Report from the Front

[cyrano]

During the American Revolutionary War, the British considered colonial soldiers to be treasonous terrorists, and not subject to the conventions that applied to captured prisoners of war. They were stuffed into overcrowded prison hulks and refineries, starved, denied medical care and access to clean water and fresh air (much like conditions on slave ships on the Middle Passage). The right of Habeas Corpus was suspended for enemy combatants by Parliament.

Meanwhile, on the other side of combat lines, General Washington insisted that captured British and Hessian soldiers be kept safe and healthy, and made overtures for prisoner exchanges. (Most of these were rebuffed until late in the conflict when the British became desperate to recover some of their captured officers.)

More news from our Founding Fathers about What America Stands For.
Just sayin'.

Comments

[phillipalden.livejournal.com]

I think there are a lot of "historic American values" we need to rediscover. (As well as a number of "historic American behaviors.")