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

tinn Mt tha present time, lest wo for
get y to ono Of tho horrors Of war.
This now Epciety, which Is being or
ganiagl by Con. 4. G. Earne1 and S.
V, White, will bs the latest OF many
efforts male during the last century to
soruro tho nancy neccE1ary for the
erection Of memorial over the graves
Of thu Americans who died on hoard
tho pr!aunsliips Of tho Revolutionary
War.
Tho guiTsfings and misery OF war
rr!eona, hawnver, have mot heen con
Ecnl 10 TINT reriud alone, hut have
been characteristics Of Rli ware; ami
particularly OF nur Civil War. Tho
erection nf uonumoutn a' tho rcmin-
Hers of thoHo human crnrltiDs should
serve a. warnings against their repeti-
tion, and should present ns strong IN
argument for peace us any which could
lie LIcvisad.
Aitor the BATHS of brooklyn and the
capture Of Fort Washington on August
18th, l77G, the British army was IN
possession of between 1000 and ;. 600
prisuncrs, and IL bacnmn question.
none haing exchanged at that time,
what to do with them anti how to pro-
vide for them, IL was decided to utilize
all New York public buildings,
churches, warehouses, Er., rs prisons,
anh the notorious Cunningham, WIN
afterwards met criminals death on
the sralIOld, was appointed miller. So
crowded were theHe prisnnhouses that
in many Of them there was not sutli-
cient ronm for tho inmates to lie down,
und no provision Whatever was made
for comfort or convenience. Cunning
ham, who made confession when
HhOut to die, was cruel, hard hearted
keeper; and, by HIS own statement,
Infused and tortured HE prisoners in
every conceivable way. giving them
Just enough food 10 keep body and soul
together. Midnight hangings unier
his superriulon were frequent orcur-
rauces, anu no leas than 2G0 prisoners
met this fate An order would be passed
down certain streets thar all lights
should he out 10y certain hour, win
dow shutterH closeG, and M one oil
lowed to peer nut under severe penalty.
Tho prisoners would thUn 10 marched
to the end of tho street, a gallows
erected, and the work dons. Theae
yictimg we're, presumably, those who
hau incurred Cunningham disrleas-
uro. though hu afterwards claimed that
he acted with authority from his
Supporters.
1he transport ships that were used
to bring over recruits and supplies to
tho British army in America we're sent
to Gravescnd bay, and were also used
| at that time as prisons. Their prie
uners, like thuse. kept in New York.
were HoldierH; but tho activity of
British war vessels soon made il neces.
sary for some provision to lie made for
housing tho mon captured at aeu and
those taken from the privateers along
the coaat The transport ahips turned
their inmates over TO Cunningham 4
tender merces, and anchored In the
North and East Rivers for the reception
Of marine prisoners. Ihen began the
terrible suferings and horrors that
brought protests from Gen. Washing
ton on the ono hand and from influential
public men in England on the other,
occaaiuned Lively dohstes in PaTlia-
ment, and cnlled out tho deencat sxeGra.
tionn from the patriots.
The first transport to tnlIo position
in Wallshout bay was the Whitby,
which moved up from Gravosend iu
October of that year. She was tho
only Hhip that kept on board through.
out the war army prisoners and privnte
citi2nnH arrested on suspicion of being
SynpathizcrH, and tho deaths from dis
ease, starvation. and tho cruelty ot
keep ers woro perhaps MS numerous or
her ~ any two Of the others, with the
exception OF tho Old Jersey. Two mors
ships wero sent to the Wullabuut il
May, lT17, but both OF these woru sub
sequontly set on fire and destroyed.
Many prisoners persisted in tho humc.
and we're cluhbed nrd shot whilo ut
tempting TO eacapc. The feet was aug
mented, in tho meantime, by the trans
ports Good Hops. Scorpion, Prince o
Wales Falmouth, Hunter, Strombo
and Old Jersey.
Tho Old Jerscy, if tho accouuta O
eye witnesses and survivors can be he
licyod, was fur and away the wore
ship for dnvltriea of NIL sorts practiset
on the prisoners by brutal keeperp, ant
for filth, lii6eusN and famine. Sho wa
cRlod this liGlln nud acquired anC
sustained reputation that soems II
have made tho name nh appropriate
one. She hal been originally GA gui
ship OF the regular British navy, bu
, was III completely disabled in an on
gagoment with the French 1eet as t
i've rendered unfit for service. She wa
sent to tho WRliabout in April, ITS
mud was diamantled, her armament re
moved, and her tigurehend used on an
other vessel. Her portfolios were closet
and securely fastened, and in plecs q
them four apsrtures about 20 inchu
square we're cut in her sides at the dis
TANGO of 10 feet apart. phese vera tic
: signed for the admission of air, and es
1 t0TVh
sible by tho usa of heavy iron bar
crossing each other ut right anglee an
mnde fast on TIM outside. She lay at
I point between tho present Cob Doc
: and the inner shore OF the bay, nearl
: opposite the west entrance to the nav
: yard.
! Several accounts of life and death o.
hoard Of her were afterwards write
by survivors and in nearly all of thel
wu find, uside from the brutnlities {
the liessiRn guards, mention made I
: smallpox and yellow fever as two OF til
. disnaaes that prevailed. The prisoner
/ wero huddled together between 6ecl,s
with 70 littlo space for the number {
/, mon that they were obliged TO slice
u with legs and arms thrown over eac
other. Only such food as had bcs
condemned ami thrown aside us uni
for tho navy was given them, and eve
! then IN quantities too small to do MOI
@ than nggrayate the agonies of staryI
. tinn. Tho bread was widowed au
Ellail with worms. ns was tho salt ror
and ships beat distributed, and I'll
I. latter mad to bo oaten raw nr not ut al
!, Fire WINS allowed, after the burning
=. the two ahips, at very infrequent int
\, vnls, and tnun only under one lnrga COZ
!, mar kattio: anil II in relnted that IL IN