Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-06-21

| IN t'om the eq'iare--tb,y Immediately went IN
| md bret INTO the same, which wounded several
'he CT me PRISONERS ran ont with the intention of
gaming ms prison, but was killed before he reach
| ed the door.
on AN impartial consideration. of all the CIR.
c''hsvsnces or the case, we are induced to believe
that II was premel.afe,i scheme in the mind of
Capt. Shorthand, for reasons which we will nov,
proceed to islye-ls an iilucidation of its ortop
we WIZ, recur back to an event which happened
f, some davs previous. Capt Shorthand was nj the
'nne absent at Plymouth, but before going he or.
tered 'ie contractor or his clerk to serve out
que Pou'Ni OF Indifferent hard bread instead OF
one pound and an halfof soft bread, their usual
! ai'owance-this the prisoners refused to receive.
'ney waited all day in expectation of their usual
| allowance beng served out; but at sunset. 6nd
ing ,'iis would not be the case burst open the
iower gates, and went up to the store, demanding
| TO have their bread
ne o'hcers tthe garrison. on being alarmed,
ana informed OF these proceedings, observedthat
| II was no more than right the prisoners shonld
nave ule'r usual allowance, and strongly repro
dated the conduct of Capt Shorthand in with
! "oiunS ~ from thein--tbey were ACCORDINGLY
served with their bread ard quietly returned to
ener pr son. This circumstance, with the CEN
| s,ies that were thrown on his conduct. reached
the years ofShor,and on his return home and n.
must then have determined on the diabolical plan
Io.seizng the first slight pretext TO turn IN the
'ttarv, TO butcher the prisoners for tie gratifi-
| cs1ion or hls malice and revenge Il unfortu.
lS'ey happened, that in the afternoon of the 9th
OF April some BOYS who were playinor ball IN M
yard, knocked Their ball over INTO the barracE
!afu and ON the Gentry in that ward refusing to
lnrUw IT back TO them, they picked hole in the
wall to getm after it.
ms Afforded Shorthand his wished for pretex+.
sru .i ne looN ms measures accordingly; he hsd
-, .ie garrison drawn up in the military walk,
\ Darscr 4 4
~ thing ready prepared, before the alarm bell
| was , ruhg this ne naturally concluded, would
oraw the attention of great nurnher of PRISON.
ers towards the gates, to learn the cause of the
aisrin' While the turnkeys were dispatched into
Tue ysfolS, 10 lock all the doors but one of each
prison 10 prevent the prisoners reteatinec out OF
inc way before ne had sufficiently wreaIed his
vengeance. ---'
What adds peculiar weight to the bel:ee Of
It's beng premed lated determined massacre.
are, -
fnst-The sangtrinary disposition manifested
o'i every occasion bv Shorthand, he having, prior
20 tlls time ordered the soldiers TO fire INTO the
prisons through the prison windows. upon ,,narm.
eel prisoners asleep in their hammocks, on &C.
count OF light beng seen in the prisons; which
paroarous act was repeated several nights sue
cessWeiy. That murder was not then committed,
| was OWING 10 an over-uling Providence alone -
tor the balls were picked up in the prison where
| '.iAouSh tle N;JnTnOcKS or en- then
asleep IN them. He having also ordered the SOL
deis to hire upon the prisoners in the YARD of No.
| Z prison, because hey would not deliver 10 to
nm a man who had escaped from his cdcot VIII ch
order the commanding officer of the soldiers re-
Iused 10 obey and generally, be having seized
on every sight pretext to'njure the prisoners bv
Stopping their marketing for ten DAYS repeatedlv,
ana once a third part of their provisions for the
| same length OF time
| Secondy--He having been heard to saw. when
tte D9Ys mad picked the hole in the wall and some
tine before tue alarm bell rng, while all the ari-
oilers were lu-et 20 usual in Their respective
y'ddS--'' I'HJEc tie df,nin'd iascaIs d;rectL,
| 1nHdtt-iis having III the soldiers on their
posts, and the garrison fully prepared before the
di'H'h pen rilnB. II coIld uOtlher, Of course be
runs TO assemble fine soldiers butlo alarm the pri-
sOhers, and create confusion among them
FohTshg-ihe soldiers uponthe w,lt, previous
20 She alarm bell beng rlnr, informed The pr;
soneFs that they would be charged nDan directlv.
| 4 J'hg--The turkeys gong INTO the wards and
closing all the doors but one IN each prison.
Whie the attention of the prisoners was attracted
| by the alarm bell. THIS was done about fifteen
'n'huIes sooner than usual, and without inform.
! llg the prisoners it was time TO shut m n yvas
ever 'ne invAriable practice OF the turnkeys.
rom winch they never deyiated before that nipbts
"heh coming INTO the yard TO shut up, TO halloo
| 10 inc prisoners, so loud as TO be heard through
OUT the yards urn i,, t1un IN e' while on that
St it was done so secretly, that not ore man ina
| hundred knew thew were shut and in particular
uher shutting the doar of No prison, which the
prisoners usually go in and out at. land which
was formerly always closed lastl ard ieav ner one
open IN the Other end of the prison which was ex-
posed to crossre from the soldiers on the walls.
ana "hch the prisoners had TO pass in gaming
the prisons.
taPPelrs to us that the foregoing reasons emf.
hctensly warrant the conclusions we have drawn
therefrom
We Likewise believe, from the depos;tions Of
men VINO were eyewitness of a part Of Short
ltnd conduct ON The evening on the 9th of April.
Ihat he Was intoxicated with liquor az the time
nom hiS brutality IN beating prisoner then s,,p-
porting anotherseyerely wounded, FROM the BLACK.
suard and abusive language he made use OF, and
nom ms having frequently been seen IN the same,
state HIS beng drunk was Of course The means
OF intiaming his bitter errni+v AGAINST the mr..
soners, and no doubt was the cause of the IN
shewn. 49, VI D''"S
! we here solsmniy aver, that there was No pre.
concerted plan to attempt bre9Eng out. There
cannot be produced the lelsr shedoy.of q re,,
son or Inducement for that m entioa the prison.
ers daily expecting to be released. aud 10 embark
on board car els Tor their native eonntrv AMI
we likewise sOiemnly assert, tia. there was No
riy ofths depot
! A. b Seven were killed. thirty dapgerouslx