Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-06-07
TNUNBER 21.

lock, and undermine the deepest dungeon in your
Isle
| Passing over the burning of Mr.. Beasley IN
efhgy, which all must readily admit created not
the slightest excuse for the erference ofthe Bri-
| tSh kings soldiers, and Their subsequent acts of
| murder VII any man Of common sense believe
that a few (tor all could not act) undrrned Ame-
rican prisoners would seriously attempt TO force
Their way out of the confines of the prison, in the
open face OF day, and in full view of an armed
soidery Lett be borne in mind, too, that these
prisoners were confined, to the number of five or
SIX thousand, within so narrow compass, as Mt
| teriy to preclude any thing like vigorous exer-
ton; that they were secured by the mpenetrable
masonry of the prison ITSELF and high wall en-
circlnS their little enclosure, and, to crown all,
mat on the top of this wall strong guard of re-
morse!ess mercenaries were continually patrol
lhS-as IN this instance was but too fatally pro-
ven: Under such circumstances, surely none bUe
madmen could entertain the delusive idea of re-
CANNING their liberty by force without arms, or
implements, and without even the smallest hope
OF disabling the guard, who, being upon the
Top OF the wall, We're perfectly beyond Their
reach.
We are next told that, Capt. Shorthand, the
resident British agent, went in among them alone
and unarmed TO pacify them, but pistol was
| snapped at him, and therefore the soldiers fired
among the insurgents, when about 10 were killed
and 50 wounded A musket ball grazed Captain
Shortland's cheek
Now, it would appear extremely imprudent on
the part of Capt. Shorthand, to venture in among
them alone and unarmed, unless they were in =
detenceless and perfectly quiet state because
under any other circumstances, we should ina
gine British officer to be the last man on earth
who ought to 20 in alone and unarmed' amongst
some thousands ofangry Americans, to endeavor
TO Paciiy Them His life no doubt would be free
from absolute danger, but his hated presence
could tend only to make things worse, aid draw
upon him torrent of little abuses and tricks
The tact, that they were in a defenceless state, Is
indeed not denied. 1t is well known, that no cap
tive is admitted into the prison. until he has first
undergone thorough search, and arms of every
description have been taken from hun and that
all communications with the prisoners from with
Out, are upon the same rigid principle, held only
through the hands of the agent or keeper. View
ing the matter in It's true light, then, there cam
not be the least foundation for the assertion, that
apistol was snapped at Capt. Shorthand by any Of
me prisoners. If pistol was actually snapped
at hlm while among the prisoners, how came the
pistols there What could induce Capt. Short
land to admita weapon into the prison, which he
had never before admitted and the admission Of
which he knew to be contrary to the rules of the
PRISON, and put at the greatest hazard the post he
then held, and still holds, under his king AS to-
the musket ball which IS said to have grazed his
cheek, there can be no manner of doubt that it
was one ofthose fired by the guard on the wall.
which did such fatal execution for il is utterly
beyond all belief that it could have been fired
from musket in possession of one of the prison.
ers, since so large article Of warfare could not
possibly have passed into the Prison, or even been
Kept there, without instant detection, So thGe
she mere GGedged sHoRpiny 9fa PISTOL .vns made
the soe, and only Pretect tor numbering t1Uetre,
ana rounding thirty american prisoners Of gar
Good God Was it necessary that so compa.
ratively trivial and noffensive an act should be
exPiated by the blood of two and forty innocent,
harmless men, Is the life of a British officer of
such high value, that empty threat against It
can only be atoned for by the death of twelve Anne
rican citizens! Far more consistent would it
have been with justice and humanity, 20 have ta-
ken measures for the discovery of the person who
snapped the pistol Of any indeed were snapped)
and brought him only TO condgn punishment.
Far better would such course have accorded
with the treatment of British prisoners in Anne
rlca, who instead fbeing mastered like brutes,
Were invariably treated with the greatest lenitY
and indulgence; instead of loathsone provisions,
were daily fed with the best, frequently with the
richest and choicest uxuries and instead of con-
slant confinement to infected cells, were for the
most part, allowed an unbounded range
Taking the whole transaction then in it's clear
est and most reasonable point of view, there can
no other legitimate inference be drawn from it
than that of downright nurder-and murder ef
the most ferocious cast. NAUTILUS.