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American Prisoners of the Revolution

Chapter 2 - THE RIFLEMEN OF THE REVOLUTION

Word Count: 4108    |    Released on: 06/12/2017

iflemen to be raised in Maryland and Virginia. These, with the so-called "Flying Camp" of Pennsylvania, made the bulk of the soldiers taken prisoners at Fort Washington on the fatal 16th of November

. Their uniform consisted of tow linen or homespun hunting shirts, buckskin breeches, leggings and moccasins. They wore round fel

an by scoffing at them, ended by fearing and hating them as they feared and hated no other troops. T

of Virginia. This gallant young officer died in New York in the fall of 1775, a year before the surrender of Fort Washington, yet his company may be taken as a fair sample of what the riflemen of the f

red and thirty active, brave young fellows, many of whom have been in the late expedition under Lord Dunmore against the Indians. They bear in the

'd battle bled

ular shows the cicatrices of fou

e cannot much wonder at this when we mention a fact which can be fully attested by several of the reputable persons who were eye-witnesses of it. Two brothers in the company took a piece of board five inches broad, and seven inches long, with a bit of white paper, the si

se to his side, while one of his comrades, at the same distance, and in the manner before m

ersons in the same company who could do the same thing; that there was not one who could not 'plug

osed to stand with apples on their heads, while others at the same distance undertook to sh

ed a vast concourse of people with a perfect exhibition of a war-dance and all the manoeuvres of Indians; holding council, going to war; circumventing their enemies by defiles; ambuscades; attacking; scalping, etc. It is said by those who

ations from the people in his neighborhood, to be enrolled in the service, that a greater number presented themselves than his instructions permitted him to engage, and being unwilling to give offence to any he thought of the following expedient: He, wi

made proposals to General Washington to attack the transport stationed at Charles River. He will engage to take her with thirty men. The General thinks it best to decline at

Philadelphia, dated Frederick Town, Maryland, August 1st, 1775, which speaks of the same

head of a formidable company of upwards of one hundred and thirty men from the mountains and backwoods; painted like Indians; armed with tomahawks and rifles; dressed in hunting shirts and m

pay the most willing obedience to him as their commander, but in every instance of distress look up to him as their friend and father. A great part of his time was spent in listening to and relieving t

o fire offhand, and the bystanders were surprised. Few shots were made that were not close to, or into, the paper. When they had shot some time in this way, some lay on their backs, some on their breasts or sides, others ran twenty or thirty steps, and, firing as they ran, appeared to be equally certain of the mark. With this performanc

e me when I tell you that one of the men took the board, and placing it bet

preserve their health but water from the spring; with a little parched corn (with what they can easily procure by hunting); and who

d being the same men who first volunteered in 1775. In the possession of one of his descendants is a letter from one of these men written many years after the Revolution to the son of an old comra

ati, and he was, after the war, a major of the militia of Berkeley County. The document in possession of one of his descendants is undated, and appears to have been a rough copy or draught of the original, which may now be in the keeping of some one of the descendants of General Finley. We will giv

AJOR HENRY BEDINGER TO

NL

rkeley County, Virginia, and engaged with the late Col'o John Morrow t

of Riflemen of l00 Men each, to assist Gen'l Washington in the Siege of Boston & to serve one year. Captains Hugh Stephenson of Berkeley, & Daniel Morgan of Frede

eers presented themselves in every direction in the Vicinity of these Towns, none were received but young men of Character, and of sufficient property to Clothe themselves completely, find their own arms, and accoutrements, that is, an a

ek. Morgan had equal success.-It was neve

he amount of 100-no more could be received. The Committee of Safety had appointed Wm Henshaw as 1st Lieut., George Scott 2nd, and Thomas Hite as 3rd Lieut to this Company, this latter however, declined accepting, and Abraham Shepherd succeeded as 3d Lieut-all the rest Stood on an equal footing as Volunteers-We remained at Shepherds Town untill the 16th

service being about to expire Captain Hugh Stephenson was commissioned a Colonel; Moses Rawlings a Lieutenant Colonel, and O

1776, & those of our Company the 9th of the same month. Shepherd, Finley and myself were dispatched to Berkeley to recruit and refill the old Company, which we performed in about five weeks. Col'o Stephenson also returned to Virginia to f

ington, where were about three thousand men under the command of Col'o Magaw, on New York Island. The enemy in the mean time possessed New York, and had followed General Washington to the White Plains, from whence, after several partial actions, he returned, and app

surrender of Fort Washington and the Garrison. Col'o Magaw replied he should defend it to the last extremity

ile above Fort Washington. The Ridge ran from the North River, in which lay three frigates, towards the East River. A deep Valley divided us from the enemy, their frigates enfiladed, & their Cannon on the heights behind the advanci

ded in possessing the summit. Here, however, was great carnage, each making every effort to possess and hold so advantageous a position. This obstinacy continued for more than an hour, when the enemy brought up some field pieces, as well as reinforcements. Finding all resistance useless, our Regiment gradually gave way, tho' not before Col'o Rawlings, Major Williams, Peter Hanson, Nin Tannehill, and myself were wounded. Lt. H

still making dreadful Havoc in the ranks of the enemy. We laboured too under disadvantages, the wind blew the smoke full in our faces. About two o'clock A. Shepherd, being the senior Captain, took command of the Regiment, [Footnote: After Rawlings and Williams were disabled.] and by the advice of Col'o Rawlings & Major Williams, gradually retreated from redoubt to redoubt, to & into the fort with the survi

quarter, & with little comparative loss. All were driven into the fort an

Side Arms, every valuable article was torn away from both officers and soldiers: every sword, pistol, every good hat was seized, even in presence of Brittish officers, & the prisoners were considered and treated as Rebels, to the king and country. On the third day after our surrender we were guarded to New York, fourteen miles from Fort Washington, where in the evening we received some barrels of raw pork and musty spoiled biscuit, bei

he officers were sent to Long Island on parole, and billetted, two in a house, on the families residing in the little townships of Flatbush, New Utrecht, Newlots, and Gravesend, who were compelled to board and lodge us at the rate of two dollars per week, a small compensation indeed in the exhausted state of that section of country. The people were kind, being mostly con

es a companion would receive a few hard dollars from a friend through a flag of

ollars, which enabled each of us to purchase a pair shoes, a shirt, and some other small matters: this liberality however, gave some offence. Major Williams was a Marylander, and to assist a Virginian, in preference to a Maryl

o prevent becoming too feeble we exercised our bodies by playing fives, throwing long bullets, wrestling, running, jumping, and other athletick exercises, in all of whic

American officers prisoners. We were of course ordered off immediately, and placed on board of two large transports in the North River, as prison ships, where we remained but about 18 days, but it being Very Cold, and we

as been, most unfortunately lost,

red at Fort Washington, and of the battle itself. Major Bedinger was a dignified, well-to-do,

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1 Chapter 1 - INTRODUCTORY2 Chapter 2 - THE RIFLEMEN OF THE REVOLUTION3 Chapter 3 - NAMES OF SOME OF THE PRISONERS OF 17764 Chapter 4 - THE PRISONS OF NEW YORK-JONATHAN GILLETT5 Chapter 5 - WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM, THE PROVOST MARSHAL6 Chapter 6 - THE CASE OF JABEZ FITCH7 Chapter 7 - THE HOSPITAL DOCTOR-A TORY'S ACCOUNT OF NEW YORK IN 1777-ETHAN ALLEN'S8 Chapter 8 - THE ACCOUNT OF ALEXANDER GRAYDON9 Chapter 9 - A FOUL PAGE OF ENGLISH HISTORY10 Chapter 10 - A BOY IN PRISON11 Chapter 11 - THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE REVOLUTION12 Chapter 12 - THE TRUMBULL PAPERS AND OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION13 Chapter 13 - A JOURNAL KEPT IN THE PROVOST14 Chapter 14 - FURTHER TESTIMONY OF CRUELTIES ENDURED BY AMERICAN PRISONERS15 Chapter 15 - THE OLD SUGAR HOUSE-TRINTY CHURCHYARD16 Chapter 16 - THE CASE OF JOHN BLATCHFORD17 Chapter 17 - BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND OTHERS ON THE SUBJECT OF AMERICAN PRISONERS18 Chapter 18 - THE ADVENTURES OF ANDREW SHERBURNE19 Chapter 19 - MORE ABOUT THE ENGLISH PRISONS-MEMOIR OF ELI BICKFORD-CAPTAIN FANNING20 Chapter 20 - SOME SOUTHERN NAVAL PRISONERS21 Chapter 21 - EXTRACTS FROM NEWSPAPERS-SOME OF THE PRISON SHIPS-CASE OF CAPTAIN22 Chapter 22 - THE JOURNAL OF DR. ELIAS CORNELIUS-BRITISH PRISONS IN THE SOUTH23 Chapter 23 - A POET ON A PRISON SHIP24 Chapter 24 - "THERE WAS A SHIP"25 Chapter 25 - A DESCRIPTION OF THE JERSEY26 Chapter 26 - THE EXPERIENCE OF EBENEZER FOX. -27 Chapter 27 - THE EXPERIENCE OF EBENEZER FOX (CONTINUED)28 Chapter 28 - THE CASE OF CHRISTOPHER HAWKINS29 Chapter 29 - TESTIMONY OF PRISONERS ON BOARD THE JERSEY30 Chapter 30 - RECOLLECTIONS OF ANDREW SHERBURNE31 Chapter 31 - CAPTAIN ROSWELL PALMER32 Chapter 32 - THE NARRATIVE OF CAPTAIN ALEXANDER COFFIN33 Chapter 33 - A WONDERFUL DELIVERANCE34 Chapter 34 - THE NARRATIVE OF CAPTAIN DRING35 Chapter 35 - THE NARRATIVE OF CAPTAIN DRING (CONTINUED)36 Chapter 36 - THE INTERMENT OF THE DEAD37 Chapter 37 - DAME GRANT AND HER BOAT38 Chapter 38 - THE SUPPLIES FOR THE PRISONERS39 Chapter 39 - FOURTH OF JULY ON THE JERSEY40 Chapter 40 - AN ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE41 Chapter 41 - THE MEMORIAL TO GENERAL WASHINGTON42 Chapter 42 - THE EXCHANGE43 Chapter 43 - THE CARTEL-CAPTAIN DRING'S NARRATIVE (CONTINUED)44 Chapter 44 - CORRESPONDENCE OF WASHINGTON AND OTHERS45 Chapter 45 - GENERAL WASHINGTON AND REAR ADMIRAL DIGBY-COMMISSARIES SPROAT AND46 Chapter 46 - SOME OF THE PRISONERS ON BOARD THE JERSEY