332 HISTORY OF BROOKLYN.

arrest of private citizens suspected of complicity with the rebellion, to over five thousand, before the end of the year. The only prisons then existing in the city of New York were: the “New Jail,” which still remains, in an entirely altered form, as the “Hall of Records,” and the “Bridewell,” which was located between the present City Hall and Broadway. These edifices proving entirely inadequate for the accommodation of this large number of captives—to whom they were unwilling to extend the privileges of parole-the British were compelled to turn three large sugar-houses, several of the Dissenting churches, the Hospital, and Columbia College, into prisons for their reception.1 These buildings, also, were soon crowded to overflowing by daily accessions of captive p atriots who in many instances, found not even space to lie down and rest upon the hard and filthy floors. Here, in these loathsome dungeons, denied the light and air of heaven; scantily fed on poor, putrid, and sometimes even uncooked food; obliged to endure the companionship of the most abandoned criminals, and those sick with small-pox and other infectious diseases; worn out by the groans and complaints of their suffering fellows, and subjected to every conceivable insult and indignity by their inhuman keepers, thousands of Americans sickened and died. Almost preferable, by comparison, was the fate of those who, without a moment's warning, and at midnight; were hurried by the Provost2 to the gallows and an unknown grave.

1 These sugar-houses were Van Cortlandt’s, which stood on the comer of Thames and Lumber streets, at the northwest corner of Trinity churchyard; Rhinelander’s, on the corner of William and Duane streets; and one on Liberty street (Nos. 34 and 86) a little east of the Middle Dutch church, now occupied as the United States Post-office. The churches were the Middle Dutch church, above referred to, which was used as a prison for about two months, and afterwards converted into a ridingschool for the British cavalry; the North Dutch church, yet standing on William street, between Fulton and Ann; and the “Brick Church,” which, until within a few years, stood in the triangle between Park Row, Beekman, and Nassau streets. Subsequently, this last mentioned, together with the Presbyterian church in Wall street, the Scotch church in Cedar street, and the Friends’ Meeting House in Liberty street, were converted into hospitals The French church, in Pine street, was used as a magazine for ordnance and stores.

2 Captain William Cunningham, an Irishman by birth, and a brute by nature, who, during the occupation of New York by the British, held the post of Provost. Marshal of the city. He subsequently suffered the same fate to which he had consigned 80 many victims—being hung for forgery in London, England, in 1791. In his dying confession, which appeared in the English papers in 1794, and which has always been