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      Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).





                                A RELIC
                                 OF THE
                              REVOLUTION,

              CONTAINING A FULL AND PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF
                THE SUFFERINGS AND PRIVATIONS OF ALL THE

                           AMERICAN PRISONERS

              CAPTURED ON THE HIGH SEAS, AND CARRIED INTO
                     PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND, DURING THE

                          REVOLUTION OF 1776;

     With the Names of the Vessels taken—the Names and Residence of
       the several Crews, and time of their Commitment—the Names
       of such as died in Prison, and such as made their Escape,
                or entered on board English Men-of-War;
                    until the exchange of prisoners,
                            March 15, 1779.

                                 ALSO,

                AN ACCOUNT OF THE SEVERAL CRUISES OF THE
                     SQUADRON UNDER THE COMMAND OF

                       COMMODORE JOHN PAUL JONES,

                        PRIZES TAKEN, ETC., ETC.


                                -------

               BY CHARLES HERBERT, OF NEWBURYPORT, MASS.

      Who was taken prisoner in the Brigantine Dolton, Dec., 1776,
           and served in the U.S. Frigate Alliance, 1779-80.

                                -------

                                BOSTON:

                    PUBLISHED FOR THE PROPRIETOR, BY
                          _CHARLES H. PEIRCE._

                                 1847.

       ---------------------------------------------------------

        Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1847,

                           BY RICHARD LIVSEY,

     In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

       ---------------------------------------------------------

                        Stereotyped and Printed
                     By George C. Rand and Company,
                        No. 3 Cornhill, Boston.




                               CONTENTS.

                            CHAPTER I.

                                                                PAGE

   The Dolton sailed—Was taken—Breach of Honor—Disagreeable
     Lodgings—Advantage of being Small—A Report—English
     Women—Royal Salute—Removed—A Prize  brought in—Daily
     Allowance on board His Majesty’s Ships—The  Charming
     Sally—Orders.                                                17

                           CHAPTER II.

   Disease and Vermin—Reports—Pressed Men—Removal to  the
     Tarbay—Cold Berth—Sickness prevails—General Lee—A
     Friend—An Act of Parliament—Removal for better—Better
     Quarters—Special Favors—Liberal Distribution—Great
     Contrast—A good Friend—Sickness increases.                   22

                           CHAPTER III.

   Death of E. Hunt—Gets the privilege to Work—Good Pay—Act of
     Parliament—Poetry—A Captain’s Compliments—Wish granted—A
     Report—Paper—A Prize—Prayers on board—A
     Privilege—Reckoning—Critical
     Situation—Small-Pox—Visitors—Report from America—Small-Pox
     prevails—Captain Rowe—Ship Nancy taken—Terrible
     Punishment—Carried to the Hospital—Treatment for Itch.       27

                           CHAPTER IV.

   Royal Hospital Buildings—An Adventure—Taken down with
     Small-Pox—Three Prisoners Escape—Re-taken—Severe
     Sickness—Second Death—Joseph Hatch—Recovery—Kind attention
     of the Nurses—Samuel Shriggins, the third of the company,
     died—Attempt to Escape.                                      34

                            CHAPTER V.

   Fourth Death—Captain Brown’s Escape—His Men sent to
     Prison—Discharge from the Hospital—Yellow Fever—Fifth
     Death—Cruelty to the Dead—Examination—Commitment to
     Prison—Prison Allowance—Hunger—Prison Employments—Charity
     Box—Hard Fare—Guard Alarmed—Friendly Visitors—A Mean
     Trick.                                                       40

                           CHAPTER VI.

   More Prisoners—A Present—Visit from American
     Gentlemen—Black-Hole—Fleet of Transports for
     America—Prisoners Escape—Death—Prospect of War with
     France—First Breach in the Prison Wall—Fox Frigate taken
     by the Hancock—A Newspaper—Number of Prisoners—Escape of
     thirty-two Prisoners—Bounty—Punishment—Cruelty to the
     Old—Captain Lee taken in the Fancy—Hears from Home—Bad
     News—False Reports—Daniel Cottle died.                       48

                           CHAPTER VII.

   Attempt to Escape discovered—Awful description of
     Suffering—Dreadful Starvation—Gloomy Prospects—Death of
     Gideon Warren—Detection—Close Examination—Commissioner—A
     Newspaper—Relief Prohibited—Attempt to Escape—Oath of
     Secrecy—Another Attempt to Escape—Captain Johnston and the
     Lexington—Sea Fight—The Press continued—Love of
     Liberty—Meeting after a long absence—A Privilege
     granted—Agent in a good humor—A Purchase—More
     Prisoners—Running the Gantlet.                               58

                          CHAPTER VIII.

   More Prisoners—Hears from Home—Suspicion—A hot Press—1500
     Seamen wanted—News from America—Disagreeable
     Company—Destitution of the Prisoners—Digging and
     Detection—A Pious Wish—Twenty Years of Age—Mournful
     Reflections—Letter from Bilboa—Bad Bread—Unpleasant
     Reflections—King’s Speech—Bold
     Project—Failure—Reports—Strictness of the
     Guard—Suspicion—Privation from the Gospel—Prisoners
     Threatened—Voluntary Sacrifice—Good News reported—Detail
     of General Burgoyne’s Defeat—Washington and Howe.            69

                           CHAPTER IX.

   Christmas Pudding—Christmas Presents—Clothes Served—Happy
     New Year—Friends appear—Presents—Friends increase—Large
     Donations reported—Donation from British Recruiting
     Parties—Private Donations—Exhortations to a Civil, Sober
     Life—Large Distribution of Clothing—Royal Salute—Regular
     Allowance from Donation Fund—Increasing Privilege.           82

                            CHAPTER X.

   Price of Tobacco—Cleanliness—Not to be
     Discouraged—Blankets—Distribution—Letter from
     America—Officers Escape—Arrival of a Fleet—Paper—Dr.
     Franklin to the Council—State of Troops—Deserters
     Taken—Visit from the Governor and Lady—Removal of
     Officers—General wish for Peace—A
     Newspaper—Commissioners—Public Fast—Allowance
     Withdrawn—Liberality—Petition Refused—A Newspaper—Reward
     of Bravery—Lights Continued.                                 92

                           CHAPTER XI.

   Awful Penalty for Desertion—Public Indignation—Remarkable
     Health of the Prisoners—Recruiting Party in Cornwall—Howe
     in Trouble—Two Fathers—Scarcity of Provisions in the West
     Indies—Black-hole—American Privateer—Hot
     Press—Detection—French Brig run down—Prisoners sell their
     Clothes to Gamble—“Preceptor”—Extreme
     Punishment—Sports—Examination—Use of Poverty—English
     Ambassador returns from France—Captain
     Boardman—Titcomb—Hope of Return—Commissioners to
     America—Newspapers.                                         102

                           CHAPTER XII.

   Letter from Portsmouth—Debate in Parliament—Cost of the
     War—Petition for a Trial—Traitors Detected—Traitors
     Punished—Attempt to Escape—Sickness in Prison—Paul Jones
     at Whitehaven—Letter from Portsmouth—Death of John
     Foster—Prison Wrangle—Commissioners Sailed—Another Hole—It
     Founders—Joseph Kensington died—Sick Prisoners Neglected.   113

                          CHAPTER XIII.

   French Privateer—French Fleet—Patience scarce—Escape—One
     Missing—Man with Red Hair—Blockade—Ball Play—Severity of
     the Guard—Admiral Biron’s Fleet—Effects of Rum—A Widow—A
     Surprise—Press of Fishermen—Another Detection—Voluntary
     Suffering—Captain Pulford—Attempt to Escape—Taken—Cruel
     Treatment.                                                  122

                           CHAPTER XIV.

   Death of the Doctor—Sailing of Admiral Biron’s Fleet—Rev.
     Mr. Heath—Cold reception of Proposition of Peace in
     America—Effort to Escape—Gen. Burgoyne’s Compliment to
     American Troops—French Frigate taken—Preparation for the
     Fourth of July—Amputation—Another Hole—John Dam—Allowance
     to French Prisoners—Admiral Keppel’s Fleet sail—Boys
     attempt to Escape.                                          131

                           CHAPTER XV.

   Bad Conduct in Prison—Digging out—Four Escape—Fire, and
     Officers Escape—Sad News from Portsmouth—Pay Day—Admiral
     Keppel returns—England’s pride humbled—A curious plan for
     Escape—Battle Report—Wounded in the Hospital—Effort to
     Escape by Swimming—Invitation to join the Fleet—Americans
     pressed to the Ships of War.                                145

                           CHAPTER XVI.

   French Prisoners—Admiral Keppel sails—Another attempt to
     Escape—Admiral Biron’s Fleet—A Gale—General Clinton’s
     Retreat from Philadelphia—Fever and Ague prevails—Captain
     Burnell and Wife—Escape from Portsmouth—French
     Privateer—Distribution of Clothing—Hot Press—Letter to
     Captain Lee—French Prisoners increase.                      157

                          CHAPTER XVII.

   Rols’ Escape—Very Sickly—Another Escape—Unfaithful
     Doctor—Frenchmen Escape and Return—Captain Ravel’s
     Escape—Mr. Kirk’s Escape—Prisoners join
     Men-of-War—Cartel—Letters from Portsmouth—The Man that was
     punished unjustly, Rescued—Captain Lee’s Escape—New
     Arrangement—Spotted Fever among the French—Second Draft
     for the Ships—The Albion taken by the French—Sabbath
     Privileges lost.                                            168

                          CHAPTER XVIII.

   Oil of Tar for Prison—Frenchmen Break Out—One Shot—Reduction
     of Donation—Two Americans in Irons—Various opinions about
     the Cartel—Several Holes in hand—Fearful
     Apprehensions—Dominica taken by the French and
     Americans—King’s Troops on Martha’s Vineyard—Drunken
     Prisoners delivered up—Forbearance of the Guard—Fire in
     the Black-hole—Four American Boys—Dolton as Fortune
     Privateer—Base Treachery—Plans Discovered—Mitchell the
     Villain—Letter of Thanks—Two Years from Home.               179

                           CHAPTER XIX.

   Twenty-one—Fort on Drake’s Island—Breach in Black-hole
     King’s Speech—English Prisoners at Brest—Hyfield’s
     Escape—Exposure of the Sick—John Lott died—Public
     Prayer—Captain Ross’s Escape.                               198

                           CHAPTER XX.

   Cruel purposes of the Ministry—Petition for Pardon—Mr.
     Salter’s Escape—Cruel Act renewed—Last of the
     Donation—Court Martial—General Elopement—Discovered and
     carried back to Plymouth—A sorrowful New Year—Extreme
     Suffering—Good Friends—New Year’s Gift—Large
     Fleets—Captain Boardman Escapes—Heavy Bounty for
     Prisoners.                                                  200

                           CHAPTER XXI.

   A Hurricane—Great Distress—Kills a Dog—Dog Divided—Cooked
     and eat—Rats Eat in Prison—Voluntary Surrender—Good
     News—Cartel Arrived—Pardon—Great Joy—A Small
     Donation—Spanish Fleet—Another Pardon—A Wonder—Number of
     Prisoners left—Wait Impatiently—Another Hole in
     hand—Eleven Frenchmen Escape—Good News from Bilboa—Happy
     Event—Twenty-six Months a Prisoner—Penitent Sick
     Prisoners—King’s Pardon.                                    211

                          CHAPTER XXII.

   John Foster, Elias Vickey, and Asa Witham died—Mr. Deal’s
     Escape—Milford Transport—Keppel
     Acquitted—Bonfires—Escape—Cartel Arrives—Leaves the
     Prison—Bonner Darling died.                                 220

                          CHAPTER XXIII.

   Journal Lost—Thirty enter with Jones—Joins the
     Alliance—Arrive at L’Orient with Prize—Second
     Cruise—Journal Lost—Extracts from Paul Jones’ Life—At Dr.
     Franklin’s House—Joins again the Alliance—Sails Home.       229




                                PREFACE.

                                -------


In presenting the following pages to the reader, the publisher has no
ambition to aspire to the character of an author, and what is perhaps
more rare, he has no private interest to serve; he does not seek to
gratify the fastidious part of the community, who would have more
respect for the dress, or appearance, than for the subject matter. He is
perfectly aware that the Journal is not without some imperfections; but
it must be kept in mind that it was not written for the public, with an
eye to publication, or to make a book—but simply as a memorandum of the
events of each day. Yet when we take into consideration all the
circumstances, it is little less than a miracle; consider the author: a
youth of scarcely nineteen summers—then the places where the records
were made—the cable tier of a man-of-war, the gloomy recesses of a
prison, or on board the battle ship, where three or four hundred men
were crowded together for the purposes of strife and blood; then take
into consideration the prohibition of all materials for writing in
prison, the vigilance of the guards, and the frequent search made among
the prisoners, and it becomes a matter of surprise, not that it has some
imperfections, but that it exists at all, and especially that it was
never interrupted. For the long imprisonment of more than _two years_,
it seems to have been providentially preserved, for the purposes of
bringing to light the hidden things of darkness, that those who should
come after may be admonished and instructed.

The reader will find the Journal free from all appearance of _design_ or
effort; it is perfectly natural; what is seen or heard is recorded with
hardly a note or comment, from first to last; through their medium we
are conducted through the hold of the prison-ship, and witness the
privations and sufferings of the hapless victims; the prison hospital is
thrown open to our inspection, not as transient visitors, but as
witnesses of the daily occurrences; here we see justice and mercy
meeting together; the walls, the bars, the guards, tell that here stern
justice holds its victims, while the attendant physician, and gentle
patience of the nurse, speak of Mercy’s visits, and pity. Then the
prison doors grate on their hinges, and we enter; the vacant stare of
the sons of Sorrow meet us, while their meager forms, sallow
countenances and ragged habiliments, speak of their privations and
misery; we seem to listen to their tale of woe, and hear them tell of
happy homes and kind friends in their native land; we can almost taste
their scanty and uninviting portions, and our sympathies become deeply
interested, until we share in all their anxieties to obtain deliverance;
we are sometimes almost suffocated while following the diggers in their
excavations, to force a subterranean passage to the light of day and air
of freedom; anon we are bounding over the fields as the minions of
tyranny pursue us, until, weary and exhausted, we feel their ruthless
hands upon us to drag us back to our gloomy habitations; then we feel
the cold chill run over us, as we look forward to forty days and nights
in darkness and solitude in the “Black hole,” on half the usual
allowance of ordinary prisoners; we become acquainted with the “Two
Fathers,” the messengers of Love and Pity—and while the donations
continue we seem to enjoy a respite; hope and fear alternately rise and
sink, until the donation closes, and transient joy gives way to deeper
gloom, until some of the less determined seek relief on board the
enemy’s ships of war, where they will be compelled to meet their friends
and countrymen in the bloody strife—a destiny more horrible to the mind
capable of reflection, than the protracted miseries of the prison cell.

At length the star of hope rises, and the news of a cartel is received;
now it arrives, and we are straining our eyes through the dim light of
the grated window to look on the ship, as she lays in the creek. Post
after post is anxiously looked for until the agent musters his wretched
charge and reads as follows: “His Majesty has been graciously pleased to
pardon one hundred of you, in order to an exchange.” The names of the
hundred are read, while tears of joy point out the happy ones. Once more
the prison doors give way—and with what rapture they hail the breath of
freedom!

From the time that Mr. Herbert entered the service of the United States
under the command of Commodore Jones, the entries in his journal are
less frequent and less full; still, if it had not been for the
unfortunate loss of several pages of the Journal, it would have been
sufficiently full, to have conducted the reader through their several
cruizes, to their arrival home; as it is, we have endeavored to fill up
the vacuum by extracts from the official reports of Commodore _Paul
Jones_.

It is believed that the reader will receive profit and pleasure from the
numerous and various incidents here related, and from the information
imparted on a variety of subjects, especially as it shows the views and
feelings of the people of England on the subject of the war then raging
between this and the mother country; and that the