Journal of Dr. Elias Cornelius, a Revolutionary Surgeon

A surgeon's mate in the Continental Army records his wartime service and harsh imprisonment after capture near Westchester, describing skirmishes leading to his seizure, the loss of belongings, and transfer to the Provost Jail in New York. He provides graphic descriptions of rough treatment by guards, crowded confinement, scant and spoiled rations, humiliation and deprivation, occasional small acts of aid, and the daily struggles of fellow prisoners. Entries are chronological, eyewitness accounts that are accompanied by a concise biographical sketch.