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

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

Author: Russ Chamberlin July 1, 2026 Duration: 14:26

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.



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There’s a particular chill that comes with stories told after dark, when the world outside goes quiet and the mind begins to wander toward the unexplained. That’s the atmosphere Midnight Signals cultivates, guided by narrator Russ Chamberlin. This isn’t just a collection of scary stories; it’s a deep, narrative-driven exploration into the corners of history we often hurry past. Russ brings his focus on true crime and dark history to the forefront, examining cases and events with a careful, compelling detail. You’ll hear episodes that piece together the fragments of long-forgotten crimes, delve into historical moments shrouded in secrecy, and confront mysteries that have stubbornly resisted solution. The podcast naturally branches into related territories of the strange-those eerie accounts of paranormal encounters and bizarre phenomena that intertwine with our darker past. It’s for anyone who finds themselves pulled toward questions without easy answers, who prefers the texture of a well-researched tale to a simple ghost story. Tune in for a voice that leads you through the shadows, making each episode a journey into the profound and the perplexing. This is where curiosity meets the creeping sense that some truths are best uncovered in the dead of night.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Midnight Signals
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