The Battle Of Brooklyn Part 2: The Prison Ship Martyrs Of Fort Greene

Once upon a time the word martyrs had a more positive connotation. From www.fortgreenepark.org, a history of the event: "The Prison Ship Martyrs Monument that stands today in the center of Fort Greene Park is a 1908 memorial to the 11,000 men, women and children who died in horrid conditions on the British Prison Ships during the Revolutionary War. The Monument, which is sometimes referred to as the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, is actually the third incarnation of this sacred shrine. The story of the horrid Prison Ships – and the ghastly conditions suffered by the men, women & children imprisoned on them during the Revolutionary War – is one of the most disturbing chapters in American history. During the American Revolutionary War, which began in 1775, the British arrested scores of soldiers, sailors, and private citizens on both land and sea. Many were imprisoned simply because they would not swear allegiance to the Crown of England. Besides American civilians and resistance fighters, the British captured the crews of foreign ships on the high seas, especially Spanish vessels. The apprehended soldiers, sailors and civilians were deemed by the British to be prisoners of war and were incarcerated. When the British ran out of jail space to house their POWs they began using decommissioned ships that were anchored in Wallabout Bay as floating prisons. Life was unbearable on the prison ships – the most notorious being the Old Jersey – which was called "Hell" by the inhabitants. Disease was rampant, the food and water were scarce or nonexistent, and the living conditions were crowded and wretched. If one had money they could purchase food from the many entrepreneurs who rowed up to the boat to sell their wares. Otherwise, rations would consist of sawdust laden bread or watery soup. A great number of the captives died from disease and malnutrition. Their emaciated bodies were simply thrown overboard or buried in shallow graves in the sandy marshes of Wallabout Bay. The surving prisoners were not freed until 1783, when the British abandoned New York City . (A footnote: after the war, the British Commander in charge of the Prison Ships was brought up on war crimes charges and was hanged.) In the years following the British surrender, the bones of the patriots would regularly wash up along the shores of Brooklyn and Long Island. These remains were collected by Brooklynites with the hopes of creating a permanent resting place for the remains of the brave Prison Ship Martyrs. The first monument was erected in the early 1800s by the Tammany Society of New York. It was located on a triangular plot of land near the Brooklyn Navy Yard waterfront in what is now called Vinegar Hill. By the 1840s, the original monument was in a state of disrepair and neglect. By 1873 a large stone crypt was constructed in the heart of what is now Fort Greene Park (then called Washington Park), and the bones were re-interred in the crypt. A small monument was erected on the hill above the crypt. By the close of the 19th century, funds were finally raised for a grander more fitting monument for the Prison Ship Martyrs. The prestigious architectural firm of McKim. Meade and White was commissioned to design the large 148 ft. tower which stands today in the park. It was unveiled in 1908 with a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony presided over by President Taft. The monument originally housed a staircase and elevator to the top observation deck, which featured a lighted urn and beacon of light which could be seen for miles. The elevator was operational until the 1930s when it, and the monument, fell into disrepair due to a shortage of public funds, neglect and lack of community interest. The elevator was eventually removed by the city in the early 1970s."

Here's a slide show about the history of the monument dedicated to the Prison Ship Martyrs
The first slide alludes to the dedication of the memorial in the early 1800's. I used the song Katy Cruel as the sound track
Here's info on the song: This song is said to date back to colonial times and was supposedly sung by American troops during the Revolutionary war. It was sung to several tempos. Troops marched to the tune, children skipped to it and women sang it as a lullaby and lament.
When I first came to town, They called me the roving jewel;
Now they've changed their tune, They call me Katy Cruel,
Oh, diddle, lully day, Oh, de little lioday.
Chorus
Oh that I was where I would be, Then I would be where I am not,
Here I am where I must be, Go where I would, I can not,
Oh, diddle, lully day, Oh, de little lioday.
When I first came to town, They brought me the bottles plenty;
Now they've changed their tune, They bring me the bottles empty,
Oh, diddle, lully day, Oh, de little lioday.
Chorus
I know who I love, And I know who does love me;
I know where I'm going, And I know whose going with me,
Oh, diddle, lully day, Oh, de little lioday.
Chorus
Through the woods I go, And through the bogs and mire,
Straightway down the road, And to my heart's desire,
Oh, diddle, lully day, Oh, de little lioday.
Chorus
Eyes as bright as coal, Lips as bright as cherry,
and 'tis her delight To make the young girls merry,
Oh, diddle, lully day, Oh, de little lioday.
Chorus
When I first came to town They called me the roving jewel
Now they've changed their tune They call me Katy Cruel
Oh, diddle, lully day, Oh, de little lioday.
Chorus