Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-11-15
PRISON snip MARTYRS
MONUMENT UNVEILED
Continued from First Page.

prised four divisions--troops attaehea
10 Division Headqnarters. First ana
Second Brigade headquarters ana tne
naval militia. In these were includea
two souadrons Of cavalry, three BAT
teries OF field artillery Two organiza-
tons of the state signal corps. one
field hospital corps. three coast artli,
lery regiments. headed by Genera
David u. Austen: the IT.. 12th, l4tn.
23rd. 6lst and 72nd Infantry regI
ments O fthe national guard: fourth
division, Of the G. A. r., veterans as
sociations and patriotic societies'
suuadrons OF mounted police and many
military and other bands.
The yiciBsitudeS of the remains Oh
the sailors and soldiers who died OF
seyer and starvation, and rotted IN the
foul hulks Of the British prison shipS
long anchored in Wallabout bay
which they polluted. have been many
and have caused more than ono out
burst OF public indignation. II was
in 1872. at a Brooklyn town meeting.
that definite steps were first ursed
to properly bury the remains. NOM
ing was done. however. until lSos.
when the Tammany Society secured
funds for a temporary wooden tomD'
which was constructed on Hudson
Street. To this the bodies, dug from
the trenches along the WallatOut
hanks where they had been hastily In
TERED. were removed.
Children played With Bones.
With passing years the structure
fell into decay. tho bones became ex'
poxed and children played with them.
Public feeling became aroused. ana
In 1875 the City OF Brooklyn removed
all that could be collected. severa!
loads of them, to tomb at Fort
Greene Pork under the stairs Of the
entrance, where they had been until
work had begun on the present hano-
some memorial which the late stan
ford White designed. and which repre-
sents about 100000. To these bones
were added, four years ago. after a
public service at Plymouth Church.
many more filling about eight COZ
fines. which had been unearthed in
construction of warehouses at the
Brooklyn Navy Yard. All the remains
are now encased in metallic confins
in the spacious tomb which is ap-
preached BY a stately flight of several
hundred steps.
Tho experience Of the prison ship
martyrs" constitute one OF the most
frfghtful chapters in American history.
Eleven thousand sailors and soldiers
died In the Jersey" alone. ship con-
s,ructed to accommodate only 400 men,
into which more than thousand pr's-
oners were usually crushed. Many
were kept there for years. A sur
viver. Captain Thomas Drins. WHO
" depicted the scenes Of the horrible
incarceration: -"Registered and SEM
below newcomers suffered terribly
from the intoleratIe heat and foui
air, and when they sought the narrow
air-holes they found them blocked oy
others. who fought with all their
strength for even the faintest breath
OF the precious air"
utter arrangement vas a common
symptom Of the fever that caused
many deaths on board. and to IN
crease the horror OF the darkness that
enchrouded US. for We were allowed
NO light betwixt decks. the voice q
warning would be heard: Take heeu
to Yourselves: there is mailman
stalking through tho ship with a knife
in his hand" l sometimes found the
man a corpse in the morning by whose
side laid myself down at night.
"Of the bread furnished the prison
ers the Rev. Thomas Andres wrote IN
his account: Il do not recollect see'
ing auv which was not full OF living
vermin, but eat 1t, worms and all. We
must or starve."
9tors Of ebenezer Fox.
The condition OF the great coppee
In which the prisoners meat was oo'r
ed In thus described in the memoirs
Of Ebeneser Fox. also prisoner
aboard the Jersey:
TIE inside Of the copper become
corroded to such . degree that 1t w
lined With a coat Of verdigras. The
Jersey. from her size and lying near
the shore, was Embedded In the mud:
and do not recollect seeing her afioat
during the whole time I was a prison
er. All the Nth which accumulated
among upwards Of thousand men
vas thrown overheard and would re
main there until carried away by the
tide. The impurity Of the water may
be easily conceived. and in this water
our meet was boiled Not less re
voting than these scenes OF cruelty
and distress was the manner In wnfcn
tho inanimate todies Of these martyr
al prisoners were hastily and indecor'
cSsly consigned TO the earth. In some
esses almost before they had become
cold
TIE program prepared for the DAY
to hegtn Ut p. m included:
Music By Tweuty-third Regiment
hand, r. =. Shannon. leader. ciostne
With the "star Spsnsied Banner 81