The New York herald., 1877-01-21
THE PRISON SHIP MARTYRS.

REVOLUTIONARY VICTIMS OF BRITISH BAR
DAElrY--coNGREss MEMoEIALIzED TO ERECT
MONUMENT OVER THEIR REMAINS on FORT
GREENE.
meeting was held 10 the ONCE OF Mayor schroeder
Brooklyn yesterday afternoon. Tor the purpose OF de-
Gliding upon the draft OF . memorial 10 be
presented 10 Congress, asking Tor an Sppro-
prlaton to erect a suitable monument over the
remains oi the prison ship martyrs Oh Fort Greene
Among those prssen, at the meeting wcre:--Mayor
Schroeder General James Jourdan, ex-senator II. C.
Murphy, Colonel Charles Schurie, John Y Cuiyer.
Alderman Fisher Colonel James McI.eer, James s. T.
StranaGan, Colonel r. {. Ward, General Dakln. S b.
butcher, s T. Parkinson aud J. !. Van Nosrand. Ex.
Senator Murphy read the following Interesting memo.
rial, which was approved by the meeting
The nemorsl of the andersgned committee. appointed
1874 for the Of akns measures to secure
er.ty en- s"nd the prison shps In ihe Harbor o, New
York during The ks,o".onsry Var. respec'iSy repre-.
vices and patriotism o; those citizens Of Ameria.
sa Ssen psro"gh 20 tho "s attention o
Congress and ihc country In 1908 aud again n 1873
both occasions IL failed to vote owing
ton but on the latter occasion to wan, OF time IN 800
popular movement was started ior the purpose. and
New York vau.t imtendedt bo snrmoanted by monu.
reception Of the bones the martyrs which slightly buried
had begun 10 be espsedto public view by the washing OF the
.raon aud public display placed hersin ou. with na q
Many years later by the pon exer.on o. an old soldier
Bcniamn Roman, slight wooden structure placed
caused Sy the Of the ao"nS srp"ns
ana si the sas vault n"s again
the midst OF crowded population TO ignorant and Thought
iyn in jane is7a caused the remains be
nerhooras spot on The beautiful slopes Of For. ,rsene
"s The water. @ OF the bay But marx. this
o. the nasq" 70 Tic vronas Of those martyrs
s % the
their the sacrifice They died side by side. ;hs
has en- told and though century Ia;
elapsed since they net their ats M 4 is stu familiar M 20 a
honoraSs bodies i, has been tho theme Of and
snsfss
Amerss" prisoners became the % subject % st. o. consds m
General Washington instructed demonstrate to the
G D" @ 'ae the
promptly ad but eonld effect change - the proesod
Of effort. assuAy made to induce them "a
'' tho motive. Bu, % this the i pr.onsrs su.cd
a. %, aosss the a. face Of a"u ana
were employed AS prisons besides others for hospital pur
duced the by foul air unwholesomc food
and sa Tssr some Of The prisoners were s on, on ons
ordination and hundreds perished in the flames
@ aud S. burned Tho number pa
9y these nsrDaous ard wa. computed In
exaggerated but the ndputabe fact remains to day that
OF their boxes collected shores o
the waxbout where these shps anchored were de
posted In the vault in 1903 and deposited
At Fort Greene. Thirteen bear the oi
the states from whence tho prisoners came
the old thirteen Those bones await the last
act OF duty the part Of their common country All the
States participated IN the wrong done By the enemy All
entitled to the honor and glory by those brave
who suffered. All should mite through tho national Lcgs
lature in erecting the monumental to their
ory weappca In tho of the c,isens OF Brooklyn
but on behalf OF countrymcn everywhere to the
Justice and not merely the generosity OF Cen
gross THIS is debt imposed upon the Union.
1t is perhaps the only its kind is withou,
parallel III will be precedent II not dis
charged In 1903 simply for tho that the bill
then united with others for individual monuments the
pedcncy OF which doubted vt the time aud the
ccsslty Of which longer exists Tho victims all
titled to burial At tho cost OF tho nation, as much
they to their support whom In the
service. In expense tho erection Of imposing
monument all Of them IL would hardly exceed
that OF decent headstone to each In particular On the
other hand the shaft which be raised would
hundred fold to the benefit Of the Republic in
tive II would offer for the present and future generations
patriotism and public virtue
Your memoralsts therefore. that appropriation
Of OF less than xUOO be mad9 OF the puDis
treasury tor tho purpose here proposed