My relative, Aaron DRESSER, third Aaron in a series in this family, was
also one of the prisoners of the Battle of the Windmill who was
eventually sent to exile on VanDieman's Land, otherwise known as
Tasmania. His sentence was for seven years, but he and a partner helped
capture a violent escaped prisoner after about five years had been
served and earned a "passage home" and commutation of their sentence as
a reward. "Home" was identified as England, which may have been home to
the jailors but was certainly not to the jailed.
Aaron Dresser and his fellow ex-prisoner made it to London, but Aaron's
health was broken. The American ambassador (Edward Everett, I believe)
kindly nursed them in his own home and used their stories of life in
VanDieman's Land to argue for release of the other exiled Patriots. He
was also able to arrange passage for the two back to New York City,
where they were met heroes with a heroes welcome. A letter written by
the two was published in the New York daily newspapers and is said to
have helped pressure the American government to renew efforts for the
return of the prisoners.
Aaron Dresser was born on 24 April, 1816, and died 18 May, 1855, leaving
a wife and three young children, born after his return. He is buried in
the Old Theresa Cemetery in Jefferson County, NY.