The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-03-09
Brstish Ye,ccituy


HAVING lately SEN in the British Naval
Chronicle or'May list, publication sign
ed Thomas Cooke Io,es, Surgeon of H. n.
M. late ship Java, in which accusations of
i'll treatmentftowardit the British wounded
whilst on board the ", s. frisate Constitu-
ton, under the command Of Commodore
bainbrdge, are brought forw ard con
ceive It my duty. lest Silence should be con
strned into an Acknowledgment of its cor
rectness, TO expose some Of the falsehoods
composing that abatement.
Alter introducing himself with consider.
eble egotisrn. and much parade Of profess
sional skill, he makes the following obser-
vations:
=" Their removal to the Constitution, the
deprivations they there experienced az tn
food, and the repeated disturbances thew
suffered by being carried below, and kept
there for several hours, three different
times on the report Of an enemy heaving in
sight-wben these / say, are considered 8c
the results contrasted with those of the A .
merican wounded, four of whom who los,
their limbs died when was on board. were
laid i'll cots placed IN the most heal,by ma
OF the ship, provided With every little lux
ury from competent and attentive nurses
and not allowed to be removed when cur,
we're thrust into the hold with the other pri
soneIs, the matches at once shutting out
| light and fresh air, and this too in the lati-
tude OF st. Salvador, the recovery of our
seamen appears as miraculous as it has al
reaoy proved happy--and truly evinced
both resignation and Courage, in patient,y
submitting without r. complaint TO the cru
elites of their situation, and firmly contend
ing with everv obstacle which chance or on
preston coeld present or inhic..
Inc Americans seemed very DESTROYS
not to allow any Of our Officers to witness,
the nature OF their wounded, or compute
their number. I ordered one of nv sssi,
tants. Mr.. CAPPoEI. TO attend when their
assistant went round, and ne enumerated
46 who were unable to stir from their cots.
| independent OF those who had received
what they called "sfght hurts" Commo
dore BhlNsRIpGE was severely wounded
IN the right thigh. and four Of their am
pntations persisted under my own inspect
on.
~ have noticed these facts that vovr 70,
ders rnsy be convinced of the f,lsity oe
their official dispatches, and author;ze their
being received with some degree OF SCENT .
cism.
sent my assistant, with most OF the
wounded men, in the evening, and remain.
ed myself in the Java till within few mi
nutes OF her being set on fre-one noor fell
low only remained, who had received a
musket ball, which entered the right orbit
and remained imbedded in the brain, he
was IN artiento mortfs. and begged the A
Toerican Lieutenant 10 let me stsy with
him undisturbed a few minutes, ssI ex
pected his Immediate dissolution. This
Yankee son If humanity proposed assisting
him into eternity-I instantly dragged him
Intothe boat, and he expired alongside the
Constitution"
1t isnot true that there was any distine
tio' made between the British and Ameri-
can wounded. They we're Sling promis-
e"ou'ly together on the gun deek. and eve
~ thing which humanity could dictate thar
the ship afforded, was provided fer their
Comfort and convenience. The ship was
cleared FOR action our once during the time
they were on board--that was wh.o the
Hornet hove in sight, and as soon as her
character could be sscertained, a.! he
wounded, British @ American. were brought
on the gun deck together.--Capt. Lanbsrf
and Mr., Wsldo, we're tho only wounded
psrsons not removed to the birth deck on