James Forten: A Prison Ship Survivor

Thousands of men and women were held on the British prison ships anchored in Wallabout Bay during the Revolutionary War, but perhaps none of those unfortunate souls’ stories was as compelling as that of James Forten.

Born a free man in 1766, the African-American Forten was one of the fortunate few to survive the prison ships anchored in what is now the site of the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

It is within the realm of possibility that Forten was held captive beside some of the roughly 11,000 who are buried in Fort Greene Park at the Prison Ship Martyrs’ Monument.

“He was a survivor — it’s a wonderful story,” said Daniella Romano, an archivist at the Navy Yard. “There was a 40 percent mortality rate on the prison ships.”

Forten was captured in 1781 by the Redcoats along with the rest of the crew of a private ship that plundered British ships for cargo. His captors ended up taking a liking to him, and offered him the opportunity to enlist and serve as a black loyalist. Forten refused, and was transferred to the dreaded prison ships. He was held there alongside some 22,000 others — half of whom died in the hellish conditions.

Romano noted that the prison ships were a “microcosm of America” at the time. Men and women from all walks of life were held there; from soldiers and protesters to merchants simply caught up in the British dragnet.

After being freed, Forten returned to Philadelphia and invented a new type of sail hoist, setting the stage for a successful business career. He died a wealthy man in 1842, and earned notoriety as an early, outspoken abolitionist.

Romano said that Forten was a perfect example of man who achieved success solely through determination and skill.

“He was a leader in history, an innovator,” she said.