The Cairo bulletin., 1912-08-23

tDoth mere IN new XDQ4 III
York and in the / A
prison ship on the CAPT. WHITMAN
Breucklen shore) CUMMINGS HAM
disturb their slumbers. And they pray
that Master Cunningham, our provost
marshal. will devise some means to-
keep the poor wretches quiet Of
nights"
So runs an old letter written IN
New York during the darkest days Of
the American Revolution. The Brit.
ish had captured New York and Phila-
delphia. To both cittes-but chiefly to
New York--they brought. thousands OF
patriot soldiers, captured In, battle.
and many non-combatants who had
risked freedom and life- to help the
cause OF liberty by money, gifts or by
patriotic speeches.
These unlucky captives were not
treated like prisoners Of war. TAec
were housed and fed--or, rather,
starved--in way the law nowadays
would not permit for cattle os1swine.
And the man in charge OF them was
q .blackguard whose own countrynen
loathed him, william Cunningham.
Cunningham was the son of Brit
ish dragon and was born in the
regimental barracks at Dublin. In 1774
he came to America and settled In
New York, where he made living for
some time by breaking" colts and BY
giving riding lessons. When the Revo-
luton broke out, in ITS, he became
involved in a political row with some
local patriots and was forced to fee
to Boston, there to seek the protection
OF the British army.
His noisy loyalty to King George
III. got him into trouble there and at
tracted the notice OF Thomas Gage.
the English general. Gage appointed
him provost marshal to the royal
army. His chance for revenge" had
come
Cunningham was sent back to New
York and was put in charge OF the
Revolutionary prisoners there and In
Philadelphia. There were several inn.
promptu prisons in New York where
the patriot captives were lodged. One
was the city hall, another the famous
old Sugar House." another, Kings
(now Columbial college; another the
new gaol" 1.-THE old hall OF records
in city Hall park, torn down only
few years ago), ani-worst OF alb
the prison ship Jersey" moored on
the Brooklyn shore. Churches were
also turned into ialls.
In the prison ship the ca2tives were
herded by hundreds in dark, foul pens
destitute of pure air and sunlight
They were given such food as dog
might well scorn, and In such tiny
quantities as would not suffice to
keep dog alive. The water they
drank was filthy. No medical care
or chance for cleanliness or exercise
was granted them. Prison fever and
other maladies seourged their ranks.
They died like so many flies. To such
fearful condition were they reduced
that the lowest city outcasts were
touched by pity and secretly sent
them food
The fate OF the captives In the new
gaol, or hall OF records, was little bet
ter. Here 10 an extract from Pin
tard's account Of their sufferings:
so closely were they packed to
gether that when they lay down at
night to rest, on the hard oak planks
and they wished to turn, 1t was all
together, by word of condhand-
right'-1eft' SO wedged as to
form almost solid mass of human
| bodies"
All war Ia cruel. But such torture
as this was inexcusable. And Though
the British government might perhaps
have bettered matters had thsy chos
en- to) the lions share OF the blame
was Cunningham's. Here is portion
of his sworn confession, made In 1871,
Just before his own execution:
"I shudder to think OF the murders
I have been accessory to, both with
and without orders from government
especially while In New York, during
which time there were more than two
thousand prisoners starved by stop
ping their rations (which sold).
There were also 275 American pris
oners executed. A guard was des-
patched to forbid people to look out
from their doors Or windows on pain
Of death. after which the prisoners
we're conducted, gagged. at midnight,
Just behind the upper barracks. hung
without trial and then buried"
Cunningham went back to England
after the war and took to riotous llv-
ing. Being short of money to squan-
der on dissipation, he forged a draft.
For this crime he was tried. con-
demned. and, on August 10, l7sl. was
hanged.
He 10 said to have been responsible
for the shameful death OF nearly $500
American patriots. Nor could mere
hatred for the colonists account for
this wholesale slaughter. since he Dc.
honestly sold for his own profit the
provisions allotted to them.
Net Quite a. Dad.
u y. n.a