The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-14
THREE MILITARY PRISONS
THE MACK HOLES or VIEW YORE
IN THE REVOL UTION.

stand Gould Tell ~ They HID Tongues
Forgotten Sbrincs Of Brnve Ancestry.
No historian OF the day has called atten-
ton to the fact that while time has leveleA
| thousands Of other notable buildings II has
| spared three Of the edinces which were used by
the British for military prisons during the war
Of the Revolution Most Of the walls that wit
messed the feastings and assemblies OF the roy-
alists ofthat day have gone down to the dust, bus
the stones which have heard the siRhlnRs ~ the
| American prisoners and were mute witnesses a
| their tefIitle suferings, still stand In theis
strength amid the triumphs OF a century lates.
| Two o. tie priscns--tho old Provost prison, nov
the Hall 81 Records, and the Middle Dutch
| Church, that until lately Gid duty as the Post
Omce-are well known to our citizons. The
third whose story Ia familiar but to a few, IL the
great, struggling. dinry brick building at the
corner Of Will m and Duane streets, known In
colonial DAYS as Khinelander's Sugar House
| and since that time given up TO all manner Of
manufn cturing purposes II has story nearly
| M terrible a. that Of the Black Hole OF Calcutta
| In the nature OF things It will be torn down be-
fore long, sharing the fate already foredoomed
for the old Dutch Church on Nassau street. n
ono Of the three survives for another centennial
It will be the Provost Prison on the Park, ovss
which the brutal Capt. Cunningham presided.
At the close Of the year 1776 the disastrous de-
feat Of the patriot forces on Long Island and the
surrender Of Fort Washington had lett 1000 Of
the Continental soldiers and officers In the
hands Of the R!.ish. here had also beea
about .nousahd civilians made Captive. These
we're all brought to the city aud thrust Into ths
various prisons, churches and sugar houses
| The different denominations (cxccpt the kstio-
lished En llish Chutch) were treated with .:e.s
| impartiIiity In being seized by tile British for
public use. Z he North Dutch church on Fulton
rect, the old Blush churct that stood IN the
streets and Park Row, nd the Huaueno,
church on Pine street each served its turn
prison, while the Quakcrs, Lotherlns. and
, Scotch presbyteiians gave up their religious edL
ices for use as riding schools, storeh. uses 90
best answered the rurnose NJ prisons. Three Of
them we're occupi.,'' sns ems OhJect-Vln Cprt-
lsndt's sugar house which stoo1 = ne n.ttq-
er's. which still stands. and the one that STOOD
on Liberty street, jast east 9f the Middle D9sGs
these edifces al the close OF 111d we're
DENs OF INuuMAN TORTURE,
In which the American prisoners rotted Ike
sheep, while their captors toasted In plenty
Cunningham, his deputy. Keefe, and the Com
mis,aries Lurlne aud sproat. would he incredi-
North Dutch Cnurch, at William and Fulton
streets corn down last year, eight hundred hap
less soldiers were thrust, without fu or bed
ding aud with scarcely my provisions. and
many died from colo and starvation. One Of
the survivors, Adolph Mycr. OF L. sher's batta-
ION, wrote that mo care was taken of the sick,
and II any died they were thrown ut the door OF
the prison and lay there til the next day, who's
they were pat on a cart and Crawn out to the
intrcnchments, beyond the Jews burial ground
where they were thr Wn into hole promiscu-
! ously, without tho usual rites 81 sepUlture.-
= OF tie Jews bun ground here spoken Of
SIN exits on the New Bowery near Oliver
street; 10 was then Ike out of town. An eye
witness say. that tile -oners-sick, wound:
ed, aud well-we5e all indiscriminately huddled
together; large numbers Of whom died ov dis
onse, nnd many were undoubtedly posoned by
their iunuman attendants for the sake OF theh
watches or silver buckles"
The condition Of the ,captves in the sugS
tou.es was siill worse. They were huddled %
The typhu- fever anu small pox ragged among
Them, and ihey ra'-ed away, Loving
Ssw YoE t the ' rycora " That IN tie S sarocs
ting heat Of summer he saw every aperture Of
the stone wills illed with human heads, face
above face, seeking air. so crowded were theX
TX cach. which took turns Of standing for tea
minutes az the wndows IL vas no wonder.
twelve victims daily awai Ing 1t.
' HARDY Boy.
} Levi Hanford OF Walton. Delaware county, In
this - to, was one ~ tn prisoners IN the sugar
! mouse. 10y OF seventeen III II. lie survived an
; attack oi snai. TX and another Of typhus fever
aud lived until ". ~, 1854. reaching the versr
- Of nneiN-iour, lie was p i,uner ,,nen
. Ethan Allen visited ii, c.untrynien and cursed
the lr'ish authorities ~ th,ir rreseuos
: for their hlihArues 81 have had meg
, he writes and have seen fifteen ueaS
bodies l'd IA ihe corner OF the yard at one time
the pr duct o. one twcrty-fvur hours. once
was permittod TO 90 to he place OF interment.
ana never shall forget the scene that | there
utneid ihey tumbled them INTO toe ditrh just
as IL hapi ueG, threw ON a Little dirt. ana Ties
away could see hand, foot. or part of D., head.
and ready To- dScay lie w"1id '' .se d,ea ~
despair but thai one day = he stuou oy the higs
turniui his lend, sd, IN a low voice Zen.
B.rsoyne Is taken with al ais army" THIS re-
aid all Their -1-rlnls ana put the seal to theu
bic pnttl n, WhtCn had With-toud the mosi
urtent Inducements Of the British 10 enlist on
All tuis cruelty was nart Of plan TO disable
the American prisoners that they could no, re-
tlin 10 service. l. succeeded SO well mat Of toe
800 pflsoners {. ken Il Furt ~ a,bint,on. Nov.
10, LOO 'nlY SO were rep llted IT. hyirg whea
alrtng lieuts were made for an exchange 10
openly ooasied hat he had Xii ed more rebeis
the living aud led the dead. since he wound lee
Lis prisoners 20 at times lor i've GAYS vithous
fooi, W. lie ~ the same time he was 1rAwing the
ra;Ions ~ 200 dead caItves.
GALAXY OF PATRIOTS.
The Provost prison was the headquarters Of
notorious ciyil, hav Land mil ay prisoners we're
confined, h'hen Alien, Juu-e te,l, COTS. Ma
I Majors BIri. West, Wullini.. T.vne, ana Dc
Gource' Capts. LenoX, ludor Edwards Wilson,
Forrest, Davenport Herbert, X .uIoiph, and
Mercer an many other prominent men were
cYnuned here. Il was a :avonto anusemsns
win Capt Cunningham, wien drunken YOUNG
English onic'rs were his guests, to rarade his
help.ess prs ners throu-h the couf, I'd ~
specimens % Yankee soluicry. No distinctions
OF ralk and ch racter were allowed Tory mur.
dercrs Hnd thieves were thrust tnlo the company
Of on ere 4 ligh rank ana M ,er- were ctnsd
ON the slightest pr0VorAtiun. Even b. ir ffends
were not allowed To help ther, for Mrs - uoTah
Franklin was b MIST d from Sew YORK bee luss
she dared 10 slow kindness To fue AmericAn
lrso"crs. FIR fear that uaiups II TINS treat.
mtnt should be made pubic, nri.hoT PEI, ink,
nor paper wrro allow the uiscra 20 clptveG
mis- tteAtu ent bore il- sired Huit. When An
yAchenee Wa made aiken tne vic ores In New
jersey, many Of the Autrislns foli dead 10 tue
road os they M Tehed AomtWaid, ana few sup-
/ NNeG thcir return.
THEIR RIsliHG PLACES.
In the veuoLs burial tllces o. The lower nan
II Manhattan Island not less than 400 Amer-
can iusfnVls ~ r. .ui .ltCu. IDty wee thruA
/ l.tl tle lOttcTs F.c,d, the he g. bubIng
! 80 uuuu. tho outer eutreucAmruts, Hnl the
! cuur, hyatds II tue Nuilu- utpouunau ms, eE-
/ crpt th SO OF the Established ca lch. Ne
| t1mhstonts mark tho 81 Co.'s whore they rest
| o.t ihi busy teet Of tIue daiiy ne Il tueR
ashe, unuer Ut. Upon the vrr'n.o .Tiures u
t.ese rAr.vrs 90 A eUrW lud cadence. the
tITee HII arg li-Hu-, Nuu. W.lIs ycl stand,
] looked ilctNaly down thror cCuiutles hgo. In
/ tine coolest wl"trr ,yet known since America
Mas H ii / 1tt. ,la