No. 3 Cornhill, Boston.
CONTENTS.
| CHAPTER I. | |
| PAGE | |
| The Dolton sailed—Was taken—Breach of Honor—Disagreeable Lodgings—Advantage of being Small—A Report—English Women—Royal Salute—Removed—A Prize brought in—Daily Allowance on board His Majesty’s Ships—The Charming Sally—Orders. | [17] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| Disease and Vermin—Reports—Pressed Men—Removal to the Tarbay—Cold Berth—Sickness prevails—General Lee—A Friend—An Act of Parliament—Removal for better—Better Quarters—Special Favors—Liberal Distribution—Great Contrast—A good Friend—Sickness increases. | [22] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| Death of E. Hunt—Gets the privilege to Work—Good Pay—Act of Parliament—Poetry—A Captain’s Compliments—Wish granted—A Report—Paper—A Prize—Prayers on board—A Privilege—Reckoning—Critical Situation—Small-Pox—Visitors—Report from America—Small-Pox prevails—Captain Rowe—Ship Nancy taken—Terrible Punishment—Carried to the Hospital—Treatment for Itch. | [27] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| Royal Hospital Buildings—An Adventure—Taken down with Small-Pox—Three Prisoners Escape—Re-taken—Severe Sickness—Second Death—Joseph Hatch—Recovery—Kind attention of the Nurses—Samuel Shriggins, the third of the company, died—Attempt to Escape. | [34] |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| Fourth Death—Captain Brown’s Escape—His Men sent to Prison—Discharge from the Hospital—Yellow Fever—Fifth Death—Cruelty to the Dead—Examination—Commitment to Prison—Prison Allowance—Hunger—Prison Employments—Charity Box—Hard Fare—Guard Alarmed—Friendly Visitors—A Mean Trick. | [40] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| More Prisoners—A Present—Visit from American Gentlemen—Black-Hole—Fleet of Transports for America—Prisoners Escape—Death—Prospect of War with France—First Breach in the Prison Wall—Fox Frigate taken by the Hancock—A Newspaper—Number of Prisoners—Escape of thirty-two Prisoners—Bounty—Punishment—Cruelty to the Old—Captain Lee taken in the Fancy—Hears from Home—Bad News—False Reports—Daniel Cottle died. | [48] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| Attempt to Escape discovered—Awful description of Suffering—Dreadful Starvation—Gloomy Prospects—Death of Gideon Warren—Detection—Close Examination—Commissioner—A Newspaper—Relief Prohibited—Attempt to Escape—Oath of Secrecy—Another Attempt to Escape—Captain Johnston and the Lexington—Sea Fight—The Press continued—Love of Liberty—Meeting after a long absence—A Privilege granted—Agent in a good humor—A Purchase—More Prisoners—Running the Gantlet. | [58] |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| More Prisoners—Hears from Home—Suspicion—A hot Press—1500 Seamen wanted—News from America—Disagreeable Company—Destitution of the Prisoners—Digging and Detection—A Pious Wish—Twenty Years of Age—Mournful Reflections—Letter from Bilboa—Bad Bread—Unpleasant Reflections—King’s Speech—Bold Project—Failure—Reports—Strictness of the Guard—Suspicion—Privation from the Gospel—Prisoners Threatened—Voluntary Sacrifice—Good News reported—Detail of General Burgoyne’s Defeat—Washington and Howe. | [69] |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| Christmas Pudding—Christmas Presents—Clothes Served—Happy New Year—Friends appear—Presents—Friends increase—Large Donations reported—Donation from British Recruiting Parties—Private Donations—Exhortations to a Civil, Sober Life—Large Distribution of Clothing—Royal Salute—Regular Allowance from Donation Fund—Increasing Privilege. | [82] |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| Price of Tobacco—Cleanliness—Not to be Discouraged—Blankets—Distribution—Letter from America—Officers Escape—Arrival of a Fleet—Paper—Dr. Franklin to the Council—State of Troops—Deserters Taken—Visit from the Governor and Lady—Removal of Officers—General wish for Peace—A Newspaper—Commissioners—Public Fast—Allowance Withdrawn—Liberality—Petition Refused—A Newspaper—Reward of Bravery—Lights Continued. | [92] |
| CHAPTER XI. | |
| Awful Penalty for Desertion—Public Indignation—Remarkable Health of the Prisoners—Recruiting Party in Cornwall—Howe in Trouble—Two Fathers—Scarcity of Provisions in the West Indies—Black-hole—American Privateer—Hot Press—Detection—French Brig run down—Prisoners sell their Clothes to Gamble—“Preceptor”—Extreme Punishment—Sports—Examination—Use of Poverty—English Ambassador returns from France—Captain Boardman—Titcomb—Hope of Return—Commissioners to America—Newspapers. | [102] |
| CHAPTER XII. | |
| Letter from Portsmouth—Debate in Parliament—Cost of the War—Petition for a Trial—Traitors Detected—Traitors Punished—Attempt to Escape—Sickness in Prison—Paul Jones at Whitehaven—Letter from Portsmouth—Death of John Foster—Prison Wrangle—Commissioners Sailed—Another Hole—It Founders—Joseph Kensington died—Sick Prisoners Neglected. | [113] |
| CHAPTER XIII. | |
| French Privateer—French Fleet—Patience scarce—Escape—One Missing—Man with Red Hair—Blockade—Ball Play—Severity of the Guard—Admiral Biron’s Fleet—Effects of Rum—A Widow—A Surprise—Press of Fishermen—Another Detection—Voluntary Suffering—Captain Pulford—Attempt to Escape—Taken—Cruel Treatment. | [122] |
| CHAPTER XIV. | |
| Death of the Doctor—Sailing of Admiral Biron’s Fleet—Rev. Mr. Heath—Cold reception of Proposition of Peace in America—Effort to Escape—Gen. Burgoyne’s Compliment to American Troops—French Frigate taken—Preparation for the Fourth of July—Amputation—Another Hole—John Dam—Allowance to French Prisoners—Admiral Keppel’s Fleet sail—Boys attempt to Escape. | [131] |
| CHAPTER XV. | |
| Bad Conduct in Prison—Digging out—Four Escape—Fire, and Officers Escape—Sad News from Portsmouth—Pay Day—Admiral Keppel returns—England’s pride humbled—A curious plan for Escape—Battle Report—Wounded in the Hospital—Effort to Escape by Swimming—Invitation to join the Fleet—Americans pressed to the Ships of War. | [145] |
| CHAPTER XVI. | |
| French Prisoners—Admiral Keppel sails—Another attempt to Escape—Admiral Biron’s Fleet—A Gale—General Clinton’s Retreat from Philadelphia—Fever and Ague prevails—Captain Burnell and Wife—Escape from Portsmouth—French Privateer—Distribution of Clothing—Hot Press—Letter to Captain Lee—French Prisoners increase. | [157] |
| CHAPTER XVII. | |
| Rols’ Escape—Very Sickly—Another Escape—Unfaithful Doctor—Frenchmen Escape and Return—Captain Ravel’s Escape—Mr. Kirk’s Escape—Prisoners join Men-of-War—Cartel—Letters from Portsmouth—The Man that was punished unjustly, Rescued—Captain Lee’s Escape—New Arrangement—Spotted Fever among the French—Second Draft for the Ships—The Albion taken by the French—Sabbath Privileges lost. | [168] |
| CHAPTER XVIII. | |
| Oil of Tar for Prison—Frenchmen Break Out—One Shot—Reduction of Donation—Two Americans in Irons—Various opinions about the Cartel—Several Holes in hand—Fearful Apprehensions—Dominica taken by the French and Americans—King’s Troops on Martha’s Vineyard—Drunken Prisoners delivered up—Forbearance of the Guard—Fire in the Black-hole—Four American Boys—Dolton as Fortune Privateer—Base Treachery—Plans Discovered—Mitchell the Villain—Letter of Thanks—Two Years from Home. | [179] |
| CHAPTER XIX. | |
| Twenty-one—Fort on Drake’s Island—Breach in Black-hole King’s Speech—English Prisoners at Brest—Hyfield’s Escape—Exposure of the Sick—John Lott died—Public Prayer—Captain Ross’s Escape. | [198] |
| CHAPTER XX. | |
| Cruel purposes of the Ministry—Petition for Pardon—Mr. Salter’s Escape—Cruel Act renewed—Last of the Donation—Court Martial—General Elopement—Discovered and carried back to Plymouth—A sorrowful New Year—Extreme Suffering—Good Friends—New Year’s Gift—Large Fleets—Captain Boardman Escapes—Heavy Bounty for Prisoners. | [200] |
| CHAPTER XXI. | |
| A Hurricane—Great Distress—Kills a Dog—Dog Divided—Cooked and eat—Rats Eat in Prison—Voluntary Surrender—Good News—Cartel Arrived—Pardon—Great Joy—A Small Donation—Spanish Fleet—Another Pardon—A Wonder—Number of Prisoners left—Wait Impatiently—Another Hole in hand—Eleven Frenchmen Escape—Good News from Bilboa—Happy Event—Twenty-six Months a Prisoner—Penitent Sick Prisoners—King’s Pardon. | [211] |
| CHAPTER XXII. | |
| John Foster, Elias Vickey, and Asa Witham died—Mr. Deal’s Escape—Milford Transport—Keppel Acquitted—Bonfires—Escape—Cartel Arrives—Leaves the Prison—Bonner Darling died. | [220] |
| CHAPTER XXIII. | |
| Journal Lost—Thirty enter with Jones—Joins the Alliance—Arrive at L’Orient with Prize—Second Cruise—Journal Lost—Extracts from Paul Jones’ Life—At Dr. Franklin’s House—Joins again the Alliance—Sails Home. | [229] |
PREFACE.
In presenting the following pages to the reader, the publisher has no ambition to aspire to the character of an author, and what is perhaps more rare, he has no private interest to serve; he does not seek to gratify the fastidious part of the community, who would have more respect for the dress, or appearance, than for the subject matter. He is perfectly aware that the Journal is not without some imperfections; but it must be kept in mind that it was not written for the public, with an eye to publication, or to make a book—but simply as a memorandum of the events of each day. Yet when we take into consideration all the circumstances, it is little less than a miracle; consider the author: a youth of scarcely nineteen summers—then the places where the records were made—the cable tier of a man-of-war, the gloomy recesses of a prison, or on board the battle ship, where three or four hundred men were crowded together for the purposes of strife and blood; then take into consideration the prohibition of all materials for writing in prison, the vigilance of the guards, and the frequent search made among the prisoners, and it becomes a matter of surprise, not that it has some imperfections, but that it exists at all, and especially that it was never interrupted. For the long imprisonment of more than two years, it seems to have been providentially preserved, for the purposes of bringing to light the hidden things of darkness, that those who should come after may be admonished and instructed.
The reader will find the Journal free from all appearance of design or effort; it is perfectly natural; what is seen or heard is recorded with hardly a note or comment, from first to last; through their medium we are conducted through the hold of the prison-ship, and witness the privations and sufferings of the hapless victims; the prison hospital is thrown open to our inspection, not as transient visitors, but as witnesses of the daily occurrences; here we see justice and mercy meeting together; the walls, the bars, the guards, tell that here stern justice holds its victims, while the attendant physician, and gentle patience of the nurse, speak of Mercy’s visits, and pity. Then the prison doors grate on their hinges, and we enter; the vacant stare of the sons of Sorrow meet us, while their meager forms, sallow countenances and ragged habiliments, speak of their privations and misery; we seem to listen to their tale of woe, and hear them tell of happy homes and kind friends in their native land; we can almost taste their scanty and uninviting portions, and our sympathies become deeply interested, until we share in all their anxieties to obtain deliverance; we are sometimes almost suffocated while following the diggers in their excavations, to force a subterranean passage to the light of day and air of freedom; anon we are bounding over the fields as the minions of tyranny pursue us, until, weary and exhausted, we feel their ruthless hands upon us to drag us back to our gloomy habitations; then we feel the cold chill run over us, as we look forward to forty days and nights in darkness and solitude in the “Black hole,” on half the usual allowance of ordinary prisoners; we become acquainted with the “Two Fathers,” the messengers of Love and Pity—and while the donations continue we seem to enjoy a respite; hope and fear alternately rise and sink, until the donation closes, and transient joy gives way to deeper gloom, until some of the less determined seek relief on board the enemy’s ships of war, where they will be compelled to meet their friends and countrymen in the bloody strife—a destiny more horrible to the mind capable of reflection, than the protracted miseries of the prison cell.
At length the star of hope rises, and the news of a cartel is received; now it arrives, and we are straining our eyes through the dim light of the grated window to look on the ship, as she lays in the creek. Post after post is anxiously looked for until the agent musters his wretched charge and reads as follows: “His Majesty has been graciously pleased to pardon one hundred of you, in order to an exchange.” The names of the hundred are read, while tears of joy point out the happy ones. Once more the prison doors give way—and with what rapture they hail the breath of freedom!
From the time that Mr. Herbert entered the service of the United States under the command of Commodore Jones, the entries in his journal are less frequent and less full; still, if it had not been for the unfortunate loss of several pages of the Journal, it would have been sufficiently full, to have conducted the reader through their several cruizes, to their arrival home; as it is, we have endeavored to fill up the vacuum by extracts from the official reports of Commodore Paul Jones.
It is believed that the reader will receive profit and pleasure from the numerous and various incidents here related, and from the information imparted on a variety of subjects, especially as it shows the views and feelings of the people of England on the subject of the war then raging between this and the mother country; and that the strong sympathy manifested towards the prisoners, in the collection of upwards of thirty thousand dollars for their relief, together with all the private donations, not included in the above, will be an everlasting monument to the benevolence of British Christians, and may tend to soften our prejudices and lead to stronger sympathies for each other, and greater efforts to promote each other’s welfare, and mutual feelings of peace and good will.