Forgotten Patriots: The Untold Story of American Prisoners During the Revolutionary War

by Edwin G. Burrows

Between 1775 and 1783, some 200,000 Americans took up arms against the British Crown. Just over 6,800 of those men died in battle. About 25,000 became prisoners of war, most of them confined in New York City under conditions so atrocious that they perished by the thousands. Evidence suggests that at least 17,500 Americans may have died in these prisons--more than twice the number to die on the battlefield. It was in New York, not Boston or Philadelphia, where most Americans gave their lives for the cause of independence.New York City became the jailhouse of the American Revolution because it was the principal base of the Crown's military operations. Beginning with the bumper crop of American captives taken during the 1776 invasion of New York, captured Americans were stuffed into a hastily assembled collection of public buildings, sugar houses, and prison ships. The prisoners were shockingly overcrowded and chronically underfed--those who escaped alive told of comrades so hungry they ate their own clothes and shoes.

Despite the extraordinary number of lives lost, Forgotten Patriots is the first-ever account of what took place in these hell-holes. The result is a unique perspective on the Revolutionary War as well as a sobering commentary on how Americans have remembered our struggle for independence--and how much we have forgotten.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American Revolution, American History, American Revolutionary War, Adult, Historical

364 pages, Hardcover

First published November 11, 2008

About the author

Edwin G. "Ted" Burrows was a Distinguished Professor of History at Brooklyn College. He received his B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1964, and his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1973, where he studied under Eric McKitrick. He started teaching at Brooklyn College in 1973. He and historian Mike Wallace won the Pulitzer Prize for history in 1999 for Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898.

Reviews

[Ben Denison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a lot of information I had never heard. From the Revolutionary War’s division of loyalists vs rebels, to the gross mistreatment of Prisoners. The author does a great job documenting the personal accounts , but also the effort / charge of Americans overblowing of the accounts to stir up and harden anti-English sentiment.

The description of the abuse is horrific and compared to Abu grab, abd other atrocities found elsewhere, but then that’s a clear reminder we have done terrible things to prisoners AND throughout history this has been an issue for many armies/conquerors.

I think the best part of the book was the post-war dealing with the issue. As some New Yorkers wanted a memorial while others didn’t care. The struggle for funding, interment of the bones/bodies, etc How the bones kept being found. The fight over the gravesites versus city progress/expansion. How there were parades for years and it just eventually died out.

The other fascinating things was how the view of the English changed in WW1 and WWII , and our own government banning any negative talk of the English , even jailing a movie director for an anti-English film in the early 1900’s. Crazy stuff. Much of the negative views of the English’s atrocities during the Revolutionary War died out at that time.

Glad these hero’s have been recognized.

[Susan Tryforos · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Untold Story of American Prisoners During the Revolutionary War". In New York City alone (firmly in British control for much of the war), thousands of American prisoners were locked up in hell-holes - prison ships, Sugar Houses and non-Anglican churches - where the conditions were beyond horrendous. A huge majority of these prisoners died, from starvation and disease and filth. The British did not consider the Americans to be prisoners of war but rather as rebel traitors, and treated them accordingly. It was such a horror that the newly independent USA insisted on including acceptable prisoner treatment in their treaties with other countries (trade treaties as well as alliances) and helped define the United States as a country determined to improve human rights. This book is eye-opening and timely. This story has been swept aside at various times in order to absolve the Brits and not impact alliances with them, but it is time that this hellish treatment and subsequent death (and dumping of bodies) is know and appreciated. It is estimated that prisoner deaths just in New York City reached numbers 2 to 3 times greater than battlefield deaths during the Revolutionary War.

[Herb Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

My great grandfather fought in the Civil War and was briefly held prisoner by the Union after the Battle of Franklin in 1864, so I am understandably attracted to the history and ordeal of men who suffered in similar circumstances.

That said, I was surprised to discover that this picture of the American Revolution has been relatively little noticed or discussed in our history. We seem to be content with the iconic images of Washington Crossing the Delaware, Valley Forge, Concord and Lexington. The Civil War justly attracts our attention, but the tremendous impact of our revolution against England gathers little of the same enthusiasm. Yet the proportional impact it had on the entire country not only rivals, but often surpasses that of the Civil War.

Real history is often lost in iconography, which is why looking at the familiar -- as photographers know -- from unexpected or unexplored angles gives us new and revitalizing insights.

Burrows is adept at analyzing contemporary accounts of American POW experiences at the hands of the British, separating fiction and exaggeration from the solid cores of fact and probability.

[Nicole]

Absolutely fascinating!

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having previously read The Ghost Ship of Brooklyn, I was hoping to receive some more insight into the conditions at the Sugar House or other makeshift prisons around NYC during the Am. Rev.

While this book did touch upon those places, most of the emphasis was on the prison ships, which I had already read an excellent book about. While I did receive some new information, I was expecting more, plain and simple.

The most enjoyable part of this book for me was the last two chapters because it grappled with new information and some interesting social history in the years after the Revolution that I wasn't previously aware of. I would recommend "The Ghost Ship of Brooklyn" by Robert P. Watson over this book if you are interested in this subject.

[Rabbit · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars seems like such a low rating to me, but Goodreads considers that an "it was okay" rating, which is how I felt about this book. I'm not sure why it never really managed to grab me. The part that was most interesting to me was the last section, which discussed how the legacy of American Prisoners was used politically after the war.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dragged in placed, but it was still an interesting read into the Revolutionary War timeframe.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book telling the story of Prisoners of War during the American Revolution. The author focuses manly on American prisoners held within the NYC area. He tells of the officers who were allowed to live in private homes as opposed to common soldiers and sailors who were either crowded in large buildings, churches and factories, that were appropriated for this purpose or prison ships. He tells of the squalid conditions and the high death toll. It covers the British indifference to the plight of the prisoners and the attempts by American officials to do prisoner exchanges. The last part of the book tells about how these men were mainly forgotten over the years despite the occasional attempt to memorialize their sacrifice and suffering. Some of the stats are a little exhausting and at the end when he is making the case for what percentage and the number of the people who were imprisoned or died he’s basically just making an educated guess based on his figures.

[Mr. Big · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book on a subject few realize existed. My wife (whom is a Brit) laughs as an ex New Yorker I celebrate 11/28 every year: the day the Brits left NYC! Big letters on the calendar. How many know about the prison ship or the sugar houses? I did but I have a MA in History with my thesis on the NY State Civil Wars of the American Revolution (family member against family member Loyal or rebel). Thank heavens Burrows did not do a nova historia (new history, prominent with liberal historians) by trying to interwind the horrors of the Jersey to that of Gitmo. He wrote about what happened and how brutal it was with most deaths occurring in captivity and Cunningham was an equivalent to an SS Officer in a work camp.

[Rowland Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Invaluable Exploration Of Forgotten And Buried History

Historian Burrows has produced an excellent recounting of the Revolutionary War focused on the plight of captive military and civilians during that period. The vastly abusive treatment of prisoners and the deaths of better than 50% of them has been covered over many times and is now brought back into the light. Living in New York City this was completely new material to me and it is certainly startling information rarely addressed in discussions of the war for independence.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happened to the prisioner's of war during the American Revolution? This is a piece of forgotten history. They were put in prisions and war ships.
At one time New York celebrated these individuals. Lauren Tarshis found a monument on a visit to New York, and it inspired her "I survied the American Revolution 1776" book.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative and eye-opening account of the miseries and suffering American patriots went through while held as prisoners under the British. I learned so much from this book and it is one of those instances where I understand why we were completely justified in rebelling against England and fighting for our independence. Long live the USA!!

[Stacey Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Difficult read, both material-wise and within style. But I learned a lot and it gave me a lot to think about. Plus it's always important to have a reminder of how much I owe the patriots who made this great country a reality.

[Alex A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a fan of history in general. This book helped to open my eyes and mind to the many occurrences of war. Our veterans past and present, are the unsung heroes of this nation.

[J.D. Brayton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indispensable reference for historians and students of American History.

[Justinian]

2009-01 - Forgotten Patriots: The Untold Story of American Prisoners During the Revolutionary War. Author: Edwin Burrows. 384 pages. 2008.

My wife brought this book home from the library because she thought I might like it. She was right!

Before I write the rest of the review a little context is needed. My wife and I have a deep interest in issues regarding Prisoners of War and Enemy Prisoners of War. She has done formal academic study on the issues surrounding the Bataan Death March and the experiences of captive American Nurses in the Second World War as well as US Military POW’s in the Korean War. I have studied course work on the experiences of US Soldiers held POW in Korea. I also graduated from the US Army SERE Course and served as an Interrogator. So the topic of this book pricked a tender spot in my heart.

This book seeks to bring the issue of American POW’s in the American Revolutionary War out of the dungeons and dust piles of forgotten history and reveal it to the modern reader. The content of the book focuses primarily on the experiences of US POW’s in and around New York City (NYC). The reasons for this are quite simple, NYC (Occupied as a British stronghold from 1776-1783)was the primary area for holding US POWS during the war, upwards of 75% of all US POW’s were held there. The book does touch briefly on other areas where Americans were held both in North America, Europe and elsewhere. The book also as a way of comparison discusses the experiences of those enemy soldiers (EPW’s) held by the Americans.

The book relies on primary source documents for the first 80% of the book and does a good job of sorting truth from propaganda and fiction. What surprises is not the squalid condition of land prisons and prison ships; these are to be expected given the norms of the 18th Century. Nor is it the less than humane treatment meted out by the British. They were after all refusing to classify the Americans as any thing else but; beyond the law rebels, criminals, and terrorists. What surprises is the high mortality rate. The mortality rate for American POW’s held by the British hovered around 50%. That is significantly higher than the 35% mortality rate at Andersonville and 25% at Elmira in the Civil War. It is the highest mortality rate for American POW’s in any conflict for which data is available. That the majority refused the enlistment offers from the British and choose to remain in squalor and risk death or if they lived severely compromised health (physical, mental, and emotional) for the rest of their lives. The commitment to the cause of the American Revolution is stunning. When the choice was death or life in the British military … the majority choose death.

The book does a decent job of exploring this concept. It also does a fairly good job of discussing the ramifications for recruitment and policy choices when conditions in NYC gradually diffused through both societies. Harsh treatment was approved widely by the British public but had much the opposite effect in America. The harsh conditions and sufferings did little to dissuade recruitment, instead it actually tended to increase recruitment and harden feeling against Britain.

Perhaps the most interesting par of the book though is the last 20%. Here the issue of remembrance is brought to the fore. The author covers the issue in terms of national, local, and individual remembrance. The issue of honoring the dead was a highly political issue in NYC after the war and often was used as a pawn in the struggle for political power. Much of what was in terms of prisons, prison ships, and grave sites has been lost, in fact less than two generations after the war the landscape upon which the campaigns of 1776 in NYC and the subsequent sufferings of a national Golgotha were erased from the land itself. The very issue of a proper burial with a monument became a hot button issue during the early part of the Republic when the Jeffersonian's sided with France and the Federalists with Britain. This struggle for foreign policy orientation battered and consigned the entire issue to a small monument in a church yard and an obscure mass burial monument in a city which no longer honored her past. The new notions of cross Atlantic alliances and commerce had created an environment which demanded a re-writing of our tumultuous beginnings. This re-evaluation began in earnest when we allied with Great Britain in the First World War. It has continued apace in to the present era. This issue of remembrance is perhaps the most interesting part of the book.

All told I have added this book to my MUST PURCHASE list for further reference. The notes and bibliography are a valuable resource and the appendix regarding caloric intake and its effects on the individual are something little understood. I will say in closing that Alexander Hamilton’s shadow looms large in the debate over memory … a tragic waste for the United States that July morning.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I experienced the audio book version. My interest was perked after listening to the book 1776 which mentioned in little detail the prison ships anchored off of New York and the prisons within New York City after the British forced the Americans out.

Rather than listen to history's account of the prisoner life in New York during the Revolutionary War, he pours through soldier diaries, accounts, newspapers and more to patchwork together the true telling. It is learned quickly that the British did not treat Americans as "prisoners of war" but as "dirty rebels" and felt their wrath. The evidence is prevalent.

Some of our patriot soldiers did not last a week once captured. Over 50% of the soldiers who were imprisoned after the invasion died while in prison. It was not just from typhoid or smallpox - but from starvation. Americans were covered with lice, vermin - had not enough room to lay down - and when they did it was on their own feces. When they were given rations, often 1/3 of what the British soldiers received, it would be food deemed inedible and insufficient by any normal human being. They were often given a small amount of dirty water, wormy, wet bread and only a couple ounces of raw or rotten meat per week.

When soldiers grew too sick, yet survived - they were transferred to hospitals which essentially were the next step to the morgue. Yet, there was no morgue. Americans were thrown together in mass graves. Often, on the prison ships they died 5-10 a day. These poor souls were carted off to the shore where they were buried.

The book details the prisons on land, the prison ships, the cruel British officers, American drive and true patriotism. I believe this book is a critical read to understand how thousands of Americans gave their lives for future generations. Over 17 thousand souls perished just in New York during the Revolutionary War. I never knew that.

See the Prison Ship Martyr's Monument: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pri...

[Wisteria Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boldly written history of American Patriots and civilians who suffered inconceivably inhuman treatment on numerous prison ships and sugar houses during the American Revolutionary War at the hands of the British.

Burrows presents his research and unveils the horrors inflicted on over 17,500 patriots. These brave, yet unfortunate prisoners chose to live in retched squalor, close to starvation, surrounded by disease and death, rather than switch allegiance to England.

This is a part of American History that missed the textbooks in school. It was a surprise to me. Perhaps if you live in the area of New York and New Jersey, you are aware of this unspeakable part of history. Truly, it really has been forgotten. It took over one hundred years to dedicate a monument to these patriots.

Why study history? Many professors would caution, we study history to learn from the past. With our 21st century awareness, it is not hard to make comparisons with our global community and reflect on the human rights abuse and suffering in our country and around the world.

incredible book of timely relevance that will shock and sicken readers. It is a difficult subject to fathom. The conditions and numbers of dead who suffered are staggering. Questions may be answered with many more generated.

Edwin Burrows' book is a valuable and necessary addition to American History shelves. Excellent.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa. When I started reading the first chapter of this book, I started crying for the following reasons: Reason one because I did not know the full story of the suffering of these brave patriots that gave their lives in a prison cell in the name of freedom and independence. Two, because I was ashamed at myself as an American for letting them lie forgotten and unwept in a unmarked grave. Many people are unaware of the fact that when they walk around New York City, they are walking around on what should be sacred ground. The other thing that made me think was the speculating of the human toll of the American Revolution, the thought that over 40, 000 Americans lost their lives in the American Revolution, and most of them in a prison cell; caught my heart. This book brings to life a ugly story that should be known, yet it is not known, and Edwin G. Burrows masterfully showed how and why people try to forget this horrendous crime against humanity. I know now why some historians and teachers want this story to be forgotten. It is because it is a story of ultimate patriotism. Pick up this book if you want to gain an understanding of the sacrifice that it took to earn our freedom, and to appreciate the freedom we have in America. It certainly did not come free.

[Michael Hattem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an account of the POW situation in New York City during the Revolutionary War. Highly informative and exhaustively researched, this book will open eyes wide to the cruel treatment of American prisoners throughout New York City during the war. Burrows also recounts the trajectory of the story in the national consciousness. Perhaps the most significant thing about the book is that he has re-estimated the number of prisoners and deaths in British prisons during the war to previously inconceivable numbers. This is mostly due to the fact that previous historians either ignored or discounted the primary sources and first-hand accounts as mere propaganda. Burrows has elected to take the sources and accounts at face-value and the results are an astonishing recapturing of an historically important and relevant part of the history of the American Revolution.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at an aspect of the Revolutionary war not typically discussed, the prisoners held by the British, primarily in New York City, or in prison ships surrounding the city. This book takes a look at the attitudes of the British toward the adversaries they viewed as rebels, and therefore not enemy soldiers, and how the British treated them. Through first hand accounts and historical documents the author tries to find the truth about these prisoners and their fates. A discussion about why this story is so overlooked and forgotten and of the efforts by different groups through the years to remember the prison martyrs was also enlightening. I enjoyed this unique angle on the Revolutionary War and it's impact on American attitudes during the war as well as it's shining light on the sacrifice of these forgotten patriots.

[Marla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forgotten Patriot covers, in great detail, the plight, the horror and the deaths of the thousands of American prisoners of war held in New York during the American Revolution. The number is placed on the low end at 11,500, and at the upper end somewhere near 18,000. The deaths occurred for many reasons. It was part neglect, part the obvious outcome of shoving hundreds of men into a space meant for five or ten, and partly, willful malice. American prisoners were not regarded as soldiers by their British captors, but as 'damn rebels' who deserved to be put to death for their criminal actions.

I recommend the book, Forgotten Patriots, though it is not for the faint of heart. I found it one of the most unrelentingly grim tales every told.

[Stefanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting look at the men who gave their lives in defense of independence that many Americans today have forgotten. I was surprised at how well the author managed to create a fairly unbiased story, using materials that were unfortunately biased against our former countrymen. For anyone interested in what the Revolution really cost Americans, this is a great book to dive into the topic.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

We hear about the battles and the heroes of the American Revolution, but we don't often hear about the patriots who were captured and became prisoners of war. Some survived, but many did not. I appreciate the author writing a book on these "Forgotten Patriots," and America's post-war efforts to remember them in memorials and monuments, which are few in number.

[J.J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 A very thorough examination of the prisoners of war held by the British in New York during the American Revolutionary War, including the remembrance politics surrounding whether or not to build monuments and hold ceremonies. I personally hadn't ever really studied this aspect of the Revolution so I learned quite a bit, especially about Revolutionary war hero Ethan Allen.

[Martha]

this book is one of those that really makes a person appreciate America and those that have fought for us in the past and what they suffered and lost.
It is a great book and I recommend it to any history buff.

[K D · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such an important story, forget the fact that it is disjointed (in places), repetitive (in places), and self-contradictory.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eye-opening account of the trials that those who fought for our freedom endured. I hope that this can be better known so that we learn from those who hurt us in order to not repeat the same mistakes.

[Craig Bolton]

Forgotten Patriots: The Untold Story of American Prisoners During the Revolutionary War by Edwin Burrows (2008)

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives new meaning to the word "Patriot". Wonder how the News shriekers would have fared on the New Jersey. I'm sure I wouldn't have lasted a day