Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period Part 56

Benjn. Norton Com'r. 2-1/2 Wm. Stone Lieut. 1-1/2 Elisha Luther Mas'r. 1-1/2 Peter Vezian Capt. Qr. Mr. 1-1/4 Wm. Blake Doctor 1-1/2 John Gillmore Mate 1-1/4 James Avery Boatswain 1-1/4 John Griffith Gunner 1-1/4 Robert Little Capt. 1-1/4 Duncan McKenley Co. Qmr.[35] 1 James Ogleby G. Mate[36] 1 John Waters Sailor 1 James Barker Do. 1 Alexr. Henry Do. 1 Willm. Higgins Do. 1 John Vander Hiden Do. 1 Foelix Burn Do. 1 Edwd. Webster Do. 1 Tulip May Do. 1 Jeremiah Harman Do. 1 John Webb Do. 1 Richd. Norton Drumer 1 Ned Almy Cook 1 John Holmes Sailor 3/4 Gideon Potter Do. 3/4 Thos. Colson Do. 3/4 Benjn. Blanchey Do. 3/4 Willm. Jackson Do. 3/4 Barney M'Keneys Do. 3/4 Joseph Frisle Do. 3/4 Joseph Marshall Sailor 3/4 Wm. Frisle Do. 3/4 Timy. Northwood Do. 3/4 Andrew Wharton Do. 3/4 Evan Morgan Do. 3/4 Saml. Kerby Do. 3/4 John Brown Do. 3/4 John Smith Do. 3/4 James Magown Do. 3/4 John Swan Do. 3/4 Wm. Austin Do. 3/4 John Wright Do. 3/4 John Bennett Do. 3/4 George Densey Do. 3/4 Ephraim Read Do. 3/4 John Taylor Do. 3/4 Ralph Gouch Do. 3/4 Peter McKickings Do. 3/4 Humphry Walters Do. 3/4 Quinton Sommerwood Do. 3/4 Mattias Sollam Do. 3/4 Flora Burn Do. 3/4 Saml. Henderson Do. 3/4 William Ramsey Do. 3/4 Thos. Grigg Do. 3/4 John Wyld Do. 3/4 Saml. Bourdett Do. 3/4 James Welch Do. 3/4 John Gregory Do. 3/4 Danl. Walker Cook-Mate 3/4 ------ 55 ------

[Footnote 35: Company's quartermaster.]

[Footnote 36: Gunner's mate.]

Sum totall of the Shares[37]

Officers draws 13-1/4 Men that have fitted themselves 14 Those fitted by the Owners 27-3/4 Owners for fitting Men 9-1/4 Sloop 14 ------ Totall 78-1/4 ------

[Footnote 37: Of 78-1/4 shares, the nine officers were ent.i.tled to the shares ("draws") indicated against their names above; fourteen sailors who had "found" themselves are listed, as ent.i.tled to one share each; thirty-seven others, outfitted by the owners, are a.s.signed three-fourths of a share each, the other fourths going to the outfitters; fourteen shares were to go to the same, as owners of the sloop. The prize act of 13 Geo. II. ch. 4 (1739), pa.s.sed at the beginning of this war, had provided that prizes captured by privateers should after condemnation go entirely to the owners and officers and crew of the privateer, in such proportions as should be specified in their articles of agreement (see, _e.g._, doc. no. 202).]

The Lieuts. Man draws att the discretion of the Compy. The Compy.

devided in 7 Messes Viz.

Captain's Mess 7 Men 1 Mess 10 2 do. 11 3 do. 10 4 do. 10 5 do. 10 Cooks do. 3 ---- 61 hands.

_Thursday 16th._ These 24 hours very small breezes of wind and fair Weather. att 6 PM. saw a top sail Vessell standing to Westward. The Master per his Accot. finds that he is distant from York 238 miles.

_Friday 17th._ Very moderate Weather. The Capt. Lett the People have Ozenbrigs[38] to make Frocks and trowsers as per Acct. Underwritten.

Alexr. Henry and James Magown Gave their Notes to the Capt. for 5 Cash they had of him when att Rhode Island.

[Footnote 38: Osnaburgs, a kind of coa.r.s.e linen made originally at Osnabruck in North Germany.]

_Sundry Acc'ts to the Owner of the Revenge Dr. 37.5.6._

For Ozenbrigs, 165 yds., at 4s.6 per yd.

Gideon Potter 6 yds. at 4s.6 1. 7 Wm. Austin 3 13.6 Duncan McKenley 7 1.11.6 Wm. Frisle 6 1. 7.

Danl. Walker 5 1. 2.6 Thos. Colson 6 1. 7.

Jos. Frisle 6 1. 7.

Jams. Avery 6 1. 7.

John Holmes 6 1. 7.

James Barker 2-1/2 11.3 Quinton Somerwood 6 1. 7.

Saml. Kirby 6 1. 7.

John Wright. This Charged to the Compy. 6 1. 7.

Benjn. Blanchy 6 1. 7.

Andw. Wharton 6 1. 7.

Jos. Marshall 6 1. 7.

John Smith 6 1. 7.

Peter McKeneys 6 1. 7.

Evan Morgon 6 1. 7.

John Brown 6 1. 7.

Mathias Sollen 2-1/2 11.3 James Ogleby 6 1. 7.

John Vander Hiden 5 1. 2.6 John Swan 6 1. 7.

George Dencey 6 1. 7.

Barney McKeneys 6 1. 7.

John Griffith 3 13.6 Ralph Gouch 6 1. 7.

John Taylor 6 1. 7.

The Cabbin 5 1. 5.6 ------- 37.5.6 ------- Sundrys, Dr. to the Owners for Cash, 14.10.

To Alexr. Henry 5. Benjn. Blanchey 0.18.

To James Magown 5. Saml. Kerby 3.12.

10.

---- ------- ------- 10. 14.10.

_Sat.u.r.day 18th._ Calm Weather. saw a Sail standing to the Westward.

Opened a bb. of Pork and Served the people 7 lb. per Mess. the people had a pale of punch to drink their Wives and Sweethearts. the Capt. took 5 yds. of Ozenbrigs for the Use of the Cabbin. Lat.i.tude per Obs'n of the Mas'r 35:12.

_Sunday 19th._ Moderate Weather but Contrary Wind. Saw a top Sail Vessell and a Sloop. bore down upon her but it Coming Calm coud not Speak with her. Opened a bb. of Beef.

_Munday 20th._ Still Contrary Light breezes of wind. Saw the Sloop and Brig about 5 PM. the Comp'y Qr. Masr. went down the Hole to head up the bb. of beef that had been Opened the day before not being Sweet.

had the misfortune to fall in the Kettle and Scawlded his [_sic_]

prodigiously. Opened another bb. of beef in lieu of the former. began to Caulk Our Decks being very Leakey.

_Tuesday 21._ Served the people three days allowance of bread. att 6 AM. the Capt. perceived that the Mast was Sprung. he blamed the Mate and was very Angry with him and said it was his Neglect by Carrying too much Sail the Night we left the Hook having then a Large Sea and much Wind. made all things Ready to fish him.[39] Opened a tierce of bread.

[Footnote 39: To fish a mast is to strengthen it by fastening a piece along it lengthwise.]

_Wednesday 22d._ Fish Our Mast and made him as Strong as Ever. nothing more Materiall these 24 hours. Still Calm Weather.

_Thursday 23d._ Struck our top-mast it being too heavy for Our mast that was Sprung. Opened a tierce of bread and Served the people three days allowance.

_Friday 24th._ Opened a bb. of beef. Rainy Squaly Weather. the Masr.

per his Observation finds that we are in the Lat.i.tude 32:35.

_Sat.u.r.day 25th._ Small breezes of Wind for the most part of these 24 hours with Some Rain. the people had a pale of punch att night.

_Sunday 26._ Served the people 3 days allowance of bread. Calm Weather.

_Munday 27th._ The Weather as above. nothing Remarkable Only Caught two Dolphins out of a Great Scowl.[40]

[Footnote 40: School.]

_Tuesday 28th._ About 5 AM. Spyed a Sail Under Our Lee Bow. Bore down on her and when in Gun Shott fired one of Our Bow Chase. she Imediately Lowered all her Sails and went a Stern of Us. We Ordered the Mas'r to send his Boat a Board which he did and Came with one hand. Upon Examination We found that she was a Sloop belonging to some of the Subjects of his Britanick Majestys and was taken by a Spanish privateer bound out of St. Augustine to Cruize to the Northward to Gett provisions. she had taken this Sloop off of Obric.o.k[41] near No.

Carolina and when taken by Us was in the Lat.i.tude 31.59 no. Longitude 73.6 W. The Master when he Came a Board brought three Spanish papers which he declared to be one a copy of his Commission, the 2d.

Instructions what Signal to make when arrived att St. Augustine where she was bound to be Condemned and the 3d. Spanish paper was to lett him know what Rout he was to Steer. We Sent Our Lieut. aboard who said she was Loaded with Pork, Beans, Tarr, Live Hoggs, etc. and a Horse and had on Board 2 Englishmen, The Mas'r who is a frenchman born but turned Spaniard, 3 Spaniard Slaves and one Negro. Upon Examination John Everigin,[41a] one of the prisoners, declared that he had been taken some time in April last by Don Pedro Estrado[42] Capt. of the Privateer that had taken this Sloop, and that he forced him to List[43] with them and to pilott their Vessell on the Coast of N.

Carolina and that then they took this Sloop att Obric.o.c.k, July 5th, also 2 more Sloops and a s.h.i.+p Loaded with Lumber bound to So.

Carolina, that the Capt. of the privateer put him on Board with the french Master to Navigate the Vessell to Augustine with another Englishman, Saml. Elderedge, and that they were making the best of their way to that place. We Sent Our Master on board to fetch all the papers and bring the prisoners as above mentioned. the papers are as follows with some other things brought on board, Viz.

[Footnote 41: Ocrac.o.ke Inlet.]

[Footnote 41a: See note 62, below.]

[Footnote 42: Don Pedro de Estrada is mentioned as an exceptionally able privateering captain, in 1742, by the captain-general of Cuba and by the chief engineer at St. Augustine. _Collections_ of the Georgia Historical Society, VII., pt. 3, pp. 29, 59, 61-63. Wright, _Oglethorpe_, p. 283, speaks of his vessel as "a notorious privateer called the 'Black Sloop', commanded by Destrade, a French officer who had taken several prizes."]

[Footnote 43: Enlist.]