0 ▁American ▁sail ors ▁were ▁imprison ed ▁at ▁D art mo or . ▁These ▁were ▁either ▁naval ▁prisoners ▁or ▁im pressed ▁American ▁se amen ▁dis charg ed ▁from ▁British ▁vessels . ▁Wh ilst ▁the ▁British ▁were ▁in ▁overall ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁prison , ▁the ▁prisoners ▁created ▁their ▁own ▁govern ance ▁and ▁culture . ▁They ▁had ▁courts ▁which ▁met ed ▁out ▁pun ish ments , ▁a ▁market , ▁a ▁theatre ▁and ▁a ▁g amb ling ▁room . ▁About ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁the ▁prisoners ▁were ▁black . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁prisoners ▁heard ▁of ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Gh ent , ▁signed ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁December ▁ 1 8 1 4 , ▁they ▁expected ▁immediate ▁release , ▁but ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁refused ▁to ▁let ▁them ▁go ▁on ▁par ole ▁or ▁take ▁any ▁steps ▁until ▁the ▁treat y ▁was ▁rat ified ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Senate , ▁ 1 7 ▁February ▁ 1 8 1 5 . ▁It ▁took ▁several ▁weeks ▁for ▁the ▁American ▁agent ▁to ▁secure ▁ships ▁for ▁their ▁transport ation ▁home , ▁and ▁the ▁men ▁grew ▁very ▁imp at ient . ▁On ▁ 4 ▁April , ▁a ▁food ▁contract or ▁attempted ▁to ▁work ▁off ▁some ▁dam aged ▁hard t ack ▁on ▁them ▁in ▁place ▁of ▁soft ▁bread ▁and ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁yield ▁by ▁their ▁ins urre ction . ▁The ▁command ant , ▁Captain ▁T . ▁G . ▁Short land , ▁sus pected ▁them ▁of ▁a ▁design ▁to ▁break ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁ga ol . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁reverse ▁of ▁the