Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-06-21
To Cor. NTcoLLs, Comm'dg.
HIS b. NJ. forces, APpalachicola.
THE MASSACRE At DARTMooR.
From The commsreinl Adgsrtiser

= '0Hf Htc OOIN7NtItLtu SiuDeriSer
NEw-YoRK, June 10.
AS conceive it Will be eradication TO the
citizens of the United States to know the parti-
culars of the distressing event which took place
At Dartmoor prison on the 9th of April last, l
send you copy the original report made by
the committee appointed By the prisoners to IN
yeshgate the affair." and beg you will give it pub
licaton as early as possible.
L am, SIR, your obedient servant,
HENRY ALLEN
We, the undersigned, beng esch seyersIlv
sworn on the holy evangelstS of Almighty Con,
tor the investigation of the circumstances attend
ing the late horrld massacre, and having heard
ne dispositions of great number of wltnesses-
rom our own personal knowledge, and from the
dispositions given in as aforesaid,
REPORT As FOLLOWS:
That on the 9th of April, about six o'clock in
The evening, when the prisoners were all quiet in
4feir respective yards, it beng about the usual
tne OF turning III for The night and the greater
ART OF the prisoners beng then in the prisons.
the alarm bell was rung, and many of the prison.
ersran up to the lnarket-square 10 learn the oc-
caslon OF the alarm. There were then drawn ,ip
n the square, several hundred sold lers with Cap
tan Shorthand 1.-THE Agent at Their head it was
6ewise observed at the same time, that addai-
onai number ofsoldlers were posting themselves
on the walls round the PRISON Yards, one ofthem
80 INTO the prisons, for they would be charged
upon directly. This, of course, occasioned con-
Siderable alarm among them. In this moment of
uncertainty, they were running IN different d.
rect ons enquiring the cause of the, alarm--some
toward theirreSpec PRISONS and some toward
.he market-squsre. When about one hundred
we're collected in the square, Capt Shorthand or
deIed The soldiers to charge upon them, which
order the soldiers were reluctant IN obeying, az
lheprisoners were usngno violence, but on the or
der beng repeated, they made charge, and the
prisoners retreated out of the Square into the
prison yards, and shut the gates after them Capt
Shorthand, himself, opened the gates and order
ed the soldiers to fire IN among the prisoners,
who we're all retreating IN different directions. to-
wards their respective prisons. 1t uppe RS there
was some hesitation in the minds of the officers,
whether or not It was proper TO fire upon tic pri-
soners IN that situation on which Shorthand ser
ed musket ont ofthe hand of a sold er, which he
hred. Immediately after, the fire became gene
raj, and many of the prisoners were either Killed
OF wounded. The remainder were endevouring
to get INTO the prisons, when gong towards
the lower doors, the soldiers on the walls com
nenced firing on them from that quaftcr, VIII CHI
killed some and wounded others After much
difficulty, all the doors beng closed in the en-
trance, but one IN each prIsOn] the survivors sue
cecded m gaming the prisons mmediately after
which, part es of soldiers came TO the doors of
Nos and 4prsons, and fred several vol es into
them through the windows and doors, winch kill
ed one man IN each prison, and severely wound
ed others
IL likewise appears, that the proceeding butch-
cry was followed up with a disposition of pecu.
Lar nyeteracy and barbarity
One man who was severely wounded in No. 2
prison yard, and being unable to make his way
10 the prison, was come up with by the soldiers,
whom he mplored for mercy, but IN vain; FIVE OF
| Inc hardened wretshes Immediately leveled Their
p ieces at hun, aud shot him dead on tie spot
The soldiers who were posted on the walls, mani.
tested equal cruelty, by keeping up a constant
nre ON every prisoner they could see in the
Yards, endeavouring TO get in the prison, when
then numbers were very few, and when not the
east shadow Of resistance could be made or ex-
Ipeoted. Several Of them had got into No. pr.
son cook-house, which was pointed out by the
soldiers ON the walls, to those who were marching