Chapter I: Front Matter

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Transcriber’s note:

Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).

A RELIC
OF THE
REVOLUTION,

CONTAINING A FULL AND PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF
THE SUFFERINGS AND PRIVATIONS OF ALL THE

AMERICAN PRISONERS

CAPTURED ON THE HIGH SEAS, AND CARRIED INTO
PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND, DURING THE

REVOLUTION OF 1776;

With the Names of the Vessels taken—the Names and Residence of
the several Crews, and time of their Commitment—the Names
of such as died in Prison, and such as made their Escape,
or entered on board English Men-of-War;
until the exchange of prisoners,
March 15, 1779.

ALSO,

AN ACCOUNT OF THE SEVERAL CRUISES OF THE
SQUADRON UNDER THE COMMAND OF

COMMODORE JOHN PAUL JONES,

PRIZES TAKEN, ETC., ETC.

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BY CHARLES HERBERT, OF NEWBURYPORT, MASS.

Who was taken prisoner in the Brigantine Dolton, Dec., 1776,
and served in the U.S. Frigate Alliance, 1779-80.

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BOSTON:

PUBLISHED FOR THE PROPRIETOR, BY
_CHARLES H. PEIRCE._

1847.

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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1847,

BY RICHARD LIVSEY,

In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

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Stereotyped and Printed
By George C. Rand and Company,
No. 3 Cornhill, Boston.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

The Dolton sailed—Was taken—Breach of Honor—Disagreeable
Lodgings—Advantage of being Small—A Report—English
Women—Royal Salute—Removed—A Prize brought in—Daily
Allowance on board His Majesty’s Ships—The Charming
Sally—Orders. 17

CHAPTER II.

Disease and Vermin—Reports—Pressed Men—Removal to the
Tarbay—Cold Berth—Sickness prevails—General Lee—A
Friend—An Act of Parliament—Removal for better—Better
Quarters—Special Favors—Liberal Distribution—Great
Contrast—A good Friend—Sickness increases. 22

CHAPTER III.

Death of E. Hunt—Gets the privilege to Work—Good Pay—Act of
Parliament—Poetry—A Captain’s Compliments—Wish granted—A
Report—Paper—A Prize—Prayers on board—A
Privilege—Reckoning—Critical
Situation—Small-Pox—Visitors—Report from America—Small-Pox
prevails—Captain Rowe—Ship Nancy taken—Terrible
Punishment—Carried to the Hospital—Treatment for Itch. 27

CHAPTER IV.

Royal Hospital Buildings—An Adventure—Taken down with
Small-Pox—Three Prisoners Escape—Re-taken—Severe
Sickness—Second Death—Joseph Hatch—Recovery—Kind attention
of the Nurses—Samuel Shriggins, the third of the company,
died—Attempt to Escape. 34

CHAPTER V.

Fourth Death—Captain Brown’s Escape—His Men sent to
Prison—Discharge from the Hospital—Yellow Fever—Fifth
Death—Cruelty to the Dead—Examination—Commitment to
Prison—Prison Allowance—Hunger—Prison Employments—Charity
Box—Hard Fare—Guard Alarmed—Friendly Visitors—A Mean
Trick. 40

CHAPTER VI.

More Prisoners—A Present—Visit from American
Gentlemen—Black-Hole—Fleet of Transports for
America—Prisoners Escape—Death—Prospect of War with
France—First Breach in the Prison Wall—Fox Frigate taken
by the Hancock—A Newspaper—Number of Prisoners—Escape of
thirty-two Prisoners—Bounty—Punishment—Cruelty to the
Old—Captain Lee taken in the Fancy—Hears from Home—Bad
News—False Reports—Daniel Cottle died. 48

CHAPTER VII.

Attempt to Escape discovered—Awful description of
Suffering—Dreadful Starvation—Gloomy Prospects—Death of
Gideon Warren—Detection—Close Examination—Commissioner—A
Newspaper—Relief Prohibited—Attempt to Escape—Oath of
Secrecy—Another Attempt to Escape—Captain Johnston and the
Lexington—Sea Fight—The Press continued—Love of
Liberty—Meeting after a long absence—A Privilege
granted—Agent in a good humor—A Purchase—More
Prisoners—Running the Gantlet. 58

CHAPTER VIII.

More Prisoners—Hears from Home—Suspicion—A hot Press—1500
Seamen wanted—News from America—Disagreeable
Company—Destitution of the Prisoners—Digging and
Detection—A Pious Wish—Twenty Years of Age—Mournful
Reflections—Letter from Bilboa—Bad Bread—Unpleasant
Reflections—King’s Speech—Bold
Project—Failure—Reports—Strictness of the
Guard—Suspicion—Privation from the Gospel—Prisoners
Threatened—Voluntary Sacrifice—Good News reported—Detail
of General Burgoyne’s Defeat—Washington and Howe. 69

CHAPTER IX.

Christmas Pudding—Christmas Presents—Clothes Served—Happy
New Year—Friends appear—Presents—Friends increase—Large
Donations reported—Donation from British Recruiting
Parties—Private Donations—Exhortations to a Civil, Sober
Life—Large Distribution of Clothing—Royal Salute—Regular
Allowance from Donation Fund—Increasing Privilege. 82

CHAPTER X.

Price of Tobacco—Cleanliness—Not to be
Discouraged—Blankets—Distribution—Letter from
America—Officers Escape—Arrival of a Fleet—Paper—Dr.
Franklin to the Council—State of Troops—Deserters
Taken—Visit from the Governor and Lady—Removal of
Officers—General wish for Peace—A
Newspaper—Commissioners—Public Fast—Allowance
Withdrawn—Liberality—Petition Refused—A Newspaper—Reward
of Bravery—Lights Continued. 92

CHAPTER XI.

Awful Penalty for Desertion—Public Indignation—Remarkable
Health of the Prisoners—Recruiting Party in Cornwall—Howe
in Trouble—Two Fathers—Scarcity of Provisions in the West
Indies—Black-hole—American Privateer—Hot
Press—Detection—French Brig run down—Prisoners sell their
Clothes to Gamble—“Preceptor”—Extreme
Punishment—Sports—Examination—Use of Poverty—English
Ambassador returns from France—Captain
Boardman—Titcomb—Hope of Return—Commissioners to
America—Newspapers. 102

CHAPTER XII.

Letter from Portsmouth—Debate in Parliament—Cost of the
War—Petition for a Trial—Traitors Detected—Traitors
Punished—Attempt to Escape—Sickness in Prison—Paul Jones
at Whitehaven—Letter from Portsmouth—Death of John
Foster—Prison Wrangle—Commissioners Sailed—Another Hole—It
Founders—Joseph Kensington died—Sick Prisoners Neglected. 113

CHAPTER XIII.

French Privateer—French Fleet—Patience scarce—Escape—One
Missing—Man with Red Hair—Blockade—Ball Play—Severity of
the Guard—Admiral Biron’s Fleet—Effects of Rum—A Widow—A
Surprise—Press of Fishermen—Another Detection—Voluntary
Suffering—Captain Pulford—Attempt to Escape—Taken—Cruel
Treatment. 122

CHAPTER XIV.

Death of the Doctor—Sailing of Admiral Biron’s Fleet—Rev.
Mr. Heath—Cold reception of Proposition of Peace in
America—Effort to Escape—Gen. Burgoyne’s Compliment to
American Troops—French Frigate taken—Preparation for the
Fourth of July—Amputation—Another Hole—John Dam—Allowance
to French Prisoners—Admiral Keppel’s Fleet sail—Boys
attempt to Escape. 131

CHAPTER XV.

Bad Conduct in Prison—Digging out—Four Escape—Fire, and
Officers Escape—Sad News from Portsmouth—Pay Day—Admiral
Keppel returns—England’s pride humbled—A curious plan for
Escape—Battle Report—Wounded in the Hospital—Effort to
Escape by Swimming—Invitation to join the Fleet—Americans
pressed to the Ships of War. 145

CHAPTER XVI.

French Prisoners—Admiral Keppel sails—Another attempt to
Escape—Admiral Biron’s Fleet—A Gale—General Clinton’s
Retreat from Philadelphia—Fever and Ague prevails—Captain
Burnell and Wife—Escape from Portsmouth—French
Privateer—Distribution of Clothing—Hot Press—Letter to
Captain Lee—French Prisoners increase. 157

CHAPTER XVII.

Rols’ Escape—Very Sickly—Another Escape—Unfaithful
Doctor—Frenchmen Escape and Return—Captain Ravel’s
Escape—Mr. Kirk’s Escape—Prisoners join
Men-of-War—Cartel—Letters from Portsmouth—The Man that was
punished unjustly, Rescued—Captain Lee’s Escape—New
Arrangement—Spotted Fever among the French—Second Draft
for the Ships—The Albion taken by the French—Sabbath
Privileges lost. 168

CHAPTER XVIII.

Oil of Tar for Prison—Frenchmen Break Out—One Shot—Reduction
of Donation—Two Americans in Irons—Various opinions about
the Cartel—Several Holes in hand—Fearful
Apprehensions—Dominica taken by the French and
Americans—King’s Troops on Martha’s Vineyard—Drunken
Prisoners delivered up—Forbearance of the Guard—Fire in
the Black-hole—Four American Boys—Dolton as Fortune
Privateer—Base Treachery—Plans Discovered—Mitchell the
Villain—Letter of Thanks—Two Years from Home. 179

CHAPTER XIX.

Twenty-one—Fort on Drake’s Island—Breach in Black-hole
King’s Speech—English Prisoners at Brest—Hyfield’s
Escape—Exposure of the Sick—John Lott died—Public
Prayer—Captain Ross’s Escape. 198

CHAPTER XX.

Cruel purposes of the Ministry—Petition for Pardon—Mr.
Salter’s Escape—Cruel Act renewed—Last of the
Donation—Court Martial—General Elopement—Discovered and
carried back to Plymouth—A sorrowful New Year—Extreme
Suffering—Good Friends—New Year’s Gift—Large
Fleets—Captain Boardman Escapes—Heavy Bounty for
Prisoners. 200

CHAPTER XXI.

A Hurricane—Great Distress—Kills a Dog—Dog Divided—Cooked
and eat—Rats Eat in Prison—Voluntary Surrender—Good
News—Cartel Arrived—Pardon—Great Joy—A Small
Donation—Spanish Fleet—Another Pardon—A Wonder—Number of
Prisoners left—Wait Impatiently—Another Hole in
hand—Eleven Frenchmen Escape—Good News from Bilboa—Happy
Event—Twenty-six Months a Prisoner—Penitent Sick
Prisoners—King’s Pardon. 211

CHAPTER XXII.

John Foster, Elias Vickey, and Asa Witham died—Mr. Deal’s
Escape—Milford Transport—Keppel
Acquitted—Bonfires—Escape—Cartel Arrives—Leaves the
Prison—Bonner Darling died. 220

CHAPTER XXIII.

Journal Lost—Thirty enter with Jones—Joins the
Alliance—Arrive at L’Orient with Prize—Second
Cruise—Journal Lost—Extracts from Paul Jones’ Life—At Dr.
Franklin’s House—Joins again the Alliance—Sails Home. 229