American Prisoners of the Revolution

d for healthy British soldiers. The crime had been committed, one of the blackest which stains the annals of English history. By the most accurate computa

an be found, even by those who are a

plainly be seen upon its pillars. What terrible deeds were enacted there we can only conjecture. We know that two thousand, healthy, high-spirited young men, many of them sons of gentlemen, and all patriotic, brave, and long enduring, even unto death, were foully murdered in these places of torment, compar

n jailors during the fall and winter of 1776-7. But we have taken Captain Abraham Shepherd's company of riflemen as a sam

ve quoted from Ethan Allen's book we feel sure that no one can find the heart to blame th

he American army on the tenth of August, 1776. He, therefore, was not with the regiment at Fort Washington. George Taylor deserted on the 9th of July, 1776, which was nine days after he enlisted. Moses McComesky did not desert until the 14th of June, 1777. Anthony Blackhead deserted November 15th, 1776, the day before the battle was fought; Anthony La

ly leave the cause of their death to the imagination of our readers. Whether they were poisoned by wholesale; whether they were murdered in attempting to escape; whether the night being extraordinarily severe,

iam Moredock, William Wilson, James Wilson, Thomas Beatty, Samuel Davis, John Cassody, Peter Good, J

t these men were on board one of the prison ships which was set on fire? If

existence. But among the letters and memoranda written by him which have been submitted to us for inspection, is a list, written on a scrap of paper, of the men that

LIEUTENANT HENRY BEDIN

KELEY COUNTY, VA.,

hington, but lived to be exchanged, and was paid up to October 1

ady, Prisoner, Died, Feb. 15th, 1777. Samuel Brown, Prisoner, Died, Feb. 26th, 1777. Peter Good, Prisoner, Died, Feb. 13th, 1777. William Boyle, Prisoner, Died, Feb. 25th, 1777. John Nixon, Prisoner, Died, Feb. 18th, 1777. Anthony Blackhead, deserted,

rkesville. Isaac Price was an orphan, living with James' C

Bedi

ung, vigorous riflemen died in prison or from the effects of confinement. One, alone had sufficient

icult to see why so little is made of this fact in the many histories of that struggle that have been written. We find that the accounts of British prisons are usually dismissed in a few words, sometimes in an appendix, or a casual note. But history was ever written thus. Great victories are elaborately described; and all the pomp and circumstance of war is set down for our pleasure and instruction. But it is due to th