Copy of a letter from Lieut. N. D. Nicholson, of the late United States brig Syren, to Capt. Samuel Evans, commanding naval officer at New-York.
New-York, August 24, 1815.
Sir:
Conceiving it my duty to make known the treatment exhibited by the British officers and men, to those who are so unfortunate as to fall into their power, I am induced to acquaint you with the following circumstances:
After the surrender of the Syren to the Medway, the officers and crew of the former were removed to the latter; the crew not being allowed the privilege of taking their clothing, &c., with them,—so that the prize-crew had a fair opportunity of plundering such articles as they thought proper; which opportunity they took care to profit by, as many of our men were pillaged of all they possessed, excepting what they had on at the time; and the officers in like manner were plundered on board the Medway. The midshipmen, some of them, were completely stripped; others lost their watches, &c. For my own part, I came off with the loss of about half my clothing, and thought myself well off when compared with the losses of my shipmates.
The morning after our capture, we were mustered on the quarter-deck, to undergo a search; the men were then stripped to the skin, and their clothing not returned; so that many of them were left without any thing more then a shirt and trowsers. The next day, Mr. Barton (the first lieutenant of the Medway) distributed the clothing he had taken from our men, to his quarter-masters and quarter-gunners, in my presence.
After being on board the Medway five weeks, we were landed at Simon-Town, twenty-five miles to the eastward of the Cape of Good Hope; myself and brother officers paroled, and the men marched to Cape-Town under an escort of dragoons; being obliged to ford a lake on the march, where the boys were compelled to go over on the backs of the tall men; this march of twenty-five miles was performed in one day, and without shoes or food; the latter article they were kept without four and twenty hours; their shoes were stolen by the crew of the Medway while they were asleep. After remaining in this situation nearly eight months, without bed or bedding, (they were not even furnished with straw, and their hammocks were taken on a plea of their being public property,) we were all embarked in different men-of-war and Indiamen for England; myself, and about sixty officers and men, in the Cumberland, seventy-four, Captain Baker, were all put on the lower gun-deck without distinction, among their own crew, and fed on prisoners’ allowance; and on my remonstrating with the captain for receiving such treatment, he ordered me off the quarter-deck, with a threat, at the same time, to put me in irons.
We remained in this situation eighteen days, after which Lieut. German, Gordon, and myself, were removed to the Grampus, thirty, at St. Helena, admitted to the ward-room mess, and treated with civility.
With respect, I have the honor, &c.,
N. D. NICHOLSON.