“Lately Taken in Canada”: Making Arrangements for British Prisoners in the Northern Department

Posted on October 17, 2025

“Lately Taken in Canada”: Making Arrangements for British Prisoners in the Northern Department

As the American army dug in in Canada, the number of prisoners taken there grew; after their capture, Northern Department commander Philip Schuyler had to figure out what to do with them. On October 1, 1775, Schuyler sent 15 Canadian prisoners to Colonel Goose Van Schaick of the 2^nd New York Regiment in Albany. He asked Van Schaick to send two of the men to the New York Provincial Congress; “the others You will send to Connecticut together with such Prisoners (if any) as may be at Albany”.

One of the two special cases, Sergeant Neill McFall of the 26^th Regiment, was captured in Canada; he pleaded to go to New York City where his father-in-law lived. The other, William Elphinstone Jr., was the mate of the sloop Betsey, captured with his ship by Benedict Arnold at Fort St. Jean in May. He was released but was captured in British service again. He joined his father in captivity, who was taken at Ticonderoga on May 10. McFall and Elphinstone were examined by New York’s Congress, then released on parole after swearing not to serve or aid the British.

On October 17—250 years ago today—Van Schaick wrote a letter to accompany a larger group of prisoners to Connecticut, which already played host to many British prisoners. In this letter to Governor Jonathan Trumbull, Van Schaick writes that he is sending “twelve Reguler Soldiers taken out of the Garrison at St. Johns this Spring, As Also fourteen prisoners Lately taken in Canada, Seven whereof are of the Kings troops two Scotchman and five Frenchmen [French-speaking Canadians]”.

Sending these men to Connecticut solved some problems, but Schuyler’s orders left issues unresolved. Van Schaick confessed, “I Have not Receved any particular Information how or on what Account those Schotchmen and Canadians are taken”. Without knowing whether the prisoners were combatants and what their official status was, Van Schaick had to trust Trumbull to figure out how to treat them: “I must Leave it to your Honours Discretion to Give them such Usage as you may Concieve Due to persons In our power…”

See the letter (object ID 2004.0040) on the Ticonderoga Online Collections database: https://fortticonderoga.catalogaccess.com/archives/29473