JOURNAL
OF
DR. ELIAS CORNELIUS,
A REVOLUTIONARY SURGEON.
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION
OF HIS SUFFERINGS
WHILE A
PRISONER IN PROVOST JAIL,
NEW YORK, 1777 AND 1778,
WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
PUBLISHED BY
Judge Charles M. Tompkins
AND
Chester T. Sherman,
Washington, D. C.
1903.
PRICE, FIFTY CENTS, POSTPAID.
JOURNAL
OF
DR. ELIAS CORNELIUS,
A REVOLUTIONARY SURGEON.
AND
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
Copyright, 1902,
By Chester T. Sherman.
JOURNAL OF ELIAS CORNELIUS, M. D.,
Surgeon’s Mate in the American Revolutionary Army,
While a Prisoner to the British in the Provost Jail, New York, 1777 and 1778.
Augt. 22, 1777.—This morning I marched down to East Chester with the mainbody of our troops in that division Viz. Gen Varnum’s Brigade ofContinental troops & Gen Ward’s of Conneticut Malitia where we went andsurprized one of the Enemies Piquets and took two officers and someprivates with some Tories & Negroes. After that I went with our two guidesand Dr Tunison of the General Hospital, and seized some stores that waswithin the Enemies Lines and kept for their use. After that (which wasabout two o’clock P. M.) the Gen thought proper to send out Piquet Guards.Capt Y Alden of Col Samuel B. Webbs Regiment, was detached, with aboutfifty men to command the advanced Piquet on the left, near West Chester.Capt David Dexter of Israel Angell’s Regiment was detached with the samenumber of men to command the advanced Guards on the right at Miles Square.I, wishing to be where most was to be done, rode down with Capt Dexter. Hestopped at Miles Square; but seeing a body of men at a distance on theright towards North River, not knowing who they were I sat out with adetermination to find out. I had gone but half way when I met Col Dammond.
After some conversation we concluded to ride to the Enemies advanced Post,and see what discoveries we could make. After riding in sight of FortIndependence, we returned unmolested to Col Dammond’s Regiment. While wewere riding we heard cannonading and firing of small arms, which wesupposed to be the enemy attacking our advanced Guards on the left; here Ileft Col Dammond and returned to Capt Dexter’s Piquet and there tarriedsome minutes, after which set out for Head Quarters, where I had left theGen and main bodys of the troops at East Chester. It had become late inthe afternoon, but I thought myself safe, as I had been six miles nearerthe enemy than I was at that time. I had now four miles to ride before Icame to Capt Dexter’s[Pg 4] Piquet. Before I come to East Chester it took upsome time; I however arrived there in an hour and a half. To my greatsurprise I found that our troops