 By Tom Fournier The Americans won a resounding victory over the British at the Battle of the Thames (Moraviantown) on October 5, 1813. As part of this victory, they had hundreds of British prisoners who they marched into captivity in the United States. The first stop on this journey was “Camp Bull” in Chillicothe, Ohio. This was a prisoner of war camp built to accommodate the prisoners captured at the Battle of Lake Erie. Already at capacity it would be overwhelmed by the massive influx of prisoners from the Battle of the Thames. It was decided to leave primarily the naval prisoners at Camp Bull and march the army prisoners onto Newport Barracks in Newport, Kentucky lying across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Ohio. It was a supply depot for the U.S. Army and would be adapted to a prisoner of war camp. It was decided to separate the Officers from the rank and file, and the Officers were transferred to Frankfort, Kentucky. Here they were on parole and able to move freely about the community on their honour. At this time there was escalating tensions between England and the U.S. over American prisoners captured at Queenston Heights who were charged with being deserters from the British Army. They were being held in captivity awaiting trial and the possibility of execution. In turn, the Americans isolated an equivalent number of British prisoners and said if the Americans were executed, the British prisoners would be as well. As a result, the British retaliated with more American prisoners to which the Americans responded and on this went in a series of escalations. These tensions reached the Officers on parole in Frankfort where they incarcerated in the local prison. You can get a sense for the tension felt in this article about a letter written by one of the 41st Regiment Officers: letter. Who were these prisoners? John Richardson, a gentleman volunteer with the 41st Regiment who wrote “Richardson’s War of 1812” gives us this list: Lieutenant Colonel Warburton – Inspecting Field Officer of Militia Major Chambers – D.A.Q.M. & 41st Regiment Major Muir – 41st Regiment Captain Derenzy - 41st Regiment Captain McCoy - 41st Regiment Captain Hill - 41st Regiment Captain Tallon - 41st Regiment Captain Dixon – Royal Engineers Lieutenant Hailes - 41st Regiment Lieutenant Watson - 41st Regiment Lieutenant Linn - 41st Regiment Lieutenant Jeboult - 41st Regiment Lieutenant O’Keefe - 41st Regiment Lieutenant Gale (Geale) - 41st Regiment Lieutenant Purvis – Royal Navy Lieutenant Stokoe – Royal Navy Lieutenant Bremner – Provincial Navy Lieutenant Rolette - Provincial Navy Lieutenant Irvine – Provincial Navy Lieutenant Holmes – Light Dragoons Ensign Mompesson - 41st Regiment Ensign Cochran - 41st Regiment Ensign Jones - 41st Regiment A.B. Garden – Gentleman Volunteer – Royal Newfoundland Regiment J. Richardson – Gentleman Volunteer - 41st Regiment James Laing – Gentleman Volunteer - 41st Regiment Master’s Mate J. Campbell – Royal Provincial Navy Master’s Mate G. Collins – Royal Provincial Navy Master's Mate J. Fortier - Royal Provincial Navy Midshipman R. Nelson – Royal Provincial Navy Ultimately these gentlemen would be exchanged and free to return to Canada and active service in the later summer and early fall of 1814.
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