Introduction:

Index To Certified Copy Of List Of American Prisoners Of War 1812-1815


Many valuable historical records were destroyed when the British burned the Capitol, August 24, 1814. this doubtless accounts for the fact that our government did not possess a list of our soldiers and sailors who had been taken prisoners during the war with Great Britain, 1812-1814.

Mrs. Clarence F. R. Jenne, President National of the United States Daughters of 1812 during the four years, 1919-1923, having learned that the original documents regarding the War of 1812 were on the file in the Public Archives of Canada, in Ottawa, corresponded with the Secretary of War, and the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts regarding the possibility of obtaining an appropriation by Congress to defray the expenses incident to the making of a transcript; and, receiving no encouragement, because no appropriation of like nature had ever been granted, brought the subject before the annual meeting of the Associate Council of the United States Daughters of 1812, in April, 1922.

New York and Pennsylvania state societies immediately pledged the necessary funds for securing certified copies of these important lists.

Five typewritten sets were received in 1923; one for the National Society; one for the Federal Government; one for the Library of Congress; and one for each of the states, New York and Pennsylvania, that had paid the expenses of transcribing the lists.

In order to make these records usable by our various state societies, the following index has been compiled by Mrs. Henry James Carr, and the expense of printing has been borne by the Association of State Presidents, Past and Present, and Charter Members, of the National Society of the United States Daughters of 1812.

The certified record of the General Entry Book of the Prisoners of War at Quebec, as received from Ottawa, contains number of each prisoner; by what ship or how taken; time when; place where; prisoner's name; place of nativity; description, (age, stature, complexion, hair, eyes, marks and wounds); whether exchanged, discharged, died or escaped, rank, etc.; but, for sake of brevity, only the prisoner's number, name and place of nativity, are given in the following list. In sending to the custodian of the records of any further particulars, be sure to give the prisoner's number, as well as the name, as the numbers are in consecutive order, and desired information may be more readily found by the number than is otherwise possible.

Many of the prisoners were taken by the land forces at Beaver Dams, Stoney Point, Fort Niagara, Fort Erie, Fort Sclusher, Fort George, Rapids, and Red Mills. Others from the Man of War vessels: Scorpion, Tigress, Ohio, and Summers; privateers: Alfred, Corsack, Lizard; and merchant ships: Poshea, Forsyth, Jack, George and Armline.


[ Index To List Of American Prisoners Of War 1812-1815 ]

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