▁Th ous ands ▁of ▁men ▁were ▁cr ammed ▁below ▁de cks ▁where ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁natural ▁light ▁or ▁fresh ▁air ▁and ▁few ▁prov isions ▁for ▁the ▁sick ▁and ▁hun gry . ▁As ▁many ▁as ▁ 1 , 1 0 0 ▁men ▁were ▁imprison ed ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁in ▁a ▁ship ▁designed ▁for ▁ 4 0 0 ▁sail ors , ▁and ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁ 8 , 0 0 0 ▁prisoners ▁were ▁registered ▁on ▁Jersey ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁James ▁Fort en ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁those ▁imprison ed ▁ab o ard ▁her ▁during ▁this ▁period . ▁Political ▁t ensions ▁only ▁made ▁the ▁prisoners ' ▁days ▁worse , ▁with ▁brut al ▁mist re at ment ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁gu ards ▁becoming ▁fairly ▁common . ▁As ▁many ▁as ▁eight ▁corps es ▁a ▁day ▁were ▁buried ▁from ▁the ▁Jersey ▁alone ▁before ▁the ▁British ▁surrender ed ▁at ▁York town ▁on ▁ 1 9 ▁October ▁ 1 7 8 1 . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁British ▁ev acu ated ▁New ▁York ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 7 8 3 , ▁Jersey ▁was ▁abandoned ▁and ▁burn ed . ▁ ▁Christopher ▁V ail , ▁of ▁South old , ▁who ▁was ▁ab o ard ▁Jersey ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 1 , ▁later ▁wrote : ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 7 8 , ▁Robert ▁She ff ield ▁of ▁St on ington , ▁Connecticut , ▁escaped ▁from ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁prison ▁ships , ▁and ▁told ▁his ▁story ▁in ▁the ▁Connecticut ▁Gazette , ▁printed ▁ 1 0 ▁July ▁ 1 7