14 December 1775

Towne, Benjamin (d. 1793)

Newspaper

Title: The Pennsylvania evening post. [Vol. 1, no. 14 (December 14, 1775)]

Includes several letters from mid-October 1775 by Brook Watson in Montreal. As a British officer who owned land in Nova Scotia, Watson pretended to support the American cause in 1774. Intercepted letters to General Thomas Gage proved he was a spy. The letters in this issue were published at the request of Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Continental Congress. The letters contain several embarrassing comments, including his prediction that Gage will have to leave Boston soon and that "the kingdom of Great-Britain cannot much longer be governed by such weak councils and feeble efforts." Watson says Montreal was saved by the exertions of its residents and that Ethan Allen was captured outside the city on 25 September 1775 and that he is imprisoned on the ship Gaspee. Says Allen's brigandage has turned the Canadians back to the British, "The Canadians before were nine-tenths for the Bostonians; they are now returned to their duty; many in arms for the King." Watson later became a member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of London. Another article references problems with lightning that effected British shipping. Lists British ships in Boston and Halifax. Mentions troop movements in Rhode Island. Another article from New York says General Richard Montgomery had secured the ships around Montreal, including the Gaspee, but without Allen on board. Says American forces are moving on Quebec now and that Benedict Arnold had captured the British commander General Guy Carleton (which was not true). Story out of Philadelphia has a black man referencing Lord Dunmore's regiment of free blacks when insulting a white woman. Quotes an excerpt from the London Evening Post that describes the burning of Charlestown, Massachusetts.

GLC08748.06

1777-1778

Unknown

Document

Title: Objections, by the 24th Regt.

List of two objections the 24th Regiment of Foot had against the Articles of Convention that delineated the terms of surrender of the British Army after its defeat in the Battle of Saratoga. Seems to be written in the months after the battle at Cambridge, Massachusetts, where prisoners of war were sent, but no exact date or place of creation are provided. First complaint is that officers are not quartered according to rank and that their living spaces are sub-par. The second complaint is about the distinction made between field officers and other officers of regiments in the parole process. The initials "NB" appear on verso of the complaints.

GLC04764.39

1777-1778

Unknown

Autograph document

Title: Advanced Corps

Complaints of the Advanced Corps over the implementation of the Articles of Convention after the Battle of Saratoga. Date inferred from other documents in this collection, which have similar complaints around the end of 1777. Place written inferred from the fact that prisoners of war from the Battle of Saratoga were sent to Cambridge, Massachusetts. They are angry about not being quartered by rank, their early curfew, and the inability to buy items like bread and milk from anyone other than the commissary. The Advanced Corps was an elite group in General John Burgoyne's army that was defeated at Saratoga in October 1777. It consisted of the British grenadier battalion, British light infantry battalion, the 24th Regiment, the company of British marksmen, Indians, and companies of British artillery, Canadian militia, and Loyalists.

GLC04764.41

1777-1778

Unknown

Autograph document

Title: The Field Officers of the 9th Objections to the Parole

Field officers of the 9th Regiment of Foot sent their complaints against the implementation of the Articles of Convention after the Battle of Saratoga. Date inferred from other documents in this collection listing the complaints of other British units around the end of 1777. Place written inferred from the fact that the prisoners of war after Saratoga were sent to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Objections include: Officers and men not quartered agreeable to the Articles, that they do not receive wood, rations, or provisions, restrictions on the purchasing of items outside the commissary.

GLC04764.42

10 November 1777

Rollinson, J. (fl. 1777)

Autograph document signed

Title: [Objections of officers of the 20th Regiment to conditions under the Articles of Convention]

Document by the Captains, Subalterns, and staff of the 20th Regiment of Foot asserts that the Americans need to follow through on the stipulations in the Articles of Convention, which delineated the conditions of surrender after the Battle of Saratoga. Says they will not follow the Articles unless the Americans hold up their end of the deal. Asserts that they are acting on their principles of honor, justice and duty. The complaints include: not being quartered by rank, restrictions on hours they are allowed to move about, restrictions on the movement of servants, and restrictions on purchasing of items. Signed by five captains, seven lieutenants, two ensigns, a surgeon, and a mate.

GLC04764.40

9 January 1778

Heath, William (1737-1814)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Burgoyne

Written by General Heath as commander of the district where the captured British Convention Army is situated to General Burgoyne, commander of the Convention Army. Complains that British troops are guilty of abusive behavior toward the sentries and guards at Prospect Hill. Says they are repeatedly insulted and at times beat and disarmed. Claims soldiers are "disorderly in the extreme" and that there was singular incident last night, which has forced him to send a number of rioters to a prison ship. Says Burgoyne promised to uphold order among his troops when they arrived, and he wants him to follow up on that promise. Requests him to inquire into the "scandalous practice" of forged passes being used. Says the night before last a sentry was knocked down and his firelock stolen. Expects Burgoyne to look into the matter and have the firelock returned immediately. References Burgoyne's letter of 8 January 1778. Says he has repeatedly asked the commissary to state his accounts. The commissary is trying to complete them, but has been delayed on account of some purchase of cattle, which are at some distance. As soon as he complies, he can complete their adjustment. Marked "No. 40" near address. Red wax seal is partially preserved.

GLC04764.49

10 January 1778

Heath, William (1737-1814)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Burgoyne

Written by General Heath as commander of the district where the captured British Convention Army is situated to General Burgoyne as commander of the Convention Army. References Burgoyne's letter of 9 January 1778. Disagrees with Burgoyne's's assertion that American guards and sentries are provoking British soldiers. Says he has heard the insults and abuses from the British troops are "unparalleled," and says they will no longer occurred with impunity. Says if anyone sent to a prison ship is innocent, they will be returned, but otherwise he will not apologize for those guilty of violating his orders. Says his orders are given on "the principles of Honor, Reason, & Justice." Says Burgoyne's suggestion that any British troops that break Heath's orders should be tried and punished by Burgoyne is insulting. To show that he is fair he says he had Colonel David Henley, commandant of the Prospect Hill barracks, arrested based on a complaint from Burgoyne. Henley was accused of poor conduct toward British troops and with murder. Says Brigadier General Glover will preside over the examination of the charges at 10 a.m. next Wednesday in Cambridge. Says Burgoyne complained about an American officer trying to recruit Convention soldiers into the American army. Tells Burgoyne that he needs to send formal charges to him, like he said he would previously. Says he received complaints against British soldiers on 25 December 1777 at Bradishes Tavern. Goes into a further list of complaints, including highway robberies committed near the Convention barracks. One gentleman was robbed of 700 or 800 dollars and a watch on 9 January 1778. Is not blaming the Convention troops, but says there are reasons to suspect they are involved. Requests Burgoyne to suppress these abuses. Marked "No. 42" near docket.

GLC04764.50

13 January 1778

Burgoyne, John (1722-1792)

Letter signed

Title: to William Heath

An indigent letter written by General Burgoyne as commander of captured British Convention Army to General Heath as American commander of the district where the Convention Army is located. Marked "No. 45." Burgoyne has made multiple corrections and insertions throughout the letter. References letter he sent the day before, which was entirely on the prosecution of Colonel David Henley. Says he will now take notice of other issues in Heath's letter of 10 January 1778. Tells Heath that his source of information, Colonel Henley, is flawed because of the current allegations and that he has been misinformed on the insults and abuses that British troops have supposedly committed. Wants to know how men on prison ships will be able to assert their innocence. Says at this point he will take Heath at his word and assumes he will be the judge. Says 18 men have been imprisoned for an insult concerning one man. Confronts him on charges and tells him to avow the acts or make an apology. Defends his request to try his own men who are accused of breaking Convention rules and other laws. Claims to have looked at the issue of Convention troops enlisting in American army and has enclosed document (see list of documents at GLC04764.54) to assist him. Bristles at suggestion that British soldiers were responsible for a recent spate of highway robberies near their barracks. Says "It might have been more decent Sir to have left that insinuation to your Printers in Boston." Says if you took all the complaints that Heath has against his men, "they still would not, from their nature, weigh a feather in the estimation of Justice against the articles of grievance in the opposite scale." Burgoyne has made notes on separate pages, some of which he inserted into the letter. One note says "not copied for General Phillips," perhaps because it is such a sensitive and indigent letter. Red wax seal is extent.

GLC04764.53

8 April 1779

Heath, William (1737-1814)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

Written by Heath as Major General in Continental Army from his hometown of Roxbury to an unknown council. Heath was in charge of the Convention Army, which consisted of the British prisoners of war from the Saratoga campaign. After surrendering in October 1777, they were marched through Albany to Boston, where they remained until February 1779, when they were marched to Virginia. This letter deals with barracks for those prisoners of war at Rutland, Massachusetts. Says Colonel Joshua Davis is now ready to settle his accounts for the expenditures that were used to build the barracks to whatever person or committee is desired by the council. Ink is extremely faded.

GLC03376

September 1779

Walton, George (1740-1804)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Benjamin Lincoln

Written by Walton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and Colonel in the First Georgia Battalion who was severely wounded and captured during the Battle of Savannah in December 1778, to Lincoln as commander of the Southern Department. Walton sent Major Habersaw to British General Augustine Prevost to request relief for American prisoners in Sunbury, but Habershaw was denied entry into Savannah. In response, Major Lane was sent with this letter to Lincoln to request relief. Hopes the prisoners can be exchanged for British prisoners or made prisoners at large in America. Says that the prisoners have been threatened with massacre by Indians, under the pretense of being armed. Says "it is the most earnest desire of the prisoners to be at liberty." Also claims that provisions are running low. Walton was exchanged for a naval captain shortly after this was written and was elected Governor of Georgia in November 1779.

GLC01019

25 April 1780

Parsons, Samuel Holden (1737-1789)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Thomas Mumford

Written by Parsons as a Major General in Continental Army to Thomas Mumford, a merchant from Groton, Connecticut. Mumford was also the brother-in-law of Parsons's staff officer Silas Deane. Tells Mumford his son was waiting at home after having escaped from a prison ship in New York Harbor. Mentions that he was grossly abused and "closely confined" on board. After 14 days of confinement he was liberated to the city by a Mr. Walter and just as he was about to board Joseph Chew's ship, which was to take him to New London, Connecticut, for a prisoner exchange, he was taken away and carried to another prisoner ship, the Russell. There the Commodore told him that Americans treated British prisoners harshly and that he planned to show no leniency. Parsons's son then told the Commodore that "all the Irons he or his Master could load him with should not deter him from doing his Duty & defending his Country." He was allowed on shore with Mr. Walter who vouched for him, but he had to report to the ship occasionally. Security was lax on shore and he was able to escape with the help of Whigs in New York and his Tory friends. After talking to his son Parsons says, "The Prisoners are treated in the most barbarous Manner four Hundred confind in a Ship not more than 200 Tons." Mentions that a Captain Bell was paroled and hopes Mumford can provide employment for him on one of his ships. Sends along speculation about troop and fleet movements.

GLC00496.075.08

7 March 1781

Marion, Francis (1732-1795)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Saunders

Written by Marion as Brigadier General of militia and a well-known partisan to Saunders as a Royalist Captain in the British Army and commander of the garrison at Georgetown, South Carolina. Marion writes with anger that Captain John Postell was taken prisoner by Saunders. Postell was travelling under a flag of truce to work out details of prisoner exchange. Demands satisfaction and claims he will retaliate against any British prisoners of war. Also expresses dismay that Saunders is treating prisoners harshly. Says Captain Clark was held in circumstances where he could not stand up or stretch out his full length and that he was being given half rations. Says he needs to release Postell to avoid retaliation. Saunders held Postell because he was in violation of a parole he was given after the American defeat at Charleston in May 1780. Soon thereafter Marion captured Thomas Merritt of the Queens Rangers in retaliation. Merritt was imprisoned in a log hut, but managed to escape and traverse the 50 miles back to Georgetown where he was offered a promotion for his actions. Merritt turned down the promotion and stayed with his unit until the war ended.

GLC03332.01

21 April 1781

Arbuthnot, Marriot (1711?-1794)

Letter signed

Title: to George Washington

Written by Admiral Arbuthnot as commander of British naval forces in America to Washington as commander of the Continental Army. References Washington's letter of 25 January 1781 where he expressed anger over the treatment of American naval prisoners of war. Arbuthnot claims an inquiry was held that vindicated their treatment and feeding, which he validates on "my honor." Claims Washington "must have seen" the testimonies of the inquiry. Retorts with accusations against British naval prisoners in Philadelphia by Commissary General of Prisoners Thomas Bradford. Claims prisoners are experiencing "inhumanity" under Bradford. Will not burden Washington with a list of grievances, but asks that the sailors be fed more than salted clams. One of the long edges has tape about three-fourths of the way down.

GLC04758

27 November 1781

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Prisoner Petition]

"The Petitioned Number of American Prisoners of War . . .," requesting exchange for British officers and seamen. Penned from Kinial Prison, signed by 10 American POW's.

GLC08390.02

14 March 1783

Metcalf, John (fl. 1783)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Jonathan Metcalf

Written by Metcalf, a captured Continental soldier on the prison ship Jersey in New York Harbor, to his father in Dedham, Massachusetts. Says he enjoys "tollerable good health" and was assisted by a Dr. Bacon of Salem, Massachusetts. Tells his father he has been there a month and sees no prospect for a quick release. Says conditions on the ship are "horrid beyond Description." During the first part of the winter he claimed 10, 15, or 20 prisoners died a day. Says health is better on the ship since there are fewer people on board.

GLC01412.01

7 December 1813 - 2 May 1815

Green, Joseph W. (fl. 1812-1815)

Diary

Title: [Journal of a privateer and of prisoner of war during the War of 1812]

Diary written while aboard the privateer Alfred and as a prisoner of war in Melville Island Prison, Halifax, and Dartmoor Prison. Records many sightings and occasional capturing of ships. Entry on 22 February 1814 records the capture of Green's privateer by the British and being brought to Melville Island Prison at Halifax. Records writing to family and the arrival of new prisoners. Notable entries include mention of a prisoners' petition to General John Mason on 28 April 1814, the reduction of rations on 1 May 1814, the release of 90 prisoners on 23 July 1814. There are also undated verse and aphorisms, much of it dealing with religion, war, and women. Filling 16 pages is "A Comic Poem" by Thomas Sturtevant and written down by Green on 1 March 1814, along with numerous other patriotic poems. An entry from 22 February 1815 notes the passing of his brother's birthday. A long entry on 18 August 1814 records the grueling transport to Dartmoor Prison, at the end of which he discloses learning of his Uncle's death. An entry from Dartmoor on 26 February 1815 indicates his expectations of "the Peace arriving from the States. He recorded his final entry on the day he was to leave Dartmoor: "...the happiest day to me that I ever experienced. my heart is alive when I think I am to leave the place that so many of my unfortunate countryman has breathed there [sic] last in."

GLC00498.01

8 March 1814

Boggs, Francis (fl. 1814)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Daniel Fisher

Boggs wrote this as a United States seaman being held as a prisoner of war on a British ship during the War of 1812. Comments on the war and asks for assistance in getting released. He discusses the miseries of the prisoners' situation over the last fifteen months, being forced to work with slaves in service of the British government and having to impress men for service in the British armed forces. Asks for aid for their families. Notes that the two prisoners with him are named Parker Wilcox and William Fox. Fisher is identified as a major.

GLC00890

May 3, 1834

Jackson, Andrew (1767-1845)

Document signed

Title: [Presidential appointment of James Dunlop, William O'Neale, and Thomas Carbery as inspectors of the District of Columbia penitentiary]

Countersigned by Secretary of State Louis McLane. With two engraved portraits of Andrew Jackson. One bust engraving of Jackson included as collateral.

GLC00937

18 October 1843

Thurmond, Alfred S. (1816-1873?)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mary A. Willis

Writing from inside the walls of the "Castle of Perote" (Perote Prison), Thurman informs Willis that her husband, O.R. Willis, has died. Praises her deceased husband as a "Patriot and a Gentleman," telling her that he "was highly esteemed" and his "Death was much Lamented by this crowd." Indicates that he and others in the prison are in good health but have no idea when they will be released. Dejected, he comments twice on how his family has forsaken him by not responding to his letters. Comments that he still has affection for them and asks her to communicate his love to his friends and relatives. Thurman had joined the mounted Texas Rangers to free San Antonio in 1842, after which he continued on an expedition to plunder Mexican towns. With other volunteers who refused to disband, he participated in the attack on Mier Mexico under the command of William S. Fisher, after which the force was captured and imprisoned at Perote Castle. He was released in 1844.

GLC06626

1847-1912

Wells, Hiram C. (fl. 1825-1865)

Manuscript

Title: [Collection of Hiram C. Wells]

The collection includes his 1863 diary, military papers and personal and legal papers (mostly pre and post-war). Gives good view of life in cavalry with skirmishes, scouts, etc. Regiment took part in siege of Knoxville. Wells was later captured, imprisoned at Andersonville, and on the Sultana when it exploded, subjects covered in manuscript written in 1880s (includes typed transcript). The diary is approximately 106 pages and spans over the year 1863.

GLC03131.15

3 May 1847

Unknown

Manuscript document signed

Title: Legal document regarding Hiram C. Wells

GLC03131.15.22

3 May 1847

Unknown

Manuscript document signed

Title: Legal document regarding Hiram C. Wells

GLC03131.15.022

12 June 1852

Rood, Delia C., (fl. 1852)

Manuscript document signed

Title: Legal documents regarding the selling of land

GLC03131.15.23

12 June 1852

Rood, Delia C., (fl. 1852)

Manuscript document signed

Title: Legal documents regarding the selling of land

GLC03131.15.023

1854-1887

Various

Header Record

Title: [Letters of Mitchell Pugh, Byrum Hesh, Thomas Mitchell & Eli Pugh, D company, 50th regiment, Virginia, infantry] [decimalized]

Collection of twenty-nine letters, twenty-two of which are war date, from various individuals: Mitchell Pugh, Byrum B. Hesh (or Bryam D. Hash), Thomas F. Mitchell and Eli Pugh of Co. D, 50th Virginia Regiment; A. Pugh of Co. C, 16th North Carolina Cavalry, and William T. (or L.) Perkins. There are also letters to E. L. King, D. Pennington, and Kate. The majority of the letters are addressed to L. [Liendema?] D. Wood. Common topics both before and after the war include crops, health, and family news. War-date letters mention skirmishes in Princeton, West Virginia (#3 and #4); Pack's Ferry, Virginia; and the Kanawha valley (#7). There are also references to the prison at Johnson's Island (#8 and #9), and soldiers left behind at Petersburg, Virginia (12). Later war-date letters mentions girls at home, Eli Pugh's rheumatism, and lack of supplies. Other letters (#23 and #24) discuss bushwhacking, burning, and stealing. Several postwar letters discuss the murder of Matt Davis by Jones Greer, including a detailed account of the murder (#25), and news of the trial (#26).

GLC03135.06