Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-07-22

was on the point OF BENZ carried INTO execution,
and 1t was NJ leastcertan that they were by force
passing beyond the limits prescribed to them, at
time when they ought to have been quietly go
ing in for the night. l. was also in evidence that
the on er gates of the market square were usual
y opened about this time To let the bread wag
gon pass and repass to the store, although at the
period in question they were in f,ct closed.
Under these circumstances. and with these inn
pressions necessarily operating upon his mind,
and knowledge that i the prisoners once re -.
| trated through the square, the power of escape
VAS almost to Certainty afforded to them, il
they should be SO disposed. Capt. Shorthand IN
the first instance proceeded down tic square to-
wards the prisoners, having ordered part of the
different guards to the number of about 50 only
at ilrst, (though they were increased afterwards)
! TO fniiow him. For some time both he and D.
Magrath endeayoredby quiet means and PERSIA
SION, to induce the prisoners 10 retire 10 their
own yards, explaining TO them the fatal conse-
quences which must ensure If they refused, tbs
irrhssry WOULD, III that case, be accessstsiyeons
PEELED to employ ;,wce. The guard was BY this
time formed in the of capt. Shorthand, about
two thirds of the way down the square--tte lat
ter is about one hundred feet broad, and the
guard ext tended nearly all across Captain Short
land, finding that persuasion AL in VAN, and
hat although some were induced by it TO make
an effort 70 retire, others pressed on in consider.
able numbers, at last ordered about Is file of the
guard, nearly in front ofthe gate which had heen
forced, TO charge the prisoners back to their
| own yards.
The prisoners were in some places so near the
military, that one Of the soldiers states thai he
could no come fairly down to tie charge, and
the military were unwilling TO act IS against AN
enemy Some OF the prisoners also were ,inwl-
ling AID reluctant to retire. aid some pushing
and struggling ensled between The parties, arts
ing partly from intention, but mainly from the
pressure OF those behind preventing those IN front
from getting back. After some little time, how
ever, this charge appears TO have been so far eff
fective, and that with little or no injury TO the
prisoners, as to have driven them for the most
PaTt quite down out of the square, with the ex-
ception of a small number who continued their
resistance about no. gate.
| A great crowdrstiil remained collected after
thus IN the passage between the sJ;aFc and The
Prisoners yards, AZ IN the part of these wards
| IN the vicinity of the gates. THIS assembl1ee
stu reftISei 10 withdraw, and according TO most
OF the English witnesses, and some ofthe Amer
! ioan, was making noise, halloome, insulting, &
provoking, and daring themilitar; 10 fire, and ac-
cordng to-tne evidence of several of the soldiers,
| and some Others, Wa peitng the military with
| large ones, by.which some of them were act,i-
| ally struck. TIL 6 circumstance is however de
med ~ many of the America witnesses and
! some of The E a. 81 upon having the question
quito them, stated they saw no stones thrown
| p evously 10 " fr ng, although Their situation
| at the time was such as to enable them to see
| most of the oths proceedings in the square
Under these circAlfnstances the firing corr.
menced. With regard to any order having been
| gwen to fre, the evidence IS very coptradicto-
! ry. Several of the Americans swear positively
that Captain Shorthand gave that order; bat the
manner IN which, from the confusion of the mo-
ent, they describe this part of the transaction is
so different IN its details, that it is very difficult
| to reconcile their testimony. Many of the SOL
4 RI IL IA.
| gwen by some one, but no one of them can swear
1t was by Capt. Shorthand, or by any one in par
ticular, and some, amongst whom is the officer
commanding the guard, think, IF Captain Short.
land had given such order that they must have
| heard II, which they did not.-In addition to this,
c. pta,n Shorthand denies the fact and from the
situation in WHICH he appears 10 have been p;aced
at the time, even according to the American wit
| nesses, IN front of the soldiers, it may appear
| somewhat Improbable that he should then have
| gwen such an order
But, however, it may remain a matter of doubt
whether the firing first began in the scluar by or
der. or was spontaneous act of the soldiers them
selves, 1t seemed clear that it was continued and
| renewed both hsre and elsewhere without or
ders and that on the platforms, and in several
places about TIC prison, it was certainly com
! nenced without any authority,
The fact of an order having been given at first,
! provided the firing was under the existing cir
/ CuinStahCeS JiStnable, does not appear very ma
tsr'al IN any other po.nt Of view than as shew-
| lng want Of self-possession, and discipline in
the troops, If they should have Sired without or.
der
| With regard to the above most important con-
sideraton, Of who her the firing was iustiRable or
| not, we are ofopino on, Under all the circumstan-
| ees OF the case, from the apprehension which the
Soltliers might fairly en- ertan, owing to- the num-
bers and the conduct ofthe prisoners, that this fir
ing 20 certain extent was iustIfiable in military
| point OF view, in order t. ntmidate the prison.
| ers, and compel them thereby to desist from all
acts ofviolerce, and retira rs they were ordered,
from situation in which the re sponsibility of the
| agents, and the military could not permit them
with safety TO remain
From the fact Of the crowd being SO close, and
the firing at first being attended with very little
! injury, 1t appears probable that large proper
ton Of the niuskets were as stated by one or two
! cfths witnesses, levelled over the bead of the
| prisoners, q circumstance in some respects To be
| lamented, as it induced them to CRY out
4" blank cartridges" and merely irritated and en-
eouraged them to renew their insults TO the sol
diery, which produced repetition Of the firing in
a manner much more destructive.
The firing in the square having continued for
some time, by which several Of the prisoners sus-
tained injuries, the greater part of them appear
to have been running back with The utmost pre-.
cipitotion and confusion 20 their respective pri-
sons, and the cause for further firing seems at this
| Dprigd % have caanoI To gv-.,o,.-