French and American Prisoners of War at Dartmoor Prison, 1805-1816

French and American Prisoners of War at Dartmoor Prison, 1805-1816 PDF

Author: Neil Davie

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2021-11-11

Total Pages: 350

ISBN-13: 3030838919

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This book explores the history of Dartmoor War Prison (1805-16). This is not the well-known Victorian convict prison, but a less familiar penal institution, conceived and built nearly half a century earlier in the midst of the long-running wars against France, and destined, not for criminals, but for French and later American prisoners of war. During a period of six and a half years, more than 20,000 captives passed through its gates. Drawing on contemporary official records from Britain, France and the USA, and a wealth of prisoners’ letters, diaries and memoirs (many of them studied here in detail for the first time), this book examines how Dartmoor War Prison was conceived and designed; how it was administered both from London and on the ground; how the fate of its prisoners intertwined with the military and diplomatic history of the period; and finally how those prisoners interacted with each other, with their captors, and with the wider community. The history of the prison on the moor is one marked by high hopes and noble intentions, but also of neglect, hardship, disease and death

Prisoners of War at Dartmoor

Prisoners of War at Dartmoor PDF

Author: Trevor James

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2013-08-09

Total Pages: 243

ISBN-13: 0786474076

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The incarceration of French and American prisoners of war in Dartmoor Prison, at a time when Britain was at war with both its traditional enemy and the young nation of former British colonies, was a dark and unusual episode. Acts of cruelty and degradation were countered by defiance and a spirited loyalty by the prisoners to their respective countries. Much of the story is told firsthand by those who were there, against a background of warfare and glorious victories on all sides. The author relates how a barren landscape that was (and is) subject to the worst of winter weather was transformed into a thriving township by one very determined man, Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, and why such a place was chosen to build a prison. The design and construction of the prison are described, as are the experiences of the men held in the harsh, overcrowded conditions of Dartmoor. From May 1809 to February 1816, 271 American and more than 1100 French prisoners of war died in confinement.

Melville Prison and Deadman's Island

Melville Prison and Deadman's Island PDF

Author: Brian Cuthbertson

Publisher: Formac Publishing Company Limited

Published: 2009-11-23

Total Pages: 98

ISBN-13: 0887808379

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A small island in Halifax's beautiful Northwest Arm was the site for a British military prison from 1794 to 1816. More than 10,000 French, Spanish and American seamen, privateers and soldiers passed through the prison during its 22-year existence. Of these, 270 died on Melville Island from 1803 to 1815 and were buried in unmarked graves on the adjoining Deadman's Island, now designated a national historic site. This book tells this little known story for the first time. Author Brian Cuthbertson focuses on the experiences of the American prisoners. Their treatment will be of particular interest to readers familiar with the recent experiences of prisoners in US military prisons.

Hell Upon Water

Hell Upon Water PDF

Author: Paul Chamberlain

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2016-09-14

Total Pages: 203

ISBN-13: 0750980532

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During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, over 200,000 prisoners of war of many nationalities were brought to Britain to be held in the infamous prison hulks, land prisons and parole depots. Many prisoners languished in captivity for over eleven years. This book tells the story of these men and women. Hell Upon Water examines how prisoners of war were acquired by the British, how they were fed, clothed and accommodated by the Transport Board of the Admiralty. The larger prisons such as Dartmoor, Portchester Castle and Norman Cross are described in detail, alongside the smaller lesser known depots of Forton, Stapleton, and Mill Bay. It compares the treatment of French prisoners with that of Britons in France, and also tells the stories of officers who fell in love with local girls and married, and those who fought to escape.

The American Prisoner

The American Prisoner PDF

Author: Eden Phillpotts

Publisher:

Published: 1904

Total Pages: 482

ISBN-13:

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Thousands of French and American prisoners are herded into the war prison at Princetown in 1814 and goaded by their miseries into desperate outbreaks.

Prisoner of the British

Prisoner of the British PDF

Author: Benjamin Waterhouse

Publisher: Fireship Press

Published: 2010-07

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 1935585827

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It's an account of life as a British prisoner of war during the War of 1812, and it's also a mystery. Prisoner of the British was originally released in 1816 as A Journal of a Young Man of Massachusetts, Late a Surgeon on Board an American Privateer, Who Was Captured at Sea by the British. As such it is an immensely readable, if eye-opening, account of the author's experiences as a British prisoner of war during the War of 1812. At first he was held at Melville Island, Halifax, then in a prison ship at Chatham, England, and last in the infamous Dartmoor Prison. His descriptions and observations of the characters and characteristics of three nations are truly remarkable-as is his detailed descriptions of the massacre of American prisoners at Dartmoor on April 6, 1815. But there is a mystery surrounding this book as well-a mystery that is debated to this day. Who wrote it? Benjamin Waterhouse, the pioneering American physician, is credited with authorship, but he would have been 59 years old when the story transpired, and there is no record of his ever having served in the military. Modern scholars now suspect a 21 year old seaman from Massachusetts by the name of Henry Torey, but no one knows for sure. Whoever wrote it, it's a must read for anyone who wishes to genuinely understand the War of 1812.

The Prisoners' Memoirs, Or, Dartmoor Prison; Containing a Complete and Impartial History of the Entire Captivity of the Americans in England, From the Commencement of the Last War Between the United States and Great Britain, Until All Prisoners Were Relea

The Prisoners' Memoirs, Or, Dartmoor Prison; Containing a Complete and Impartial History of the Entire Captivity of the Americans in England, From the Commencement of the Last War Between the United States and Great Britain, Until All Prisoners Were Relea PDF

Author: Charles Andrews

Publisher: Legare Street Press

Published: 2023-07-18

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781019396957

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This remarkable historical account provides a vivid picture of the experiences of American prisoners of war during the War of 1812. Written by a former prisoner, it offers a detailed and often harrowing description of life in Dartmoor Prison, one of the largest and most notorious POW camps in British history. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

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