AMERICAN PRISONERS OF THE REVOLUTION

CHAPTER XL

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."

Previous     Next     Table of Contents