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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1778
A letter, of 22, from Colonel F. Johnston, was read, informing, that "as it never was his wish to give up his rank in the line, he therefore begs leave to decline the acceptance of his late appointment of commissary general of prisoners;"1 Whereupon,
[Note 1: 1 This letter is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 78, XIII, folio 83.]
Resolved, That he have leave to decline the said appointment.
A letter, of the 7, from John James Doerner, Jun. at Edenton, [North Carolina, was read:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
The Board of War, to whom was referred the letter of the 17th, from John Conolly and others, prisoners, brought in a report, which was read;
At a Board of War, 22d May, 1778
The board taking into consideration the letter from Doctor John Conolly, and the other prisoners of war, most of whom have been lately removed from Carlisle goal into the prison of the county of York, beg leave to report to Congress,
That, forbearing to remark upon the indecency of the terms in which the said letter is conceived, and which is calculated for other purposes than merely to relate their pretended grievances, The Board will lay before Congress the facts which they have collected from Major Wilson, commanding at Carlisle during the residence of Major Stockton and other officers of his party in the goal of that place; from Mr. T. Peters, Deputy Commissary of prisoners, who has had the charge during the winter of the prisoners at Carlisle and York; from Doctor Henry, employed to attend the British prisoners when sick; and from Colo. Pickering one of the Board, who visited the goal of this place. From the concurrent testimony of all which Gentlemen, the account given by the prisoners in their said letter appears to be founded in falsehood Misrepresentations.
Major Wilson, who was frequently called in by the Officers themselves to examine into their situation at Carlisle, agrees with the Commissary of prisoners, That as often as either of these Gentlemen
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visited the goal at Carlisle, the officers, being six in number, had the priviledge of the whole goal, except such part as the goaler occupied, and one room entirely to themselves, and, altho' the criminals were under the same roof, yet they were so far from being crowded, that there were not in the said goal more than six or seven prisoners at a time (and the most of these Tories) on an average, during the confinement of the officers at that place. That the goal was as clean as such places can be kept, and if it had not been so, the fault would have lain with the officers who were indulged with two servants to attend them for the purposes of cleansing their apartment and waiting on their persons. These officers too were confined by order of the Commissary General of prisoners as a retaliation for those of our army, suffering every degree of insult and cruelty which British haughtiness and inhumanity could inflict, in the provost and dungeons of New York and Philadelphia. This being the reason of their confinement, and the foregoing the situation of it, the Board conceive their imprisonment was of the mildest nature, when compared with the rigours of that of our own officers. But the goal at Carlisle not being secure, the deputy Commissary of prisoners removed them to the prison of this place, wherein was also confined Doctor John Conolly, for the same causes which induced and continued their present imprisonment, and for other reasons of policy and prudence. Doctor Conolly having also sundry times behaved amiss while on parole.
In the goal of York these prisoners (seven only in number) have two airy rooms, the one fifteen by twenty feet, and the other something less. besides the priviledge of the whole goal and yard, which is sixty yards long, and eighteen wide--frequently swept, and kept as clean as possible, and by no means "polluted with filth, &c.," there being a privy at the extreme end of the yard. These Gentlemen too have three servants to attend them. Their complaints then, of being confined in a loathsome crowded prison, infected with a contagious fever, and polluted with noisome smells thro every part are not warranted by facts. The goal is made a place of temporary confinement for passing prisoners, but is never crowded, and there are now only nine privates therein, and three of them are the officers' servants, altho' it is capable of holding conveniently one hundred and sixty prisoners. There was some time ago an apprehension in a part of the goal distant from the officers' apartments, that a contagious fever had broke out among the soldiers, but the diseased were immediately removed to hospitals, and a Surgeon and nurses provided for them, and every
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assistance afforded them the nature of our affairs would admit. The goal is now clean and healthy, save that there are five soldiers who have fevers from want of exercise and other causes common to places of confinement, but the disorders are not contagious or dangerous.
Mr. Conolly, altho' indulged with every thing a prisoner could reasonably wish, has repeatedly represented his own, and the situation of the goal, in similar terms with the letter now under consideration, and the former, and this Board, have often had consequent examinations, in all of which they found the complaints groundless. Once particularly, when Mr. Conolly represented himself as at the point of death from the severity of his confinement, the board directed Doctor Shippen to visit him, who reported that his situation was directly opposite to his representation, his indisposition slight and merely of an Hippochandriac Nature.
The Board have been so particular for several reasons, one whereof is, to supercede the necessity of future enquiries, and are upon the whole of opinion, that these Gentlemen should be more strictly confined, as from the indulgence now given them there is a probability of some of them at least making their escape.
By order of the Board
Richard Peters.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 147, II, folio 57.]
∥Whereupon,
Congress passed the following:∥
Whereas, it appears probable that attempts are making to misrepresent the conduct of these United States towards the prisoners in their possession, in some degree to wipe off or counterbalance the just reproach that has fallen upon our enemies for their barbarity:
Resolved, That the letter from John Connolly and others, dated Yorktown gaol, May 17, 1778, together with the report of the Board of War upon it, be published.
A motion being made, that the resolution of the 19 August, 1777, relative to Lieutenant Colonel Carrington be expunged from the journals, an amendment was moved in lieu thereof, as follows:
Whereas Congress are fully satisfied that Lieutenant Colonel Carrington, from a sense of the impropriety of
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his conduct to his excellency Patrick Henry Esqr, Governor of Virginia, had, before he knew of any resolution having been past by Congress, relative to him, made a suitable and satisfactory apology to Governor Henry,
Resolved, That Lieutenant Colonel Carrington stands in the opinion of Congress in as favourable a point of view as if the resolution of Congress, of the 19th August, 1777, had not been entered into--which was agreed to.
To this an addition was moved, "And that the same be not published in the printed Journals". A motion was made to amend the addition so as to read "and that the present and former resolution of the 19th August, 1777, be not published in the printed Journals."
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So it passed in the affirmative.
It was then moved to divide the amendment, and the question being put on the first part, and the yeas and nays taken,
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Resolved in the affirmative, every member answering ay.
The question being put on the latter part, viz, "and that the present and former resolution of the 19 August, 1777, be not published in the printed Journal."
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So it was resolved in the affirmative.
The Committee on the Treasury brought in a report: Whereupon,
Ordered, That 50,000 dollars be advanced to the Marine Committee, to be by them transmitted to the navy board at Boston, for the use of the navy in the eastern department; the said Marine Committee to be accountable.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 136, II, folio 311,]
Ordered, That Mr. [Nathaniel] Scudder have leave of absence.
Adjourned to 9 o'Clock on Monday.
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