"
This needs no comment. It is too unspeakably false to be worth
contradicting.
"New London, Conn., November 8th, 1776. Yesterday arrived E. Thomas,
who was captured September 1st, carried to New York, and put on board
the Chatham. He escaped Wednesday sennight."
"New London, Nov. 20th, 1776. American officers, prisoners on parole,
are walking about the streets of New York, but soldiers are closely
confined, have but half allowance, are sickly, and die fast."
"New London, Nov. 29th, 1776. A cartel arrived here for exchange of
seamen only. Prisoners had miserable confinement on board of store
ships and transports, where they suffered for want of the common
necessaries of life."
"Exact from a letter written on board the Whitby Prison Ship. New
York, Dec. 9th, 1776. Our present situation is most wretched; more
than 250 prisoners, some sick and without the least assistance from
physician, drug, or medicine, and fed on two-thirds allowance of salt
provisions, and crowded promiscuously together without regard, to
color, person or office, in the small room of a ship's between decks,
allowed to walk the main deck only between sunrise and sunset. Only
two at a time allowed to come on deck to do what nature requires, and
sometimes denied even that, and use tubs and buckets between decks, to
the great offence of every delicate, cleanly person, and prejudice of
all our healths.
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