Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-04-21

this lark II nourishing foud and conso-
quont diaeage did thoy become that 1t
was common thing for one TO die az
night with the weight Of his body rest
ing on another who had too little
strcngth to obtain release until tho
guards came in tho morning for their
daily task of removing tho dead.
Mea fought, with what feeble strength
they still retained, for positions near
tho bnrrrd holes that supplind air, and
stood with their ghoRtly inces pesiing
out all through the night ami until
they dropped from exhaustion. Gen.
Washington speaks of daily half
dozen carried from the shipa to DO
thrown into shallow graves on the shoro
but for much of The time tho Old Jcr.
sey'a doath list alone equallnd that
number. Sho usually had !, 100 pris-
onors aboard in deck space unsuited
to third that number, AMI IL il 60
timntod that at least u. GOO persisted on
hoard the vesasla of tho whole fleet, and
possibly 90 GOO, il soldiers on shore as
vol az marine prisoners aIloat arc
counted.
No berthe or bonches were provided
anu little attempt was matte TO furnish
wearing apparel. During the winter
mouths, with no means OF obtaining
warmth, and tho air-h nles handling in
draught that wac bnth life and death,
nrIns, legs, hands and feat ware frozen
ana fiast- bitten; and many cases arc
reported of actual deaths from cold.
No lights wore kept Rbuafd at night,
except for the Use of the guards; and
in this hold of aicknesH, privptinn,
death and darkness IL is wonder that
did mt loca that's mi Dlu hnfOFn
giving up their lives.
Only 0ne revolt on the part Of these
wretches is recorded, and that took
place on the Stromboli. The prisoners
were heaten into submission by
llessians, and many were killed. and
wounded.
Owl ing TO the horrible condition of
affairs puitliu senti ment in England was
aroused and found expression in Parlla
ment. There was no Red CroHa Society
OF that DAY, however, and little was
dono to alleviate the suffering Whom
contagious diseases broke out the FRl-
coner. Good Hope and Huntsr were
designated as hospitalships, but could
do little to keBp down the rate OF
mortality when so thorough a prepara-
ton for its spread had heen made.
Gen. Washington was moved to re.
monstrate moro than cnce to the enemy,
and threatened to retaliate in kind. In
letter to Admiral Dighy, he said :''lf
the fortune OF war, sir. has thrown u
number of these miserable peorle into
your hands, | am certain your excel
lency's feelings for the men must in
duGR you to proportion the ships tif
they must DO confined on ships) 10
their accommodation aud comfort, and
not, by crOwding them together in
few ships. bring diseases which ton
sign them by the half dozen day to
the grave. I"
In q letter to Con. iiowe, be said: II
am sorry TINT / am under the disagree
able necessity 10 trouble your Lordship
with letter. almost wholly on tho sub
| iect OF the cruel treatment which our
officers and men in tho naval depart
mont who are unhappy enough to fall
into your hands, receive on hoard tho
prisonships in the harhor OF New York.
Without descending to particulars,
shall ground my complaint upon the
matter contained In tho enclosed papur,
which ia mn exact copy CT the usage of
tho prisoners, delivered to Congress by
ono Capt. Gamble, lately priHuncr
himself in New York. II the account
doubt. as Capt. Gamble 10 said to be a
man of veracity, call upon your lord
ahip to say whsther any treatment of
yUur officers and seaman has merited an
severe retaliation. am bold to say,
ii has not, and | hope, upon
making tho proper inquiry, you will
have tho matter 10 regulated that the
unhappy persons, in captivity, may not
IN tho future have tho missrios of cold.
disease anu famine added 10 their 9th er
misfoFtunea. You may call us rebels,
and say That We deserve no better trent.
mont; hut remember, my lord. that
surprising Ms rebels, we still have foel-
ingB equally us keen and sensible az
loyaliBts, and will. il forced to it, most
Rssuredly retaliate upon those uI,on
whom We look as the must invaders
Of our rights, libsrties and properties.
| should not have sRi,l so much hut
my injured countrymon have long called
upon me to ondoayor to obtain redrees
Of their grievances, and ] should think
myself as culpable as those who intiici
such severities upon them, were IL
continue 8ilont. ="
Again he wrote "Those who have
lately bean sent out give the most
Unlocking account of the harbarous
usage, whicn their miserable, emaciated
counteuancBs confirm. IL / would
beg that some certain rule of conduct
towards prisoners may he settled; and
ii you arc determined to make captivity
as distressing as possible, let ms know
1t, that VIC may be upon equal terms,
for your conduct muut and shall regu.
late mine.
After the war tho Old Jersey was
abandoned whero she lny, aud was long
dreaded as a menace to health on nc
count of her accumulated filth and
germs of coptbgion. She finally sue
cumbed to tho work of time, water
found its way through her worm eater
. timbers, and shs went tn tho bottom,
carrying with her the record of name.
of those that had reason to remember
: her.
The first effort to raise monument
to the memory of these victims OF wnr'l
cruelty was that of 1899, when the citi
| zens of Brooklyn, in regular town meet
: ing, resolved To have the bones tina
we're then strewiug the ahore where thu
bodies hal been rudely buried, COLLECTED
and buried in the graveyard OF the Re
formed Church, and suitable monu
ment erected. A citizon OF Brooklyn
John jackson, had purchased tho oil
! Remssn estate which frontad on thu
= Wallabout and consisted of some 81
|. acres of land and 81 Of pond, the Rem
sen mill, and dwellinghouse. lie had
|, while making improvements on hi
water front. found many of these bones
and had preserved them. In 1901 b.
r, sold 40 acres of land and water to tn
y | fzs.