- v- -...fr - .. TrtTXTSf
. .... iL
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' . r ..1
'. . . ' . . 4
i-r' -'.-'ii,;' V;.7.:.iv--if'.;' . :-f
Vol. W.
-
3
we
FRIDAY, JULY 28, 1815.
JVV. 1008.
Vs,y
' f
RALEIGH, (N. C.)
PBINTKD. WBEKtli BY ALBX, LUCAS.
W. tfmbtiriPtion ; Three dollars jper.vcar, one half
to be paid n advance. No paper to be continued Jon
rex than three months after a year's subscription be.
- comes due, and notice thereof shall have been given.
tlvertitements, not exceeding 14 lines, are insertedthriwe
' for one dollar, and for twenty-five cents each subse
quent -nsertion and in likeproportion where there
- is a heater hifcibcr of lines than fourteen.
.foreign.
WASHINGTON CITY, JULY 14.
' We this day lay before the public, documents
jaiely received from England,- relaltive trt the
killing and woftodwg of the American cjlizens
imprisoned At Dartmoor. Jrat.iit.
- mwdok. 30th April. 1815.
Sin-f-In m v letter of the 19t inst. I informed you of
Uie. measures which had been adopted here in conae-Ks-l-n
tJtif.H'tunateiveat at Dartmoor Prison.
..." Vi i.itho hnnrr trr-transmit the conv f Wfiette'
addressed to me by Mr. Clay and Mr. Gallatin, relative to
tliat occurrence, and to the transportation' ol'theAmeri
can Prisoners in this Country to the United- States.
' In the absence of Mr. Adams it becomes my duty to
(Wmmunlcate for the informalion of our government, the
result of the investigation at Dartmoor. I inclose a copy
ftt the ioint retsort of the Commissioners appointed (or.
- thnt purpose, also of --a-letteT -from Mrr King to Mr;
Idarcs, and ot a usi oi tne Kiuea ana wounuea w
ticlancholv occasion ; I r
I shall leave to Mr. Adams any further steps which he
may deern it proper to take in this business. I cannot,
Rmvever, forbear Idnotice the erroneous impression of
the; prisoners, that their detention So long has been owing
to ne. You are aware, sir, of my constant exertions da
ting the war to effect their liberation. I immediately on
the slsminir of the Treaty of Peace at Glfent, renewed my
instances on that subject ; proposing as a condition, that
nation upon oatbC in the presence of one or iuore from the whole of the ttbove detailed circum
of the magistrates of the . vieinity, of all the Stances coanetted together '.'
witnesses, ithf American andfEnglibh, who of- ' 'l'he natural and almost irresistible inference
fered themselves-for that purpose; or who to be drawn, however, from theeenduct of the
could be discovered as likelv to afford any ma- prisoners by Capt. hortland and the military
Uterial information on the: snbjectj well as was, that an intention on the part of the pri-
luusejvnu uau urcu ureviuusiy riamiucu ueiurr smicrs iu escape was on me iioini oi ueinscar
the coroner, is ptherwise, to the number in the Vied into execution, and it was at least certain
w'hole of about iffhy We farther proceeded ! that they'were by force" passins beyond the H-
to a minute examinatfiorn .ojf the prisons, for the j mits- prescribed- to ,'them, at a time when they
purpose of eleariiig up some of the quints, ought to "have been quietly going iq"fr the
which, upqntKe evidence alone were scarcely night. It was also in evidence ; that the outer
intelligible 1 obtaining from the prisoners, and crates of th market son are were usually onen.
from the officers of the 4epot, all the necessary ed about this time let the bread wagon piss
assistance and explanation; and premising, and repassjo the store, although at the period
that we have been from necessity compelled to iu qoestiou they were in fact closed. .
draw many of. our conclusions from statements Under these circumstances, and with these
and evidence highly Contradictory, we do now impressions necessarily operating upon his
make upon the whole proceedings the following mind, And a knowledge that if the prisoners
report:v ; ' once ptoet rated through the square, the power
tbo artivafTn this eoantry of the account of the
ratification of the treaty of Ohent: aft increas
ed degree of restlessness and impatience of eon
filJement appears to have prevailed amongst
the, American, prisoners at JJartmoor whien,
though not exhibited in the shape of any vio
lenf excesses, has been principally indicated by
threats of breaking out if not soon released.
On the 4th of this month in particular, only
two days previous to the events which are the
J subject of this inquiry, a large body of the pri-
retire as they were ordered, frnmn aWiif inn i
which the responsibility of ih agents, and T tbe
.4
in
military could not permit them with safety id
remain. -r f -:-- --vrr'-Trrttr-
; From the lact of the cro w! ; being so elosi; ?
and the firjln at first being attended with ver
little injury, it appears probalIe that a larvn. '
proportion of the muskets were, as stated by
pe ortwoof the witnesses, levelled over The
ft " prwVnersa circumstance in Some .
respects to be lamented; as ft induced them to
cry out blank jcarjtridgeiI and: merely: irri
tated and eiicuraged them to renew their in ,
stilts. to the soldiery, which produced a repetiT
tionof the firing in a manner much more de
structive. , . ;, ' ' ' ;, ' ' -
The firing in the square havinjontinued
for some time, by which several of the nrison
ers Itrstained injuries, the greater par&of them
appear to lfav been running hack tvith the ut-
t
ltCt SZ '-Tra PW'P'tion andjfenpfusion tojhelt resmiizil
Ahmf ifUwy should be4iiod.Cpt3ft4rtircJiive further firin !
land in the -first; instance proceeded down th8 seems at 'thTs':-pe'rtolf nlfiavw eeaslri2""'-R'
square towards the prisoners, having ordered , p'ekri accordingly that , Capt. Shortldhd was m "
a part of th different guards to the uiimber of ! the market sauare 'exerting lti'nitr nnA ui,;n .
i n i
about SO onrr at first though thev were inrrenu- orders In thnt t(ft nA Kt l.f... u.i5. t.-3
ed afterwaids) to follow him. For some. time.sueceeded in stoppiugthe fire of his part of the
bflthhe andfr
meafps and persuasion, to induce the prisoners Under these circumstances it is very difficult
to retire to lleir own yards, explaining to them to find anv justification for the frirther eonrinn-
the fatal consequences which must ensue if they anee and renewal of the firing which certainly
refused, as the military would, in that case, be took ulace both , in the nrisnn -varda ami pUa.
soners rushed into the market square, from I necessarily leompelled to employ force. The where, though we have some evidence of subset
whence, by the regulations of the prison, they guard was by this time formed in the rear of nuent provocation eiveh to the militnr. and
are excluded, demanding bread, instead of bis-' capt. Shortiand, about two thirds of the way resistance to lhe turnkeys in shutting the pri
cuit, which had on that day, been issued by the jdown the square the latter is about one hun-; sons, and of stones beirg thrWn out from with
officers of the depot; their demands, however, 'dred feet brad and the guard extended nearly in the prison doors. . . '
.... . 1 " 3 1". J I... 1 . . . . . ' MS., . 1 - O ' w. "
f iS!!" complied : all acrossapt. Shortiand, finding; that per-! The subsequent firing rather appears to have
m of war and not at liberty to serve until reeuiarly ex-J wth they returned to their own Jards, and the suasion was all m vain, and that although some arisen from the state of individual irritation and
ehan?ed. in the event of the treaty not beine ratified by
the President. This proposition was declined and in a
peremptory manner
ciupiiiymeui. ui iuicc uu uccusuiu uccaiuc wre muuceu oy u 10 mase an enori io retire, exasperation on the part of the v. old re rs who
unnecessary. . , j others pressed on in considerable numbers, at followed the prisoners into their yards, and
:'. On the Aveninsr of the fith. nhrvnt ft o'e.lnelr. it Inst nnfpreH Jlinnt is (IL nf ilmninari) mn.li Vn. l,u n.iu.n 4.1 r...
. 7 - - - - j - - uui. " v. me utani 11 if iu 1 auscuic ui iicai i v an lue uuicni w uu
was cieariv provea to us, mat a oreacn or note in front or thi caie whirl, had heen fnreed. to : micrbt have rpstmitiod it. iv.it . fmm th
On the receipt of the intelliffehce of the ratification ,
lrom America, 1 lost not 4 moment lnrequesunjr me re-1 , , . ,. ' 0 , , 7 . . i " " . r'"v V'"" "-v....-
lease of tlje prisoners, according to the terms of the trea- j h.ad been made in one or the prison walls, sulfi-. charge the priloners back to their own yards. Igreat difficulty of putting an end to a firing,
tv.an.i the number of vessels which fhad hired, as meh-jcient for a full sized man to pass, and that oth-j : The prisoneis were intsome places So near the,' when once commenced under such eircumstan
timed in my letter of the 13th, and which are now on . ers had been commenced in the course of the military, that one of the soldiers states that he ices. Capt. Shortiand was from this ti"m husi
SryT Dear lhe me spot, though neyercomple. could not come fairly down to the eharge,Wd Jly occupied with- the. turkeys in th square
" . 1 1110 iiiiiiLai t .ncrr unwilling in hpt b HiPHinsrTPfHivirif'Hiui ihkith. PHrpiiTinp ivniniipn.r.n
transportation to their country. The prisoners, alsor
Vert-inforned of these measures, and of the exertions
thich had
ttiem to their
That a nnmhpr of the prisoners - were over
been made from the commencement to return ! he railing erected to prevent them from com-
icir lumcswith the least possible . delay. ! municatiHg with the sentineh
Is on the walls,
1 hetore, wnateve- may nave seen, meir uiraess un. hi h a ftf course forbidden by the regula-
lr confinement, and yhatever hostde feelings they may ,. ... . ... .. csu"
h ive h id towanls me, as noticed in the report, and-in t,ons le prison, and that rn the space be-
Mr. K:n?'s letter, I mu t satf with confidence, that I
ouliLjltpreventhe openQP have I deserved tha-otherr
1 nave me nonor-xo De, sir, your most ODeaieni nutnpic
servant '
' V R.G.BEASLEY.
The Hon. Johw Masos, &c. &c.
: WHDoy,- 18th XTMC,X815.
. .1 .i 11 .....
iween me raiting anu inose wans, they were
tearing-up- pieces nf titf fBayantotypelu
ing each other in a noisy and disorderly man
ner. '
That a much more considerable number of
the prisoners was collected together at that' w ith the exception of a small number who eon
fitn AtthereouestoflordCastlerearh. we have had i"ne in one ot tlieir yards near the place where1 tinued their resistance .about No. 1 irate. -
intervievr with him &Mr. Coulburnon the subject of; the breach was affected, and that although such ! A great crowd still remained collected after
fte transportation of the AmericMprisonera now m thU j CoHection 6f prisoners was not njiasual at oth- thisin the paaSe between the square and the.
country to the U.S. and of the late .unfortunate event at L timeg r.he rffamblinr tables hein eommnnlv fi.,.r.' v.rJ.'M ; -L XY! 1
o- o a . " -' " ,.uar uu .1. .I1VUU.VVK ,tiua
an enemy, some of the prisoners also were un-! sign -White- remained with his guard at the
Willing and reluctant to retire, and some push breach, und Lieuts. Avelyneand Fortye?the'on
ing and struggling ensued between the parties, , ly other subalterns known to have been ((resent,
arising partly from .intention, but mainly from con finued in the square with the main bodies
the presure ot those behind preventing those 111 lot their respective guards. '
ironLjj8.mEf.iuaa uacK-AHefome-titiirr 1 rreiime oi day, which was the ot
timevhowever, tins charge appears to have been
so far effective, and that with little or no inju
ry io the prisoners, as to have driven them for
the most part tiuiete down out of thesnuare.
. . . . -
Jic depot at uartmoor. - 1 4i 4 - li . '
On the hist subject we agreed to advise youracct'pt -j r, .7 " JaiKJJ 3" wucu tn-
mce of the proposition of Lord Castlereaijh to transport nected with the circumstances of the breach,
'Ji; prisoners at the joint expense of the two countries, and at the limeof the day, which was af
fesening the construction of the articles of the treaty,! ter the hour the signal for the prisoners to re-
wncn provKies Kir uie uiuiufu resioraiion 01 uie prison-i . .I..:- ;. , , , .
ctt, for future a ljustmerit. - It was stated by and ivas t,re .thLeir respective prisons had ceased to
auiiuu, 11 urtauic a. uaiui a I auu JU11 !l UUIIM OI a-
so understood, that the ioint eXDense thus to be incurred.
is to comprehend as well the requisite tonnage as thejlarm to those who had charge of the depot.
I ' . C .. 1 ' J . .1. . -m . - . ... . . . ......
suusisienceoi uie prisoners; ana moreover, mat mea- n was also in evidence that in the buildinff.
siiresof precaution should be adopted; relative td the formerly the petty officers' prison, but nowlhe
ftealth and comfort of the prisoners, similar to those! J ... m
.i,;,i,k..ii.u.i...!. iJ,..;.. ' I guards barracks, which stands in the vard to
.iiiv.ii imu ia&.cii piavc ii initi tLK. iu . i
details of thisarrangemcnt, ifyou concur with usi which, the hole in the wall, would serve as a
. wi vAi:uiency w uiiukiiijj it, arc icil uj yuu to sei-i vuiiiuiuuicaiion, a part oi me arms oi me guarn
dewUh thepropern;itish au1 Jiarity, : .4 who were off duty, were usually kept in the
-Othe olher subject, as a statement of the transaction' .. , .1 . 1 ,
U. s been received from the American prisoners, dating "fe nd4hoJS'l -there was ..no, evidence that
very fflaterially" in fact from that which had resulted this was in any respect the motive which indu
from an enquiry instituted by the port admiral, it has ' ced the prisoners to make the opening in the
heendwught advisable that some means should be de- wall, or even that they were acquainted with
tjsed of procuring information as to the real state of the ua r.,.. ..?...... ii w. i . ....' .1
ca.e.- m order on the one hand to shew that there had tne fact; ualurally became at leas a further
a6tbeeiV any wanton or improper sacrifice of the lives of cause of suspicion and alarm, and an additional
American citizens, or on the other, to enable the British reason lor precaution;
government. punish their civil and military officers, if . innn rniin'ai'A Ginwin,l
it should appea? that they have resorted to measures of v UP"n Ihese groundg capt. Shortland;appears
atreme severity without4necessity, or with 00 much to us to have beca juifiedin giving the order,
precipitation. . " . ' whicU he seems to have given, to sound the a-
Lord" Castiereagh proposed that the enquiry should be larm bell, the usual signal for collecting the offi-
KnQducied?y of the' depot and the military on
each government. And we have thought such enqui- th . .. 0
15-.M-llytO .pnxUicaaii4tnpartMl siid.-satfiwtory-M4eJlierU; TTrTTT V .
tts"lt v ; . However reasonable and justifiable this was
Wepresume that you will have, too jiiuch occupation ' as a measure of precaution, the effects produ
on the first subiect and the other inc dental 'duties of . ... . .
Lur office, to attend to this enquiry in person. On that , , m tne prisons, Uut wlnctl could not
" ...... . . ...... - 1 . Iiaira Laah .kIamJaJ . -,. i',. - .. . .1
Hl'suion we nnre statea to the British government ccn nucuucu, wcic iiiusj uuiui iiiimic, auu
tlut- we should recommend, to you the selection of Chas. deeply to be regretted.A considerable nnm
K'flg.Esq; as a fit person to conduct it in behalf of the ; ber of the prisoners in the yards where no dis-
re eitb-
tonjunction with the Bntish commissioner, who may be ! er .-"ready t within their respective prisons, or
; Ppi)inted.on the occasion, willexamine the persons con- quietly retiring as Usual towards them, immedi
CemedMiid such o her evidence aa miv be thoiurht TtipJ H'telv iinnn the annnd of the hell rushed hmL
c'ti" e aiint P? uPn. the, facts of the; from curiosity (as it appears) towards the gates,
ws'oJ.Q. Adams, Esq. minister plenipotentiary of tlie; i L -.L . fu j k i 11 j
T3 atcsatth.s court and to the Briti,? government ! wh,ere' by that time, he crowd had assembled,
.The mode of executing this service must be left to i an " maHy were aV "e, t,me absent from their
" discretion of Mr." Kino" and hi. rnllpntmo If thw ' vnrdsL werp nkn' from the nln of the nrianni
' .V- "A . '. '. ' . . ' . - r-- -- --- r
Can
upon a narraiive ot me lactsatter navmg read compelled, in order to reach their own homes,
necessary to do. if thev cann ot mnw to sur.h an n ita - was merely, , a measure of precaution in its
, 0 . .- - 0
Pent. . i. .
VI e are, air, your obedient humble servants,
Signed J' H. CLAY, ;
..i' - ALBEItT GALLATIN
H.O; Beasley,Es4 &C. &C. . .
' P.lumriitV Ofitli An..;!'
' ,'e, the undersigned commissioners, appoint
Woi behalf of our respective governments, to
nqyir into, and report upon, the unfortunate
"frence of the 6th of April inst. at Dart
? j' pr'"n : havinS carefully perused the pro
edinS of the several courts of inquiry insti
Ulea immediately after that event, hy the or.
. n.9.t ' Admiral air Jntln Tlilnlrivnrtlt and mi.
vael-B'f',I,0Ctiv,y' weli as de-t8quare
-"uv tana at the coroner's inquest hpou
. 8 f lhe P'90r-who lost their lives
iLi ?a! meUnelmlys ieeasibn i upon which
estthe Jury foT? a verdict of justifiable
-SUIllllMilr. . " ...... .-..
operation increased the evil it was intended to
prevent. . . J ' ,
r Almost at the same, instant that the alarm
bell ransr, (but whether before or subsequent is
npwhevtde"nce
Shortiand states it positively as one of his fur
ther 'reasons for causing ft to ring) some oneor
more of th prisoners broke the' iron chain,
which was the only I fastening of No. 1 gate,"
leadinginto the market square, bymeans of an
irop bar ; .and a very considerable number of
the prisoners immedietely rushed towards. that
sate i and many -of them beean to press for ward
as fast as the opening would-permit into the
There was no direct- proof before us of-pre
vious concert or preparation on-the part of the
prisoners; and no evidence ofT their intention nr
JUiknuilimi in cfT.-pl their inhf hh Thr heen."
!;--v-'- fe Pced iofmediately to the exaki-1 sion, excepting that which arose by inference
in thevieinity of the crates. This assemblaere
still refused to withdraw, atid according to most
of tfife English witnesses, and some of the A
merican, wa making a noise, hallooing, insult
ing, and provoking, and daring the military to
fire, and according to the evidence of several
- ' K
leers' d
in
ner hour will in some measure explain this, as
it caused the absence of every officer from the
prison whose presence was not indispensable
there. Ajdthis cjreumtanee. which nasbeen
urged as an argument to prove the intention
of the prisoners' to take this opportunity .ioei
cape, tended to increase the confusion, and to
pre ychH hose great exert ions Ving made which
might perhaps have obviate? a portion at least
of the mischief w hich ensued.
At the same time that the firing wa,s going
on in the square, a cross fire was also kept up
from several of; the platforms' on the walls
round the prison where the sentries stand, by
straggling parties of soldiers who ran up there
of the soldiers, and some others, was peltin? for'that purpose. As far as this fire was (li
the military with large stones, by which some rected to disperse the men assembled round the
of them were actually struck. This circum- beach, for w hich purpose it was most effectual,
stances is however, denied by many of the A- it seems to stand upon the same ground as that
merican witnesses ; and some of the'English in the first instance iri the square.' But that
upon having the question put to them, stated Jiart .which' Js positively sworn was directed.s
they saw no stones thrown previously to the, againststrageling parties jjf pnsoners runnings
irds and endeavnunn? to enter in the
firing, although their situation at the time was
such as to enable them to see most of the other
proceedings in the square.
Under- these circumstances the firing com
menced.,; With regard to any order haviug
been given to fire, the evidence is very contra
dictory. Several of the Americans swear posi
tively that Capt. Shortiand gave that order ;
but the manner in which, from the confusion of
the moment, they describe this part of the tran
saction, is so different in its details that it is
very difficult to reconcile their testimony. Ma
ny, ofthe soldiers, and other-English witnesses!
heard the word given by some one but ho one
of them can swear it was by Capt. Shortiand,
or by any one iu particular, and some, amongst
auout the yards and endeavouring to enter in the
few doors which the turnkeys according to their
usual practice, had left open, Ioes seem as sta
ted to have been wholly without object or ex-,
use, and to haVe been a wanton attack upon
the lives of defenceless, at that time unoffending
and individuals. - ' . .
In the same, or even more severe terms, we
must remark upon what was proved as to the
firing into the door ways of the. prisons, more
particularly into that of No. 3 prison, at a time
when the men were in crowds at the entrance;-- ;
From the position of the pristfn and of the door,
and from the marks of the balls Which were
pointed out to us, as well as from the evidence,
it was clear this" tiring must haye proceeded
whom : is the officer commanding the euard,i'rom soldiers, a very few feet from the door way
think, if Captain Shortiand had given such tLh
order that they must have heard it, which they
(and denies the fact ; and from the situation in
and. although it was certainly sworn that the
prisoners were at the time of part of the firifig "
did not. -In addition to this, Captain Shorl-j at least, continuing to insult and occasionally
throw 'stones at the scldiersj and that they Were',.
which 4ie appears to have, been placed at the I standing in the way of, aTitrtnipTding4he tftrn
time, even accordingto the American witness-! kt-y, 'who' was: th'eiCfor the purpose of closing ,
es, in jroni oi me soldiers, it may appear some
what improbable that he should then have giv
en such an order.
the door, vet still there was nothine stated
which could in our view at all justify snc h ex
cessively harsh and severe treatment of help-
But, however it mav remain a matter Of less aud unarmed prisoners when, all idea of
doubt whether the firing: first besan in the escape was at an end." ' 'rT.J"f-'r'T--
square by order, or was. a spontaneous act of j .Under these impressions tiled fivPry en
the soldiers themselves, it seemed clear that it
.' . ' '' - .
was continued and renewed both there and else
where; without orders ; and that on the plat
forms, and in'seVeral places about, thes prison,
it was certainly commenced w ithout authority.
.Xhfajii)f..anl6rdr having-hew--ei venial
first, provided the fire Was under the existing.
yi. v uiiisiuiivcs, jusiumuie, uoes noi appear very
iiinienai in any oilier point oi view man as
shewing a want of self possession, anddisci
pline in the troops, if they should have fired
without order.; i ; , :'V""'i'L"'"'
With regard to the above most important
consideration of w bet her the fi ring was just i
fiable or not, we are of opinion, under all the
Icircnmstances of the case-, froni the apprehen-
sion wjucii the soldiers might larrly entertain,
oWingto the-numbers and conduct of the pri
soners, that ifii firing to a certain extent was
justifiabi&io a mittta
io iniimiuaieine prisoners ana compel inem
deavor to aseertain if there was the least pros
pect of indentily iiig any of the soldiers who
had been guilty of the particular outrages hero
alluded to, or of tracing any particular death
at that time to the firing of any particnlar indi-vidua!,-
hitwithou f nceess ;--aml ;al t hope's: nf
bringing me offenders, to punishment should
seem to be at an end.';" .'-; "yj' " "' ''. .. .
In conclusion, wTei the undersigned, have on
ly to add that whilst We lament, as we do most
deeply, ihe untortunate transaction. which h f
been Ithe. subject if this inquiry ,we ' find On'r
selves totally unable to suggest any steps to be"
taken a.S to those parts of it which seem most
to rail for. redress and punishment.
Signed, CHAS.-KlJNli,
' t
FU AS; SKYtMO U U LAIIPE NT,
ritMOUTH, 26TH APHIX, 181 J. '
StRIh pursuauce of. instruct ions received
from llcssrs; Clay and GallatiiiI liaVe now the -honor
totFansoiit to. you tile report Sf Mr. L.ar-
thereby to delist from all acts of violence, and pent and myself on behalf of cur resptctiv ?
1