John Gilroy, a corporal in the 10th
Regiment of Foot, was captured by the enemy shortly before the British
evacuated Boston in March 1776. The date and circumstances of his
capture haven't come to light yet, but the 30-year-old soldier from
Fermanagh was held in the region north of Boston.
Initially there weren't many other British prisoners in the towns north
of Boston, but that soon changed. Not long after the British army left
Boston, three transports carrying soldiers of the 42nd and 71st
Regiments, both highlanders, sailed into Cape Cod Bay. They had come
from Great Britain and hadn't gotten word that the port was no longer in
British hands. American ships engaged them and took over 200 soldiers
prisoner. These men, too, were sent to towns in Massachusetts.
British prisoners in America made it their business to try to escape.
Gilroy may have tried at least once, for by June 1777 he was being held
in the Newburyport jail rather than barracks or other accommodations
more typical for prisoners of war. Among his fellow inmates was a
19-year-old officer of the 71st Regiment, Collin Mackenzie. The young
officer must have gotten along well with the seasoned corporal who had
nine years in the army, mostly in Canada prior to the war. On 26 June
1777, they escaped together.
Their captors searched for them, and published a newspaper ad describing them and offering a reward:
In
the Evening of the 26th Day of June, 1777, the following Persons made
their Escape from the Goal in Newbury-Port, in the County of Essex.
Collin Mackenzie, a Lieutenant in the 71st (British) Regiment of Foot,
19 Years of Age, short thick-sett, 5 Feet 5 Inches high, fair
Complexion. Had on when he went away, a short Linnen Coat, Trowsers, and
a Highland Bonnet. Also, John Gilroy, a Corporal in the 10th Regiment,
25 Years of Age, sandy hair, 5 Feet 8 Inches high, strong, well made,
thin Visage, fair Complexion. Had on when he went away a Regimental Coat
of the 10th Regiment, faced with Yellow, Buttons No. 10. Both Prisoners
of War. Whoever shall take and secure either of the above Prisoners in
any Goal in the State of the Massachusetts Bay, shall have Twenty
Dollars Reward for the Lieutenant, and Ten Dollars Reward for the
Corporal, and all necessary Charges Paid. Michael Farley, Sheriff.
[Boston Gazette, 30 June 1777]
The ad understated Gilroy's age considerably. It was also to no avail.
The pair managed to make their way to the British garrison in Rhode
Island, and then to their respective regiments in New York.
Gilroy's time in prison did not have a detrimental impact on his
career. He soon was appointed serjeant in the 10th Regiment's light
infantry company. In this capacity he fought with the 1st battalion of
light infantry on the Philadelphia campaign, taking an active role in
famous battles like Brandywine, Germantown and Whitemarsh, and numerous
lesser actions. The following year brought the march from across New
Jersey and the battle of Monmouth, as well as a vigorous raid on New
Bedford, Massachusetts.
Back in New York in the late summer of 1778, the army prepared for a
new expedition against the French in the valuable islands of the West
Indies. The 10th Regiment had been on service in Canada and America
since 1767; it was time for them to go home. The regiment's able-bodied
soldiers were drafted into other British regiments bound for the West
Indies expedition, but the officers and non-commissioned officers,
including Gilroy, went back to Great Britain to recruit and train new
soldiers.
John Gilroy continued to serve. Even after being discharged from the
10th Regiment long after the American War, he was not done being a
soldier. He joined the Mayo Militia in his native Ireland, where he
continued as a soldier until 1807. At the age of 62, he finally too his
discharge after 39 years in the army, and received a pension. The
fifteen or sixteen months he spent as a prisoner of war in Massachusetts
were just a small facet of a long and varied career.
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