On September 1, 1813, 100 prisoners were sent to England on the HMS Regulus, a 44-gun frigate. The ship had previously brought British troops to America who had been so kind as to leave a "myriad of fleas...When you killed one, twenty would seem to rise up in his place."
The ship arrived off Portsmouth and then were placed aboard the Malabar, a store ship. All told, there were now 250 men in a space designed for 100. Conditions rapidly went from bad to worse. They then went to Chatham on the Medway River, a naval station with a lot of prison ships.
--Bock-Perry
2012 marks the 200th anniversary of America's "Forgotten War," the War of 1812 that took place over three years, 1812 to 1815.
Battle of New Orleans.
I believe my 6th great grandfather was on this ship at this time. The Canada, Registers of Prisoners of War shows that he was discharged from the HMS Halifax on 27 Aug 1813 and placed on the HMS Regulus. In his pension documents he stated that, In September of 1813 he was sent to Halifax, England and soon after, to Portsmouth, England. That in Nov 1813 • Chatham, Kent, England
ReplyDeletePrisoner placed on board prison ship in Harbor at Chatham, kept as hostage. And Declared himself a British Subject. Released from prison ship at Chatham, England. Sent home on a cartel, landed at Norfolk, Virginia.
I am new to Revolutionary War research, so I'm struggling along, a bit. Glad to find d your post, as others made no sense, at all. Do you have any more information about what happened to these prisoners o this ship, or know where I can find out? Was your ancestor aboard? Thanks!
Sorry, part of my comment disappeared. In Oct. 1815 he declared himself a British Subject and was sent back to the U.S. He was captured Aug 1813, spent 4 months in goal, he stated. Was then put on board the Halifax July 1813. So, from Nov 1813 til Oct 1815, he was aboard a prison ship in the harbor at Chatham? He stated in his pension document that it took him 11 months to recover, after he returned home. That he survived is a maricle. When he enlisted in Major Forsyth's Volunteer Rifle Co. in Jan 1813, he was a 65 year old Revolutionary War vet. That's amazing to me. :)
ReplyDeleteNone of my ancestors that I know of, we're aboard the ship. I had come across an article about a sign dedicated at the Linn-Hebron Cemetery for Major Watson. I always thought it would have been neat had he achieved the rank of major.
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