The Guide to the American Revolutionary War at Sea: Vol. 3 1778

By Norman Desmarais

The Guide to the American Revolutionary War at Sea chronicles more than 10,500 actions -- far more than other naval histories. Vol. 3 documents 1127 of them which occurred in 1778. It includes the actions of the Continental and state navies, the French and British navies, the actions of American and British privateers and those of their

• Language: English
• Publisher: Revolutionary Imprints
• Release date: Nov 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9780692801116

Norman Desmarais

Norman Desmarais, professor emeritus at Providence College, lives in Lincoln, RI and is an active re-enactor. He is a member of Le Regiment Bourbonnais, the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment and the Brigade of the American Revolution. He is editor-in-chief of The Brigade Dispatch, the journal the Brigade of the American Revolution and the author of Battlegrounds of Freedom, the 6-volume The Guide to the American Revolutionary War, and The Guide to the American Revolutionary War at Sea and Overseas (in preparation) which covers more than 10,500 actions. He has also translated the Gazette Françoise, the French newspaper published in Newport, RI by the French fleet that brought the Count de Rochambeau and 5800 French troops to America in July 1780. It is the first known service newspaper published by an expeditionary force. Norman has also written a number of articles for the Journal of the American Revolution, the Online Journal of Rhode Island History, and The Brigade Dispatch

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The Guide to the American

Revolutionary War at Sea

Vol.  3

177 8

Norman Desmarais

Revolutionary Imprints

Contents

Abbreviations …………………………………………

Newspapers………………………………………

1778 ………………………………………………… …..

Notes………………………………………………….

Abbreviations

AAS: American Antiquarian Society.

Allen: Allen, Gardner Weld.  A Naval History of the American  Revolution. Boston and New York: Houghton

Mifflin Company, The Riverside Press Cambridge, 1913.

Allen. Privateers:  Allen, Gardner Weld.  Massachusetts privateers of the Revolution. [Boston]: The

Massachusetts Historical Society, 1927.

Almon:  The Remembrancer, or impartial repository of public events.  Almon, John, Pownall, Thomas.

London: J. Almon, 1775-1784.

APS: American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia.

AVCR: Dow, George Francis.  American Vessels Captured By the British During the Revolution and  War of

1812: The Records of the Vice-Admiralty Court at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Salem, Mass.: The Essex Institute,

1911.

Barneville:  Barneville, Brisout de, Journal de Guerre de Brisout de Barneville,  Mai 1780-0ctobre 1781,

French-American Review. 3 (OctoberDecember 1950) 217-278.

BNA: British National Archives.

Boatner: Boatner, Mark M. Encyclopedia of the American Revolution. 3d ed., New York: McKay, 1980.

Claghorn: Claghorn, Charles Eugene.  Naval officers of the American Revolution: a concise biographical dictionary. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1988.

Clark: Clark, William Bell.  George Washington's Navy: being an account of His Excellency's fleet in New

England waters. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1960.

Clinton: Clinton, Henry.  The American Rebellion: Sir Henry Clinton’s Narrative of His Campaigns, 1775–

1782, with an appendix of original documents. Edited by William B. Willcox. New Haven: Yale University

Press, 1954.

Clowes: Clowes, William Laird.  The Royal Navy: a history from the earliest times to 1900. London:

Chatham, 1996. 7 vols.

Coker:  Coker, P. C.  Charleston's maritime heritage, 1670-1865: an illustrated history. Charleston, S.C.:

CokerCraft Press, 1987.

Commager: Commager, Henry Steele.  The spirit of 'seventy-six; the story of the American Revolution as told by participants. edited by Henry Steele Commager and Richard B. Morris. New York, Harper & Row  [1967].

Davies: Davies, K.G. Documents of the American Revolution 1770-1783. (Colonial Office Series) Shannon:

Irish University Press, 1972.

Faibisy: Faibisy, John D. "A Compilation of Nova Scotia Vessels Seized During the American Revolution and

Libelled in the New England Prize Court." in NDAR, X, 1201-1210.

Force: Force, Peter.  American archives:  consisting of a collection of authentick records, state papers, debates, and letters and other notices of publick affairs, the whole forming a documentary history of the

origin and progress of the North American colonies; of the causes and accomplishment of the American  revolution; and of the Constitution of government for the United States, to the final ratification thereof. In  six series. [Washington, 1837—1853.

Fowler: Fowler, William M., Jr.  Rebels Under Sail: The American Navy during the Revolution. New York:

Scribner, 1976.

Fremont-Barnes:  The Encyclopedia of the American Revolutionary War: a political, social, and military history. Gregory Fremont-Barnes, Richard Alan Ryerson, editors. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2006.

Gardiner: Gardiner, Robert, ed.  Navies and the American Revolution, 1775–1783. London: Chatham, 1996.

Gregory, Richard Alan Ryerson, eds.  The Encyclopedia of the American Revolutionary War: A Political,

Social, and Military History. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2006.

Gibbes: Gibbes, Robert Wilson.  Documentary History of the American Revolution. New York: D. Appleton

& Co., 1855 (3 vols: 1764–1776, 1776–1782, 1781–1782). reprinted New York Times & Arno Press, 1971.

Griffiths: Griffiths, John William.  To Receive  them Properly : Charlestown prepares for war, 1775-1776.

Thesis (M.A.) University of South Carolina, 1992.

Hattendorf: Hattendorf, John B. Newport, the French Navy, and American Independence. Newport: The

Redwood Press, 2005.

HCA: Great Britain. High  Court of Admiralty.

Hermione: Log of the Hermione. Captain Louis René Madeleine Le Vassor de Latouche-Tréville. Archives

Nationales de la Marine, Paris. B4 158. Published as Journal de la frégate du Roi l'Hermione de 32 canons  (extraits) Commandée par M.  de La Touche, Lieutenant de Vaisseau. La campagne, commencée le 23 janvier 1780, finie le 26 fevrier 1782. in Tott, François de; Latouche-Tréville, Louis René Madeleine Le

Vassor; Bois, Jean-Pierre.  Deux voyages au temps de Louis XVI, 1777-1780 la mission  du baron de Tott en  Égypte en 1777-1778 et le Journal de bord de l'Hermione en 1780. Rennes: Presses Universitaires de

Rennes, 2005

Howe’s prize list 1777: The following is a List of Vessels seized as Prizes, and of Recaptures made, by the  American Squadron, between the 27th of May and 24th of October, 1777, according to the Returns received by Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Howe, in  The  London Chronicle., Tuesday, December 2, to Saturday,  December 6, 1777.

Johnson: Joseph Johnson. Traditions and Reminiscences of the American Revolution in the South.

Charleston, 1851, reprinted, Spartanburg, SC: 1972.

Kaminkow: Kaminkow, Marion and Jack,  Mariners of the American Revolution. Baltimore: Magna Carta

Book Company, 1967.

Kell: Kell, Jean Bruyere.  North Carolina’s Coastal Carteret County During the American Revolution, 1765–

1785, A Bicentennial Project of the Carteret County Bicentennial Commission . Era Press, 1975.

Laurens Papers:  Laurens, Henry; Hamer, Philip M.; Rogers, George C. and others.  The papers of  Henry  Laurens. Columbia: Published for the South Carolina Historical Society by the University of South Carolina

Press, 1968-2003.

Latouche: Monaque, Rémi.  Latouche-Tréville, 1745-1804: l'amiral qui défiait Nelson . Paris: SPM, 2000.

LC: Library of Congress.

List of Vessels seized, 1778: List of Vessels seized or destroyed by His Majesty’s Ships stationed in  Chesapeake Bay, and on the Parts of the American Coast Southward thereof, according to the Accounts transmitted to the Viscount Howe, since the Date of the General Return of Captures made by the  American Squadron of the 25th of October 1777." in the  London Gazette., Tuesday, June 2, to Saturday,  June 6, 1778.

MacKenzie: MacKenzie, Frederick.  Diary of Frederick MacKenzie, Giving a Daily Narrative of his Military  Services as an Officer of the Regiment of Royal Welsh Fusiliers during the years 1775-1781 in  Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. Cambridge, Mass., 1930;(Eyewitness accounts of the  American Revolution). [New York]: New York Times, [1968, c1930].

Maclay: Maclay, Edgar Stanton.  History of American Privateers. New York: B. Franklin, [1968].

Mackesy: Mackesy, Piers.  The War for America, 1775–1783. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.

Marines: Smith, Charles R.  Marines in the Revolution. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1975.

Mass. Arch: Massachusetts Archives, Boston.

Mays: Mays, Terry M.  Historical Dictionary of the American Revolution. Scarecrow Press: Lanham, MD,

1999.

McCrady: McCrady, Edward.  History of South  Carolina in the Revolution, 1775-1780. New York: Paladin

Press, 1969 (reprint of 1901 ed.).

McManemin: McManemin, John A. Captains of the privateers during the revolutionary war. Spring Lake,

NJ (91 Maple Dr., Spring Lake 07762): Ho-Ho-Kus Pub. Co., 1985.

MHS: Massachusetts Historical Society.

Middlebrook:  Middlebrook,  Maritime Connecticut During the Revolution.

MM : Mariners Museum, Newport News, Virginia.

Montresor: Scull, G. D.  The Montresor Journals. ed. and annotated by G.D. Scull: [New York, Printed for the Society, 1882]; July 1, 1777, to July 1, 1778.

Mooney: Mooney, James L.  Dictionary of American naval fighting ships. Washington: Navy Dept., Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Naval History Division: For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S., 1959-1981.

Morningstars:  Smith, Gordon Burns.  Morningstars of Liberty: the Revolutionary War in Georgia, 1775–

1783. Milledgeville, Ga. Boyd Publishing, 2006.

Moultrie: Moultrie, William.  Memoirs of the American Revolution so far as it related to the States of North

and South Carolina and Georgia.  New York, 1802; (Eyewitness accounts of the American Revolution). [New

York]: New York Times, [1968].

NBBAS: O’Kelley, Patrick.  Nothing but Blood and Slaughter. Booklocker.com, 2004.

NDAR: United States. Naval History Division.  Naval documents of the American Revolution. William Bell

Clark, editor; with a foreword by President John F. Kennedy and an introd. by Ernest McNeill Eller.

Washington: Naval History Division, Dept. of the Navy: For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O., 1964-.

NJ Archives:  Documents Relating  to the Revolutionary History, State of New Jersey. Edited by William S.  Stryker. Trenton: The John L. Murphy Publishing Co., 1901. Also referred to as Archives of the State of New

Jersey.

Neeser: Neeser, Robert Wilden. Letters and papers relating to the  cruises of Gustavus Conyngham: a captain of the Continental Navy, 1777-1779. Port Washington, N.Y. Kennikat Press, [1970].

NRAR: Lincoln, Charles Henry (ed.).  Naval Records of the American Revolution, 1775-1788. Washington:

GPO, 1906.

N. S. Arch .: Nova Scotia Archives, Halifax.

Onderdonk: Onderdonk, Henry.  Documents and Letters Intended to Illustrate the Revolutionary Incidents of Queens County: with Connecting Narratives, Explanatory Notes, and Additions. New York: Leavitt, Trow,

1846;  Hempstead, L.I.,  L. Van de Water, 1884.

Parker: Parker, John C.  Parker’s Guide to the Revolutionary War in South Carolina: battles, skirmishes and

murders. Patrick, S.C.: Hem Branch Publishing, 2009.

Paullin : Paullin, Charles Oscar,  The Navy of the American Revolution, Cleveland: The Burrows Brothers

Company, 1906.

Peckham: Peckham, Howard Henry.  The Toll of Independence: engagements & battle casualties of the

American Revolution . edited by Howard H. Peckham. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1974.

Prince:  The Autobiography of Yankee Mariner: Christopher Prince and the American Revolution. Edited by

Michael J Crawford. Washington, D.C.: Brasey's, 2002.

R.  I.  Arch.: Rhode Island Archives, Providence.

RIHS: Rhode Island Historical Society, Providence.

Ripley: Ripley, Warren.  Battleground: South Carolina in the Revolution. Charleston, SC: Evening Post, 1983.

Searcy: Searcy, Martha Condray.  The Georgia-Florida contest in the American Revolution, 1776-1778.

University, Ala. University of Alabama Press, c1985.

Selesky: Selesky Harold E., editor in chief.  Encyclopedia of the American Revolution, 2nd ed.   Detroit:

Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2007.

Simms: Simms, William Gilmore.  The Life of Francis Marion. New York:  H.G. Langley, 1844.

Smith: Smith, Samuel Stelle.  Fight for the  Delaware, 1777. Monmouth Beach, NJ: Philip Freneau Press,

1970.

TJP: Julian p. Boyd, ed.  The Papers of Thomas Jefferson . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1952.

UVL: University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville.

Ward: Ward, Christopher.  The  War of the Revolution. New York: Macmillan, 1952.

Newspapers.

AG:  The American Gazette or the Constitutional Journal.

AJ:  The American Journal and General Advertiser.

BEP:  The Boston Evening-Post and the General Advertiser.

BG:  The Boston-Gazette, and Country Journal.

BN:  Boston News-Letter, Published as  The Massachusetts Gazette: And the Boston Weekly News-Letter.

BP: Boston Post.

CC:  The Connecticut Courant, and Hartford Weekly Intelligencer.

CG:  Connecticut Gazette.

CG&UI:  The Connecticut  Gazette; And The Universal Intelligencer.

CJ:  The Connecticut Journal, and the New-Haven Post-Boy.

CJWA:  Continental Journal, Published as  The Continental Journal, and Weekly Advertiser.

CSCHS:  Collections of the South Carolina Historical Society.

EJ:  The Essex Journal and New-Hampshire Packet.

ExJ :  Exeter Journal, published as  The Exeter Journal, or, New Hampshire Gazette.

FJ :  Freeman's Journal, Published as  The Freeman's Journal, or New-Hampshire Gazette.

GG :  Georgia Gazette.

GSSC:  Gazette of the  State of South-Carolina.

IC:  The Independent Chronicle.

IC&UA:  The Independent Chronicle and the Universal Advertiser. Also  The  New-England Chronicle, published as  The Independent Chronicle and the Universal Advertiser.

IG :  The Independent Gazetteer.

IJ:  Independent Journal.

IL:  The Independent Ledger and the American Advertiser.

LCh:  London Chronicle.

LG:  The London Gazette.

MAG : The Massachusetts Gazette or the Springfield and Northampton Weekly Advertiser.

MAH :  The Magazine of American History.

MG :  Dunlap's Maryland Gazette.

MGGA:  The Massachusetts Gazette or the General Advertiser.

MJ:  Maryland Journal or the Maryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser.

MS:  Thomas's Massachusetts Spy or, American Oracle of Liberty. Later, published as  Haswell's

Massachusetts Spy or American Oracle of Liberty.

NCG:  North-Carolina Gazette.

NEC:  The New England Chronicle: or the Essex Gazette.

NG:  The Newport Gazette.

NHG:  The New-Hampshire Gazette, and Historical Chronicle.

NJG :  The New-Jersey Gazette.

NJJ:  New Jersey Journal.

NM:  The Newport Mercury.

NME:  The Newport Mercury Extraordinary.

NP:  The Norwich Packet and the Connecticut, Massachusetts, New-Hampshire, and Rhode-Island Weekly

Advertiser.

NYG:  The New York Gazette, And The Weekly Mercury, (Gaine's  New  York  Gazette).

NYGNA: The New-York Gazetteer or Northern Intelligencer.

NYJ :  The New-York Journal; or, The General Advertiser.

PA:  Public Advertiser (London).

PAG:  The Pennsylvania Gazette.

PEP:  The Pennsylvania Evening Post.

PG:  The  Providence Gazette; and Country Journal.

PJ:  Pennsylvania Journal.

PL:  The Pennsylvania Ledger: Or The Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, & New-Jersey Weekly Advertiser.

Also  published as  The Pennsylvania Ledger: or the Philadelphia Market-Day Advertiser.

PM:  Story & Humphreys's Pennsylvania Mercury, and Universal Advertiser.

PP:  Dunlap's Pennsylvania Packet or, the General Advertiser.

Prensa:  Maryland Journal, published as  La Prensa.

RG:  The Royal Gazette.

RNYG:  Rivington's New-York Gazetteer; Or,  The Connecticut, Hudson's River, New-Jersey, and Quebec

Weekly Advertiser.

RNYLG:  Rivington's New-York Loyal Gazette.

RAG:  The Royal American Gazette.

RGG:  The Royal Georgia Gazette.

RPAG:  The Royal  Pennsylvania Gazette.

RRG :  Rivington's Royal Gazette.

SCAGG:  The South-Carolina and American General Gazette.

SCG :  South-Carolina Gazette and General Advertiser.

SCWA:  South-Carolina Weekly Advertiser.

SCWG:  The South-Carolina Weekly Gazette.

SG:  The Salem Gazette.

TCG:  The Constitutional Gazette.

VG:  The Virginia Gazette.

WG:  Worcester Gazette.

WI:  The Weekly Intelligencer.

1778

Autumn of 1777 or early 1778

Coast of Scotland,  Conf.: 2 ,  56.63940  -2.10057

The British sloop  Friendship surrenders to the privateer  Surprise.

The British sloop  Friendship was bound from Leith,  Scotland to Aberdeen,  Scotland with a company of  comedians of the Edinburgh Theatre aboard. They intended to play at Aberdeen in the autumn of 1777 or early 1778. As the ship was in ballast,  they laid planks in the hold and fitted it for their accommodations and started a sufficient quantity of liquors ,  tobacco pipes,  and provisions. After they set off,  the actors dressed for a performance,  during which the unarmed  Friendship encountered the Whig privateer  Surprise and surrendered. Just as the privateer’s crew went into the hold to examine the cargo,  Neptune advanced, brandishing his trident and exclaiming with great fury against the pirates who now infest his watery dominions and daily insult his great lieutenant of the seas.  He invoked the other gods to destroy the privateers. Both the actors and the privateers were equally surprised. After learning the circumstances,  the captain insisted that his prisoners begin the play. When the play was over,  the captain and his officers spent 14 hours in great festivity. Bacchus sat in the chair with  Momus to his right and Jupiter and several other gods drunk. The  Friendshiparrived in Nantes,  France when the liquors were finally depleted. The captain promised that he would return the sloop after the play was performed three times in Nantes with the  Deserter and some  other favorite farces and it could then

proceed to Aberdeen. 1

1778

Atlantic Ocean,  Conf.: 0,  30.30203 -41.22865

The brigs  Flora and  Jenny,  the ship  Conclusion,  the schooners  Catherine,  Three Friends,  Dove,  Sally,  Nancy,  La Belle and  Bonne  or Borne,  Liberty

and  Let Pass,  the sloops  Swallow,  Bennington and  Peggy  are captured.

The  New York papers advertised the following prizes for sale. They were captured at various times in 1778: the brigs  Flora and  Jenny;

  the ship  Conclusion;

  the schooners  Catherine, Three Friends,  Dove,  Sally,  Nancy,  La Belle and

Bonne or Borne,  Liberty and  Let Pass;

  the sloops Swallow, Bennington and Peggy.2

1778

Mediterranean Sea,  Conf.: 2,  35.60105 21.62885

A Whig privateer captures several vessels.

A Whig privateer captured  several vessels bound to Archangel,  Rhodes,  Greecein 1778.3

Early 1778

Caribbean  Sea,  Conf.: 2,  14.44030 -76.03333

The letter of marque sloop  Active captures three brigs,  two schooners and one sloop.

Captain Powell’s letter of marque sloop  Active sailed from New York on December 20,  1777 and captured three brigs,  two schooners and one sloop in the  Caribbean  in early 1778. He sent five of the prizes to  Antigua,  British West Indies and took one to St. Augustine,  Florida  where he cleaned,  took in a number of hands and left for another cruise.4

January 1778

Chesapeake Bay,  Conf.: 2,  38.14776 -76.20362

The HMS  Solebay and the HMS  Richmond capture the ship  Lydia.

Captain Symonds’s HMS  Solebay and the HMS  Richmond captured the ship  Lydia and her cargo of tobacco in the Chesapeake Bay.  The  Lydia arrived in New  York by mid-March 1778.5

January 1778

Chesapeake Bay,  Conf.: 2,  37.68817 -76.12978

The  HMS  Solebay captures the schooner  Newport.

Captain  Symonds’s HMS  Solebay captured J. Gross’s schooner  Newport in the  Chesapeake Bay in January 1778. She was  bound from Boston,  Massachusetts to Virginia and sent to New York.6

January 1778

Off Cape Hatteras,  Conf.: 2,  35.49795 -74.14489

The  Crown letter of marque brig  Loyal  Subject captures the schooners  Bedford, Joseph,  Rachel,  the brig  Sally and the sloop  Henry.

Captain Andrew Syme’s Crown letter of marque brig  Loyal Subject from Glasgow,  Scotland captured the following prizes off Cape Hatteras in January 1778:

 Thomas Maxfield’s schooner  Bedford from New England in ballast;

  Abraham Japan’s schooner  Joseph from New England in ballast;

  Purnell Johnston’s schooner  Rachel from Bermuda with a cargo of salt;

  Samuel Tucker’s brig  Sally from Bermuda with a cargo of salt;

  the sloop  Henry from Hispaniola  [Haiti]  laden with dry goods.7

See also ca. March 10,  1778.  The British privateer brig  Loyal Subject captures

the  schooners  Bedford and  Joseph as well as the sloop  Henry,  the schooner

Rachael and the brig  Sally.

January  1778

Off Haiti, Conf.: 2,  19.97851 -72.09779

The  HMS  Diligence  captures the Horn Snake.

Thomas Davey’s HMS  Diligence captured Captain Moore’s Charleston,  South  Carolina sloop  Horn Snake off Cap François [Cap Haitien] ,  St. Domingue [Haiti]in January 1778.  She was carrying tobacco rice and indigo.8

January 1778

Off Antigua,  Conf.: 2 ,  17.45235 -60.45522

The  Crown brig  Antigua captures a Whig privateer schooner.

Lieutenant Douglas’s Crown brig  Antigua captured a Whig privateer schooner of  10 guns and 45 men in the West Indies in January 1778 and brought her to  Antigua,  British West Indies. The privateer had four men killed and five wounded. The  Antigua had no casualties.9

January 1778

European waters, Conf.: 2,  48.29416 - 15.57314

A Scottish letter of marque captures the brig  Martin.

A Scottish letter of marque captured Able Coffin’s brig  Martin,  from Newbury,

Massachusetts,  in latitude 48 and brought her to Dublin Bay,  Ireland in January

1778. The  Admiralty Court of Dublin condemned the ship and her cargo as lawful

prizes.10

January 1778

European waters, Conf.: 2,  45.44086 - 12.14540

A Whig privateer stops a Portuguese ship.

A Whig privateer stopped a Portuguese ship which sailed from Lisbon,  Portugalto London,  England in January 1778. After removing her cargo of wine and fruit and putting about 15 sailors from different vessels on board,  they let her go.11

January 1778

Coast of France,  Conf.: 0,  46.80131 - 1 1.63269

The HM Sloop  Galatea captures the French ship  Rosiere D’Artois.

The HM  Sloop  Galatea captured the 220-ton French ship  Rosiere D’Artois which was loaded at Nantes,  France and proceeded to Hispaniola  [Haiti]  where she took on some molasses. She arrived in New York on Thursday,  January 29,  1778.12

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January 1778

North Sea,  Conf.: 0,  54.26155 3.52536

The  Dutch ship  Lady Margaretta is captured.

See February 1778.  The  HMS  Experiment captures a large Swedish ship.

Ca. January 1778

Atlantic Ocean, Conf.: 1 ,  36.67308 -71.35316

The  Marlborough captures a Whig brig.

The  Marlborough sailed from Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania and captured a Whig brig bound from Boston,  Massachusetts  to South Carolina which she brought to  Liverpool,  England in early 1778. 13

Ca. January 1778

English Channel,  Conf.: 2 ,  49.64387 -3.56306The British privateer schooner  Active captures the ship

Brigantine.

Peter Agnew’s British privateer schooner  Active,  a small vessel of eight guns and

40 men,  operating out of Guernsey,  Channel Isles captured the ship  Brigantineabout January 1778. She was recently built at Newburyport,  Massachusetts and was presumably en route to France with a cargo of tobacco. She was sent to

Guernsey where she was tried and put up for sale before February 25,  1778. Her cargo was valued at £17 ,000. 14

January 1,  1778

Delaware River,  Conf.: 3 ,  39.86260 -75.22072

The  Continentals capture a sloop.

Continental troops captured a sloop in the Delaware River on Thursday,  January  1 ,  1 778. She was on her way from Chester,  Pennsylvania to  Philadelphia with about 20 barrels of flour. They also captured 34 British sailors and soldiers. 15

January 2,  1778

Guinea coast,  Conf.:  2,  9.30110 - 16.12914

The English prisoners aboard the  Alligator capture  her.

The  Whig privateer  Alligator captured Mr. Wilson’s snow  Hibernia off the Guinea coast of Africa on Monday,  December 29,  1777. The  Hibernia was bound from the Cape Verde Islands ,  Portugal to Cork,  Ireland. The English prisoners aboard the  Alligator discovered that several of the crew  members were English or Irish.  They plotted to seize the privateer and did so at the changing of the watch Friday night,  January 2,  1778. Although the British soon got control of the deck,  the  Whig lieutenant barricaded himself in the cabin along with several others. The fight lasted several hours before the lieutenant surrendered,  with seven  Whigsdead. The British lost five killed,  including Wilson and one Lucas ,  who owned part of  the  Hibernia’s cargo. The prize was taken into the Bay of Funchal,  Madeira  Islands. 16

See also December 29 ,  1777 . The Whig privateer  Alligator captures an unknown brig,  an unknown ship and the snow  Hibernia.

January 3,  1778

Rappahannock River,  Virginia,  Conf.: 2 ,  37.58342 -76.29854 The  HM frigates  Richmond and  Emerald capture the French brig  Alexandrine.

Captain John Lewis Gidoin’s HM  Frigate  Richmond was in the York  River,  Virginia on Saturday afternoon January 3,  1778. Her consort,  Captain Benjamin Caldwell’s HM  Frigate  Emerald signaled that he sighted a strange vessel at 2 PM. The two frigates and a tender began to chase her at 3 PM. The  Richmond saw several gun flashes at 5 PM as the tender fired at the chase which then surrendered. The  Richmond closed enough to speak  to  the tender’s prize at 6 PM, whereupon the chase hove to. She was Jean François Forand’s French brig  Alexandrine,  bound from Baltimore,  Maryland (or the  Rappahannock River,  Virginia) to Dunkirk,  France by way of  Martinique,  French West Indies with a cargo of tobacco and 12 hands. The  Alexandrine was captured in the Rappahannock River and sent to New York for trial. She arrived there on January 16.  Howe attributed her capture to  the  Richmond in his prize list,  but she was condemned to the  Emerald at her trial on February 20,  1778. 17

January 4,  1778

Atlantic Ocean,  Conf.: 0,  37.44399 -61.70870

The British ship  Panther captures the privateer  Spider  and chases the  Argus and the Congress’s Delight.

The British ship  Panther discovered two ships and a brig heading toward her at daybreak on Sunday,  January 4 ,  1778. The  admiral thought they were  Whigvessels and prepared for action. They came within gunshot and began firing at the  Panther which returned fire. The  admiral ordered the  Panther to approach

the nearest vessel which tried to escape. She was Captain Budd’s privateer  Spider from Charleston,  South Carolina,  carrying eight carriage guns and 10  swivels and a crew of 60 men. A shot from the  Panther took away the  Spider’s

main topmast and she surrendered immediately. The  Panther sent a boat to

board her while she went after the other two vessels.

As the  Panther came alongside ,  she received a smart broadside from each of the

vessels and they took off with the  Panther in  pursuit. They were  Captain Mullins’s  20-gun  Argus and  Captain Ward’s 22-gun  Congress’s Delight. Seeing  they were faster sailers,  the British  admiral tacked and returned to her convoy  which was nearly out of sight at this point. The  Panther had seven men wounded,

none seriously. The  Spider had a midshipman killed and three seamen wounded.

She had taken two brigs with fish and sent them to Spain. 18

Week of January 4,  1778

Delaware River,  Conf.: 2 ,  39.52585 -75.54839

The  New  Jersey militia capture a prize and several small ones,  including two topsail vessels and a large ship.

The  New Jersey militia captured  a  prize and began to unload her during the week of January 4,  1778. However, the ice came down  the Delaware River  so thick that they were forced to leave  her. She drifted to the Delaware shore,  was boarded by the militia and unloaded of her cargo which consisted of 47 hogsheads of six-

year-old Jamaica spirits; 51 pieces of linen; 18 bales of broadcloth; a large  quantity of shalloons; 17 chests of tea; 60 dozen stockings,  silk,  worsted and  cotton; 24 dozens of gold and silver laced hats; boxes of glass; 100 dozen of claret  and porter,  and some pieces of osnaburg. Several small craft were also taken,  including two topsail vessels ,  which the New Jersey troops burned,  and a large  ship which ran ashore at Reedy island.19

Before January 5,  1778

Atlantic Ocean,  Conf.: 0,  40.59371 -69.79155

A Whig privateer captures a prize ship.

A Whig privateer captured a prize ship laden with coals and sent her to Boston,

Massachusetts where she arrived on Monday,  January 5,  1778.20

Before January 5,  1778

French coast,  Conf.: 2,  45.52616 -7.72979

A British man-of-war captures a Whig vessel.

A British man-of-war captured a Whig vessel off the coast of France. She was so near that she had a French pilot on board. They also captured Apollos Morris who had been a major in the 27th Regiment and had been in the Continental  Army and was returning to Europe. His papers  were seized and he was confined as a prisoner on board the admiral’s ship at Spithead,  England.21

January 5,  1778

Chesapeake Bay,  Conf.: 2,  37.59311 -76.05376

The  HMS  St. Albans,  the HMS  Emerald and the HMS  Richmond capture the

ship  Dragon,  a snow and a brig.

Richard Onslow’s  HMS  St. Albans,  Benjamin Caldwell’s  HMS  Emerald,  and

James Fielding’s  HMS  Richmond captured  master Monsieur Claude Bondie ’sship  Dragon in the Chesapeake Bay on Monday,  January 5,  1778. Captain

Caldwell sent the  Dragon and her cargo of 338 hogsheads of tobacco  to  New York

on Friday,  January 9,  along with a snow with 195 hogsheads of tobacco and a  brig with more than 250 hogsheads of tobacco. The total came to more than 800  hogsheads of tobacco.22

January 6,  1778

West Indies,  Conf.: 2,  19.513480 -60.042132

The  HM sloop  Grasshopper  captures the  sloop  Adventure.

William Ricker’s 50-ton sloop  Adventure was bound from Carolina or Virginia to  Martinique,  French West Indies,  with a cargo of tobacco. She was about 300 miles to the northwest of St. Martins,  Netherlands West Indies when Commander  William Truscott’s HM sloop  Grasshopper sighted her at 6 AM Tuesday morning,  January 6,  1778.  Truscott saw her in the northeast,  steering to the southwest and chased her all day  until he ran her down at 4 PM,  firing two shots to stop the sloop. She was sent  to  Antigua,  British West Indies.23

January 10,  1778Off Santander

,  Spain, Conf.: 2 ,  43.44798 -3 .79264

The  British  privateer schooner  Active captures the brigantine  Hooper.

The  Whigs take the ship  Hope.

William Knapp’s brigantine  Hooper was bound from the James River,  Virginia to  Bilbao,  Spain with a cargo of tobacco. Bad weather forced her into the port of  Santander,  Spain to repair damage. Peter Agnew’s  8-gun and 40-man British privateer schooner  Active arrived off the port while the  Hooper was still there.  Agnew hoisted the  Continental colors and a pilot soon came out to ask  him if he wanted anything. Agnew requested fresh provisions and gave the pilot money to pay for them. He then asked the pilot if there were any ships in port. The pilot responded that there was only a brigantine ready to sail to Bilbao. The pilot thought that the master of the brigantine would be glad  for an escort to that port, if Agnew was going that way. Agnew said he was.

When the pilot went ashore,  he duly reported the conversation to Knapp.

The  Hooper came out and closed to the privateer on Saturday,  January 10 (or  January 11). Knapp observed a small two-masted vessel,  with no flag or sign of nationality, that appeared to be a fishing vessel. When the  Hooper drew closer,  Knapp recognized the vessel as an armed British schooner and ran for the beach, intending