Ingenious Escape from Old Mill Prison

During the Revolutionary War there were two prisons in England that confined captured enemy sailors. One was Forton Prison in Portsmouth and the other was Old Mill Prison in Plymouth.

Old Mill Prison

At the end of Part I of A Matter of Honor, protagonist Richard Cutler is taken prisoner after a raid on the English seaport of Whitehaven led by Capt. John Paul Jones (the subject of an earlier blog). Richard and several other Americans are carted off to Old Mill Prison, to presumably wait out the war before being tried and hanged as traitors or pirates. (American sailors who fell into British hands were not treated as prisoners of war until after the Battle of Yorktown.) Old Mill was a massive structure with both an inner and outer wall. Within the inner wall were Long Prison, where Americans were held, and another prison across the compound to house French captives.

Old Mill is described in part as follows:

The prison was more massive than he (Richard Cutler) had first imagined. Within the huge rectangular stone structure was another, smaller rectangle of identical construction and proportions, except that at its entrance was a wide-open wooden gate. Between the double walls was a grassy area encircling the entire inner yard. This yard was perhaps twenty feet in width to the east and west, thirty or thirty-five feet to the north and south. Near where Richard stood, between the two north walls, were two substantial stone buildings. One, Richard assumed by the guards posted at the entryway, was most likely the prison offices. The other looked to be a military barracks. Idling about in both the outer and inner yards was a large number of scruffy-looking men walking solo or in small groups.

Among those “scruffy-looking men” Richard would come to know in Old Mill are such future naval heroes (and future characters in the Cutler Family Chronicles) as Silas Talbot, Richard Dale, and Joshua Barney. Although these men and their compatriots had attempted many escapes, few had been successful. Outside the prison walls were legions of local citizens known as “Janners” who were awarded ₤5—a year’s salary for a farm hand—for every escaped prisoner they turned in to the Home Guard. A number of tunnels had been dug and an equal number had been unearthed by snooping prison guards and local militia.

The captured American officers are mulling over their wretched state of affairs one evening after a dinner of land-snail stew. Another tunnel was under construction, this one heading north rather than to the east, which afforded the shortest way out and was the direction to which every tunnel to date had been attempted. The logic of digging to the north was that prison officials would not expect a tunnel to be dug underneath where they worked all day. Thus they would not think to look for one there.

During the meeting Richard Cutler has a sudden notion. In alow but excited voice he tells his fellow inmates that the tunnel has already reached its destination even though it reaches barely beyond the inner wall. His fellow officers stare at him in bewilderment.

What happens next is perhaps best conveyed in dialogue:

“This is nonsense!” Joshua Barney scoffed. “Richard, have you taken leave of your senses? What are you suggesting? That we dig just to the Outer Yard? Hell, boy, we can walk out there any time we want, the gate’s wide open ‘till nightfall. What about the outer wall? We can’t just walk out through the main gate, pretty as we please.” 

Joshua Barney

Richard grinned at him. “Yes we can, Joshua. Yes we can. Hear me out. Silas, how often do they rotate the guards out of here?” 

“Every three months, from what we’ve observed.” 

“Exactly. And how often do they rotate the officers?” 

“Every six months.” 

“Right. So when is the next time officers and guards are rotated out together? Most of them anyway.” 

Talbot gave that some thought. It was Russell who answered. 

“The first of October, three weeks from now. 

Silas Talbot

Richard nodded. “That’s how I figure it.” His right hand was working in quick chopping motions.  

“So on October second, we’ll have a new batch of officers in our midst, plus a fresh rotation of militia guards, most of whom, we can fairly presume, will be strangers to each other. On that one day, an officer could walk in or out of this prison, pretty as you please, as you put it, Joshua, based on one credential: his uniform. Do you agree?” 

The officers stared at Richard, digesting his train of thought. 

“I think we can agree with that, Richard,” Talbot said, scratching his head. “But where are you leading us?” 

Agreen (Crabtree, a fellow midshipman and Richard’s close friend throughout the series) slapped his knee hard. 

“I know where he’s leadin’ us, Silas! Jesus Christ, it’s so obvious we should all have thought of it, long ago. He’s leadin’ us into the Prison Office, the building right between the two gates where they keep the officers’ uniforms. Our tunnel’s headin’ straight for it. Come up through the floor at night, don those uniforms, hide out ‘til dawn, then walk out early before the real officers are awake. Bugger, but I’ll look good in a lieutenant’s uniform!” 

He beamed at Richard. Richard beamed back. 

Talbot held up a hand in caution.  

“Steady on, lads. Steady on. Let’s consider this.”  

Searching for the weak links, Talbot and the other officers ran their minds down the chain of sequential steps that under Richard’s plan would take them from Long Prison under the inner wall, up into the Prison Office, and out through the main gate. They could identify none until Eleazar Johnston asked: “How many uniforms do we reckon are in there?”  

“I don’t know,” Richard confessed. “But there have to be quite a number. Every British officer is issued at least two uniforms in case one gets soiled.” 

“If we’re caught wearin’ those uniforms,” Barney pointed out, “sure as hell we’ll be hanged as spies.” 

Richard acknowledged that.  

“Perhaps, Joshua. But it’s a risk worth taking, don’t you think? Once we’re outside, we can get rid of the red dress coat. The rest of the uniform’s pretty much the same as standard Continental Navy issue.”
Barney pursed his lips reflectively.  

Capt. Richard Dale

“You’re overlooking something,” Richard Dale observed. “I grant you the sentries guarding the gate may be new, but so many officers leaving the compound so early in the morning would certainly arouse suspicion. They’d want to confirm everything with Cowdry (the prison warden) before opening the gate. Don’t forget, their ass would be on the line.” 

Discouraged agreement rumbled among the Americans. The weak link in the chain had apparently been identified. 

Crabtree snapped his fingers. 

“No, wait,” he exclaimed, rising to his feet. “We’ve been thinkin’ about this wrong. We don’t all need t’ be officers. Most of us can be what we are: prisoners. We only need a couple of us in uniform. We go in the buildin’ at night, through the tunnel, just as Richard said. When we come out the next mornin’, the prisoners are bound up, bein’ led out by the officers. For further interrogation on Yarmouth we tell the guards at the gate. On orders from Admiral Digby himself, we say. What sentry, first day at his new post, facin’ the prison brass, would challenge that?” 

 “He’s right,” Russell concurred, and everyone’s mood brightened considerably.

As a footnote to history, the plan as depicted above worked. The American officers made good their escape and made their way back to sea. Most of them went on to fight the British until the end of the war.

Photo Credits: The Old Mill Prison From a 19th-century illustration [public domain]; Sketch of en:Joshua Barney circa 1800 [public domain]; Engraved portrait of Silas Talbot, the second captain of the :USS Constitution [public domain]; Captain Richard Dale, USN [public domain].

Who Was England’s True Enemy in 1776?

King George III 

What Americans refer to as the “Revolutionary War”, most Brits refer to as the “American War of Independence.” It may seem a fine distinction, but semantically the British are correct. A revolution normally erupts within a country with the aim of overthrowing the rulers of that country, as happened, for example, in France in 1789. On 4 July 1776, the Second Continental Congress declared America an independent nation, and the leaders of the united American states declared their country at war against their British overlords, most of whom were based three thousand miles away across the Atlantic.

No matter how you slice and dice it, however, the war was a civil war. Since the vast majority of the three million people living in the thirteen colonies in 1776 were of British descent, and no other nation had yet recognized the United States as an independent country, it was a conflict in which British citizens fought against British citizens – except, of course, when fighting the thousands of soldiers-for-hire from Hesse-Kassel, Hanover, and other German states of the Holy Roman Empire.

The moonlight Battle of Cape St Vincent    

But what really was at issue for England in this war? Who was at stake? Was it simply to punish the “rebels” for bad behavior and bring them back into the fold of the British Empire? The answer is, in a word, no. As the war in America dragged on and casualties mounted on both sides, many citizens of Great Britain and many members of Parliament became increasingly dissatisfied with the way the inept American Secretary was conducting the war. Why is that? Perhaps it was because, from their perspective, Germaine and his military cohorts were emphasizing the wrong enemy.

Battle of Bunker Hill

To illustrate the point, following is a scene from chapter eight of A Matter of Honor in which protagonist Richard Cutler is taking his daily constitutional with his uncle, William Cutler, on the grounds of the Cutler residence in Fareham, England. Richard is under what is essentially house arrest following a stint in Old Mill Prison in Plymouth, and he is confined to the not inconsequential estate of his uncle for the duration of the war. William Cutler is a prominent member of the rising merchant class in England and has amassed a tidy fortune in partnership with Richard’s father in Massachusetts. Two sugar plantations owned and operated by the Cutlers in the West Indies comprise the bulk of their family wealth. William Cutler starts out speaking.

“I’d like to pick up on a subject we broached last evening,” he said, the gravity in his voice reflecting the time he had devoted since then to clarifying his own views on the subject. “As you recall, I made several references to ‘the war’. Understandably, to you and to most people in America, ‘the war’ means ‘the revolution’. Fact is, England is currently engaged in two wars, each with an entirely separate purpose. The first war is to maintain our empire. That, sadly, involves the civil war in America. At the same time, we are fighting a second war to sustain our empire. That one is against our ancient enemy, France. At stake are the sugar islands of the West Indies -- our islands, Richard, Barbados and Tobago among them. Whoever controls those islands controls the wherewithal to wage a hundred wars. Which is why I am convinced that Spain and Holland will soon enter this war. And other countries too, all allied against us. It then will become a world war, and England will be standing alone. Mind you, these other countries will not be fighting in support of American revolutionary ideals any more than France is. Why would Louis and his chevaliers support open rebellion against a king? No, they’ll be fighting for the same reason they always do, for their own commercial self-interests, this time at the expense of Great Britain. Our navy is over-extended and we’re committing far too many resources to the civil war in America whilst paying scant attention to the real threat in the Indies. We can’t defend our islands properly and our enemies are aware of our weaknesses.” 

The Death of General Montgomery
at the Attack on Quebec    

Richard walked on, pondering what his uncle had said. He had to admit, it made sense. “How would you advise the king and his council, were you able to?” he asked.

“I am able to, and in fact I have done so through my contacts in Westminster. My advice to King George and Parliament is to seek reconciliation as quickly as possible with the former colonies.”

Richard felt his eyebrows involuntarily shoot up. 

“You’d sue for peace?  Grant America her independence?”

“If necessary, yes,” William Cutler said with conviction. “England would be far better off, in my opinion, with the United States as her ally rather than her enemy.  After all, we share a common heritage and system of beliefs. Together, there would be no stopping us. And the civil war is simply not worth the cost. Our military and exchequer are being bled dry in America whilst we put our true source of wealth and prosperity at grave risk. Many Britons agree with me, which is why you’ve found so many people sympathetic to you both here and in the West Country...”

I have to agree with Mr. Cutler, as I believe most British and American historians would today.

Photo credits: George III of the United Kingdom [public domain]; Battle of Bunker Hill by Howard Pyle [public domain]; The moonlight Battle of Cape St Vincent by Francis Holman [public domain]; The Death of General Montgomery at the Attack on Quebec, by John Trumbull, 1786 [public domain].

Bringing History Alive

My new blog is a “blog within a blog” and is based on a recent radio interview I did with Bookmark Radio in Denver.

By Michael Scott, co-host of Bookmark Radio

USS Constellation and L'Insurgente

What better way to learn about the early history of our country than with a series of engrossing novels that also get the facts right and weave in the actual historical figures who played pivotal roles during this era? That’s what it’s all about for Bill Hammond, author of the Cutler Family Chronicles, a series of nautical / historical fiction novels that are meticulously researched and thoroughly vetted.

Bill was my guest on Bookmark Radio on Monday, April 16.  (I was flying solo—my co-host Wendy was not able to make the show but she contributed by texting in some very good questions!)  You can hear the interview online here. The fourth book in his series, A Call to Arms, is scheduled for release in November by the Naval Institute Press in Annapolis, MD. Bill is working diligently on the fifth volume.

The Cutler Family Chronicles cover the years 1774 through 1815 as seen through the eyes of the Cutler family, which has residences in both England and New England, and also on the island of Barbados.  In the first book, A Matter of Honor, protagonist Richard Cutler is a Massachusetts teenager who joins the Continental Navy to avenge the death of his brother, who in turn had been pressed into service by the British. Each book stands alone, but I recommend reading them all in order since the characters evolve throughout the series.

It was almost inevitable that Bill would take on this mammoth literary project.  He grew up in Massachusetts on Cape Ann (“fifty feet from the ocean”) and learned to sail at age eight. His family was very literary and all were voracious readers.  Bill loved history and was a college history major. It all ties together so well!

Interest in nautical fiction, a subcategory of historical fiction, is growing according to Bill. He points out there are many excellent writers in this genre including C.S. Forester and Patrick O’Brian. The Cutler Family Chronicles tell the story of this era from the American perspective (the Continental Navy and the U.S. Navy) rather than the more common British viewpoint.

Look for the books from the Cutler Family Chronicles in your local bookstore and, of course, through Amazon and other on-line sources. Be sure to check out Bill’s website, www.bill-hammond.com, if only to see the beautiful cover artwork on these books!  My thanks to Bill Hammond for taking the time to join us on Book Mark Radio!

Michael Scott is co-host of the weekly radio show, Bookmark Radio.  www.bookmarkradio.com. It is on air live at 4:00 MDT in Denver, Colorado.  Follow the show on Twitter: @BookmarkRadio.  Please “LIKE” the show at www.facebook.com/bookmarkradio

The Miracle of Yorktown

There are those who to this day insist that the United States was born by an act of divine intervention. How else, such people argue, could a ragtag band of farmers, silversmiths and shopkeepers prevail against the world's mightiest military, especially in 1780 when rebel enthusiasm for the Glorious Cause was clearly on the wane. America desperately needed a victory on land, and she desperately needed French control of the sea to ensure that victory.

America's prayers were answered in a small town located on the York River in southeastern Virginia.

Unsuccessful in its campaigns in the North, in 1780 the British High Command settled on a “southern strategy.” At the core of this strategy lay the assumption that living in Georgia and the Carolinas were legions of Tories loyal to King George who would flock to his banner if offered the opportunity. Once General  Cornwallis had subdued the Carolinas, he could march north, conquer Virginia, and restore the entire South to the British Empire.

There were, however, several problems with this theory. First, while indeed there were numerous Tories living in the South, as it turned out precious few of them were willing to spill their blood for the British king. And second, Cornwallis’s superior, Sir Henry Clinton, was in New York, many miles away, and the two generals had little use for each other. They communicated directly with American Secretary Germaine in London rather than with each other, and they refused to coordinate military tactics in any meaningful way. Sadly, for the British, Germaine’s views of the war were almost child-like in their naivety and optimism.

After a series of battles in the Carolinas produced no conclusive outcomes, Cornwallis finally marched north into Virginia. There, a perilous game of chess was being played between British and American forces, each side jockeying for position between the Virginia capes and Richmond, the state capital. Meanwhile, in Rhode Island, le Comte de Rochambeau had landed in Newport with a French army and le Comte de Barras had sailed in with a fleet of battle cruisers. From the West Indies le Comte de Grasse wrote General Washington that he would be sailing with a far greater naval force for the Chesapeake, where his services would be available to the Americans until the end of hurricane season.

Inspired by this delightful piece of news, General Washington, who had long favored a siege of New York, now suddenly changed strategy and ordered his ragged Continentals and the superbly uniformed French army on a forced march to the Chesapeake.

What happened next was a checkmate for the ages. Cornwallis’s army was defeated at Yorktown, but it was a victory made possible by yet another collosal wave of British blunders in an epic sea battle fought between de Grasse and Adm. Sir Thomas Graves.

The benevolence of a divine providence? Perhaps. You decide.