* * * I have often been
in danger of being stabbed for attempting to speak to a prisoner in ye
yard. * * *
"About the 24th December a large number of prisoners were embarked on
a ship to be sent to New England. What privates of the 17th Regiment
remained living were Included in this number, but about one half had
already perished in Prison. I was afterwards informed that the Winds
being unfavourable and their accommodations and provisions on board ye
Ship being very similar to what they had been provided with before, a
large proportion of them perished before they could reach New England,
so that it is to be feared very few of them lived to see their native
homes.
"Soon after there was large numbers of the prisoners sent off by land
both to the Southward and Eastward so yt when ye Officers were Removed
over into Long Island in the latter part of January there remained but
very few of the privates in that City except those released by Death
which number was supposed to be about 1800.
"General Robertson, so famous for Politeness and Humanity was
commanding Officer at New York during the aforesaid treatment of the
prisoners. Governor Scheene was said to have visited the prisoners at
the Churches and manifested great dissatisfaction at their ill Usage,
yet I was never able to learn that ye poor Sufferers Rec'd any
Advantage thereby.
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