AN ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE
It had been for some time in contemplation among a few inmates of
the Gun-room to make a desperate attempt to escape, by cutting a hole
through the stern or counter of the ship. In order that their operations
might proceed with even the least probability of success, it was
absolutely necessary that but few of the prisoners should be admitted
to the secret. At the same time it was impossible for them to make any
progress in their labor unless they first confided their plan to all
the other occupants of the Gun-room, which was accordingly done. In this
part of the ship each mess was on terms of more or less intimacy with
those whose little sleeping enclosures were immediately adjacent to
their own, and the members of each mess frequently interchanged good
offices with those in their vicinity, and borrowed or lent such little
articles as they possessed, like the good housewives of a sociable
neighborhood. I never knew any contention in this apartment, during
the whole period of my confinement. Each individual in the Gun-room
therefore was willing to assist his comrades, as far as he had the power
to do so. When the proposed plan for escape was laid before us, although
it met the disapprobation of by far the greater number, still we were
all perfectly ready to assist those who thought it practicable. We,
however, described to them the difficulties and dangers which must
unavoidably attend their undertaking; the prospect of detection while
making the aperture in the immediate vicinity of such a multitude of
idle men, crowded together, a large proportion of whom were always kept
awake by their restlessness and sufferings during the night; the little
probability that they would be able to travel, undiscovered, on Long
Island, even should they succeed in reaching the shore in safety; and
above all, the almost absolute impossibility of obtaining food for their
subsistence, as an application for that to our keepers would certainly
lead to detection. But, notwithstanding all our arguments, a few of
them remained determined to make the attempt. Their only reply to our
reasoning was, that they must die if they remained, and that nothing
worse could befall them if they failed in their undertaking.
“One of the most sanguine among the adventurers was a young man named
Lawrence, the mate of a ship from Philadelphia. He was a member of
the mess next to my own, and I had formed with him a very intimate
acquaintance. He frequently explained his plans to me; and dwelt much on
his hopes. But ardently as I desired to obtain my liberty, and great
as were the exertions I could have made, had I seen any probability
of gaining it, yet it was not my intention to join in this attempt.
I nevertheless agreed to assist in the labor of cutting through the
planks, and heartily wished, although I had no hope, that the enterprise
might prove successful.
“The work was accordingly commenced, and the laborers concealed, by
placing a blanket between them and the prisoners without. The counter of
the ship was covered with hard oak plank, four inches thick; and through
this we undertook to cut an opening sufficiently large for a man to
descend; and to do this with no other tools than our jack knives and a
single gimlet. All the occupants of the Gun-room assisted in this labor
in rotation; some in confidence that the plan was practicable, and the
rest for amusement, or for the sake of being employed. Some one of our
number was constantly at work, and we thus continued, wearing a hole
through the hard planks, from seam to seam, until at length the solid
oak was worn away piecemeal, and nothing remained but a thin sheathing
on the outside which could be cut away at any time in a few minutes,
whenever a suitable opportunity should occur for making the bold attempt
to leave the ship.
“It had been previously agreed that those who should descend through the
aperture should drop into the water, and there remain until all those
among the inmates of the Gun-room who chose to make the attempt could
join them; and that the whole band of adventurers should then swim
together to the shore, which was about a quarter of a mile from the
ship.
“A proper time at length arrived. On a very dark and rainy night, the
exterior sheathing was cut away; and at midnight four of our number
having disencumbered themselves of their clothes and tied them across
their shoulders, were assisted through the opening, and dropped one
after another into the water.
“Ill-fated men! Our guards had long been acquainted with the enterprise.
But instead of taking any measures to prevent it, they had permitted us
to go on with our labor, keeping a vigilant watch for the moment of
our projected escape, in order to gratify their bloodthirsty wishes. No
other motive than this could have prompted them to the course which they
pursued. A boat was in waiting under the ship’s quarter, manned with
rowers and a party of the guards. They maintained a profound silence
after hearing the prisoners drop from the opening, until having
ascertained that no more would probably descend, they pursued the
swimmers, whose course they could easily follow by the sparkling of the
water,--an effect always produced by the agitation of the waves in a
stormy night.
“We were all profoundly silent in the Gun-room, after the departure
of our companions, and in anxious suspense as to the issue of the
adventure. In a few minutes we were startled by the report of a
gun, which was instantly succeeded by a quick and scattering fire of
musketry. In the darkness of the night, we could not see the unfortunate
victims, but could distinctly hear their shrieks and cries for mercy.
“The noise of the firing had alarmed the prisoners generally, and the
report of the attempted escape and its defeat ran like wildfire through
the gloomy and crowded dungeons of the hulk, and produced much commotion
among the whole body of prisoners. In a few moments, the gratings were
raised, and the guards descended, bearing a naked and bleeding man,
whom they placed in one of the bunks, and having left a piece of burning
candle by his side, they again ascended to the deck, and secured the
gratings.
“Information of this circumstance soon reached the Gun-room; and myself,
with several others of our number, succeeded in making our way through
the crowd to the bunks. The wounded man was my friend, Lawrence. He was
severely injured in many places, and one of his arms had been nearly
severed from his body by the stroke of a cutlass. This, he said, was
done in wanton barbarity, while he was crying for mercy, with his hand
on the gunwale of the boat. He was too much exhausted to answer any
of our questions; and uttered nothing further, except a single inquiry
respecting the fate of Nelson, one of his fellow adventurers. This we
could not answer. Indeed, what became of the rest we never knew. They
were probably all murdered in the water. This was the first time that I
had ever seen a light between decks. The piece of candle had been left
by the side of the bunk, in order to produce an additional effect upon
the prisoners. Many had been suddenly awakened from their slumbers, and
had crowded round the bunk where the sufferer lay. The effect of the
partial light upon his bleeding and naked limbs, and upon the pale and
haggard countenances, and tattered garments of the wild and crowded
groups by whom he was surrounded, was horrid beyond description. We
could render the sufferer but little assistance, being only able to
furnish him with a few articles of apparel, and to bind a handkerchief
around his head. His body was completely covered, and his hair filled
with clotted blood; we had not the means of washing the gore from his
wounds during the night. We had seen many die, but to view this wretched
man expire in that situation, where he had been placed beyond the reach
of surgical aid, merely to strike us with terror, was dreadful.
“The gratings were not removed at the usual hour in the morning, but we
were all kept below until ten o’clock. This mode of punishment had now
become habitual with our keepers, and we were all frequently detained
between decks until a late hour in the day, in revenge for the most
trifling occasion. This cruelty never failed to produce the torments
arising from heat and thirst, with all their attendant miseries.
“The immediate purpose of our tyrants having been answered by leaving
Mr. Lawrence below in that situation they promised in the morning that
he should have the assistance of a surgeon, but that promise was not
fulfilled. The prisoners rendered him every attention in their power,
but in vain. Mortification soon commenced; he became delirious and died.
“No inquiry was made by our keepers respecting his situation. They
evidently left him thus to suffer, in order that the sight of his
agonies might deter the rest of the prisoners from following his
example.
“We received not the least reprimand for this transaction. The aperture
was again filled up with plank and made perfectly secure, and no similar
attempt to escape was made,--at least so long as I remained on board.
“It was always in our power to knock down the guards and throw them
overboard, but this would have been of no avail. If we had done so,
and had effected our escape to Long Island, it would have been next
to impossible for us to have proceeded any further among the number of
troops there quartered. Of these there were several regiments, and among
them the regiment of Refugees before mentioned, who were vigilant in
the highest degree, and would have been delighted at the opportunity of
apprehending and returning us to our dungeons.
“There were, however, several instances of individuals making their
escape. One in particular, I well recollect,--James Pitcher, one of
the crew of the Chance, was placed on the sick list and conveyed to
Blackwell’s Island. He effected his escape from thence to Long Island;
from whence, after having used the greatest precaution, he contrived to
cross the Sound, and arrived safe at home. He is now one of the three
survivors of the crew of the Chance.”