THE INTERMENT OF THE DEAD
Captain Dring continues his narrative by describing the manner in which
the dead were interred in the sand of the Wallabout. Every morning, he
says, the dead bodies were carried to the upper deck and there laid
upon the gratings. Any person who could procure, and chose to furnish,
a blanket, was allowed to sew it around the remains of his departed
companion.
“The signal being made, a boat was soon seen approaching from the
Hunter, and if there were any dead on board the other ships, the boat
received them, on her way to the Jersey.
“The corpse was laid upon a board, to which some ropes were attached
as straps; as it was often the case that bodies were sent on shore for
interment before they had become sufficiently stiff to be lowered into
the boat by a single strap. Thus prepared a tackle was attached to the
board, and the remains * * * were hoisted over the side of the ship into
the boat, without further ceremony. If several bodies were waiting for
interment, but one of them was lowered into the boat at a time, for the
sake of decency. The prisoners were always very anxious to be engaged in
the duty of interment, not so much from a feeling of humanity, or from
a wish to pay respect to the remains of the dead, for to these feelings
they had almost become strangers, as from the desire of once more
placing their feet on the land, if but for a few minutes. A sufficient
number of prisoners having received permission to assist in this duty,
they entered the boat accompanied by a guard of soldiers, and put off
from the ship.
“I obtained leave to assist in the burial of the body of Mr. Carver, * *
* and after landing at a low wharf which had been built from the shore,
we first went to a small hut, which stood near the wharf, and was used
as a place of deposit for the handbarrows and shovels provided for these
occasions. Having placed the corpses on the barrows, and received
our hoes and shovels, we proceeded to the side of the bank near the
Waleboght. Here a vacant space having been selected, we were directed
to dig a trench in the sand, of a proper length for the reception of
the bodies. We continued our labor until the guards considered that a
sufficient space had been excavated. The corpses were then laid in the
trench without ceremony, and we threw the sand over them. The whole
appeared to produce no more effect upon our guards than if they were
burying the bodies of dead animals, instead of men. They scarcely
allowed us time to look about us; for no sooner had we heaped the earth
upon the trench, than we were ordered to march. But a single glance was
sufficient to show us parts of many bodies which were exposed to view,
although they had probably been placed there with the same mockery of
interment but a few days before.
“Having thus performed, as well as we were permitted to do it, the last
duty to the dead, and the guards having stationed themselves on each
side of us, we began reluctantly to retrace our steps to the boat. We
had enjoyed the pleasure of breathing for a few minutes the air of our
native soil; and the thought of return to the crowded prison-ship was
terrible in the extreme. As we passed by the waterside we implored
our guards to allow us to bathe, or even to wash ourselves for a few
minutes, but this was refused us.
“I was the only person of our party who wore a pair of shoes, and well
recollect that I took them off for the pleasure of feeling the earth,
or rather the sand, as we went along. * * * We went by a small patch
of turf, some pieces of which we tore up from the earth, and obtained
permission to carry them on board for our comrades to smell them.
Circumstances like these may appear trifling to the careless reader; but
let him be assured that they were far from being trifles to men situated
as we had been. The inflictions which we had endured; the duty which we
had just performed; the feeling that we must, in a few minutes, re-enter
the place of suffering, from which, in all probability, we should never
return alive; all tended to render everything connected with the firm
land beneath, and the sweet air above us, objects of deep and thrilling
interest.
“Having arrived at the hut we there deposited our implements, and
walked to the landing-place, where we prevailed on our guards, who were
Hessians, to allow us the gratification of remaining nearly half an hour
before we returned to the boat.
“Near us stood a house occupied by a miller, and we had been told that
a tide-mill which he attended was in the immediate vicinity, as a
landing-place for which the wharf where we stood had been erected. * *
* It was designated by the prisoners by the appellation of the ‘Old
Dutchman’s,’ and its very walls were viewed by us with feelings of
veneration, as we had been told that the amiable daughter of its owner
had kept an accurate account of the number of bodies that had been
brought on shore for interment from the Jersey and hospital ships. This
could easily be done in the house, as its windows commanded a fair view
of the landing place. We were not, however, gratified by a sight of
herself, or of any other inmate of the house.
“Sadly did we approach and re-enter our foul and disgusting place of
confinement. The pieces of turf which we carried on board were sought
for by our fellow prisoners, with the greatest avidity, every fragment
being passed by them from hand to hand, and its smell inhaled as if it
had been a fragrant rose. * * * The first of the crew of the Chance to
die was a lad named Palmer, about twelve years of age, and the youngest
of our crew. When on board the Chance he was a waiter to the officers,
and he continued in this duty after we were placed on board the Jersey.
He had, with many others of our crew, been inoculated for the small-pox,
immediately after our arrival on board. The usual symptoms appeared
at the proper time, and we supposed the appearance of his disorder
favorable, but these soon changed, and the yellow hue of his features
declared the approach of death. * * * The night he died was truly a
wretched one for me. I spent most of it in total darkness, holding him
during his convulsions. * * * I had done everything in my power for this
poor boy, during his sickness, and could render him but one more kind
office (after his death). I assisted to sew a blanket around his body,
which was, with others who had died, during the night, conveyed upon
deck in the morning, to be at the usual hour hurried to the bank at the
Walebocht. I regretted that I could not assist at his interment, as I
was then suffering with the small-pox myself, neither am I certain that
permission would have been granted me, if I had sought it. Our keepers
appeared to have no idea that the prisoners could feel any regard for
each other, but appeared to think us as cold-hearted as themselves. If
anything like sympathy was ever shown us by any of them it was done
by the Hessians. * * * The next deaths among our company were those of
Thomas Mitchell and his son-in-law, Thomas Sturmey. It is a singular
fact that both of these men died at the same time.”
THE GUARDS ON BOARD THE JERSEY
“In addition to the regular officers and seamen of the Jersey, there
were stationed on board about a dozen old invalid Marines, but our
actual guard was composed of soldiers from the different regiments
quartered on Long Island. The number usually on duty on board was
about thirty. Each week they were relieved by a fresh party. They were
English, Hessian, and Refugees. We always preferred the Hessians,
from whom we received better treatment than from the others. As to the
English, we did not complain, being aware that they merely obeyed their
orders, in regard to us; but the Refugees * * * were viewed by us with
scorn and hatred. I do not recollect, however, that a guard of these
miscreants was placed over us more than three times, during which their
presence occasioned much tumult and confusion; for the prisoners could
not endure the sight of these men, and occasionally assailed them with
abusive language, while they, in turn, treated us with all the severity
in their power. We dared not approach near them, for fear of their
bayonets, and of course could not pass along the gangways where they
were stationed; but were obliged to crawl along upon the booms, in order
to get fore and aft, or to go up and down the hatchways. They never
answered any of our remarks respecting them, but would merely point to
their uniforms, as much as to say, ‘We are clothed by our Sovereign,
while you are naked.’ They were as much gratified by the idea of leaving
us as we were at seeing them depart.
“Many provoking gestures were made by the prisoners as they left the
ship, and our curses followed them as far as we could make ourselves
heard.
“A regiment of Refugees, with a green uniform, were then quartered at
Brooklyn. We were invited to join this Royal band, and to partake of his
Majesty’s pardon and bounty. But the prisoners, in the midst of their
unbounded sufferings, of their dreadful privations, and consuming
anguish, spurned the insulting offer. They preferred to linger and to
die rather than desert their country’s cause. During the whole period
of my confinement I never knew a single instance of enlistment among the
prisoners of the Jersey.
“The only duty, to my knowledge, ever performed by the old Marines was
to guard the water-butt, near which one of them was stationed with a
drawn cutlass. They were ordered to allow no prisoner to carry away more
than one pint at once, but we were allowed to drink at the butt as much
as we pleased, for which purpose two or three copper ladles were chained
to the cask. Having been long on board and regular in performance of
this duty, they had become familiar with the faces of the prisoners, and
could, in many instances, detect the frauds which we practiced upon them
in order to obtain more fresh water for our cooking than was allowed
us by the regulations of the ship. Over the water the sailors had no
control. The daily consumption of water on board was at least equal to
700 gallons. I know not whence it was brought, but presume it was from
Brooklyn. One large gondola, or boat, was kept in constant employment to
furnish the necessary supply.
“So much of the water as was not required on deck for immediate use was
conducted into butts, placed in the lower hold of the hulk, through a
leather hose, passing through her side, near the bends. To this water we
had recourse, when we could procure no other.
“When water in any degree fit for use was brought on board, it is
impossible to describe the struggle which ensued, in consequence of our
haste and exertions to procure a draught of it. The best which was
ever afforded us was very brackish, but that from the ship’s hold was
nauseous in the highest degree. This must be evident when the fact is
stated that the butts for receiving it had never been cleaned since they
were put in the hold. The quantity of foul sediment which they contained
was therefore very great, and was disturbed and mixed with the water
as often as a new supply was poured into them, thereby rendering their
whole contents a substance of the most disgusting and poisonous nature.
I have not the least doubt that the use of this vile compound caused
the death of hundreds of the prisoners, when, to allay their tormenting
thirst, they were driven by desperation to drink this liquid poison, and
to abide the consequences.”