Editing HM Prison Dartmoor (section)

===Escapes===
Unlike many detention facilities of the period, Dartmoor Prison was purpose built in an isolated location, ringed by high stone walls, and manned by hundreds of armed militia sentries. In addition a rope ran around the entire circumference of the prison, linked to a series of bells, which quickly spread an alarm. Even if a determined prisoner made it beyond the walls, he would still have to traverse ten miles on foot, over wild moorland and bogs, an area frequently beset with fog and chilling winds, to reach the nearest town.<ref>Guyatt, p.204</ref> Local residents turning in an escapee could expect a reward of a guinea.<ref>James, Trevor, ''Prisoners of War At Dartmoor, American and French Soldiers and Sailors in an English Prison During the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812'', (McParland & Company, London, 2013), p.114</ref> Yet, despite these daunting odds, scholar Nicholas Guyatt has tallied a total of twenty-four American POWs successfully making their way to freedom.<ref>Guyatt, p.208</ref>

;Disorder
Although the war ended with the [[Treaty of Ghent]] on 24 December 1814, American prisoners of war remained in Dartmoor because the British government refused to grant them parole or to take any steps until the treaty was ratified by the [[United States Senate]] on 17 February 1815. It took several weeks for the American agent to secure ships for their transportation home, and the men grew very impatient. On 4 April, a food contractor attempted to work off some damaged hardtack on them in place of soft bread, but was forced to yield by their insurrection. The commandant, Captain T. G. Shortland, suspected them of a design to break out of the gaol. This was the reverse of the truth in general, as they would lose their chance of going on the ships, but a few had made threats of the sort, and the commandant was very uneasy.<ref name=ea/>

At about 6:00 pm on 6 April, Shortland discovered a hole from one of the five prisons to the barrack yard near the gun racks. Some prisoners were outside the fence, noisily pelting each other with turf, and many more were near the breach (and the gambling tables), though the signal for return to prisons had sounded. Shortland was convinced of a plot, and rang the alarm bell to collect the officers and have the guards ready. This precaution brought back a crowd just going to quarters. Just then a prisoner broke a gate chain with an iron bar, and a number of the prisoners pressed through to the prison market square. After attempts at persuasion, Shortland ordered a charge which drove some of the prisoners in. Those near the gate, however, hooted at and taunted the soldiery, who fired a volley over their heads. The crowd yelled louder and threw stones, and the soldiers, probably without orders, fired a direct volley which killed and wounded a large number. Then they continued firing at the prisoners, many of whom were now struggling to get back inside the blocks.<ref name=ea/>

Finally the captain, a lieutenant and the hospital surgeon (the other officers being at dinner) succeeded in stopping the shooting and started caring for the wounded – about 60, 30 seriously, besides seven killed outright. The affair was examined by a joint commission, Charles King for the United States and F. S. Larpent for Great Britain, which exonerated Shortland, justified the initial shooting and blamed the subsequent deaths on unknown culprits. Following these findings, Shortland was rewarded with a promotion.<ref name=ea/> Despite being labelled "The Dartmoor Massacre", the British government paid compensation to the American families of those killed and pensioned the disabled.<ref name=ea/>

A memorial has been erected to the 271 prisoners of war (mostly [[United States Navy|seamen]]) who are buried in the prison grounds.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Monument Details |url=https://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=305&MemID=533 |access-date=2022-06-26 |website=www.uswarmemorials.org}}</ref> By July 1815 at least 270 Americans and 1,200 French prisoners had died.<ref>{{cite book |last1= Adkins |first1 = Roy |last2= Adkins |first2 = Lesley |title= The War for All Oceans |location= London |publisher= Abacus |date=2007 |page= 460 |isbn= 978-0-349-11916-8}}</ref>