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688 John Tivyford Jolliff, major commanding, handed in a written statement, dated 7 April, 1815: "Yesterday evening, between the hours of six and seven o'clock, soon after the officers' dinner, the mess-waiter came into the mess-room and said that the American prisoners had broken out of the prison, and were attempting their escape. I immediately ordered the troops composing the garrison to fall in at the alarm post. Whilst the troops were forming, I heard several shots fired, upon which I immediately took the grenadiers and proceeded to the west guard. &hellip; Upon my arrival several of the troops were formed in the marketplace, and had fired some shots. I immediately called out to them to cease firing, and finding that the prisoners still refused to go into their prison, I took a party of grenadiers and went into two of the prison yards, and told the soldiers [prisoners?] to go into their prisons, which they very reluctantly did. Several stones were thrown at the military. &hellip; The military fired a few shot at the prisoners in the yard, in consequence of their throwing stones and refusing to go into the prison, but the firing was without any orders, and I conceive took place owing to the military being so exasperated. As soon as the prisoners were all gone into their different prisons and properly secured, I returned to the barracks." He added, "Several shots were fired in the prison yards, but entirely without any command."

George Pett, sergeant, testified to the efforts made by Major Joliffe to put an end to the firing.

Henry Burgoyne, private, was on the platform when the alarm bell rang, but left it for the Market Square. "I heard an order to fire, but don't know who gave it."

Edward Jackson, private of the Derby Militia, was on the platform. "I think there had been two volleys in