Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-06-07
From .he .Nati0nal hateA.eeneer.

II
! undera London date Of April 10th, calculated to
| excite in the mind of every American at once the
| teTderest sympathy and the deepest Indignation
We aiiude to the article protesting TO give an ac
! count ofwhat the London editor modestly terms
" Disturbances at Dartnoor Prison." In which
about II American prisoners ofwar were killed &
| Surrounded. This is the British account But
as the writer of that bloody article has evidently
convicted himself of 10 less than three or four
palpable falsehoods, will be seen anon there
IS great reason to fear that he has wiifully under
rated the number, and that instead of twelve
(Which Heaven Forbid twenty or thirty may have
been killed, and perhaps as many more Danger
ously wounded. Now, in Gods name, let me
ask--Must these poor fellows, whom we are told
amounted in number TO five or six thousand, af-
ter lingering out months and wears ofpestiferous
imprisonment, and enduring all that human ma
,uie could possibly endure; must they now be
oarbarously murdered and cut off forever from
the hope ofretlirn to that grateful country whose
cause they had so gallantly sustained Is this
the tate they deserve for Their memorable ex-
PLOTS Z After aiding with their lives and for
tunes TO humble the pride of Great Britain after
bleeding IN defence of freedom and the rights of
nan-must they be shot like so many half starved
dogs by parcel of dastardly uliscreants, who ne
yer would have dared to face them on the deck or
in the tield1
HAPPY, some few of these Inflated twelve had
Yves and children at home they fondly loved and
afdentiy hoped to see. Every sun that rose
frightened the prospect of their deliverance
whilst every Eastern breeze poured into the BIO,
SONS OF their wives and children the sw eetest an
uclpatons But, reader, mark the heart-rending,
disappointment. Instead Of receiving them to
the!r arms IN Transports of Joy, these wretched
wives are now shocked with the tale of their in
humanity Observation-Disclosures in Dartmoor prison
If this be the Justice, this the mag7lamitv. and
this the boosted humanity of England then NAV
america never be cursed herewith Can it be,
that because some, if not ALL of these martyrs had
helped to tear the naval laurel from the brow of
1reat britain, or brought down the proud stand
ara OF her i'lTf7cf6ies the banks of the Cham
plan and Mississippi can it be- that because
Perauventure they had been the companions of
those brave spirits, who taught such lessons of
| glory to an admiring world beneath the flags of
the Constltu lon the Lawrence, the Essex and
Saratoga can it be for having cast these blots ON
the historical page of Great Britain that the myr-
hidons other ministry have thus wantonly and in
cold blood butchered them1 But let us endea-
Vor, II possible TO moderate our feelings little
ana give themalter fair and candid examination
ana hrst -Ihat we may do our utmost towards
preserving the record, imperfect as it is, of this
outrageous murder, to the eternal infamy of Great
hIataln; letus once more repeat it, and then close
W1th our remarks thereon.
" LoSDoN, April 10.
Disturbances at DartmOor Prison
$ at Dartmoor prison, where the American pri-
soners OF war are confined. 1t appears that:he
unfortunate prisoners, who amount to five or six
=" thousand, had recently become extremely i'm
patient to be set at liberty, and ascrlbed their
" detention to Mr.. Beasley, their countryman.
VINO is agent tor American prisoners of war in
= London. Tins person thew burnt in effiPy on
$ Friday, and then proceeded to force Their way
:" out ofthcconfnes of theprison. Capt Shorthand,
the resident British agent, went in among them
alone unarmed, to endeavor to pacify them but
"a pistol was snapped at him, and therefore the
" soldiers Tired among The insurgents, when about
twelve were killed and thirty wounded mus
ket ball grazed Capt Shortland's cheek. The
prompt isterterence ofthe military quelled the
insulrection, and tranquility was restored. One
hundred additional soldiers marched from Ply
mouth to Dartmoor in the course of Friday, TO |
"reinforce The guard"
1t viii be seen from the first part of this arti-
Gle mat the author of it was possessed ut least of
sufficient warmth of feeling, to qualify these luck
less victims with the epithet unfortunate )" and
having great doubts whether, like most of his
inhary count1ymcn, he is really possessed ofany
more, We are disposed 10 give hm credit for it as
me only solitary sign of civilization the article
al'ofds' We'll might he indeed call them unfor-
tenase For what human beng can be more un-
icrtinate than the man, whom III fortune has
thrown prisoner ofwar into the hands of Great
bFi'an, and doomed TO her AlgelTne tortures for
months and years. What human beng can be
more unfortunate than he, who born to the celori
| Gus Pau1mony oftreedom, is compelled to iineer
out the tedious hours ofthe day between the in |
iectious decks ola British prison ship or theno
less infectious cells Of a British jail. What hui |
man being more unfortunate than the emancipa-
ted American Tar, who blessed when at home with |
the Choicest plenty, must pail his appetite witba
norse 81 or two Of tainted food from the hand Of
lauor, whose heart is steeled against pity sink
mo the grave, the mercle5s victim Of hunger and
disease.
IN al other respects, these American prisoners
were comparatively fortunate and especially so |
~ TIC hope fsoon visiting their native country
| Their wives, their children, their parents. and |
! tier friends. But it seems they "had become |
extremely impatient to be set at Hberty'-tbat
they ascribed the.r detention to MIR. Beasele,
and that after burning him in efiigy, they pro
ceeded TO force Their way out of the confines of
the PRISON. Now in all this, can the most bar.
dened casuist discover any solid reason for the /
soldiers OF the king OF Great Britain to fire upon
and Kill them Il Goblet ran the risk or a |
years Imprisonment and the payment of AN exor.
bltant tme, merely for the sake of declairoino. /
against the iilegality and nhumanity Of Aoggins, /
an English soldier through the hands of an Ham
oYerlan how much more worthy Of such risk |
how much more worthy Of such pen as COR. |
oetts IS the case before us Nor is il wonderful
That these American prisoners after end,rr,pe,
an the hardships above sdverted TO. and hearins.
otthc ratification Of the treaty, sbouId - /