



Produced by Robert Cicconetti, Chris Logan and the Online
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A

JOURNAL,

OF

A YOUNG MAN OF MASSACHUSETTS,

LATE

A SURGEON ON BOARD AN AMERICAN PRIVATEER,

WHO WAS CAPTURED AT SEA BY THE BRITISH, IN MAY, EIGHTEEN HUNDRED
AND THIRTEEN, AND WAS CONFINED FIRST,

AT MELVILLE ISLAND, HALIFAX, THEN AT CHATHAM,
IN ENGLAND... AND LAST,

AT DARTMOOR PRISON.

INTERSPERSED WITH

OBSERVATIONS, ANECDOTES AND REMARKS,

TENDING TO ILLUSTRATE THE MORAL AND POLITICAL CHARACTERS
OF THREE NATIONS.


TO WHICH IS ADDED,

A CORRECT ENGRAVING OF DARTMOOR PRISON,

REPRESENTING THE MASSACRE OF AMERICAN PRISONERS,


WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.


"Nothing extenuate, or set down aught in malice."... SHAKESPEARE.

THE SECOND EDITION,
With considerable Additions and Improvements.

BOSTON:
PRINTED BY ROWE & HOOPER... 78 STATE-STREET,

1816.




_District of Massachusetts, to wit:_

                                            _District Clerk's Office._


(L. S.)

Be it remembered, that on the sixth day of March, A. D. 1816, and in
the fortieth year of the Independence of the United States of America,
ROWE & HOOPER, of the said District have deposited in this Office, the
title of a book, the right whereof they claim as Proprietors, in the
words following, to wit:

"A Journal of a Young Man of Massachusetts, late a Surgeon on board an
American privateer, who was captured at sea by the British, in May,
eighteen hundred and thirteen, and was confined first, at Melville
Island, Halifax, then at Chatham, in England, and last at Dartmoor
Prison. Interspersed with Observations, Anecdotes and Remarks, tending
to illustrate the moral and political characters of three nations. To
which is added, a correct Engraving of Dartmoor Prison, representing
the Massacre of American prisoners. Written by himself." "Nothing
extenuate, or set down aught in malice."... Shakespeare.

In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States,
entitled "An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the
copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of
such Copies, during the times therein mentioned;" and also to an Act
entitled, "An Act supplementary to an Act, entitled an Act for the
encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts and
Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the times
therein mentioned; and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of
designing, engraving and etching, historical, and other prints."

                             WM. S. SHAW,
                             _Clerk of the District of Massachusetts._




TO

THE COMMON SENSE,

AND

HUMANE FEELINGS

_OF THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA_,

THIS JOURNAL IS INSCRIBED,

BY A LATE

_PRISONER OF WAR_

_WITH THE BRITISH_.


_Massachusetts, County of_ }
_Hampshire, 1815._         }




A JOURNAL OF A YOUNG MAN OF MASSACHUSETTS


In December 1812, I found a schooner fitting out of Salem as a
privateer. She had only four carriage guns and ninety men. By the
fifth of January, 1813, she was ready to sail and only wanted some
young man to go as assistant surgeon of her. The offer was made to me,
when without much reflection or consultation of friends, I stepped on
board her in that capacity, with no other ideas than that of a
pleasant cruise and making a fortune. With this in view we steered for
the coast of Brazil, which we reached about the first of February.

Our first land-fall was not the most judicious, for we made the coast
in the night, and in the morning found ourselves surrounded with
breakers. Fortunately for us a Portuguese schooner was outside of us,
and we hoisted out our boat and went on board her and received from
her commander and officers directions for clearing ourselves from
these dangerous breakers. We were then about sixty miles below Cape
St. Roque. The captain of the Portuguese vessel kindly informed us
where to get water, in a bay then before us. We had English colours
flying, and all this time passed for a British vessel.

In a few hours we cast anchor in the bay, when our Captain went on
shore and when he had discovered the watering place he returned on
board, and sent his water casks to be filled; but the inhabitants
collected around our men, and shewed, by their gestures and grimaces,
a disposition to