"Association of intense horror are linked with the records of the
prisons and prison ships of New York. Thousands of captives perished
miserably of hunger, cold, infection, and in some cases, actual
poison.

"All the prisoners taken in the battle near Brooklyn in August, 1776
and at Fort Washington in November of the same year, were confined in
New York, nearly 4000 in all. The New Jail and the New Bridewell were
the only prisons. The former is the present Hall of Records. Three
sugar houses, some dissenting churches, Columbia College, and the
Hospital were all used as prisons. The great fire in September; the
scarcity of provisions; and the cruel conduct of the Provost Marshal
all combined to produce intense sufferings among the men, most of whom
entered into captivity, strong, healthy, young, able-bodied, the
flower of the American youth of the day.

"Van Cortlandt's Sugar House was a famous (or infamous) prison. It
stood on the northwest corner of Trinity church-yard.

"Rhinelander's Sugar House was on the corner of William and Duane
Streets. Perhaps the worst of all the New York prisons was the third
Sugar House, which occupied the space on Liberty Street where two
buildings, numbers 34 and 36, now stand.

"The North Dutch Church on William Street contained 800 prisoners, and
there were perhaps as many in the Middle Dutch Church. The Friends'
Meeting House on Liberty and several other buildings erected for the
worship of a God of love were used as prisons.

"The New Jail was made a Provost Prison, and here officers and men of