History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 71

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 71

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

A fairly accurate register of the privateers of Salem in this war, will be found in the appendix; and the following copy of the commission of a Salem priva- teer commander in the Revolution may be of inter- est:

"The Delegates of the United States of New Hampshire, Massachu- setts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Penn- sylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Southi Caro- lina and Georgia. To all unto whom these presents shall come, send greeting-know ye, that we have granted and by these presents do grant license and authority to Samuel Croel Mariner, Commander of the Schooner called the 'Greyhound' of the burthen of forty tons or there- abouts, belonging and others-mounting six carriage guns and navi- gated by eleven men, to fit out and set forth the said schooner in a war- like manner, and by and with the said schooner and the crew thereof, by Force of Arms to attack, subdue and take all ships and other vessels whatsoever carrying Soldiers, Arms, Gnopowder, Ammunition, Provi- sions, or any other Contraband Goods to any of the British Armies or ships of war employed against these United States. And also to attack, seize and take all ships or other vessels belonging to the Inhabitants of Great Britain, or to any subject or subjects thereof, with their Tackle, Apparel, Furniture and Ladings on the High Seas or between high and low water marks (the ships or vessels, together with their cargoes be- looging to any Iohabitant or Inhabitants of Berninda, Providence and the Bahama Islands, such other ships and vessels bringing Persons with intent to settle and reside within any of the United States, or bringing Arms, ammunition or warlike stores to the said States for the use thereof, which said ships or vessels you shall suffer to pass unmolested,

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

the commanders thereof permitting a pencenble search and giving satis- factory information of the contents und lading und destination of the voyages, only excepted). And the said ships or vessels so apprehended as aforesaid and as prizes taken, to carry into any Port or Harbor within the dominions of any neutral State willing to ndmit the same, or into any l'ort within the said United States in order that the Courts there instituted to hear und determine Causes Civil and Maritime, may proceed in dne forin to Condemn the suid captures, if they be adjudged lawful prizes, or otherwise according to the usage in such cases at the port or in the State where the same shall be carried. The said Sumuel C'roel having given Bond with sufficient sureties that nothing be done by the said commander of schooner or any of his officers, Marines, or company thereof contrary to or inconsistent with the usage and Customs of Nations, and that he shall not exceed or transgress the Powers and Authorities contained in this Commission. And we will and require all our officers whatsoever in the Service of the United States to give succor and assistance to the said Samuel Cruel in the Premises. This commis- sion shall continue in force until the Congress shall issuo orders to the contrary. Dated at Boston, 14th day of October, 1779, and in the 4th year of the Independence of the United States of America.

" By order of the Congress,

" JOHN AVEAY, Attest.

' CHAS. THOMPSON, Secretary."

After the Revolution the new nation being nomin- ally at peace with other countries, there is nothing to record until the War of 1812, though Salem shipping, which had vastly increased in value since the inde- pendence of the country had been established, suf- fered considerably from the depredations of the French navy, which, had we been a little stronger, were a quite sufficient casus belli.

Subsequently, that government frankly recognizing their fault in this matter, paid over a large amount to the United States as an indemnity fund for the ship- owners who had suffered loss. Our government, with a calm dishonesty for which an individual would have been promptly punished, put the money in its coffers, and no part of it has, up to date, been paid to those to whom it properly belonged. As it is difficult to get a government indicted and put into States prison, or even to force it to file an answer in a civil proceed- ing, the unhappy people who were swindled in this matter were obliged to die without getting their money, and their heirs have since hung around the steps of the capitol at Washington or caught the mem- bers of Congress in the lobbies in the hitherto vain attempt to recover their own.

A little later, when the Barbary corsairs began to pick up our merchantmen, with some Salem vessels among them, we felt that if we could not make it con- venient to quarrel with France, we did not propose to have Algiers or Tripoli tread upon us, and promptly whipped those people into the belief that we were something of a naval power, after all.

What part was taken by such Salem men as were serving in the United States navy, in that quite cred- itable little war, we cannot say, but it was doubtless, as usual, efficient and valuable.

In 1798, it being obvious that the United States needed a navy, and the government having no facili- ties for ship-building, a request was made that the citizens of certain maritime localities loan funds to aid in the equipment of the navy. In Salem a large sum was subscribed, and the frigate "Essex," afterward

to become a very famous vessel, was built by Salem ship-builders on Winter Island, rigged and turned over to the government. It was a patriotic task for a little town of nine thousand inhabitants to undertake. The "Essex " proved a very fast sailer, and had a noted career.

The following are the names of the subscribers to this loan, on which the government paid only six per cent. while borrowing other moneys at eight per cent., a fact well known to these gentlemen :

Win. Gray, Jr. $10,000

Jolın Derby 1,000

Elias II. Derby 10,000

Edward Allen, Jr. 500

Win. Orne.

5,000

Pago & Ropes. .. 100

John Norris 5,000

John Jenks 1,500

Ebr. Bickford, 2,000

Benj. Pickman, Jr. 1,000

Edwd. Killen. 100

Ezekiel II. Derby. 1,000

Jona. Mason.

Jos. Peabody

1,500

John Osgood

1,000

Wm. Prescott 1,000

Ichabod Nicbols. 1,000

Benj. Carpenter 500

Jacob Aslıton

1,000

James King. 500

Jus. Osgood, Jr. 25

Wm. Appleton 50

Jobu Hathorne 200

Isaac Osgood 500

Elias H. Derby, Jr. 400

Jona. Lambert 40

Henry Osborne 50

Joseph Hill

300

Nathl. Batchelder 50

Walter P. Bartlett

100

Daniel Jenks 500

Israel Dodge.

560

Samuel Archer

100

Jos. Vincent

200

Brackey Rose

100

Joshua Richardson 500

Asa Kilham

Jos. Mosely 100

A lady, by J. Jenks.

Wait & Pierce 2,000

Benj. West, Jr.

100

Abel Lawrence.

500

Richd. Manning, Jr.

200

Hardy Ropes

200

David Patten

Thos, Cushing

Edw. J. Sanderson

200

E. A. Holyoke.

800

Jobo Treadwell

500

Moses Townsend

100

John Barr

600

Timothy Wellmao, Jr. 100

Win. Luscomb.

300

Jobn Morong 50

100

Thos. Bancroft 100

Enos Briggs

Nathl. West

1,500

Ephraim Emmerton.

100

Saml. McIntire. 100

Wo1. Marstoo

250

Benj. Felt .. 100

Edw. Lang.

100

George Dodge. 1,000

Thos. Webb

200

Peter Lander 200

Michael Webb. 100

Stephen Phillips 1,000

Edmund Gale. IO

Richd. Derby, Jr. 1,500

Benj. Webb, Jr. 100

Jos. Waters. 415

Richard Manniog.

1,000

C. Crownioshield

500

Benj. Hodges,

500

John Pickering. 200

John Beckett

100

Edmund Upton. 300

James Gould.

Saml. Ropes, Jr. 50

Saml. Brooks. 50

Asa Pierce 50

Natha. Pierce. 250

Upton & Porter 400

Buffum & Iloward 450

Samuel Gray 2,000

Win. Ward.

500

Joshua Ward 750

Jonathao Neal 2,000

John Deland 100

Juseph Newhall

100

Benj. Goodbye

800

Saml. Very ..

350

Thos. Saunders.

500

Thomas Chipman

Jona. Waldo. 40

Total $74,700

During the years that preceded the War of 1812, the Salem merchantmen in common with others lost men by the high-handed impressments of the British men of war, that exercised a pretended right to take from the ship of any nation met on the high seas, such seamen as their officers chose to consider English subjects; and as they were in need of sailors they were by no means nice in drawing distinctions. Therefore, while opposed on general principles to the

Thomas Perkins. 500

John Murphy. 500

Joseph Cabot 500

Stephen Well 500

1,000

Benj. Pickmal

" JOHN JAY, President.

Lane & Son (io work)

100

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SALEM.

embargo and subsequent declaration of war against England, these unwarrantable acts had left sufficient sting in the minds of the Salem merchants and sea- men to render them very ready to again sweep the seas with their privateers to the serious detriment of the British merchant marine. Again it may be said, without much exaggeration, that from commerce this became the principal business of Salem, and if it were possible to give a list of the men who at some time during this war, served on her privateers and letters of marque, it would give a very fair idea of the seafaring portion of the town's population.

In writing of the exploits of the privateers of Sa- lem in this war, it is difficult to know how to begin and where to end. For three years forty vessels, practically men of war, cruised from this port heavily armed, and officered, and manned by as skillful and brave navigators and seamen as were then afloat. And this does not include over one hundred letter of marque trading vessels, that kept the sea and did some fighting as well as trading. Of these, as their warlike character was merely incidental, we shall be unable to make more than this passing mention.

With regard to the privateers, the records of the time are more or less imperfect : some of the deeds performed by them are recounted while others are unnoticed, and the history of their actions and cap- tures is imperfect and unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, it is impossible to turn this remarkable page in the history of the towu without glancing at the careers of a few of these notable vessels, and recalling some of the incidents of their warfare.

The daring with which these fine vessels were fought and the brilliant seamanship that so fully utilized their admirable sailing qualities, were the wonder and exasperation of the English navy, and caused British merchants many hours of painful reflec- tion.

These qualities of vessel and crew were never bet- ter illustrated than in the ship " America," twenty guns, and carrying a crew of one hundred and fifty men, more or less. She was owned by George Crownin- shield, and was the largest privateer sailing from this port. Admirably commanded by Captains Joseph Ropes, John Kehew and John W. Cheever at different times, she was considered by some to be the fastest vessel afloat during that war. Her success in capturing prizes was phenomenal, and the amount realized by her owner was very large; her captures up to March, 1814, were estimated at the value of $1,100,000. Unlike the greater number of privateers, she escaped capture by the enemy, and may be said to have died peacefully in her bed, long subsequent to the war.

A smaller full-rigged ship, called the " Alfred," sixteen guns and one hundred and ten to one hundred and thirty men, was an effective cruiser. She was built in Salem in 1805, and at her launch the rudder, which, against the remonstrance of the builder, was

already hung, struck the bottom and was thrown out, falling immediately across the stern-post and stop- ping the vessel, so that she lay aground one tide. When floated she was found to be badly "hogged." She was brought to the wharf aud large blocks of wood placed under her stern-post and forefoot, and her weight brought npon the extremities, which caused her to settle in the centre and resume her original lines. She was never apparently the worse for this severe test of her elasticity, but proved a good ship and fast sailer. When fitted as a privateer she sailed less well than previously and was altered into a brig. She seemed under both rigs to have had bad luck with her spars in heavy weather. As a brig she was pro- bably over-sparred, but that had not been the case when ship-rigged. She was well commanded hy Cap- tains Stephen Williams and Philip Bessom, under both of whom, if the vessel lost a few sticks, she never failed to send in prizes enough to fully atone for this one foible. Two of her prizes alone sold for one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. She was ultimately captured in February, 1814.

The ship "Alexander," eighteen guns and about one hundred and forty men, was commanded on her first cruise by Captain Wellman, and gave promise of a successful career, which was fully borne out by her performances on the next cruise under Captain Ben- jamin Crowninshield, when, with the greater part of her crew away in seven prizes just previously taken, she was, on May 19, 1813, crowded on shore in Wells' bay by two English men-of-war, and captured. So closely was she pressed by the enemy that only twenty men of her crew succeeded in reaching the shore and escaping.

The other full-rigged privateer sailing from Salem, the ship "John," sixteen guns and a strong crew of one hundred and sixty or more men, was commanded by Captains Fairfield and Crowninshield (who after- wards commauded the Alexander), and after a short season of great usefulness, in which she picked up some twenty English merchantmen, more or less, was in her turn picked up by an English frigate in February, 1813, and Salem saw her no more.

Of the privateer brigs of Salem, perhaps the most profitable and fortunate was the "Grand Turk." She was large for the time, carried eighteen guns and one hundred and fifty men, and became noted for her good qualities as a sailer and her audacity and uniform good fortune. At one time, in 1813, uuder one of her two gallant commanders, Captain Breed or Greene, she stood off and on at the mouth of the English channel for twenty days, capturing a number of vessels almost in sight of their home ports; finally eluding all pursuit and making off in safety. She was never captured.

The smaller brig, "Montgomery," twelve guns, commanded in turn by Captains Holton J. Breed (who was also in the "Grand Turk"), Joseph Strout (who had been a naval officer), and Benjamin Upton, was almost as fortunate a vessel as the "Grand Turk."

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

She made many prizes and distinguished herself by some hard fighting. On one occasion she had a des- perate action with a large, heavily-armed ship, which she captured after losing many men, her then captain, Upton, being severely wounded. At another time, falling in with a British troop ship, near Surinam, full of soldiers and carrying eighteen guns, a man-of-war to all intents and purposes, she attacked without hesi- tation, and after two hours' hot work, drew off for re- pairs, intending to "resume business at the old stand," as it were, as soon as she could splice up some of her rigging and plug two or three troublesome shot- holes. But the Englishman had had quite enough of her, and crowding all sail made good her escape. After a very successful series of cruises, the " Mont- gomery " was ultimately obliged to succumb to supe- rior force, but it took the British line-of-battle ship, " La Hogue," seventy-four guns, to bring her to terms.

The "fore and aft " rig seems to have commended itself to those engaged in privateering, doubtless from the fact that by pointing higher, a schooner could more easily work to windward of a large merchant- man, while, in case of pursuit by a man-of-war, she could go off dead before the wind, still holding one of her best points of sailing. At all events, the greater number of our privateers in this war, from all ports. were top-sail schooners, twenty-three of this class sailing from Salem. These vessels were, some of them. of fair size for the time, others very small, but nearly all were good sailers and were always well handled. They carried but few guns, but one of these was usu- ally a large one, and their strong crews of daring sea- men, eager for the chance of boarding, rendered them exceedingly formidable to everything they met, short of an enemy's frigate. They chased, fought and ran away, as the occasion required, with equal bravery and address. Most of them met their fate sooner or later, but this resulted usually from their own temer- ity, and not before the English had paid for them many times over, in their prizes taken.

Room can be given to the notice of but few of these gallant little vessels, though a book might well be filled with the record of their exploits. There was a little pink-sterned fishing schooner changed into a privateer, called the " Fame," of only thirty tons, and carrying two six-pounders, that had wonderful luck and was never captured, though finally lost in a storm. She sailed fast, and her excellent reputation did not seem to suffer under any of her numerous command- ers, for she changed them, apparently, at almost every cruise; being commanded successively by Captains Webb, Upton, Poland, Greene, Chapman, Endicott, Brookhouse and Evans.

The "Frolic," a much larger schooner, carrying one twenty-four pounder and a smaller gun and com- manded by Captains Green and Odiorne, proved a very lively vessel in more senses than one, sweeping the sea like a broom during her short life, though her captures were not of great value. She was built on

Salem Neck, and was very fast, but had the peculiar- ity of being unduly sharp aft; so much so, indeed, that she was unseaworthy, and on her second cruise, being taken aback in a slight squall, ran stern under as far as the main hatch, and was only saved from swamping by great exertions. So little did her crew enjoy this particular phase of her frolicsomeness, that they came aft in a body and offered the captain to give up all advances if he would abandon the cruise. The British man-of-war " Heron," happening around about this time, saved the officers from any embarrassment on this score by capturing and burn- ing the vessel, in spite of her desperate endeavors to escape through a long stern chase.

Dr. Benjamin F. Browne, well remembered by our citizens, was taken on board of the "Frolic," and many are familiar with his experiences in Dartmoor prison, where he and his shipmates were confined un- til the peace. He narrowly escaped being shot in the savage suppression of restlessness among the prison- ers, by Colonel Shortland, commanding the guard. Dr. Browne, in those days, of course, a mere boy, took also a short cruise on the ship " Alfred," already spoken of.

The " Dolphin " was a still larger schooner, carry- ing more men, though less weight of metal, than the "Frolic." She was built in Baltimore, before the war, and altered to a privateer, and under Captain Jacob Endicott, made, perhaps, as good a record as any privateer schooner sailing from Salem in propor- tion to the time of her service; for she was captured in September, 1812. A single vessel and cargo taken by her brought the large sum of sixty thousand dollars. A lady passenger, on one of the prizes taken by the " Dolphin," in a published letter, bore pleasant testi- mony to the politeness of Captain Endicott, who caused her to be landed at the port most convenient to her destination and scrupulously secured to her all her money and baggage. Judging from the batteries ' carried by some of the ships taken by the " Dolphin," she must have done considerable fighting, first and last.

The vicissitudes sometimes attending the career of a privateer were well illustrated by the "John " and "George," a fine American-built schooner, captured early in the war by an English man-of-war, and for some reason turned adrift. She was found off Cape Sable by the American privatcer " Regulator," August 13, 1812, and sent in to Salem, where, being found to be fast, she was turned into a privateer. She made one short cruise under Capt. Sinclair, in which she was suc- cessful. Her name was then altered to the "Revenger," though it would seem as if the name she already bore had given her sufficiently good luck. Certainly the new one brought her none, for she was captured on her very next cruise. The Englishmen who bought her continued her as a privateer, again changing her name to the "Retaliation." Subsequently a Portsmouth privateer retook her, but she was lost to Salem, and

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SALEM.

her further changes of name are no longer a matter of history.

The " Dart," a small schooner of but forty tous and two small guns, commanded successively by Captains Davis, Symonds, Green and Poland, under each of whom she was admirably handled, was a profitable little vessel. She sailed well and took some valuable prizes. Que in particular, a large armed merchant- man, heavily mauned aud carrying six guns, she gallantly took after a most determined resistance. She was never captured, though, as if the elements : conspired with the enemy against these plucky little vessels, bothı she and the "Fame " already spoken of, were wrecked in the Bay of Fundy.

The "Fair-Trader," another little schooner, of the same tonnage as the "Dart," seems to have been a good cruiser, and under her Captain Jolin R. Mor- gan took a number of prizes before her capture in September, 1812.

The largest privateer schooners that sailed from Salem during the war were the "Diomede," com- manded by Captain J. Crowninshield; the "Enter- prise," Captain Morgan; and the "Growler," Captains Graves and Lindsay. They were all built for this pur- pose on the " Baltimore Clipper " model, and were all ultimately captured by the enemy after a more or less fortunate service. The "Diomede" was a very fast sailer. On one short cruise of a few weeks she sent in six vessels, and among others of her captures was one large ship carrying sixteen guns; while among the "Growler's" captures, one vessel and cargo are mentioned as valued at one hundred thousand dol- lars.

Four sloops figured as privateers from Salem in this war, of which the little "Jefferson " was very suc- cessful considering her size, which was that of a mere pleasure boat, for which purpose, indeed, she was originally built in Salem. She carried one gun and twenty men, and managed to escape capture.

The sloop "Wasp," rather larger, was also built in Salem, carried two six pounders and twenty-five men. Upon her first cruise after making some captures, she was herself taken, but iu a manner that reflected honor upon her captain and crew. Attacked by the British schooner-of-war "Bream," of ten guns, she only surrendered, after a close fight of half an hour, and a running fight of nearly nine hours, most of the time at musket range, during which Captain Ervin in vain tested the fine sailing qualities of his little vessel to the utmost, in the effort to escape. So great was the gallantry displayed in the defence of the "Wasp," that Captain Ervin and his crew were treated with the greatest consideration by their gen- erous captors, after the surrender of the sloop, and when walking in the streets of St. John on parole Captain Ervin was pointed out as the Salem captain who defended his vessel with such heroism.

The "Polly " was a large, powerful sloop, built on the Hudson before the war. She was oversparred until

it was ascertain ed that she sailed better by shortening her mast. She kept the sea as well as vessels of any class, and could go to windward of anything she was after, while no English ship could catch her in the open sea. She was not taken until April, 1814, and then only by being cornered and driven ashore by an English corvette. This, by the way, seems to have been a favorite manœuvre of the enemy in dealing with our swift and sometimes audacious little privateers. The English man-of-war "Indian," twenty-two guns, had previously tried to come it over the "Polly" in a different style, and failed most signally ; for both vessels being becalmed off Cape Sable, she sent in her lannch aud other boats to board her, but the "Polly" beat them off with such slaughter that it was with difficulty that they could get back to their ship, which made no further effort to molest her antagonist, and made off when a breeze arose. Captains Samuel C. Hardy and Robert Evans successively handled this wonderful little vessel with great skill, and with her one twelve pounder and eight sixes, and a strong crew of sixty men, she was for nearly two years a most effective sea rover.

A large number of the privateers were captured by the enemy, as will be seen by the list given in the ap- pendix ; but so great was the aggregate value of their prizes that the pecuniary loss to the owners was of little consequence, although many good men of their crews lost their lives or languished long in English prisons.

There were a number of small craft, launches and open boats that ran out on occasion, and made some captures, being, in the hands of desperate men, no mean antagonists. Mention should be made of the schooner " Helen," loaned by the Messrs. White and Knapp, Salem merchants, at their own risk, and fitted out and manned by a volunteer crew of seventy men, gathered by fife and drum iu Salem streets, all within the space of about four hours. It appears that news was received Nov. 12, 1812, in Salem, that the "Liverpool Packet," a well-known and very active British privateer, had been seen inside of Halfway Rock, and this sudden expedition was organized for her capture. The Englishmen had sailed for St. John in time to avoid the " Helen," but the incident suffi- ciently indicates the high spirit of the time and the courage of the men, who, at a moment's notice, were ready to attempt the capture of a strong and well- armed vessel.

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 71

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1 Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1538

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538