British Treatment American Prisoners of War-1812
British Policy of Brutality, Neglect and Starvation
Sep 29, 2009
The United States declared war on England 18 June 1812. The first capture of Americans occurred with surrender of Fort Detroit. They were moved to Fort Malden. At Malden the militia were paroled to their homes and regulars held as Prisoners of War.
Montreal, Quebec
The prisoners were moved to Montreal and from there to Quebec. They joined Americans captured at Queenston Heights. They were crammed in several ships moored in Quebec Harbor. Snow squalls and rain led to sickness. Many prisoners died of illness brought on by the cold and neglect. The Quebec prisoners were paroled 23 October 1812 to Salem, Massachusetts.
Halifax Agreement, Fort Melville
American and British commissioners met in Halifax, Nova Scotia to arrange an agreement for the treatment and exchange of prisoners of war. The key articles outlawed corporal punishment (flogging), fixed ration allowances, defined the terms of parole, authorized cartel ships for exchanges and fixed the exchange rate for officers and petty-non-commissioned officers. An admiral or general officerwas worth 30 privates or seamen, and non-commissioned officers were worth two privates or seamen. Problems arose over prisoners of "doubtful nationality." These men were naturalized citizens of the United States born in England. Once an Englishman always an Englishman; Britain regarded these men as traitors outside the cartel. The American commissioners demanded they be included in the agreement. The British agreed.
The majority of Americans captured during the war were sent to England. Most were held in Fort Melville on Melville Island in Halifax Harbor. Major Cushet was the Provost Marshal of the town; his attitude toward the American POWs was a subject of the "strongest excreations." His treatment of sick prisoners was described as the "height of inhumanity." The agent for the prisoners in Melville, Miller, the prisoners' agent and Grant in charge of the prison, enjoyed tormenting the American prisoners. Between 1200-1400 Americans were held on Melville awaiting shipment to England, parole or exchange. Their treatment was called "barbaric." It is estimated that 150 American POWs died in Halifax Hospital between 1 October 1814 to 1 Ferbruary 1815 from "inattention" In February the prisoners were repatriated to Salem, Massachusetts at the conclusion of the Treaty of Ghent.
Dartmoor Massacre
Prisoners of war on arrival in England were sent to prisons in Chatham, Homoze, and Portsmouth. From there officers were paroled to the village of Ashburton, Devonshire. These officers were paid a shilling and sixpence a day; from this money they were to provide themselves with lodging, food, clothing and other necessities.
Enlisted men were sent to prison ships scattered about England. Each man was issued a hammock, bed sack, and a thin blanket. Rations consisted of a pound and a half of coarse bread, half a pound of beef with bone, one-third ounce salt, one-third ounce barley, and one or two turnips a week. This ration was issued five days a week; the other two days were "banyan" days; these rations consisted of bread, fish and potatoes. The rations lacked fresh vegetables and fruit
The lack of fresh vegetables brought on sickness. Smallpox broke out. Doctors proposed to inoculate prisoners against the disease. In addition "jail fever", as called by a surgeon prisoner held on one of the ship added to the misery. The fever was typhus. Many prisoners lost the will to survive. The surgeon prisoner observed, "the body was debilitated, spirit half extinguished, soul desponding, and existence a burden."
British authorities feared that the prisoners would seize the ships. The Transport Board, the agency charged with the care of prisoners, decided to move the Americans to Dartmoor Prison.
Dartmoor housed 5,600 Americans and 8,000 French Prisoners of War. Prisoners entering Dartmoor were issued a number, hammock, bed, blanket, and either a blue or yellow wool cloth uniform. The commander was Thomas George Shortland, describred as a tyrant.
The news of the Treaty of Ghent ending the war between England and America, swept through Dartmoor as prisoners eagerly waited for transport home. The days passed as the men anxiously waited for repatriation.
A hole in the wall was the catalyst of the Dartmoor Massacre. The alarm bell rang and curious prisoners flowed to the front gate; the crowd pressing forward knocked down the gate. Shortland and the garrison were drawn up in front; prisoners blamed Shortland's "ungovernable temper" for what happened next. Shortland ordered the guard to charge and as the prisoners pressed back into the yard, the guards fired into the yard; other guards appeared on the walls above and fired down into the yard. Seven men were killed and sixty wounded.
Casualties
Twenty thousand Americans were captured during the war. Of the Americans held in England 581 died; 331 died in Dartmoor.
Sources:
James Adams,Dartmoor Prison, A Faithful Narrative of the Massacre of American Seamen, to Which is added a Sketch of the Treatment of Prisoners During the Late War by the British Government (Pittsburgh, S. Engles, 1816)
Josiah Cobb, Greenhand's First Cruise, roughed out from the Log Book of Memory of Twenty-five Years Standing; Together with a Residence of Five Months in Dartmoor, by a Younker, Vol. I
Donald R. Hickey, The War of 1812, A Fortgotten Conflict (Urbanna, Chicago, University Illinois Press, 1989)
Thomas and Joanne Huntsbury, Dartmoor Prison, War of 1812 ( Baltimore, J. Mart, 1984
Sheafe, Roger Hale, Letter Book, Documents Relating War of 1812 (Buffalo, NY Buffalo Historical Society, n.d.)
Waterhouse, Benjamin, Journal of a Young Man of Massachusetts, Late Surgeon Aboard American Privateer, Who was Captured at Sea, May 1813, confined at Mellville, Halifax, Chatham and Last at Dartmoor (Lexington, reprinted Warly & Smith, 1816)
Samuel White, History of the American Troops During the Late War, Under the Command of Colonels Fenton and Campbell (Baltimore, E. Edes, 1830)
