The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1886-08-21

A Story Of the Prison 1Hulks Of
the Revolutionary War.

the Revolutionary War.
But, to return to our Brooklyn
bones of the Wallabout prisoners
Gays the Brooklyn Eagle, continuin!
an article on Fourth of July remi
niscenses. These prison hulks wer'
used as places Of confinement
throughout the entire war. They
were here in 1916, and they were
here till peace was proclaimed
Some of them were known as hos
rital ships, but they were little bet
ter than the prison ships. The
hospital craft had perhaps a little
more medical attendance. Philip
Freanau, the poet of the Revolution,
the grandson of a French HuguenOt,
a graduate of Princeton. a room
mate there of James Madison, after
ward President, and the intimate
friend Of Jefferson, was among the
prisoners on these hulks and he thus
describes the medical attendance
From Brooklyn Heights Russian doctor
Not great his skill nor greater much his
fame;
Fair science never called the wretch her son,
And art disdained the stupid man to own.
Ten minutes was the time he designed to
stay,
The time of grace allotted once a day:
Here. uncontrolled, he exercised his trade,
And grew experienced by the deaths he
made.
THE FIRST PRISON SHIP
Anchored i'm the Wallabout was a
large transport named the Whitby
She was moored near Remsen's mill.
about the Goth of October, 1776.
She was one of the transports in
which cattle and other supplies for
the British army had been brought
to America and which had been
anchored in Gravesend Bay. She
was one Of the worst of the prison
ships. Bad provisions, bad water
and scant rations were served
to the prisoners. No doctors at
tended the sick; disease spread un-
checked, and many died from pesti- |
lence and starvation. Nearly three
hundred prisoners, without physi-
clan or medicine, and fed on two
thirds allowance of salt provisions,
crowded between decks without re-
gard to decency or sanitary provi-
sions. Only two at time were
permitted to come on deck to breathe
the fresh air that famed the pol
luted waters of the Wallabout.
THE "OLD JERSEY"
Was originally a fourth-rate- sixty
gun ship of the British navy. She
was built in 1889, forty years be-
fore her use as a prison ship. She
was first used as a hospital ship,
and for three or four years was an
chored off ely Market" in the
East River In the winter of !
1880 she. was converted into
prison ship-stripped of her spars
and her port holes closed and
openings made in her side
which did not admit of sufficient
supply of air, but were simply ,
breathing holes for the half-suffo- ,
Gated prisoners. She was moored ,
IN the Wallabout with chain ca !
'les, nearlJ opposite the mouth of ,
Remsen's mill-race, about twenty Z
rods from the shore. At first about ,
100 prisoners were confined on this /;
vessel, but there were afterward as
many as 200. The waste places
'fdeath were often filled up by new I
arrivals from our captured cruisers s
one company of 80 was brought Z
n 10y the British ship Belisarius,
inder the charge of David Sproat, =
Commissioner of Prisoners. On Z
coming in sight of the old Jersey .
'proat kindly informed his cap
ives, "There, rebels, there is the /
age for you" Death seemed de-
lighted to have a feast on fresh ar /,
ivals. When they were put among @
he old prisoners and sent below
hey were nearly suffocated with I
he foul air and sought the air I
loles in the sides of the vessel, but 4
ound them occupied by the old d
uiierers, lying with their mouths
o the openings, struggling for fresh
ir, who refused to relinquish their L
'laces. n
THE DAILY ALLOWANCE OF FOOD q
Vas handed to person represent "
ng a mess of six. The mess of \
TX received only an allowance for -