Privateering

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

I'm reading a WONDERFUL book about a little-know area of history- "Ben Franklin's Privateers". It is about how during the American Revolution, Ben Franklin authorized three ships, the Black Prince, the Black Princess and the Fearnot to capture British merchants and ships of war.

The goal in capturing British ships was not monetary gain for Franklin (Although it was for the privateers themselves. The ships were French owned and crewed by Irish and American seamen) Franklin's objective was a prisoner exchange- trading the Britishers that they took in the raids, and exchanging them for imprisoned Americans, who apparently suffered greatly in British prisons. One account told of 100 Americans being lead to the ship for the exchange- 2 died walking to the ship, 1 was too ill to make the walk.

My own ancestor, John Fulton, was captured while serving under Benedict Arnold on a disasterous mission to attempt to capture Canadian territories under British rule for America. He was in a ship crewed largely by men from the town of Medford MA where he lived. They were set upon by "two sloops of war" in St. Mary's Bay, Nova Scotia.

They were freed eventually and returned home, but since this occurred before the end of the war, I'm wondering if it was a part of a prisoner exchange program. The letter of my gr-gr-gr-gr-great grandmother's letter to George Washington is in the Library of Congress, asking him to use his influence to get her husband and those of the other Medford women released. (she knew Washington because she delivered dispatches for him when John was ill and he honored her with a visit. )

What I am wondering is if anyone here would have an idea how I could find out more about John Fulton's imprisonment- Where would the prisoners captured in St Mary's Bay have been imprisoned, are there any surviving prison records, or prisoner exchange records? I also do not know if a "sloop of war" would have been a privateering sloop or a British ship of the line. All of this took place in August of 1775. Any suggestions of avenues for research would be greatly appreciated. This is a part of my family history I only recently discovered. They took great pains to keep record of their successfull adventures and there is little mention on record of this painful chapter of their lives.

Thanks mates.

-Claire aka "Poison Quill"

[the Royaliste]

'sloops of war 'on the Great Lakes and StLawrence seaway were not large as ships of the line were. Ships of the line and frigates were huge in comparison, and fleets used by Benedict Arnold in the Rev. war were smaller, being constructed in New France and the colonies....some quite small, really large Bateaus. I'll hunt a few Canadian honchos for you to contact....

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

That would be AWESOME!!! I figure there has got to be a prison roster with his name on it somewhere in the Canadian archives or naval records of his capture. I'm hoping to learn which prison he was in and what the conditions were like during his incarceration. I'd love to make a visit there to see the place if it still exists. It was extremely moving to read my grandmother's letter and to actually see something written in her hand so long ago when we visited the Library of Congress in DC. Reading their hand-written letters was like meeting them for the first time and getting to know the real people behind the family tales.

[Deacon Frye]

Falconer's Dictionary, (1780) defines the Sloop of War:

SLOOP OF WAR, a name given to the smallest vessels of war, except cutters. They are either rigged as ships or as snows.

And further in discussion of the rating system (the sloop of war was unrated):

The sloops of war carry from 18 to 8 cannon, the largest of which have 6 pounders; and the smallest, viz. those of 8 and 10 guns, 4 pounders. Their officers are generally the same as in the 6th rates, with little variation; and their complements of men are from 120 to 6o, in proportion to their force or magnitude.

[Scupper]

I may be living in Connecticut but I'm from Somerville MA. Which is next door to Medford. My sister and some friends live there. They may have mention of your ancestor in the town archives. I'll be going home soon for a visit. At least once before Christmas. I can check if you wish Quill.

Scupper

[Capt. Westyn Elizabeth Roberts]

Well, I didn't look forward to studying American History in college, since I didn't really care for it in regular school, but it is turning out to be quite interesting.

We were learning about Francis Drake, who partnered with Elizabeth I to "privateer," and then she came aboard his ship and knighted him, making Prince Phillip very angry.

I was the only one in the entire class who knew about this story...of course, most of them are 8-10 years younger than I am...and definitely not pirates!

I also like the story about the colony that was settled, but the Spanish refused to allow supply ships to return for three years, and when the English did come back, the only thing left of a colony was the word CROATAN written on a tree.

I think that's very mysterious. I would like to dig deeper and find out more about the missions and what that word means. Anyone know?

Historically challenged,

Capt. WE Roberts

[the Royaliste]

:) The book I listed, 'Pirates of the Pacific,1575-1742' has quite a lot on the elisabethan Pirates, Drake, Cavandish, etc. just facts, but a good read....

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

Thanks Scupper, I'm already in touch with the Medford historical society and have all the known info that they have. This stuff is digging way deep into the part of my ancestor's hstory that wasn't talked about afterwards. Not a happy chapter in their lives, so it was swept under the carpet and virtually forgotten by history, while all the attention was focused on their successes during the Revolution. What I'm seeking are prison records from Nova Scotia at this point. But thanks!!!

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

OK next question- anyone have any good sources for info on American Revolutionaries who privateered in Nova Scotia? It is beginning to look like my grandpa may have been out dabbling in a bit of privateering when he was captured in 1775

[captweaver65]

croatan is a name used to refer to the lumbee indians of n carolina.

it is also the name for the algonquin language they developed,part of which has been lost.

"History: The Lumbee don't entirely understand why people persist in calling the Roanoke colony the "Lost Colony," since they left an explicit note telling where they were going (Croatan, the lands of some friendly Cheraw Indians) and since the descendents of the Croatan Cheraw were found some 50 years later speaking English, practicing Christianity, and sporting about 75% of the last names the colonists had brought with them. By all accounts, though, those descendents--who called themselves "Lumbee" Indians, after the river running through their traditional lands--were mixed-race, so mixed-race they were not sent to Oklahoma with the other Native Americans of North Carolina in the 1820's and 30's. North Carolina was not the most pleasant place to live in the 19th century if your skin was dark, though, and increasing violence against Lumbees and free mulattos set the stage for the Lumbee folk hero Henry Berry Lowrie in the 1860's. Called the "Indian Robin Hood" by some, Lowrie, enraged by the assault and murder of his family, spent the next decade wreaking vigilante justice on those who harassed Indians and stealing supplies to give to the disenfranchised. He was never caught, and his legend--brave, proud, dangerous when provoked, and above all else free--remains a powerful tribal metaphor. "

native languages-lumbee

[captweaver65]

OK next question- anyone have any good sources for info on American Revolutionaries who privateered in Nova Scotia? It is beginning to look like my grandpa may have been out dabbling in a bit of privateering when he was captured in 1775

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~jacktar/biblio.html

http://www.alts.net/ns1625/histindx.html#amerrev

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~jacktar/shiplist.html#7yrs

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~jacktar/privateering.html

[Commander Ullrich]

Falconer's Dictionary, (1780) defines the Sloop of War:

SLOOP OF WAR, a name given to the smallest vessels of war, except cutters. They are either rigged as ships or as snows.

And further in discussion of the rating system (the sloop of war was unrated):

The sloops of war carry from 18 to 8 cannon, the largest of which have 6 pounders; and the smallest, viz. those of 8 and 10 guns, 4 pounders. Their officers are generally the same as in the 6th rates, with little variation; and their complements of men are from 120 to 6o, in proportion to their force or magnitude.

That is all fine and dandy if you are in the british navy, however, we do not clasify our ships in such a way, and you have to be careful when examining the type of ship or refering to historical accounts, to take into account the period, and the nationality of navy doing the classification. The british example sited rates ships through the counting of the number of guns.

That does not work with American ships (or french), however. The USF Constellation (1797-1853), for example, was pierced for guns (had gunports) on two decks, and as such was classified by the American system as a Frigate. The second ship to bear the name is the USS Constellation, Sloop-of-war(June 25, 1853-today), which means she is pierced for guns on one deck, rather than two. The french would classify this ship as a Corvette. The classification has little to do with how many decks have gunports, not with counting guns.

Respectfully,

T. Leigh Ullrich, Crew Chief

USS Constellation Museum

[Deacon Frye]

The question referred to a British sloop of war in 1775.