Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument, Monument in Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, United States
The Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument is a structure and memorial in Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, consisting of a 148-foot granite Doric column. A bronze urn sits at the top, while bronze eagles with spread wings stand at the four corners of the base.
The British Navy held more than 11,500 American soldiers on prison ships in Wallabout Bay during the War of Independence, where most died between 1776 and 1783. The memorial was built in the early 20th century to honor these men and house their collected remains.
The structure takes its name from the prisoners who died on British ships and whose remains were recovered from the bay. Visitors today see four bronze eagles at the base, their wings spread to symbolize freedom.
The park has several entrances, with the main staircase on the east side offering the most direct path to the column. The area around the memorial is flat and easily reachable, making the visit straightforward for most people.
A crypt beneath the column holds bone fragments collected over decades from Brooklyn shores after bodies washed ashore during the war. The bronze urn at the top weighs about one ton and is visible from much of the park on clear days.
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