The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1815-07-22
VOL. 12 mo 90.


IN the square, receiving and taking care of
e wound- EnsiSn White re,ns.l-l wit
ms guard at ihe breach, and liicutS. AvSlvn.
and FoGtye, the only other S .)alterns on
to have been preaeas, continued "a ,he
square with the Eia II bodies Of their respect.y
guards
The time OF day. which was the officers
dinner hour, will III some measure exul,n
this, as 1t caused the absence OF every oIiic sr
from the prison whose presence was not in
,iispensable there. And this circumstance
which mas been urged rs an argulns Mt TO prove
the Intention OK the prisoners to ttke this op-
portunlty to escape, tended to increase the
confusion. and TO prevent those great exer-
tons beng made which might perhaps have
obvIated portion at least OF the mischief
VIII CHI cnsusd.
At the same time that the firing was going
on III the Square, cross fire was also Kept IA
from several of the platforms on the wall.
round the prison where the sentries stand, by
Struggling parties of sold ers who ran. up tie =
TOR that purpose. AS far as this FIRE was di-
rected TO dispense the men assembled round
the beach, for which purpose it was most eff
fectual, 1t seems to stand upon the same
ground as that in the first Instance i'm the
square. But that part which it is positively
sworn was directed against strags ing parties
OF prisoners running about the yards and en-
deavoring TO enterin the few doors which the
turkeys according to their usual practice.
had LETT open, does seem as stated to have
been wholly without object or excuse, and to
nave been wanton attack upon the lives OF
detenceleSs, aud at that time unoffending midi
vdua.s.
In the same, or even more severe terms.
we must remark upon what WAS proved as to
the hiring into the door ways of tue prisons
more particularly into that of No. prison. at
q time when the men were in cro~,Is -.
entrance. From the position of the prison &
OF the door, and from the marks of the balls
whlCh were pointed out to us, as well as from
the evidence, it was clear this firing must
have proceeded from soldiers very few f-et
from the door way and although il was Ger
my sworn that the prisoners were at tie
time OF part OF the firing 1T lie st, contnuinr
to insult and occasionally to throw stones at
tue soldsrs, and that they were staining in
the way of and impeding the turnkey, who
was there for the purpose Of Closing the door.
yer Still there was no. * stated which u.lld
IN our view at all justify such excessively
marsh and severe treatm mt of h s.pl SIS 81
unarmed prisoners when all idea of escape
WAS at an end
Under thesei Impressions we used every en-
dcavor to ascertain if there was die e ast ,,ros-
pect o. ldeutitYing any of the soldiers who mad
been guilty OF the particular outrages here al
that tine tc the firing OF any particular ,yeit.
vlduai, but Without success AMI aa ,..,,,cc
of bringing The offenders % punishment should
seem to be at an end.
In conclusion, we, the undersigned, have
only to add that whilst we lament, 50 we do
most deeply, the Unfortunate transac, ON
winch has been the subject of this enquiry we
md ourselves totally unable to suggest any
steps TO be taken as to those paris of II which
tn for
ment.
Signed CHAs. KING
FRAS. SEYMOUR LARPENT.
Plymouth, 25fh .9trR 1915.
olK-In Pursuance OF Instructors received
from Messrs. Clay and Gallatin, | have now
abe honor to transmit to you the report of Mr..
Larpent and myself on behalf of cur res
Pective Governments. in relation to the I'M
fortunate transa lions at Dartmoor Prison of
War, on the 9th of the present month. Con-
sidering t of much Importance that the reDort
whatever 1T might be, should go forth under
our Joint signatures, i have forUorne to Dresx
some OF the points VIII, II itnvoves, as far as
otherwise might have done, and it there
tore m%y not be improper in this etterto en-
ter into SOM little explanation of such nart.
OF the report. Althoug il does appear thzr
part OF the pIlso ers we're or that evening
In such state, aud under such circumstance
"D W nave JuolllSNJ III Tic view which the
commander OF the depot could not but take
OF IL, the Intervention IF tie military force 81
even In strict srrs G, the first use 6ffre arms
yet Cannot but exp IS il as NY settled obi
Mon, that by conduct little more temporis-
ing, this dreadful alternative of firing upon
unarmed prisoners might have been AVOIDED.
Yet as th'ssopmion has been The result of sub
scquent examination, and after having ac-
CURED knowledge of the comparatively
harmless state Of the prisoners, il may be but
fair to consider, whether IN such momcn,
ct confusion and alarm, rs that appears to
have been, the officer command ~ couI
have fairly estimated his Danger, or hive
measured out with precision the extent al 1
nature Of the force n cessary to guard ag ,inst
it.
But when the firing became general, as it
afterwards appears to have DONE and caught
with electric rapidity from the square to the
platforms, there is pl,a nor sh idow Of eH-
cuse for IL, except in the personal exaspera-
ton Of the soleiery, nor foI the more delibe-
ate, and therefore more unjustihahle, firing
which took pllc into three Of the prisons, NJ
and 4, nut more particularly into No. B.
after the pr sorers had retired INTO them, ana
there was no longer any pretence of appre
hons re as to their escape Upon this ground,
4 II