Forgotten Patriots: The Untold Story of American Prisoners During the Revolutionary War

Forgotten Patriots examines the experiences of American prisoners held by the British during the Revolutionary War. The book focuses on the thousands of soldiers and civilians who were confined in prison ships, makeshift jails, and other facilities around New York City. Drawing from primary sources and newly uncovered documents, historian Edwin G. Burrows reconstructs the conditions these prisoners faced and the systems that governed their captivity. The narrative tracks the progression of the British prisoner policies and their implementation across multiple years and locations. Through detailed research and documentation, the book presents evidence about mortality rates, living conditions, and the administrative decisions that shaped prisoner treatment. The work includes accounts from survivors and contemporary observers who witnessed or documented the imprisonment system. The book serves as both a military history and a broader examination of how wartime choices about prisoners reflect the complex relationship between ideology and warfare. Its focus on this overlooked aspect of the American Revolution raises questions about memory, documentation, and which stories become part of the accepted historical record.

Readers highlight the book's detailed research on the harsh conditions and high death rates of American POWs during the Revolutionary War. Many note this fills a gap in Revolutionary War literature. Liked: - Clear writing style that makes historical facts accessible - Extensive primary source documentation - Focus on personal stories of individual prisoners - New information about prison ships and British prison practices Disliked: - Dense academic tone in some sections - Limited coverage of British perspective - Some repetition between chapters - Focus mainly on New York area prisoners Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (143 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (54 ratings) One reader called it "eye-opening but sometimes dry." Another praised the "meticulous research" but noted it "reads like a doctoral thesis in places." Several reviews mentioned the book helped them understand an overlooked aspect of the war. The subject matter resonated with readers interested in genealogy who discovered ancestors among the prisoners.

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🔷 More American soldiers died in British prison ships and jails during the Revolutionary War than died in actual combat - approximately 11,500 Americans perished in captivity compared to 6,800 killed in battle. 🔷 The HMS Jersey, the most notorious British prison ship anchored in New York Harbor, was nicknamed "Hell" by its prisoners and had such horrific conditions that an estimated 1,000 prisoners died aboard it every year. 🔷 Author Edwin G. Burrows won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for History for his previous book "Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898," which he co-authored with Mike Wallace. 🔷 British captors often offered American prisoners freedom if they agreed to join the British military, leading to a complex moral dilemma for many imprisoned patriots who had to choose between loyalty and survival. 🔷 The remains of thousands of American prisoners who died aboard British prison ships were haphazardly buried along the Brooklyn shore. In 1908, these remains were finally given a proper memorial when they were interred in Fort Greene Park's Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument.