June 3, Tuesday. Fifth remove. Nine Americans — myself included in the number — sent on shore to the Fountain tavern for examination. We were escorted by seven soldiers and four midshipmen — before three justices at the above tavern, appointed on purpose to examine the prisoners. After four hours examination together, and separately, we were delivered to two constables and seven soldiers, to be committed to Mill Prison for high treason.
At 4 P.M., 3d June, 1777 I arrived at Mill Prison within quarter a mile of Plymouth town (?). There are four prisons all together. We are all committed to the largest — 132 feet by 23 — without any distinction, officers, people and negroes all in the same room. We are treated worse than the French were last war in these prisons. We are debarred pens, ink, paper, rope, candles, &c. No person is allowed to come into the outer yard to speak to us. We have no communications with any person except Mr. Cowdry, the prison keeper, and the turnkey. Cowdry is as great a tyrant as any in England, and uses us with the greatest severity. Our allowance is ¾ lb. beef, 1 lb. bread, 1 qt. very ordinary beer, and a few greens per man for 24 hours. The beef when boiled weighs about 6 oz. This is our allowance daily, except Saturday, when we have 6 oz. cheese instead of the beef. To sleep upon, we have a hammock, straw bed, and one very thin rug.2
