USA > Rhode Island > Rhode Island privateers in King George's war, 1739-1748 > Part 4
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the men from H. M. S. Rose not come to the rescue, the Revenge would have sunk, but the guns were transferred rapidly to the prize and the Revenge repaired. Most of the crew were on shore at the time of the disaster, but William Jackson of the Revenge was injured by the lightning, and the boat was sent ashore for the doctor. James Avery, the boat- swain, was discharged for neglect of duty, and Ralph Gouch (or Couch) was appointed boatswain in his place.
On Friday, Capt. Thomas Frankland1 of H. M. S. Rose visited the Revenge to examine the damage, after which he sent his carpenter to work on the Revenge, and used his influence to get a necessary piece of timber. The provisions were trans- ferred from the Revenge to the prize, so that the carpenters would have a free place to work, and the next few days were occupied by repair work and court proceedings. Quartermaster Vezian wrote: "There are no lawyers in this place, the only blessing that God could bestow on such a litigious people." The cargo of the prize was sold on August 21 and also one of the prisoners, a rather notorious negro slave, known as Signor Capitano Francisco, who had commanded a company of Indians, mulattoes and negroes at the retaking of St. Augustine. He was sold under the name of Don Blass and brought 34 pieces-of-eight. The prize sloop was sold at auction on Saturday for 325 pieces-of-eight, and was bought by Captain Frankland. On Wednesday, September 2, 1741, the Revenge enlisted seven new men, and weighed anchor at 8 a. m. The Rose's barge came over to the Revenge, and the lieutenant searched the privateer's hold to see that she did not carry off any deserters from the man-of-war, after which Capt. Richard Thompson of New Providence piloted the privateer out of the harbor. Thursday, the first day at sea, they held near the mast, at ten in the morning, an auction sale of the plunder
1 Later Admiral Sir Thomas Frankland.
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taken from the prize, which netted over 50 pieces-of-eight. The weather remained moderate until about four o'clock Friday morning, when they hauled down the mainsail in order to get clear of the Keys, and finally lay to under a ballast mainsail, as the wind increased to near a hurricance. The weather gradually moderated, and on Sunday they shook both reefs out of the mainsail, got clear of the coral reefs, and stood out of the hurricane. "Very few godly enough to return God thanks for their deliverance."
Sunday, September 13, was celebrated by Captain Norton giving the "people" (i. e. crew) a case bottle of rum as a " tropick bottle" for his pinnace, which the "people" christened by the name of the Spaniard's Dread. At II a. m. they sighted Hispaniola and the island of Tortugas, but hard gales forced the Revenge to lay to under her foresail off the latter island.
At 5 a. m. on Monday, September 14, they sighted a sloop, and made ready to receive her. As she approached, the Revenge fired her bow chaser, hoisted her jib and mainsail, and gave chase. She easily overtook the sloop, which was bound from Philadelphia for Jamaica. The wind increasing, the Revenge again lay to under her ballast mainsail. At 7 p. m. on September 16, the Revenge chased two sloops, one of which, Captain Hubbard from Jamaica for New York, hove to at the first shot. The other was obstinate, and the Revenge fired several shot at him, hulling him and tearing his mainsails. This sloop was Captain Styles, also from Jamaica for New York. The Revenge then cruised off Cape Maisi, and at about five o'clock the next morning, September 17, sighted a topsail schooner. The master, Elisha Luther, going to the masthead to see what course she steered, had the misfortune to fall and break his arm just above the wrist. The Revenge chased this
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vessel as far as Inagua, where she surrendered, proving to be a French vessel bound from Leogane for Nantes. Quartermaster Vezian went over to the French vessel in the captain's yawl, and found his papers in order, so they let him go.
On Saturday, September 19, the Revenge chased a French ship, and overhauled her about five in the afternoon. She was the Genereuse, Captain Doulteau, a Dutch-built ship hailing from Rochelle, France, which had lost her mizzen mast in the hurricane and was badly damaged. Captain Norton gave the Frenchmen some water, which they badly needed, and put one of his men on board of the Genereuse to navigate her to port, as her master was unacquainted with the coast. Sunday morning M. Doulteau sent Captain Norton a hogs- head of wine as a mark of gratitude, whereupon the Revenge convoyed the Genereuse safely to Mole St. Nicholas.
Lieutenant Stone went on shore with two men to see if he could find some cattle to kill, a proceeding reminiscent of the buccaneering days of the century before, and others of the crew supplied the Revenge with water and fish, with the un- fortunate result that some were soon poisoned from eating the fish. On Wednesday, September 23, the Revenge weighed anchor at 6 a. m. and sailed over to the north coast of Cuba, her old cruising ground, and two days later sighted a vessel at anchor under the land. The Revenge lay off and on all night, and at 5 a. m. on Saturday morning, September 26, off Cape Roman, Cuba, the Revenge went in chase of a sloop and a brigantine. The sloop lay to with her jib sheet to the wind- ward, the goosewing of her mainsail hauled up and her foresail hauled down, waiting for the Revenge, while the brigantine made the best of her way to leeward. The Revenge ran up her pennant as she approached the enemy, and the sloop imme- diately hoisted the Spanish ensign at her topmast head, and
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"fired a gun to confirm it", which shot went through the Revenge's rigging. As the Revenge ran along side the Spaniard, the latter poured a broadside into her, which the Revenge promptly returned, and a smart engagement followed, which lasted two hours and a half. The Spanish sloop dropped astern of the Revenge and bore away before the wind, crowding on all the sail she could, while the Revenge tacked and started in pursuit. The bow guns of the Revenge were removed to her fore ports, and the after guns of the Spaniard were moved to the cabin windows, from which they pelted the Revenge with these stern chasers, while the Revenge peppered them with the foreguns. After some brisk firing, the Spaniard struck, and their captain came over in his canoe to surrender his sword and commission to Captain Norton. The Spanish captain was desperately wounded in the arm and had received several small shot in his head and body.
The captured Spanish privateer was "a fine large new sloop, Connecticut built", the Divina Pastora y Invincible alias Invincible Shepherd, 6 carriage guns and 12 swivels, manned with 30 men and commanded by the famous priva- teersman, Don Francisco Loranzo, commonly called by the name of Paunche. Captain Norton wrote of Loranzo: "He is, though an enemy, endued with a great deal of clemency and using his prisoners with humanity, the like usage he meets with on board for he justly deserves it." The Spaniards lost one killed and had four wounded, including the captain. On the Revenge, John Taylor was slightly wounded by a splinter, and two more by guns, which accidentally went off after the fighting was over. The Revenge received over 25 shot through her sails, two in her mast in its weakest part, just below where it was fished, one cut the larboard foreshroud and another went through the starboard gunwale, port and all. "This day," Quartermaster Vezian wrote, "the Revenge has established her
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honour, which had almost been lost by letting the other privateer go off with four ships," on August 5.
Meanwhile during the fighting, the Spaniard's prize, a new pink-sterned brigantine, the Sarah, 100 tons, of Boston, formerly Thomas Smith master, but now manned by a Spanish prize crew, sought to escape in the direction of The Havana. The Sarah had sailed from Barbadoes on September 7 for Boston with a cargo of rum, sugar, cotton and limes valued at £5000, and on September 17, off Bermuda, in latitude 28° 38' N, had been captured by Captain Paunche. Captain Norton put a prize crew on the captured privateer, and both sloops went in pursuit of the Sarah, which they overtook at four o'clock the next morning. The Revenge fired a few guns at her, whereupon she struck. Captain Norton gave the Sarah back to Captain Smith and his crew, and put Jeremiah Harmon of the Revenge on the Sarah as representative to act in the collec- tion of salvage. The Sarah was ordered to proceed to Newport, and remained in company with the Revenge, until separated from her by high winds, losing sight of both sloops during the night of September 28 when off the Bahama Bank.
On October 4, in latitude 26° N, within sight of the Florida coast, the Sarah was overhauled and captured by a Spanish armed merchantman, "deep laden as she could well swim," which mounted 6 guns and was commanded by Capt. Bernard Espinosa. Captain Espinosa, after plundering the Sarah, gave her back to Captain Smith and his crew. Captured and plundered three times within a month, the Sarah continued northward, and arrived at Boston on October 23, 1741. As she had been retaken by the Spaniards, the Revenge was not allowed salvage, but later obtained it upon a costly appeal.
Captain Norton put Lieutenant Stone with a prize crew of seven hands on board the Invincible Shepherd, threw the
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JOSEPH WANTON, THE VICTIM OF THE ANGOLA RIOT AT NEWPORT IN 1743 From painting by Smybert in gallery of the Rhode Island Historical Society
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Spanish crew in irons, and proceeded to cruise a-privateering, the two sloops in consort. The three vessels were separated on the night of September 28, but two days later the two privateers met again and continued on their cruise. On October I the quartermaster wrote: "Brave living with our people. Punch everyday, which makes them dream strange things, which foretells good success in our cruise. They dream of nothing but mad bulls, Spaniards, and bags of gold".
At 6 a. m. Friday morning, October 2, they sighted a ship close under the land, and the Revenge stretched in for her. The ship hoisted a French pennant and an English ensign, whereupon the Revenge set a Spanish jack at her masthead, and sent her pinnace over to the ship. She was a vessel that had been captured by Captain Loranzo off the Capes of Virginia, had later run ashore and bilged, and had then been abandoned by the Spanish prize crew. There were five English prisoners on board and some goods, which were transferred to the Invincible Shepherd.
In latitude 22° 50' N, on October 4, 1741, John Webb was formally appointed master of the sloop Invincible Shepherd and ordered to keep company with the Revenge, but if separated to go to Newport. He was given a prize crew of seven men, viz: Evergin as mate, Northwood, Hayes, Jackson, Marshall, Elderidge and Jennings; also a Bermudian negro and a mulatto prisoner.
The Revenge then cruised along the north coast of Cuba, and on Monday, October 5, the ship's company gave Captain Norton a nightgown, a spencer wig and four pairs of thread stockings, and gave Lieutenant Stone a pair of buckskin breaches. What has been preserved of Vezian's journal of the voyage ends at this point. At sea he wrote up the journal at noon, as was usual with ship's logs, in which the day runs from
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noon of one day to noon of the next, and is called by the calendar day on which it ends, so that any events occurring in the afternoon or evening are entered under the date of the following day. Apparently for the first few days of the cruise, throughout the stay at New York, Vezian wrote up the journal at night, so that the dates are as they would be in any diary. When the Revenge sailed from New York, Vezian began to follow the form of a log instead of a diary.
Before December 15, Captain Norton retook two English ships, that had been captured by a Spanish privateer, while on their voyage from London to Virginia. The masters of these vessels had been put on shore at Bermuda. The Revenge convoyed these ships into Charleston, where one of them was valued at £12,000.
The Revenge had not returned to Newport as late as February 7, 1741-2, but must have arrived soon after this date. Captain Norton is described as "a Gentleman of a fine gallant behaviour and a just scourge to those Jack Spanyards, & deserves publick rewards from all merchants and traders that use the seas". One of the prisoners captured by Captain Norton, a negro slave about thirty years of age, who was a carpenter and caulker by trade, and who also understood boat building, was sold at public auction at 6 p. m. on May 6 at the Royal Exchange Tavern in Boston.
Capt. James Allen was commissioned on April 26, 1742, commander of the Revenge, and sailed from Newport on April 29. Her armanent is listed as 12 carriage and 12 swivel guns, and she carried a crew of about 100 "able stout men".
On May 27, five leagues from Cape Nicholas on the island of Hispaniola, the Revenge surprised and captured the large English-built sloop Dove, 100 tons. She had on board 100 Spanish silver pieces-of-eight, and a cargo of considerable
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value, consisting chiefly of Muscovado sugar, rum, indigo and mahogany wood. She had been condemned at Baracoa, and was going to Cape Francois to be sold. Captain Allen put a prize crew on her and sent her to Newport, where she arrived on June 24 and was condemned on July 19.
Crossing the Windward Passage the Revenge fell in with a Spanish privateer schooner off the coast of Cuba, which she captured on June 10, about 6 leagues off Cape Maisi in latitude 19º 20' N., according to one statement, and in sight of Cape Tiburon according to another. This privateer had been fitted out at Baracoa, Cuba, and was owned and commissioned from The Havana. She mounted 8 carriage and 12 swivel guns, was manned by about 40 men, commanded by Capt. Francisco Perdomo, and had taken 18 or 19 English vessels. She was named the San José de las Animas, but was usually called the St. Joseph de las Animas in the prize court proceed- ings. She drew only 6 or 7 feet of water, although a vessel of 50 tons, was propelled by oars as well as sails, having ten pairs of oars, and is described as an incomparable sailor especially before the wind. Two negro slaves and two Indian slaves were captured on this vessel. A prize crew brought her to Newport, where she arrived on Sunday, July 4, and was con- demned at a Court of Admiralty held on July 6 and 7. On July 13 she was sold at auction by Robert Taylor for £100o to Philip Wilkinson and Daniel Ayrault, Junior, who named her the Fame, and sent her out as a Rhode Island privateer.
Captain Allen continued to cruise along the Cuban coast in the Revenge, and on June 29, about three leagues to leeward of "Barries" on the Island of Cuba, he sighted a small sloop in a creek. As the Revenge entered the creek, the crew of the Spanish sloop deserted their vessel through fear and fled into the woods. Captain Allen took possession of the sloop, but
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found only ballast on board of her. After stripping her of sails, rigging, tackle and anchors, he set her on fire and sailed away northward for Newport. On July 20 the Revenge was about 12 miles south of the Carolina Bar, and spoke four British men-of-war, after which she continued northward arriving at Newport on August I.
The following men served under Captain Allen on the cruise of the Revenge between April and August 1742: Jonathan Thurston, Peter Cross, Henry Sabin, Nathaniel Voiale (Viall), Jeremiah Crandall, William Barker, Samuel LeCraw, Isaac Rogers, George Bryan, John Gardner, Otis Cross, Edward Hiley, Samuel Westfield, James Parker, John Mcfeley, William Voelkar (Volkers), Richard Swan, John Prichard, Moses Prince, Thomas Weston, Thomas Davis, Ralph Couch, John Ellis, William Boyd, Richard Webb, Stephen Bower, Charles Fox, Peter Smith, Samuel Bowdeth, William Williams, Joseph Dannell, Perkins Chase, Mathew Eatforth, Leonard Bazin, Richard Whittemore, George Hammond, Ezekiel Johnson, James Ogleby, Robert Little, Elisha Jones, Cornelius Miller, Ezekiel Fox, Timothy Swan, Samuel Robins, Edward Carby, John Havens, John Davis, James Vandelure, Thomas Doughty, Nathaniel Phippen, John, the Lieutenant's man, Nathaniel Partridge, Samuel Hunt, Samuel Card, Robert Douglas, Edward Johnson, Jeremiah Johnson, Thomas Feans, Richard Norton, Jonathan Atwuston, Doctor Samuel Nixon, Edward Almy, Ed- ward Ryant, John Griffith, John Johnson, Cyrus Cartwright, Thomas Havens, Benjamin Albro, James Barnes, Patrick Stuart, Daniel Jarrott, Oliver Arnold, George Harrison, James Thomas, Benjamin Tripp, Robert Wetherdon, James Ferger- son, Richard Thomas, Jr., Samuel Wharton, Daniel Walker, S. Daggett, John Holmes, Michael Hope, Joseph Sabin, Ben- jamin Sabin, Thomas Fryer, Samuel Ogden, Nicholas Doughty and Samuel Robins.
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Capt. James Allen was recommissioned commander of the privateer sloop Revenge on Decmber 9, 1742, and soon sailed on a cruise against the Spaniards. The Revenge fell in with a Spanish ship of 24 guns, and a fearful engagement, lasting "for three glasses", ensued, in which the Revenge received "several shot between wind and water", and also suffered great damage in her sails and rigging. One of her crew, a negro, was killed, and three others wounded, but the ship finally escaped.
On March 1, 1742-3, when off the north coast of Cuba, the Revenge met and chased the Spanish sloop San José or St. Joseph. The captain of the St. Joseph ran her ashore in the old Straits of Bahama, and the Revenge not only took possession of her, but floated her the same day. She came north under a prize crew, and reached Newport on April 14 with a cargo valued at £5000, which consisted of 50 barrels of wine and several guns.
Capt. James Allen, in the Revenge of Newport, and Capt. James Wimble, the one-armed privateersman from London, in another Revenge, formerly the San Antonio, met off English Sugar Key in the old Straits of Bahama on April 6, 1743, and joined into partnership, agreeing to cruise in consort against the Spaniards.
On April 19, in sight of Morro Castle, Havana, they chased the ship Angola, a frigate of 240 tons, armed with 12 carriage and 4 swivel guns, and commanded by Lieut. Filippo de Arrieta, formerly lieutenant on the Spanish privateer Fama. In a running fight, lasting an hour and a half, the two Revenges plied their bow chasers and the Angola her stern chasers. The Spaniard at last struck his colors, Captain Wimble coming up to him first. When she surrendered, she was close to the Cuban shore, about eight or ten leagues to windward (i. e.
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eastward) of The Havana. The Angola was about 70 feet long, hailed from Liverpool, England, and had been to the Angola coast, Guinea, Africa, and from thence to Barbadoes and Jamaica, where she disposed of her cargo of slaves and took on a cargo of sugar. She sailed from Jamaica on March 25 for Liverpool, commanded by George Smithson, but was attacked and captured on April 9 off Inagua, or as they ex- pressed it, "Hineauga one of the first islands in the Windward Passage," by two Spanish vessels, the privateer sloop Vengansa alias Santa Theresa, Capt. Don Francisco Loranzo (who had been brought captive to Newport in 1741 by Captain Norton), and the coast guard sloop Fama alias Nostra Senora de la Rosario, Capt. Don Francisco Camejo. De Arrieta was placed in command of the Angola, and tried to sail her to Baracoa for condemnation, but the ocean currents proved too strong, and he finally put in at Tanamo. The Angola stayed at Tanamo four and a half days while her papers were sent to Baracoa, and then sailed for The Havana, but was captured on the way by the two Revenges. Captain Allen's Revenge con- voyed the Angola to Newport, where the two vessels arrived on Saturday, May 14, 1743, Captain Wimble in his Revenge arriving the preceding week. The following men served on the Revenge under Captain Allen in 1743: Angle Brit Law- rence, George Harrison, Edward Howes, William Garret, Morgan Morsee alias Murphy, Luke Joyce, Jacob Hazard, Christopher Cathford, Isaac Crandall, Daniel Walker, Leuch (Luke) Wanton, Charles Sradrick, James Mason, David Roose, Ralph Couch, Dennis Briton alias Bryan, Richard Norton, Philip Stuart, James Cratton and Thomas Doughty.
The Angola had a cargo of 157 hogheads of sugar, 80 planks of mahogany, 37 bags of ginger, 87 bags of cotton, three tons of elephant's teeth and a large quantity of ammunition and warlike stores. Considerable litigation ensued, as so often
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occurred in these prize cases, the English owners claiming that the Angola had not been lawfully condemned by the Spaniards and so was not a lawful prize for the Revenges, but only a salvaged ship, which would give the captors only half her value instead of the whole. Such matters are apart from our study of the privateersmen.
The Spanish authorities at The Havana were so exasperated by this exploit of the two Revenges, that they fitted out two privateers, a schooner of 16 guns and a sloop of 10 guns, for the express purpose of capturing Captain Allen and Captain Wimble. These Spanish privateers, unfortunately for them- selves, fell in with and were destroyed by H. M. S. Rose, Captain Frankland.
The Revenge sailed on another cruise, commanded by Capt. James Allen, in September 1743. The following document gives an intimate picture of privateer life at this time.
"Articles of agreement, indented, made, and concluded, upon the Third Day of September in the Year of our Lord, One Thousand seven hundred and forty three Between John Freebody and Benjamin Norton, both of Newport in the County of Newport in the Colony of Rhode Island etc. Mer- chants, Owners of the Sloop, called the Revenge, burthen One hundred and fifteen Tons, or thereabouts (now lying in the Harbour of Newport, aforesaid, and bound on a Cruising Voyage, as a Private Man of War) of the One part, and James Allen, Commander of said Sloop, and Company belonging to her, whose names are hereunto subscribed, of the other part, in manner following (that is to say) First. It is covenanted, concluded and agreed, by and between the said Parties here- unto. And the said Owners do hereby oblige themselves, to fit the said Sloop, or Vessel for the Sea and provide and furnish with Great Guns, Powder, Shot, small Arms, and other War-
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like ammunition, Provisions, and Water cask, sufficient for the Voyage aforesaid; for which there is no deduction to be made out of their Shares.
2. The Company, whose Names, are hereunto subscribed, do hereby, oblige themselves, to proceed and perform said voyage in the said Sloop or vessel, and do their duty on board the same during the Voyage aforesaid.
3. All Prizes, that are taken in the intended voyage aforesaid are to be divided as follows Viz. The Owners of said Sloop to have one third; and the remaining two thirds parts, The Commander, or Captain to have four full shares, the Lieu- tenant, and Master to have, each of them two full shares; The Captains Quarter Master, Doctor, Mate, Boatswain, Gunner, and Carpenter to have one share & half each of them; and the Company's Quarter Master, and all the Rest of the said Vessels Company to have, each of them, One Share.
4. The Captain of said Sloop, to have the Captain of the Prizes Watch, Sword, and Pistols (not exceeding a Case) and Gun, or fowling piece.
5. In case a Doctors Chest of Instruments, and medicines are taken in any Prize, the Doctor of the Sloop aforesaid, shall have it as his own; and all other things, that is in it (Gold and Silver excepted) over and above his Share.
6. The Owners shall provide for the Doctor, a Chest of medicines and Instruments, suitable for the Voyage afore- said, which shall be paid for, out of the first Prize taken.
7. A particular Account of all the Provisions on board said Sloop shall be taken by the Quarter Masters, and delivered to the Captain.
8. All Prizes that shall be taken by the Captain & Company aforesaid during the Voyage aforesaid to be carried into their
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Commission Port, if it can be conveniently done (as the Captain shall think fit).
9. The man, that first sees, or spies a sail on board, and it proves to be a Prize, worth one hundred pieces of Eight a Share, shall have his choice of one small Arm out of said Prize, if taken, or Ten pieces of Eight, over, and above his share.
IO. If any one of the Company, proves a Coward, in the time of Engagement, he shall forfeit his share to the Company. II. If any of the Company, draws any Weapon in anger against his fellow, or strikes him, or breeds any Mutiny on board, or disobeys any of the Officers Commands, in his Duty on board during the voyage, shall forfeit his Share to the Company.
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