Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1815-06-16

.srao&o the doors OF NOS.
pf sa'a'e.s oas ald fred several sollles
pad ! .ss', ihy6sgh the windows 9 doors 5
or -, 'as;s one nan in each prison, ano
$50 wounded others. :
,efs s:l'aw;se appears, that the proceed
s.l .ss was followed up with dis
q . GaI, Of peculiar inyeteraey and bar
baritT. 10 was severely wounded
o Sa : prison yard, and being unable
- W. 70 !, lis way to the prison, was come
p ma "a bv the soldiers, whom, he I'M
20 W.. . rar mercy. but in vain, 1--WE oil the
4 P9 l':1sne ID wretches immediately levsiled
hafos@s sces at him. and shot him dead on
ten LII The soldiers who were posted.
ne a. walls. manifested equal crue'tys
"a e y, up constant fire on efery
~ thew could see in the yards en-
goriur to get in the prison, When
deesV anmbers were very few. and when
t's % .be least shadow of resistance COULD
'. :. ns1e or expected. Several OF them
" rat into No. prison cook-house,
pa h.S ,ras nointed out by the soldiers on
y. s, walls. to those who were marching
~ snm the sluare-they Immediately
a a nm and fired into the same, which
s ,as5a,l several--one of the prisoners
e ont with the Intention of gaining bis.
-" ;.on but was killed before he reached
q the door. N
i circumstances of the case, we are
:s"J,cea to believe that it was premedl-
q . . scheme in the mind ofCapt. Short
SnI for reasons which we will now pro-
al aaJ to giiye-as an illucidation of its ORR
s;a we Will recar back to an event which
s,nnened some days previous. Captain
SsfortlaDd was at the same time absentat
plrmouth, but before going he ordered
~ contractor or his clerk to serve out
ono mound of Indifferent hard bread, in
stead Of one pound and an halt OF soft
brpad, their usual allovance-this the
nrsoners refused to receye---they wait
4 81 all day in expectation of their usual
4 allowance being served out, but at sun
4 sst, finding this would not be the case.
n burst open the lower gates, and went up
n 10 the store demanding to have theil
4 bread.
TIE officers Of the garrison on being a
a larned. and Informed OF these proceed
q inrs, observed Tat it was no more than
4 r:gat the prisoners should have their usu-
4 al Allowance. and strongly reprobated the
conduct Of Captaia Shorthand in with
holding it from Hem-they were accord
inaly served with their bread, and qui-,
4 ely returned to their prison. This cir
eqmstance, with the censures that were
thrown on his conduct, reached the ears
4 Of Shorthand on his return home, and he
must then have determined on the diabo-
heal plan Of Selling the first slight pre-
text to turn in the military, to butcher
tfepfisoners for the qualification of his
Ralce and revenge. 1t unfortunately
happensH that in the afternoon of the
9TH Of April, same boys who were play
ing ball in No. Z yard. knocked their
ball over into the bar ack yard, and OF
d the sentry in that yard refusing to throw
itback to them, they picked a hole in the
vail to get in after it.
This afforded Shorthand his wished-for
pretext. and he took his measures ac-
eordinsly; he bad all the garrison drawn
apla the military walk, additional num-
beFs posted on the walls, and every thing
ready prepared, before the alarm bell
was ruDg; this he naturally concluded
would draw the attention of great num-
Der OF prisoners towards the gates, to
learn the cause of the alarm, while the
turkeys were dispatched into the Yards,
% lock all the doors but one of each pri-
sOa' 70 prevent the prisoners retreating
ou' OF the way before he had sufficiently
Wreaked MS vengeance.
What adds peculiar weight to the be-
Ns' Oh Its being premediated, determin-
gu massacre, are,
Irst-ihe sarguinary disposition
lIa1lissted on every occasion by Short
~ anu ne having. prior to this time, order
~ ~ Tue soldiers to fire into the prisons
y. .aOusn the prison windows, upon unarm-
" PRISONERS asieepin their hammocks, on
s @eount of light being seen in the pri-
. '.us which barbarous act was repeated
Nv Ss'eral Rights successfully. That muir
VT was not then committed, was owing
MA aa oyerruling Providence; for the
s sals were picked up in the prison, where
%ey passed through the hanmocks of
J a '9en asleep in them. He having
s s,so ordered the soldiers to fire upon the
SSsOnerS N the yard of No. prison,
'edase they would not deliver uD to him