Calls for renewed remembrance at Prison Ship Martyrs Monument
Society of Old Brooklynites Hosts 106th Re-Dedication Ceremony for Revolutionary-Era Soldiers
“Keep in mind that in 1908, at the one year commemoration of this monument, there were 20,000 people in attendance, including military regiments and civilian personnel,” said Society of Old Brooklynites member Daniel Cardona. “At the 100 year anniversary in 2008, there were only 200 people.”
Cardona scanned the crowd. “And now — well. Each of us here needs to tell three people about the significance of this monument and bring them with us next year. Let’s get attendance back up to 500, then 1,000 and beyond.”
Cardona spoke on Saturday at the annual re-dedication ceremony for America’s first prisoners of war — one of several events held each year to commemorate the Battle of Brooklyn, America’s first major battle after declaring independence. The ceremony was held at the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument in Fort Greene Park.
Before the world wars, our civil war and the independence of our nation, some 11,500 Continental Army soldiers paid the ultimate sacrifice, enduring torture at the hands of the British, who interned them in prison ships in Wallabout Bay (today known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard) until they perished.