This afforded Shortland his wished for pretext, and he took his measures accordingly. He had all the garrison drawn up in the military walk, additional numbers posted on the walls, and every thing prepared, _before the alarm bell was rung_; this he naturally concluded would draw the attention of a great number of prisoners towards the gates, to learn the cause of the alarm, while the turnkeys were dispatched into the yards to lock all the doors but one, of each prison, to prevent the prisoners retreating out of the way, before he had sufficiently wreaked his vengeance.
What adds peculiar weight to the belief of its being a premeditated, determined ma.s.sacre, are,
_First_--The sanguinary disposition manifested on every occasion by Shortland, he having prior to this time, ordered the soldiers to fire into the prisons, through the prison windows, upon unarmed prisoners asleep in their hammocks, on account of a light being seen in the prisons; which barbarous act was repeated several nights successively. That murder was not then committed, was owing to an overruling Providence alone; for the b.a.l.l.s were picked up in the prisons, where they pa.s.sed through the hammocks of men then asleep in them. He having also ordered the soldiers to fire upon the prisoners in the yard of No. 7 prison, because they would not deliver up to him a man who had escaped from his _cachot_, which order the commanding officer of the soldiers refused to obey; and generally, he having seized on every slight pretext to injure the prisoners, by stopping their marketing for ten days repeatedly, and once, a third part of their provisions for the same length of time.
_Secondly_--He having been heard to say, when the boys had picked the hole in the wall, and some time before the alarm bell was rung, while all the prisoners were quiet as usual in their respective yards--"_I"ll fix the d.a.m.n"d rascals directly._"
_Thirdly_--His having all the soldiers on their posts, and the garrison fully prepared before the alarm bell rang. It could not then, of course, be rung to a.s.semble the soldiers, but to alarm the prisoners, and create confusion among them.
_Fourthly_--The soldiers upon the wall, previous to the alarm bell being rung, informing the prisoners that they would be charged upon directly.
_Fifthly_--The turnkeys going into the yard and closing all the doors but one, in each prison, while the attention of the prisoners was attracted by the alarm bell. This was done about fifteen minutes sooner than usual, and without informing the prisoners it was time to shut up. It was ever the invariable practice of the turnkeys, from which they never deviated before that night, when coming into the yard to shut up, to halloo to the prisoners, so loud as to be heard throughout the yard, "_turn in, turn in!_" while on that night it was done so secretly, that not one man in a hundred knew they were shut; and in particular, their shutting the door of No. 7, prisoners usually go in and out at, and which was formerly always closed last, and leaving one open in the other end of the prison, which was exposed to a cross fire from the soldiers on the walls, and which the prisoners had to pa.s.s in gaining the prisons.
It appears to us that the foregoing reasons sufficiently warrant the conclusion we have drawn therefrom.
We likewise believe, from the depositions of men who were eye witnesses of a part of Shortland"s conduct, on the evening of the 6th of April, that he was intoxicated with liquor at the time; from his brutality in beating a prisoner then supporting another severely wounded, from the blackguard and abusive language he made use of, and from his frequently having been seen in the same state. His being drunk was, of course, the means of inflaming his bitter enmity against the prisoners, and no doubt was the cause of the indiscriminate butchery, and of no quarter being given.
We here solemnly aver, that there was no pre-concerted plan to attempt a breaking out. There cannot be produced the least shadow of a reason or inducement for that intention, because the prisoners were daily expecting to be released, and to embark on board cartels for their native country. And we likewise solemnly a.s.sert, that there was no intention of resisting, in any manner, the authority of this depot.
N. B. Seven were killed, thirty dangerously wounded, and thirty slightly do. Total, sixty-seven killed and wounded.
_Wm. B. Orne_, } _James Boggs_, } _J. F. Trowbridge_, } SIGNED, _John Rust_, } _Walter Colton_, }
_Wm. Hobart_, } _James Adams_, } _Francis Joseph_, } _Committee_.
_Henry Allen_, } _Thomas B. Mott_, }
No. XVIII.
Letter from Mr. Beasly, agent for American prisoners of war at London, to the Committee of American prisoners of war in Dartmoor prison.
_Agency for American prisoners of war_, } _London, April 12, 1815_. }
GENTLEMEN--It having been stated in some of the newspapers published here, that the American government intended to send some ships of war bound to the Mediterranean, to this country, for the purpose of completing their crews from among the prisoners; and having been informed that this idea has got among the prisoners, it becomes my duty to request, that you will inform them that the fact is not so.
I have already informed you of the measures which had been taken to provide conveyances for the prisoners. You will let them know, that eight large transports have been engaged, some of which must be now at Plymouth; others will follow, until the whole of the prisoners are sent off.
It is much to be lamented, that at a moment when every exertion was making to restore them to their country, _they should have fallen into an excess which has proved fatal to some_. And I am at a loss to conceive how they could, under such circ.u.mstances, pretend to say, that the cause of this unfortunate but shameful conduct, was the neglect of their government or its agent. This, I am informed, they have stated to the officers who were sent to examine into the affair. I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
R. G. BEASLY.
_The Committee of the American prisoners, Dartmoor._
No. XIX.
DARTMOOR, April 14, 1815.
SIR--Yours, of the 12th inst. came to hand this morning. It is with astonishment we note its contents, that the officers who came to inquire into the circ.u.mstances of the late unfortunate affair, should have informed you, that the prisoners stated to them the cause of that event was that their government or its agent had neglected them. This is a most deliberate falsehood, let your authors be who they may. We deny not that the anxiety of the prisoners to get released from here, has been great; they have even censured you as being dilatory in your preparations for that purpose--but their government they have never implicated--and you may rest a.s.sured, that they have too much of the genuine spirit of Americans, to apply to the officer of a foreign government for relief, or to make them a party in any dispute with the government or its agents.
We solemnly a.s.sure you, that whatever anxiety among the prisoners, or want of confidence in your exertions, as above stated, may have existed among them, that it can in no way be construed to have any collusion or connection with the late event, and was expressly so stated to the admiral, who came here from Plymouth.
We, on the contrary, in the name of the five thousand prisoners confined here, accuse Shortland of a deliberate, pre-determined act of atrocious murder--we have sufficient evidence in our possession to prove it to the world, and we call on you (there being at present no accredited minister, or charge des affairs at the court of London) to make strict inquiries into the circ.u.mstances of the case, and procure all the evidence necessary for a proper investigation into the same; for well do we feel a.s.sured, that our government will not thus suffer its citizens to be sacrificed, for the gratification of national prejudice, malice or revenge, of the petty officers of a foreign state.
We are at no loss to impute the misrepresentation of the British officers to their proper motives. They artfully wish to excite in your breast a spirit of enmity and resentment against the prisoners, that you might use less perseverance, or feel yourself less interested in making the proper inquiries into the late affair.
With much respect, we remain, Sir, your most obedient and humble servants,
WILLIAM HOBART, WALTER COLTON, HENRY ALLEN.
_R. G. Beasly, Esq. Agent for Prisoners, London._
No. XX.
Second Letter from Mr. Beasly to the American Committee.
_Agency for American Prisoners of War_, } _London, April 14, 1815_. }
GENTLEMEN--My letter to you of the 12th inst. on the subject of the melancholy event, was written under an impression which I received from a report of it, transmitted to me by this government: I have since received your report of the circ.u.mstances. Had I been in possession of the information therein contained, the letter would have been differently expressed. I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
R. G. BEASLY.
_Committee of American Prisoners, Dartmoor._
P. S. I subjoin an extract of the report alluded to from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty:
"The rioters, it appears, endeavored to OVERPOWER the guard, to force the prison, and had actually seized the arms of some of the soldiers, and made a breach in the walls of the depot, when the guard found itself obliged to have recourse to their fire arms, and five of the rioters were killed, and thirty-four wounded, after which the tumult subsided, and the depot was placed in a state of tranquillity and security.
"Admiral Sir J. T. Duckworth, Commander in Chief at Plymouth, having received information of this unfortunate event, lost no time in directing Rear Admiral Sir Josias Rowley, Baronet, K. C.
B. and Schornberg, the two senior officers at that port, to proceed to Dartmoor, and to inquire into the circ.u.mstances. Those officers accordingly repaired to the depot, where they found, on examination of the officers of the depot, and _all the American prisoners who were called before them_, that the circ.u.mstances of the riot were as before stated; but that no excuse could be a.s.signed for the conduct of the prisoners, but their impatience to be released; and the Americans unanimously declared, that their complaint of delay was not against the British government, but against their own, which ought to have sent means for their early conveyance home, and in replies to distinct questions to that effect they declared they had no ground of complaint whatsoever."
No. XXI.
DARTMOOR, April 17, 1815.
_To Rear Admiral Sir J. T. Duckworth._
SIR--The officers whom you sent to this place to inquire into the circ.u.mstance of the unfortunate occurrence of the 6th inst.
whatever right they had to represent the conduct of Captain Shortland in the most favorable manner, we conceive it an act of gross injustice that they should have given to you such a false and scandalous representation of what they were told by the prisoners.
In the report from the admiralty board to Mr. Beasly, (a copy of which he has transmitted to us) it is stated that the prisoners, when called upon to give an account of the circ.u.mstances of the 6th, exonerated Captain Shortland and the English government from any blame respecting the same, and accused their own government and its agent of being the cause.
We, on the contrary, solemnly declare, that it was expressly stated to Admiral Rowley, that whatever anxiety might have existed among the prisoners for a speedy release, could, in no way whatever, be construed to have had any collusion or connection with that event.--That the prisoners, so far from having any idea of attempting to break out, if the gates had been opened, and every one suffered to go who might wish to do so, not one in a hundred would have left the prison, having no means of subsistence in a foreign country, and being likewise liable to IMPRESSMENT, when by staying a few days longer, they would, probably, be embarked for their native country.
They, on the contrary, accused Captain Shortland of being the sole mover and princ.i.p.al perpetrator of the unprovoked and horrid butchery.