"Colonial News That's Fit to
Print"
September 12, 1776
Thousands of Casualties on British Prison Ships
By Ryan Gucci
During the last few days of
August
there were many horrific discoveries of all twelve of the British
Prison Ships found in Wallabout Bay off Brooklyn. The horrible sight
was not only that of the men finally
seeing the light for the first
time in months, but also realizing the horrific conditions that
occurred
there.Along with these twelve ships the British had
so many soldiers
held captive the ships weren't 
enough space to hold them so they
needed
to use the jails on captured territory
of New York. Abuse, neglect, and
starvation were among the main causes of death within the prison
ships
because without the cleanliness of the ships cargo being maintained
diseases and other illnesses were passed about and without the
proper
medical attention the simplest of ailments would become deadly.
After
calculations th generals of the war realized that more people died on
the prison ships and in captured New York prisons than in all the
battles of the war combined!
Most of the people that were trapped upon these twelve dreadful ships were obtained through the Battle of Long Island and also through the fall of New York not long after. Once any Patriot found himself held captive upon one of these ships and or in one of the Prisons there were some ways to get off of the ships. We got our information of the escapes off of the ships from a true American Patriot hero Robert Sheffield who had the courage and wits to manage to escape one of the prison ships. According to Mr. Sheffield he said " After that life changing experience I never want to see another ship again in my life!" Mr. Sheffield told us that the on the ships and within the prison that if you may have had any money in your pocket
s before you were
captured than 
you might of
been able to use that money to bribe one of the guards to let
you free
and off of the
ship. The other way that
you had a chance of escaping was the old
fashioned way
sneaking out which was
also the most dangerous. The only
definite way you
could ensure you getting off of the ship and or out of
the prison was to betray the
patriots and enlist in the ranks of the
British.
Another amazing Patriot who was lucky enough to get off of the ship, Captain Thomas Dring, took time out
of the war to sit down and answer a few of our questions for us.
Q: How did you find yourself held captive upon one of these ships?
Ans: "Well all i could really remember is as I was running across a field to try and flank the British I was ambushed and knocked out and the next thing I remember was being surrounded by fellow patriots in a dark dank environment."
Q: What was your fist emotion when you found out you were captured?
Ans: "Definitely fear, fear for my life i knew I'm supposed to lead these men but just looking around would strike fear into anyone, looking around seeing all of the others beaten and ill of various diseases, my skin crawls just thinking about it!"
Q: Are there any ways you can suggest and put into action that would greatly reduce the amount of soldiers captured?
Ans:" Yes I've already put my ideas into action by planning our groups moves more strategically as a team to ensure less people are captured I know that some people will be captured that's inevitable but to drastically reduce the number would mean a lot into winning the war itself."
enough space to hold them so they needed
to use the jails on captured territory
of New York. Abuse, neglect, and
starvation were among the main causes of death within the prison
ships
because without the cleanliness of the ships cargo being maintained
diseases and other illnesses were passed about and without the
proper
medical attention the simplest of ailments would become deadly.
After
calculations th generals of the war realized that more people died on
the prison ships and in captured New York prisons than in all the
battles of the war combined! Most of the people that were trapped upon these twelve dreadful ships were obtained through the Battle of Long Island and also through the fall of New York not long after. Once any Patriot found himself held captive upon one of these ships and or in one of the Prisons there were some ways to get off of the ships. We got our information of the escapes off of the ships from a true American Patriot hero Robert Sheffield who had the courage and wits to manage to escape one of the prison ships. According to Mr. Sheffield he said " After that life changing experience I never want to see another ship again in my life!" Mr. Sheffield told us that the on the ships and within the prison that if you may have had any money in your pocket
s before you were
captured than you might of
been able to use that money to bribe one of the guards to let
you free
and off of the
ship. The other way that
you had a chance of escaping was the old
fashioned way
sneaking out which was
also the most dangerous. The only
definite way you
could ensure you getting off of the ship and or out of
the prison was to betray the
patriots and enlist in the ranks of the
British.
Q: How did you find yourself held captive upon one of these ships?
Ans: "Well all i could really remember is as I was running across a field to try and flank the British I was ambushed and knocked out and the next thing I remember was being surrounded by fellow patriots in a dark dank environment."
Q: What was your fist emotion when you found out you were captured?
Ans: "Definitely fear, fear for my life i knew I'm supposed to lead these men but just looking around would strike fear into anyone, looking around seeing all of the others beaten and ill of various diseases, my skin crawls just thinking about it!"
Q: Are there any ways you can suggest and put into action that would greatly reduce the amount of soldiers captured?
Ans:" Yes I've already put my ideas into action by planning our groups moves more strategically as a team to ensure less people are captured I know that some people will be captured that's inevitable but to drastically reduce the number would mean a lot into winning the war itself."
There were over 15
Massive prison ships not including the Unknown ones.
Whitby (250) 1776
Kitty and unknown ship (500) 1777 - burned 1777
Unknown ships (500) 1778
Unknown ships (500) 1779
Good Hope (500) 1780 - burned 1780
Jersey (400) 1780 - had been used as prison on East River 1779
Falmouth (200) 1780 - hospital prison ship
Hope (200) 1780 - hospital prison ship
Scorpion (300) 1780
Strombolo (200) 1780 - sloop of 4 guns, a fire ship [?]
Hunter (200) 1780 - sloop, hospital prison ship
John (200-300) 1783
Frederick (n/a) 1783 -- hospital prison ship
Perseverance (n/a) 1783 -- hospital prison ship
Bristol (n/a) 1783 -- hospital prison ship
To go to the Salesian High Web Page click here
To go to Mr Zaccagnino's Web Page click here
To Learn More bout the Prison Ships of Wallabout Bay Click on any one of these links
Newsday.com
Newark Star Ledger
Genealogy Website
Fragment of the Prison Ship Jersey
Kitty and unknown ship (500) 1777 - burned 1777
Unknown ships (500) 1778
Unknown ships (500) 1779
Good Hope (500) 1780 - burned 1780
Jersey (400) 1780 - had been used as prison on East River 1779
Falmouth (200) 1780 - hospital prison ship
Hope (200) 1780 - hospital prison ship
Scorpion (300) 1780
Strombolo (200) 1780 - sloop of 4 guns, a fire ship [?]
Hunter (200) 1780 - sloop, hospital prison ship
John (200-300) 1783
Frederick (n/a) 1783 -- hospital prison ship
Perseverance (n/a) 1783 -- hospital prison ship
Bristol (n/a) 1783 -- hospital prison ship
To go to the Salesian High Web Page click here
To go to Mr Zaccagnino's Web Page click here
To Learn More bout the Prison Ships of Wallabout Bay Click on any one of these links
Newsday.com
Newark Star Ledger
Genealogy Website
Fragment of the Prison Ship Jersey