American Maritime Prisoners in the Revolutionary War: The Captivity of William Russell Book

The fact that more Americans died in British captivity than in combat during the Revolutionary War will come as a shock to many because the treatment of prisoners has received little attention until now. Most of the twenty thousand American seamen taken captive were held on prison ships in New York harbor and in naval prisons in England. Their dramatic story unfolds through the experiences of William Russell, a sailor who kept a secret journal during his four years of British captivity. A Boston schoolteacher swept up in the protest movement against British rule, Russell was an ardent revolutionary prior to the outbreak of war and went on to serve on a rebel privateer. He spent three years imprisoned in Newfoundland and England and returned to sea only to be captured again and taken to the infamous prison hulk, HMS Jersey, in New York harbor. His experiences and those of fellow rebels bring added dimension to the history of American prisoners of war. As the author examines the contentious issue of British treatment he also takes a close look at the harsh lives of seamen and the extraordinary challenges involved in maritime service. The story will appeal to everyone with an interest in warfare in the age of sail or in the American Revolution.Read More