The principal
complaint now is, the inadequacy of the room in the Prison-ships to
the number of prisoners, confined on board of them, which causes the
death of many, and is the occasion of most intolerable inconvenience
and distresses to those who survive. This line of conduct is the more
aggravating, as the want of a greater number of Prison-ships, or of
sufficient room on shore, can hardly be pleaded in excuse.
As a bare denial of what has been asserted by so many individuals who
have unfortunately experienced the miseries I have mentioned, will not
be satisfactory, I have to propose that our Commissary-general of
prisoners, or any other officer, who shall be agreed upon, shall have
liberty to visit the ships, inspect the situation of the prisoners,
and make a report, from an exact survey of the situation in which they
may be found, whether, in his opinion, there has been any just cause
of complaint.
I shall be glad to be favored with an answer as soon as convenient.
I have the honor to be
yr most obdt srvt
George Washington
AFFLECK'S REPLY
New York 30 August 1781
Sir:
I intend not either to deny or to assert, for it will neither
facilitate business, nor alleviate distress. The subject of your
letter seems to turn on two points, namely the inconvenience and
distresses which the American prisoners suffer from the inadequacy of
room in the Prison-ships, which occasions the death of many of them,
as you are told; and that a Commissary-general of prisoners from you
should have liberty to visit the ships, inspect the situation of the
prisoners, and make a report from an actual survey.
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