Dartmoor Prison.
From an old broadside, with notes by one of the prisoners.
Eventually, one Beasely was appointed agent in London for the distribution of a fund supplied by the American Government. Beasely remained in London to enjoy himself and sent a Jew clothier to supply the prisoners with clothing. Bates was able to get money from home, and the British Government paid him his wages earned during the two and a half years he served in the British Navy. This sum is worth mention. For all that time he received £14, 2s. 6d. So Bates lived better than most of the prisoners, for there was a store for the sale of supplies.
In December, 1814, came the news that the treaty had been agreed upon. In February it was learned that the treaty had been ratified. And yet not only were the Americans not released, the rigor of their treatment was if anything increased. So an attempt to dig out was made, but an informer was among them, and the plot failed. Appeals to Beasely were made, but he neglected them or replied in a manner to exasperate the prisoners. So they burned him in effigy, and the newspapers printed a report of the affair. Beasely let the prisoners know that he was indignant that a lot of common sailors should take such liberties with an official occupying his dignified position.
Meantime, Captain Shortland of the British Navy, who commanded the prison, undertook compelling the prisoners to eat hard bread instead of fresh, with a reduced allowance of the hard bread. The prisoners refused it and were starved for two days. Then they broke through the gates and remained in a passageway before the store-house, in spite of threats to shoot them, until the officer in command (Captain Shortland was absent) gave them their bread.
This tiny disturbance occurred on April 4, 1815, about six weeks after the frigate bringing the ratified treaty had returned to England. Two days later some of the prisoners were playing with a ball in No. 7 yard. Several times the ball was knocked over the wall, and was always thrown back by the soldiers when kindly asked so to do. Presently one of the prisoners said in an authoritative manner, ‘Soldiers, throw back that ball.’ And because it failed to come, some of the ball-players said, ‘We will make a hole in the wall and get it.’
“Two or three of them began pecking out the mortar with small stones. A sentinel on the wall ordered them to desist. This they did not do until spoken to again. Aside from this trifling affair the prisoners were as orderly and as obedient as at any time in the past.
“At sunset the turnkeys, as usual, ordered the prisoners to turn in. To effect this and get to their respective prisons, the narrow pass-way was so densely crowded that the folding gateway, which had not been repaired since the 4th, and was very slightly fastened, burst open, and some few were necessarily and without design crowded into the square.
“It appeared that Governor Shortland with a regiment of armed soldiers had stationed himself above the square, watching for a pretext to come upon us. The bursting open of the folding gates, though unintentional, seemed sufficient for his purpose; for he advanced with his soldiers and ordered them to fire.