The mistreatment of American prisoners of war in England had long been on the commissioners’ minds. In February they had suggested to Lord Stormont an exchange, and the Ambassador had not replied. In April they had sent him depositions to back their claim that the British were behaving like savages, and to threaten retaliation; he had returned their letter ostensibly unopened.2 Complaints multiplied. Franklin was outraged by the contrast between his countrymen’s humanity toward their prisoners and British brutality toward theirs.3 The commissioners had no way to bring pressure on Whitehall, however, until the news of Saratoga arrived. These instructions to Thornton a week later, it may be assumed, were connected with that news: now that Burgoyne and his army were in effect prisoners, despite the fragile convention that he had signed, the British had cause to re-examine their own treatment of prisoners. The commissioners clearly hoped that their agent would gain an official hearing. They gave him a letter to Lord North, and Franklin tried to smooth his way by writing to two old friends.4 Thornton reached London on the 16th, armed with these letters, and Hartley obtained him an interview three days later with North; the issue of the prisoners was discussed but left for later determination.5 On the 28th Thornton, having heard nothing from Whitehall, took the initiative and went to Forton Prison, where he bribed his way into interviews with a number of the prisoners. Conditions were quite as bad as the commissioners had had reason to suppose.6