Page images
PDF
EPUB

Brig Staff-of-Life, from Liverpool for Havre-de-Grace, with a valuable assorted cargo, captured by the McDonough, and sent into France.

Brig Endeavor, from Falmouth for Liverpool, with barley, etc., captured by the same, and sent to France.

Brig Ceres, from Cork for London, with a full cargo, captured by the same and sent to France.

Brig Unity, from Waterford for London, with a full cargo, captured by the McDonough, and sent into France.

Sloop Eliza, from Dublin for London, with beef and butter, captured by the same, and sent to France.

EXTRACT FROM THE LOG-BOOK OF THE MCDONOUGH.

Having put out all our men, was obliged to bear up for France, and arrived at Morlaix, on the 7th of February, 1815. February 16th, an English man-of-war schooner arrived there, and anchored within pistol-shot of our vessel, and demanded of us to give up our prizes; we refused and being all ready to engage her, she did not see fit to urge the demand."

PRIZES CAPTURED BY PRIVATEERS.

British brig Nicholson, of 300 tons burthen, mounting 10 guns, and 20 men, from Liverpool for Rio Janeiro, with a valuable cargo of British goods, was captured by the privateer-brig Warrior, of New York, and sent to that port, where she subsequently arrived safe.

The British transport-ship Mosely, 16 eighteen-pound carronades, with some 20 or 30 men, from Algoa Bay for the Cape of Good Hope, in ballast; was captured by the letter-of-marque Rambler, of Boston, and after divest

ing her of sundry articles of not much value, allowed her to proceed on her voyage. The Rambler was from Canton, with a rich China cargo, and was fortunate enough to arrive safe at Boston.

The British ship Adele, of Penang, laden with a valuable cargo of India goods, with a considerable amount of gold dust, was captured by the letter-of-marque ship Jacob Jones, of Boston, on her passage out to Canton. After divesting the prize of the most valuable part of her cargo, allowed her to proceed on her voyage. The Jacob Jones also captured, on the same passage, the English brig Bourwan, of Penang, laden with opium and other valuable goods. After removing from the prize the most valuable portion of her cargo, allowe her to proceed on her voyage. The amount of property taken from these two vessels was worth $90,000. The Jacob Jones was a fine ship of 554 tons, carrying 16 guns, and 67 men. She returned to Boston with a full cargo of China goods. The profits on her voyage, together with the choice spoils taken from the enemy was, probably in the result, one of the greatest voyages ever made from the United States.

The privateer Macedonian arrived at Portsmouth May the 2d, 1815. During her cruise she captured an! manned three vessels, besides what have been before recorded, namely: brig Margaret and Trevis, with British goods; ship Somerset, 260 tons burthen, mounting 4 guns and 15 men, laden with wine and brandy; and the brig Mercury, with 160 pipes of Oporto wine, and other articles of merchandise.

British brig Polly, was captured, and sent into Cadiz. by the privateer Amelia, of Baltimore.

British brig Elizabeth (cargo not mentioned), was captured by the Leo, of Boston, and burnt.

British brig George, from Prince Edward's Island, was also captured by the Leo, and destroyed.

Cutter Jane, from St. Michael, for London, with a cargo of fruit, was also captured by the same privateer, and sent to France.

The American privateer Sine-qua-non, of Boston, with seven guns and eighty-one men, was captured by the English, in the neighborhood of Madeira, early in February, 1815.

British schooner Dunsten Castle, from Alicant for Marseilles, with fruit, was also captured by the same privateer, and sent into Tunis.

Three small Maltese vessels (British), with full cargoes, were also captured by the Abaellino, and sent into Tripoli.

British brig Mary and Gilbert, from Naples for Palermo, was captured by the Abaellino, and ransomed.

British brig Bernadotte, a Maltese vessel, was captured by the same privateer, divested of her cargo, and given up to the prisoners.

The Abaellino permitted several small Maltese vessels to escape without capture.

At the time peace was concluded at Ghent, but not known in the United States, there were several large privateers fitting out of the different ports along the Atlantic board. Among others, there was fitted, at Boston, at that time, and ready for sea, a fast-sailing ship, called the "Charles Morris," mounting two long-nines, and 8 six-pound carronades, with swords, musketry, etc., and a complement of 100 men, all told. This efficient ship was commanded by a personal friend of the author, Captain Henry Russell, a native citizen of Boston.

I have no doubt, had the war lasted a few months

longer, and Captain R. been permitted to go to sea, that he would have inflicted a severe blow upon the commerce of the enemy.

The British brig Enterprise, from Buenos Ayres, bound to England, laden with hides and tallow, was captured by the ship America, of Salem. The prize being leaky, put into Fayal in distress, where she was condemned as unseaworthy. The cargo was given in charge of the American Consul, at that port.

The British ship Charles, of London, partly loaded with oil, from San Salvador, was captured off that port by the Blakely, of Boston. She was ordered to proceed to the United States, and subsequently arrived safe at Boston.

British brig Sailor's Friend was captured by the privateer Prince de Neufchâtel, and sent into Havre de Grace, and after the peace, she left that place, and arrived safe at Boston.

The British Brig Ann Elizabeth, from Amsterdam, was captured by the Rattlesnake, privateer, and ordered to Philadelphia, at which port she safely arrived.

The British brig (name not given), from the Mediterranean, bound to London, with fruit, was captured by the Brutus, sent into Brest, and subsequently arrived safe at Boston.

The British schooner Commercial Packet, from Trieste for London, laden with fruit, was captured by the Abaellino, of Boston, and sent into Tunis.

British brig Hope, from Pattras for London, with fruit, was captured by the same privateer, and sent into Tunis.

CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN PRIVATEERS AND LETTERS-OF-MARQUE; ALSO ON THE LATE WAR, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.

In the introduction to my work, I observed, that a war between two commercial nations was simply a trial which could do the other the greatest harm; and now, the war being ended, my readers will naturally expect to hear how the account stands at the winding up of the severe conflict.

This I will endeavor to give; but before I proceed to record the losses on both sides, it may be well to give a slight sketch of the great disparity of force employed at the commencement of the war by the belligerent parties.

The English entered the contest with a navy of one thousand and sixty men-of-war, eight hundred of which were in commission, and were effective, cruising ships or vessels.

To oppose this immense force, the United States had but seven effective frigates, with some twelve or fifteen sloops-of-war. Of the latter, the greater part were lying in the dock-yards repairing.

The war lasted about three years, and the result was, as near as I have been able to ascertain, a loss to Great Britain of about two thousand ships and vessels of every description, including men-of-war and merchant

men.

Eighteen hundred sail are recorded as having been taken, burnt, sunk, or destroyed.

To this number may be added two hundred more, which were either destroyed or considered too insignifi-· cant to be reported; making an aggregate of two thousand sail of British shipping captured by our lit

[ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »