The Virginia Gazette

A just account of the usage the American prisoners receive from Lord and General Howe, and the officers under them.—Captains, Lieutenants, and other officers of private ships of war, masters, supercargoes, &c. of merchant vessels, with Indians, Mulattoes, and Negro slaves, are all put together between decks, and not allowed to go upon the quarter deck or forecastle, or even swab or broom to keep the main deck dry. As to their provisions, the allowance is very small, and the quality unwholesome; the meat is served out about nine in the morning, immediately out of the pickle, and if it be not cooked by noon, the miserable prisoners must eat it raw, for the fire at one o'clock is commonly put out. Butter and cheese they have none, but instead of those valuable articles, they have oil, so rank that they cannot eat it. A gill of rum a day is given to them, which is not so strong as sailors grog. They are often twelve or sixteen hours without a drop of fresh water, nay once they were for twenty six hours deprived of that necessary supply to human nature; and at that time the prison ship had on board no less than two hundred and sixty unfortunate men, who experienced this cruel usage, and many of whom had formerly lived in affluence. What is still more shocking, this prison ship had neither Doctor nor medicine chest.

Their treatment of the land forces has been, if possible, worse than that of the seamen. When some humane inhabitants have dared to exercise that christian virtue charity, by giving any trifle of food or drink (clothes would be taken from them) and the guard has observed him, he has been knocked down with the but end of a musket. And their inhumanity has extended beyond this life, for the dead have been thrown out upon the highway and open fields, with this impious and horrid expression, "D—--n the rebel, he's not worth a grave."