"* * * We passed the night amid the accumulated horrors of sighs and
groans; of foul vapor; a nauseous and putrid atmosphere, in a stifling
and almost suffocating heat. * * * Little sleep could be enjoyed, for
the vermin were so horribly abundant that all the personal cleanliness
we could practice would not protect us from their attacks."
The public papers of the day often contained accounts of the cruelties
practiced upon the prisoners on the ships. In the _Pennsylvania
Packet_ of Sept. 4th, 1781, there is an extract from a letter
written by a prisoner whose name is not given.
"EXTRACT FROM A LETTER DATED ON BOARD THE JERSEY (VULGARLY CALLED
HELL) PRISON SHIP
"New York August 10th 1781
"There is nothing but death or entering into the British service
before me. Our ship's company is reduced by death and entering into
the British service to the small number of 19. * * * I am not able to
give you even the outlines of my exile; but this much I will inform
you, that we bury 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 in a day. We have 200 more
sick and falling sick every day; the sickness is the yellow fever,
small pox, and in short everything else that can be mentioned."
"New London. Conn. March 3rd. 1782. Sunday last a flag ship returned
from New York which brought twenty Americans who had been a long time
on board a prison ship. About 1,000 of our countrymen remain in the
prison ships at New York, great part of whom have been in close
confinement for more than six months, and in the most deplorable
condition: many of them seeing no prospect of release are entering
into the British service to elude the contagion with which the ships
are fraught.
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