above until sunset, when they were ordered below with horrid oaths and imprecations, and the savage cry, "Down, rebels, down!" The hatches were then closed, and the captives lay down in the putrid air in serried ranks, to sleep, if possible, but more likely to suffer in the stifling heat, and from the moaning of the sick and the grcans of the dying. Each morning the harsh order went below, "Rebels, turn out your dead!" These were picked out from the living, and each was served in a blanket, if he had one, and was then conveyed in a boat to the shore by his companions, undér a guard, and there hastily buried in the light soil. Of this sad ceremony, Philip Freneau, the "poet of the Revolution," wrote:

"By feeble hands their shallow graves were made;
No stone memorial o'er their corpses laid.
In barren sands, and far from home they lie;
No friend to shed a tear when passing by,"

So shallow were the graves of the dead from the Jersey that while contributions were yet made to this strange cemetery, the action of the waves and the drifting of locse sand often exposed the bones of those previously buried. And year after year this revolting spectacle was seen for a long time after the war was closed. In 1803 Dr. Samuel Mitchell, of New York, caused a petition to be sent to Congress from the Tammany Society of that city, praying the national legislature to cause a tomb to be erected for the reception of the bones of these martyrs. The prayer of the petitioners was not granted. The Tammany Society persevered in efforts to obtain a tomb, and in 1808 one was erected on the southwestern verge of the Navy Yard. A grand funeral procession appeared there, and in the presence of at least fifteen thousand citizens of New York and Brooklyn, thirteen immense coffins, filled with the remains of the prisoners, brought from the shores of the Wallabout, were placed in the tomb. A few years ago the vestry of Trinity Church, New York, caused an elegant freestone monument to be erected in the corner of that churchyard near Broadway, to the memory of those Martyrs-"surnamed demigods."

Many thrilling stories have been told of attempts of the prisoners to escape from the Jersey, which were sometimes successful. One of them was related to me at White Plains. A young man named Faulkner and a young Irishman known only as "Kilkenny," residing in that town, were fellowprisoners in the Jersey. They laid a plan for

crossing together, at midnight, when their guards. might be asleep. On the day before the night appointed for the attempt, Kilkenny was taken very sick with the small-pox. Faulkner succeeded in dropping into the water unobserved, swimming to the land, and escaping up the shore of Long Island Sound, by hiding by day and traveling at night. He crossed the Sound in a boat, and reached his home in safety. Nothing was heard of Kilkenny, and it was supposed he had perished in the Jersey.

Faulkner became a leading Methodist clergyman at White Plains. One warm Sabbath afternoon, forty years after his escape from the Jersey, there was a prayer-meeting at his house, whose entrance was an old-fashioned double door. The upper one was open; the lower one was closed. While the services were going on, a rough-looking, grayhaired old man leaned upon the closed door, and looked into the room. Mr. Faulkner went to him and inquired his errand. "Does Faulkner live here ?'' he inquired. "He does," answered Faulkner, and invited him to a seat. There he sat moodily, when the minister, who was conducting the prayer-meeting, went to the stranger and asked him about the state of his mind-whether he had religion." "Religion !" said the old man ; “what is that?" Its nature was explained to him—that it would cause one to forgive his enemies. "Forgive the Tories of the Revolution?" said the stranger, inquiringly. "Yes, everybody," said the preacher. "I'll be damned if I do," responded the old man, vehemently; and leaving his seat, stalked out of the door. The stranger was Kilkenny. He recovered from his sickness, and was finally set at liberty in a Southern port.

66

Joshua Loring, the Commissary of Prisoners in New York, was detested with a bitterness of feeling by some more intense than that felt toward Cunningham. Colonel Ethan Allen, who, on being sent back from England a prisoner, was confined in the provost jail in New York, said of Loring, in his narrative of his captivity: "He is the most mean-spirited, cowardly, deceitful and destructive animal in God's creation below; and legions of infernal devils, with all their tremendous horrors, are impatiently ready to receive Howe and him, with all their detestable accomplices, into the most exquisite agonies of hell-fire."

Allen felt very wrathy toward Rivington, the "King's Printer," in New York, who had ridi

culed and lied about him without stint in his newspaper. Allen declared that when he should be released from the Provost prison, he would "lick that rascal, Rivington ;" and accordingly, on the day of his release, he started for the office of the editor to execute his threat. Rivington was in his room in a second story, when his clerk announced the presence of the colonel in the bookstore below. Rivington had already been informed of his approach, and seating himself behind his table and a bottle of Madeira wine, said, "Show him up, and if such Madeira as this cannot mollify him, he must be harder than adamant." There was a fearful moment of suspense, when the editor heard Allen's long sword clanking on the stairs, at every step. The Colonel stalked in. "Is your name James Rivington ?" he asked, in a solemn and slow tone. "It is sir," said Rivington in

1 EXPLANATION.-1. The flag-staff, used only for signals; 2. A canvas or awning tent, used by the guards in warm weather; 3. The quarter deck, with its barricades about ten feet high, with a door and loop holes! on each side; 4. The ship's officers' cabin, under the quarter deck; 5. Accommodation ladder, for the use of the ship's officers; 6. The steer.

age, occupied by the sailors bel nging to the ship: 7. The cook's room,

for the ship's crew and guards: 8. The sutler's room, where articles

were sold to the prisoners, and delivered to them through an opening in the bulk head: 9. The upper deck and Spar deck, where prisoners were occasionally allowed to walk; 15. The gangway ladder for the prisoners, 11. The derrick, for taking in water, etc: 12 The galley, or great copper, under the forecastle, where the provisions were corked for the pris

oners; 13. The gun room, occupied by prisoners who were officers; 14.

15. Hatchways to the prison; 16. Foot of the gang plank; 17, 18. Be tween decks, where the prisoners were confined at night 19. The bowsprit; 20. Chain cables.

his blandest manner, and no man can be more happy than I am to see Colonel Ethan Allen." "Sir, I have come," Allen began, when Rivington broke in, "Not another word, my dear Colonel, until you have taken a seat and a glass of old Madeira." "But, sir, I don't think it proper"he began again, in the same solemn manner, when Rivington again interrupted him with-"Not another word, Colonel. Taste the wine; I have had it in glass for ten years. Old wine, you know, unless it is originally sound, never improves by age." He took the glass, swallowed the wine, smacked his lips, and shaking his head approv ingly, again said, solemnly, "Sir, I come"-when Rivington again broke in-"Not another word until you have taken another glass, and then, my dear Colonel, we will talk of old affairs, and I have some droll events to detail." They finished two bottles of Maderia, and parted as good friends as if they had never cause to be otherwise.

REMARKS. Dr. Lossing, in the foregoing paper, speaks at some length of the Jersey Prison Ship, and we have taken the liberty of ir serting on this page an illustration which we believe will add to the interest of what the Doctor says, notwithstanding the fact that the engraving has appeared in the American Historical Record.

46

Previous to the Government's purchasing this land for the purpose of establishing a Navy Yard, vessels-of-war were constructed at what was then called the United States Ship Yard," the site of which is fixed by old residents of the neighborhood as a little north of Prime street, and very near the spot upon which the grain elevator, belonging to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, now stands.

In a daily journal kept by Joshua Humphreys, "Naval Constructor," appear many curious and spirited items. The first, dated October 23d, 1794, records the fact that six gallons of rum were supplied for the use of the men in the mould-loft and yard; similar expenditures of the "ardent" occurring on the 3d and 17th of the following month.

The fact that on the 22d of December another invoice of six gallons of rum was received, proves that ship building, in those days, was quite conducive to thirst; and although they had water, water all around," they refrained from indulging in that animalculæ-teeming beverage. There evidently was a "total abstinence" from the use of river water, for on the 28th of the same month it appears that one Francis Tench furnished one hundred and sixteen gallons of rum, for further consumption at the Yard.

April 28, 1795, a quantity of white pine boards were purchased from a certain Colonel Lowry, for the purpose of erecting a fence around the "Ship Yard," and on the 9th our friend "Tench" supplied another hogshead of rum, from which, on the same day, was issued to "Isaac and William Parker" three gallons and one pint. In justice to "Isaac and William Parker," it is fair to presume that they did not absorb the whole of this "grog" themselves, but generously distributed it, share and share alike, among their thirsty colaborers.

About this time a lot of live-oak knees were received per schooner Dispatch from New York, "to be used in the frigate Continental," afterwards known as the Guerriere. There was but little variation in the receipts and expenditures until December 8th, when a cargo of live-oak arrived from the Island of St. Simonds, Georgia, in the brig Schuylkill, Captain Knox. This timber was used in the construction of the frigate United States, she being the same man-of-war put in commission after the organization of the Government,

and commanded by Commodore John Barry,' of naval renown. It is said that General Washington evinced a lively interest in the building of this vessel, and on several occasions personally inspected her construction.

In alluding to this ship, Watson, in his "Annals," remarks: "As Philadelphians, we are entitled to the peculiar distinction of forming the fastest sailing vessel in the world, viz., the frigate United States, built by Colonel Humphreys. With such a model we might have gone on to perfection in the art of ship construction; but our navy rulers have strangely retrograded, until we now have scarcely a good sailer to boast of. The United States frigate has outrun the fastest Baltimore clippers two miles an hour, when running nine and ten knots, but the frigate wanted ten feet more of beam to have been perfect."

From April, 1795, to September, 1796, the entries in the "Humphrey's journal" are of a stereotyped character, consisting of charges for timber and other materials used in the construction of the frigate, and among the other building materials the item rum occurs quite frequently, wherein the name of Montgomery & Co. appears as furnishers of an article of." second proof." Whether this was superior to the stimulant furnished by Tench we have no data upon which to base an opinion; but certain it is that, pending the completion of the vessel, there was a sufficient quantity furnished by the two parties named almost to float the ship.

On the 9th of September, 1796, a lot of liveoak timber was sent from the Yard per schooner Hannah to Boston, to be used upon the frigate Constitution (Old Ironsides), then in course of construction at that port.

Up to the year 1750 "white oak" was the wood

1 It is said that to Commodore Barry the credit is due of having induced the late Commodore Stewart to change the quarter-deck of a merchant ship to a man-of-war, Captain Patrick Hays, of the merchant service, having recommended him as a suitable person for one of his Lieutenants. And it is historically recordel that Stephen Decatur was, when a young man, sent by his employers, Messrs. Gurney & Smith (Philadelphia merchants, and Agents for the Naval Commis. sioners), into New Jersey to superintend getting out the keel pieces of the frigate United States; and that to Commodore Barry was he indebted for his warrant as Midship. man in our Naval service, the frigate named being the first government ship on which these two heroes, Decatur and Stewart, sailed.

principally used in naval construction, "chestnut" also being found serviceable in some portions of the frames of vessels; but during the year mentioned a craft called the Live Oak arrived at Charleston, South Carolina, that was built entirely of the valuable timber after which she was named -then discovered to be one of the best materials for naval architecture known. The vessel named was believed to be the first in which the wood was used.

April 7th, 1797, there is an entry giving a list of "remains of stores" (such as timber, iron, hardware, and an infinite variety of other articles appertaining to ship-building) turned over on that day to the "Secretary of War." About this time large quantities of oakum were received from the "Prison Factory."

In September, 1798, the title "United States Ship Yard" was changed to "Naval Yard." Previous to this year, large quantities of ship timber had been deposited at Fort Mifflin, where Josiah Fox, "Naval Officer," had his office, and this timber was not entered upon the Naval Constructor's books until July, 1798.

The following-named vessels were chartered for the purpose of transporting timber from the forests of Georgia to the Yard: brigantine Betsey, ship Henrietta, schooner Commerce, brig Morning Star, and ship Wilson; a portion of this timber being used for wharf repairs, and the balance "left at Fort Mifflin."

From the last-mentioned date forward the receipts upon the journal" embrace a large variety of articles, nearly all of which were consigned to the Construction department, and are generally mentioned as being delivered to Joshua Humphreys, Naval Constructor, although the records show some evidence that Captain Alexander Murray was then in command of the station, and remained in command until 1821, during which year he died.

The greater part of the ship-smithing work for the earlier vessels-of-war built at the Yard for the Government, was done by a person named Myers, whose primitive forges blazed brightly, and whose ponderous anvils rang a merry tune from early morn till long after nightfall, within the walls of his busy shop at the northwest corner of Christian and Swanson streets.

According to the "journal," the building of the seventy-four gun-ship Franklin was commenced

June 11th, 1800; and as, by another authority, we are informed that "this vessel was the first one launched from the Government Yard"-if this be correct, the keel must have been laid on the site of the present Yard before the purchases of the land were made, they not being consummated until the year 1801, as during the month of January of that year the subject of the purchase of land for the Navy Yard was being agitated by the citizens.

A brace of worthies-"Messrs. Twiner & Thompson"-were paid $17.50 for expenses incurred by them on a visit to a certain locality bearing the euphonious title of Galop Gut," whither they had been sent to inspect plank for the Franklin; $49 was paid to a certain Nathaniel Hutton to go out into the country" searching for keel pieces for the same vessel.

66

The project of establishing a Navy Yard met the warm approbation of the residents of the District of Southwark, and in order to secure its success the vacation of certain streets which would intersect the Yard and cut it up into sections, was deemed necessary, and numerous petitions were presented to the Legislature, then sitting at Lancaster, asking that the streets which would interfere might be declared vacant.

The following is a verbatim copy of an entry. made in the journal about that time:

Paid John Hunter for expenses attending the Legislature at Lancaster to show the propriety of suspending the opening of the streets which intersect the intended scite of a Navy Yard, viz.:

To Stage to Lancaster
Expenses on the road
Mathias Slough's bill in Lancaster

£1.10s.od.

0. 9. 42 5.19.6

0.0.111 I. 2. 6

0. 9. 42 £9.11. 814

In February, 1801, the sum of $15.96 was paid to Joshua Humphreys for "expenses before the State Legislature in opposing the opening of the streets intersecting the site of the Yard.”

Although some remonstrances were presented to both Houses, yet a favorable report was made by the House committee, and in the Senate the bill vacating the streets passed by a handsome majority. Notwithstanding this, through the influence of a Mr. Penrose, a member from the District of Southwark, its passage in the House was prevented. The conduct of their Representative in