In August, 1781, a committee appointed by Congress to examine into the
condition of naval prisoners reported among other things as follows:
"The Committee consisting of Mr. Boudinot, Mr. Sharpe, Mr. Clymer,
appointed to take into consideration the state of the American
prisoners in the power of the enemy report:
"That they have collected together and cursorily looked into various
evidences of the treatment our unhappy fellow-citizens, prisoners with
the enemy, have heretofore and do still meet with, and find the
subject of so important and serious a nature as to demand much greater
attention, and fuller consideration than the present distant situation
of those confined on board the Prison-ships at New York will now admit
of, wherefor they beg leave to make a partial representation, and
desire leave to sit again. * * *"
PART OF THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE
"A very large number of marine prisoners and citizens of these United
States taken by the enemy, are now closely confined on board
Prison-ships in the harbor of New York.
"That the said Prison-ships are so unequal in size to the number of
prisoners, as not to admit of a possibility of preserving life in this
warm season of the year, they being crowded together in such a manner
as to be in danger of suffocation, as well as exposed to every kind of
putrid, pestilential disorder:
"That no circumstances of the enemy's particular situation can justify
this outrage on humanity, it being contrary to the usage and customs
of civilizations, thus deliberately to murder their captives in cold
blood, as the enemy will not assert that Prison-ships, equal to the
number of prisoners, cannot be obtained so as to afford room
sufficient for the necessary purposes of life:
"That the enemy do daily improve these distresses to enlist and compel
many of our citizens to enter on board their ships of war, and thus to
fight against their fellow citizens, and dearest connections.
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