Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-07-08


Ipy--in answer to which No. 10 is 4 copy. On the
10Th, we received another letter from him, of
which No. 20is copy; in the interim he had
seen acopy OF our report, sent by private con-
| veyance, which seemed 20 have greatly altered
his opinion concerning the aiElir In his letter of
| the ldtli, was an extract from the statement or
ireport sent himby the admiralty board. On re-
cewins which he wrote to admiral Duclkworth, Of
l which No Oh is cory.
| On the 22d ofApr.l, Mr. King, appointed by
| the American agents at London, and Mr.. Larpent
on the part of the British government, with a una
gstrate of the county of Devon, arrived at the
depot to investigate the affair they were en-
ployed The greater part OF, three days in taking
! the deposItons respecting the same and though
we would not hastily PREJUDICE Mr. K.ng's report,
we deem it necessary TO state that our anticipa-
tons of it are rot Of the most favorable nature j
from his not appearing 10 take that interest in the
atfair which the injuries his ccuHtTymen had re-
lceived demanded, as far the greater part of
Their time WAS employed IN taking the depositi-
ons ofShortana's witnesses, most of whom were
implicated with him in guilt On learning Mr..
King was about leaving the depot, we addressed
anote to him, stating, whose dispositions we con-
ceived would be Of importance, and requested
him to have them taken we received TO thlsnote
no answer, and lie Immediately left the depot
| The particular points onwhich those dispositions
would have borne related to picking the hole in
uIe wall and breaking the locks ofthe gate lead
inS into'the market square--they would have
eNonerated the prisoners generally from having
| any share In those aets, or even knowledge of
their having been Committed As these were the
Two Prnclpal points on which Shorthand reasd.
his plea OF justification, we deemed itshighly ne
cessary that they should have been placed in
proper point of view. gAs for an idea of the pr-
soners attempting to break ont, "a moments re-.
hecton mast convince any impartial man of its
pnprObability. Every prisoner that had suffi-
{ ~ def ,Se 1,,l.
tam hisrelease and a passport BY applying 20 Nr
Bea3ley, " through their corr 90 lents i, Eng.
land; those whohad not funds would not have
left the dePothad the gates been thrown open,
having no means ofsubsistencc, in . foreign coun-
try, and their being very hot press of seanen ut
that tune they knew ;heirris,l ofbeing kidnapped
was great, and wael, bv stayinga few days long
er, they were assured chat they would be en-
barlIed for their native country The Infamous
talsehoods circulated IN the English prints of the
| prisoners having armed themselves with knives,
clabs, stones, &c. seized part OF the guard and
disarined them, and other similar reports, are
| unworthy of notice for when the disturbance
occurred on the fourth OF April, concerning
bread, the prisoners having burst open the inner
gates, had they the least disposition they might
then have inHlol1ted the whole rrrisosl, as thew
were completely sirprized and panic struck.
The artfui policy of the British officers, in
coupling the transactions of the 9th April with
seen through the latter was done fortnight
previous. ky few Individuals, without It's be ny
generally known, or the least disturbance con-
Corning it and We deem il but justice TO state,
that Whatever negligence MIR. Beasley may have
peen guilty ofresPecting the affairs of the pri
soners, ne should be totally exonerated from all
blame respecting the massacre.
There was an instance that occurred on the
evening ofthe 9th, which reflects so much Gre
DIT on the Americans, It should not be passed
over u, silence. When the brutal soldiery were
following The prisoners into The yards, stabbn g
and iIrng III among them, bmpl.ghter who had
come in a few moments previous, ran into No 9
prison TO escape being murdered by his own coun-
tl'ymen; on beng recognized, a rope was fixed
ior hanging him Immediately. In this moment
oil irritation, when their slaughtered and bleeding
cOwtrymen lay groaning around them in the ago
mes OF dissolution, such AN act Of vengeance 1t
| that time, would not have been deemed singular
9ut on ~ be ne represented 10 them by some III
ildenual chsiacte rs, that such deed would stain
the American name, to Their honor be it record
Ell, that human ~ tr.umphed Overvengcalce, the
trembling Wretch was Teiel se l. and told 10 90 -
" we disdain u copy after your countrymen, and
| murder You at this adYantage-we will seek a
| morenob.e res enge."
NC deem 1t necessary here to remark as some
EDITORS nave manifested disposition to vindlcate
9pprtt'@ls conduct, that, allowing every circun-
stance TO be placed IA tie most nnfiworabe pomt
OF view Tor the prisoners, suppose for q moment
It was Their intention 70 break out and q number
had collected in the market square for that pur-
pose, when, beng charged upon by the military,
lhey retFeaied out ofthe square into then fcspec-
tive PRISON yards, and shut the gates a5ter them
~ltaout making any resistance whatever; under
such Circumstances no further opposition could
| nave been expected, and, consequently, their in
| tenuon must Chen have been completely defeat
| ed What justification can there, them be made
to appear foe the subsequent, brutal, unprece-
I dented butchcvy and mutiiation None The
most shameless and barcfaced ADVOCATES and
AFoLoaIzERs fer British injustice cannot produce
any
WaAer Cotton, } Members Of
Jhog. Il. .if0st, Z the Cam
I'm Ho6ars 1ait.es
DEPOSITION no. /.
| J, .4daIsoR Holmes, being solemnly sworn on
the Holy EyaHgeiIsts Of Almighty God, depose
and say
/ That on The 9th April, about 6 o'cloc, in the
evening, was inthe market square, where the
soldiers were drawn Up. There we're a Number
! Of americans in TIC square--to The best Of my
Judgment between ffiy and e hundred. dis
| tncuy heard capt Shorthand order tie soldiers
70 charge on the prisoners, Which they d d not do
ull che order was repeated by their own officers,
when they charged, and The prisoners reiraated
| tUough the gates, which they shut too after
! them. in this interim lad got behind a sen
try box in the square aud the soldiers went past