It
stood on the northwest corner of Trinity church-yard.
"Rhinelander's Sugar House was on the corner of William and Duane
Streets. Perhaps the worst of all the New York prisons was the third
Sugar House, which occupied the space on Liberty Street where two
buildings, numbers 34 and 36, now stand.
"The North Dutch Church on William Street contained 800 prisoners, and
there were perhaps as many in the Middle Dutch Church. The Friends'
Meeting House on Liberty and several other buildings erected for the
worship of a God of love were used as prisons.
"The New Jail was made a Provost Prison, and here officers and men of
note were confined. At one time they were so crowded into this
building, that when they lay down upon the floor to sleep all in the
row were obliged to turn over at the same time at the call, 'Turn
over! Left! Right!'
"The sufferings of these brave men were largely due to the criminal
indifference of Loring, Sproat, Lennox, and other Commissaries of the
prisoners.
"Many of the captives were hanged in the gloom of night without trial
and without a semblance of justice.
"Liberty Street Sugar House was a tall, narrow building five stories
in height, and with dismal underground dungeons. In this gloomy abode
jail fever was ever present. In the hot weather of July, 1777,
companies of twenty at a time would be sent out for half an hour's
outing, in the court yard.
Pages:
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41