The Prisoners of 1776: A Relic of the Revolution

Most of this work is not by Rev. R. Livesey, but rather by Charles Herbert, who was made prisoner by the English during the Revolutionary War. The journal begins around November 15, 1776, shortly after Herbert was captured while on the brigantine, Dolton. While imprisoned, he suffered from smallpox, but recovered and then was sent to Old Mill Prison, located in Plymouth, England, in 1777. He was held there until March 19, 1779, when he was exchanged for English prisoners. Herbert tried to escape many times, and even succeeded once, but he, along with a majority of other prisoners, were recaptured. After his release, Herbert went on to be married to Holly Butler on November 8, 1783, and earned a living as a block-maker, until he died at the age of 49 on September 4, 1808. The journal was written in code and had to be translated. Special Collections at the University of Delaware Library in Newark, Delaware has archival holdings on this work.