The HMS Jersey: The Ship That Killed More Americans Than the British Army

In the summer of 1776, British forces seized New York City and faced an immediate shortage of prison space for captured soldiers, sailors, and civilians. Under the authority of the Hulks Act, the Royal Navy converted decommissioned warships into floating cages, anchoring them in Wallabout Bay. The most notorious of these vessels was the HMS Jersey. Stripped of her sails and largely sealed to prevent escape, the rotting hull became a crowded, lightless holding pen where men endured extreme heat, rampant disease, and starvation.The mortality rate aboard the ship soon surpassed all American combat fatalities of the war combined. Records indicate approximately 11,500 captives died in the harbor, with the Jersey claiming the largest share. Guards disposed of the dead in the bay at night, leaving countless victims unidentified. Although their remains now rest beneath a monument in Brooklyn, the history of the prison ships has largely faded from public memory. Surviving documentation reveals a system engineered to silently break those who refused to abandon the rebellion. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit midnightsignals.net