,
in which the American prisoners have fuffered such
unparalleled rigour and insult, and every obstacle
has been thrown in the way to obftru& their relief,
the prisoners taken from the enemy have been plen
tifully supplied with provisions either at the expence
of these States, or by Commiflaries in the service of
the enemy permitted to reside and purchase without
controul, Within the jurifdidion of these States;
that their officers have been admitted on their parole
in good quarters and a weekly allowance made them;
that few, even of their privates, have been for any
time confined in gaol, but, on the contrary, that
they have been permitted to work abroad and to
receive the full price of their labour: Thereupon,
Refolded, That the allowance of two dollars a week
to officers, who are prisoners of war to these United
States, do cease, unless to those officers, who may
be entitled thereto by any contrast made on or be
fore their captivity or surrender.
That neither David Franks, nor any other agent
or person whatsoever, be permitted to negotiate bills
within these United States, for the supply of prison
ers taken from the enemy, or to purchase provisions
°. r ?^er necessaries for such purpose within the ju
risdiction of these States, except in the manner here
in after provided.
That every British Commissary, or any other per
sons or agents, employed to supply prisoners taken
from the enemy with provisions, shall make returns
of the prisoners under his or their refpe&ive care to
the purchasing Commissary of the diftrift, wherein
such prisoners are confined, who shall deliver a fuffi
cient number of rations for their weekly or monthly
subsistence, as circumstances shall render necessary,
taking duplicate promiffary receipts for the fame,
payable in thirty days after date, one of which re-
That the American officers in the power of t'ne
enemy, had not had any allowance made to them for
their subsistence, altho' the British officers, in the
power of these States, have been allowed, by a Re
solution of Congress, two dollars a week for their
subsistence.
That in consequence of repeated remonftrahces
from General Washington to General Howe, con
cerning the injurious treatment of prisoners in his
power, Gen. Howe in his letter to Gen. Washington,
in November last, promised " That a Commissary
should be permitted to carry in a supply of cloathing,
money, and other necessaries for the prisoners in
Philadelphia, and to visit the places where they were
confined."
That on a conference which passed between Mr.
Ferguson, the British Commissary of prisoners, and
Mr. Boudinot, the Commissary of prisoners for these
States, who was ordered by Gen. Washington to
visit the prisoners, agreeable to Gen. Howe's pro
mise, Mr. Ferguson said, 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 be
would fee that the prisoners were properly dealt by ;"
and Mr. Boudinot was not fuffered to go in.
, That on this conference Mr. Ferguson, the British
Commissary of prisoners, complaining of the inat
tention paid to the supplying of prisoners in their
hands with eloaths, fir'd I hat there was plenty of
cloathing in Philadelphia, which we were at liberty
That provisions, which have been sent into the city
of New-York for the subsistence of the American pri
soners, have been prevented by a public ordinance,
from being fold at a higher rate than forty-five Shil
lings per cwt. for flour, although the current price
of that article was fix pounds per cwt. and it actu
ally fold current at that price between individuals,
while the flour belonging to these States was fold at
the ordinance price.
New-York is obliged to fend hands from thence to
take the hoop over to the city, and return her again
to the man of war; which not only renders it very
tedious and expensive, but prevents getting sloops
for the purpose, as very few owners chufe to trust
their vessels in the enemy's hands, and to remain
prisoners on board of the man of war till the sloop
returns.
T HE
1 hat in return for the permission, given by the
resolution of Congress of the 21st of May, 1776, for
a commissioned officer from the British army to visit
monthly the prisoners in the power of these States,
" in order to count their numbers and certify their
rolls," General Washington be directed to demand
peremptorily of General Howe a like permission, or
to agree upon any other equal mode for ascertaining
the lituation of the American prisoners, which shall
be deemed most expedient. And in case of General
Howe's refufal to give fatisfadion on this point, that
General Washington regulate his future conduct, by
the condud of General Howe.
That Gen. Washington be directed to require of
Gen. Howe the reasons, why several officers in the
fer rice of these States, and other citizens now in his
power, have been so long confined, either in the
provost-guard or loathsome gaols, and treated with
such unparalleled rigour; and if Gen. Howe shall
refute to make any answer to his requilition, within
the space of five days, or give such reasons for the
treatment of these unfortunate persons, as shall not
be juftifiable by the laws of nations, General Wash
ington be directed immediately to order a number
°f ''S enemy's officers, as nearly equal in rank and
condition of life as possible, to the persons so con
fined without just cause, forthwith to be imprisoned,
subsisted and treated in the fame manner, as the per
sons above alluded to are imprisoned, subsisted and
treated. And that he be informed that it is the ex
pectation and express order of Congress, that thia
mode of treatment in general be continued, changed
or suspended, as the conduct of the enemy, with re
fped to the American prisoners, shall from time to
time render just and necessary, without waiting for
any special order from Congress for such purpose.
That fche Commissary General of prisoners and hi@
refpedive Deputies, be forthwith directed to call in
all the officers and privates belonging to the enemy,
and to confine them in such places, and order them
to be subsisted and treated in such manner, as shall
render their situation similar, in all refpeds, to that
of the officers and privates who are prisoners with
the enemy ; and that they continue this mode of
treatment, till such time as a change of conduct, on
the part of the enemy, shall induce Congress, or the
Commander in Chief of the armies of these States,
to give directions for a different line of conduct, o^
their part.
That the provisions so received shall be paid for in
the manner prescribed by the resolution of Congress
of the 19th of December last ; and in case the fame
shall be accounted for in gold and silver, the Com
missary General or Deputy Commissary of Purchases
receiving the fame shall remit it without delay to the
Board of Treasury, in order that the fame may be
applied as a fund for relieving the distresses of the
prisoners in the power of the enemy.
That in case failure shall be made by any person
signing such receipt, in discharging the amount when
it shall become due, no further provisions shall be
issued for the maintenance of the prisoners under the
care of the person or persons so failing.
that in return for the permission hereby given to
purchase provisions of the American Commiflaries
for the use of the enemy's prisoners, General Wash
ington be directed to demand of General Howe li
berty to purchase cloathing in such places, as may
be under his power, for the use of the American
prisoners—The cloathing so furnifhed to be paid for
in gold or silver or in provision to be sent in and
fold at the market price.—And that in case Gen.
Howe should chufe to order provisions, and other
necessaries to be sent out for the supply of the prison
ers in our power, instead of the mode proposed by
the former resolutions, he be permitted to fend what
supplies may, from time to time, be necessary, to
ruch poftc as the American Commissary of prisoners
shall direst, which provision, when sent out, shall
be issued to the prisoners by persons appointed by
General Howe for that purpose ; provided that per
mits be granted by General Howe for transporting
provisions, either by land or water, as shall be most
convenient, from the States of New-York, New-
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, for
the use of the American prisoners in the cities of New-
York and Philadelphia, and in the town of Newport
in Rhode-Bland, and the provisions so sent in be is
sued out by Commissaries or by other persons ap
pointed for such purpose by these States, who shall
be permitted to reside at the places, where the pri
soners are confined.
ceipts shall be forthwith transmitted to the Com
missary General of Purchases, or to the Deputy
Commissary General of the department in which the
provisions are supplied.
[Numb, ii.]