Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period Part 57

No. 1. Copy of the Spanish Commission.

2. Instructions what Signall to Make att St. Aug'ne.

3. What Rout to Steer.

4. 2 Spanish Letters.

5. On Order of Richd. Saunderson.

6. Rec'd of Rich'd Glover.

7. do. of Walter Goodmans.

8. do. of Phillip Morris.

9. Order of Jno. Donavan.

10. Peter Saunders Note of hand.

11. Deed of Sale of the _Content_ to Thos. Haddaway.

12. A Note of hand.

13. Recd. of Rich'd Glover.

14. Deed of Sale of a Canoe.

15. Deputation of John Casey to Capt. St. Leidgen to be Rainger.

16. A Note of hand.

17. James Addison, Order.

18. Rec'd for a Hatt.

19. Deed of Sale of the Scho'r _Eliz'h_.

20. Protest[44] of a Wreck.

20 small pieces of silver Value 2 pc. of 8/8[45] and 1/2 a bitt.

1 Silver Thimble. 1 Silver Spoon markt IO SO 4 Hoggs. A Womans Gown, petticoat, Shift, etc.

1 Turkey. Linen Corsett, some fish hooks, tobacco, Books, horn of powder, etc.

[Footnote 44: See doc. no. 136.]

[Footnote 45: Pieces of eight (_i.e._, eight reals), Spanish dollars.

A bit was a real.]

Att 11 AM. Sent Jeremiah Harman and John Webb with four hands to take Care of the prize, the first to be Mas'r and the other Mate, and Humphry Walters, Saml. Bourdett, John Wyld and the Negro taken in the prize as Marriners. The Capt. gave them, Mas'r and Mate, the following Orders. Viz.

On Board the _Revenge_ July 20th, 1741.

You Jeremiah Harman being Appointed Mas'r and You John Webb Mate of a Sloop taken by a Spanish Privateer some time ago belonging to some of the Subjects of his Britanick Majesty and Retaken by me by Virtue of a Commission Granted to me By the Hon'ble Richard Ward Esqr. Govr. in Chief over Rhode Island and providence plantation etc. In New England. I Order that You keep Company with my Sloop the _Revenge_ as long as Weather will permit and if by the providence of G.o.d, that by Stormy Weather or some unforeseen Accident we should part, I then Order You to proceed directly to the Island of providence, One of the Bahamia Islands, and there to wait my Arrivall, And not to Embezzle diminish Waste Sell or Unload any part of her Cargo till I am there present, Under the penalty of the Articles Already Signed by You. Att Your Arrivall att providence make a Just Report to his Hon'r the Gov'r of that place of the Sloop's Cargo and what on Board and how we Came by her. I am

Yrs.

B. NORTON

To Jeremiah Harman Mas'r and John Webb Mate.

For Signal hoist Your Dutch Jack att mast head.

if we hoist first You Answer Us and do not keep it up Long.

_Wednesday 29th._ About 4 PM. Saw a Sloop. Gave Chase but the Weather being Calm was forced to Gett out Our Oars. fired our Bow Chase to bring her too, but we tacking about and the people in Confusion, Night Coming on, it being very Foggy, Coud not Speak to her. by her Course she was bound to the Northw'd. Lost Sight of Our prize. The two Englishman that were taken prisoners By the Spanish privateer Signed Our Articles, their Names John Evergin and Sam'l Elderidge.

_Thursday 30th._ Nothing Remarkable these 24 hours. Att 5 AM. Saw a Sloop standing to the Northward and another a Stern of Us. bore down to the Latter and made Our Signal agreed on. found her to be Our prize. Opened a bb. of beef and 1 tierce of bread. the two Men that had signed the day before had Arms Given them.

_Friday 31t._ Calm weather these 24 hours. Our prize Sent his boat on board of Us for bread and Water. Killed the other 2 hogs we had taken on board. drew 2 Copys of the Capt's. Commission.

_Sat.u.r.day Aug'st 1st._ The prize still alongside of Us. Ordered the Master to Send Us 2 hogs for the Sloops Use, Also the Negro prisoner, having been Informed that he was Capt. of a Comp'y of Indians, Mollattos and Negroes that was att the Retaking of the Fort att St.

Augus'ne formerly taken Under the Command of that worthlest G----O----pe who by his treachory Suffered so many brave fellows to be mangled by those barbarians.[46] the Negro went Under the Name of Signior Capitano Francisco. Sent one of the Mollatto's in his Room on board the prize. Gave the people a pale of punch.

[Footnote 46: The reference is to Gen. James Oglethorpe, and to the recapture of Fort Moosa by the garrison of St. Augustine, June 15, 1740, during his unsuccessful siege of that town.]

_Sunday 2d._ Att 1 PM. We Examined the Negro who franckly owned that he was Capt. of a Comp'y as aforesaid and that his Commission was on board the privateer, that he went privatter'g in hopes of Getting to the Avanah[47] and that there he might Gett a pa.s.sage for to Go to old Spain to Gett the Reward of his brave Actions. We then askt him if it was his Comp'y that had used the English so barbarously when taken att the Fort. he denyed that it was his Comp'y but laid that Cruel Action to the Florida Indians and nothing more Coud we Gett out of him. We then tyed him to a Gun and made the Doctor Come with Instruments Seemingly to Castrate him as they had Served the English, thinking by that means to Gett some Confession out of him, but he still denyed it.

we then tyed a Molatto one that was taken with him to know if he knew anything about the Matter. We Gave him a dozen of Stripes and he declared that he knew nothing more than his being Capt. of a Comp'y att that time but that the other fellow on board the Sloop knew all about it. We Sent to him and he declared the wholle truth that it was the Florida Indians that had Committed the fact Under his Comand, but knew not if he was Consenting to it. However to make Sure and to make him Remember that he bore such a Commission we Gave him 200 Lashes and then pickled him and left him to the Doctor to take Care of his Sore A-se. Opened a tierce of bread, and killed the 2 hogs.

[Footnote 47: Havana.]

_Munday 3d._ Small breeze of Wind. About 10 Saw a Schooner Standing to No'ward. Gave her Chase.

_Tuesday 4th._ A Fine breeze of Wind. Still in Chase of the Schooner.

Att 5 PM. Gave her a Gun in hopes to bring her too, to know who she was, but she did not mind it neither hoisted any Colours. she bore down upon Us, then takt and bore away. We fired 10 Shott but all did not Signify for she hug'd her Wind[48] and it Growing dark and having a Good pair of heels we lost Sight of her. We imagined it was a No'ward Schooner both by her built and Course, But lett her be what she will she had a brave fellow for a Com'r. Opened a bb. of pork. In chaseing Lost Sight of Our prize.

[Footnote 48: Steered close up to the wind.]

_Wednesday 5th._ Fine Breeze of Wind. The Man att Mast head about 2 PM. Spyed 5 Sail of Vessells Steering to the Westward. Gave them Chase till 1 AM. and overtook them about 2. we coud observe them att a Great distance to Load[49] of us. Lay too till 4, then begun the Chase again, they having Gott almost out of Sight. Killed 2 Geese and a c.o.c.k which we had out of the prize. Opened a tierce of bread. Provisions Expended from June the 5 till July the 5, being one month, 6 bbs. of beef, 2 bbs. of pork, 1 bb. of bread and 6 tierces of bread.

[Footnote 49: Leeward.]

_Thursday 6th._ Still in Chase of the 5 Vessells. Sett our Spritsail, Topsail and Square Sail with a fine Breeze of Wind. About 11 AM. One of Ships brought too and fired a Gun to wait for a Sloop that was in Comp'y with her, and to wait for Us. We took in all Our Small Sails and bore down to her and hoisted Our penant. When alongside of her she fired 6 Shot att Us but did Us no damage, We still Hedging upon her and Gave her Our broadside and then stood off. The Sloop tackt imediatly and bore down upon Us in hopes to Gett Us between the Ships, As We Suppose to peper Us, Att the Sight of Which We Gave them three Chears. Our people all Agreed in General to fight them and told the Capt. if heed venture his Sloop they'd Venture their Lives, but the Capt. Seemed Unwilling and Gave for Reason that the prizes of which he was in possession of woud be of little profitt if taken by Us for we coud only Come in for a share w'ch woud be allow'd Us by the Court, and that perhaps woud not make Good a Limb if it was Lost, also that We had not hands Sufficient to Man them, and to bring those Vessells to providence. no one was able to buy any part of them and to Carry them to the No'ward woud be the breaking up of the Voyage without profitt. Nevertheless We Lett the Sloop Come alongside Us and Received her Shott. We Gave her a broadside and a Volley of Small Arms with three Huzas, then bore down to the Ship, who all this time had been pelting Us with her Shot but to no purpose, and Gave her another broad Side which did her some damage, for she bore down to the Sloop and never fired one more Shott, but Gott her on the Careen and men over the Side to Stop her holes, also Severall hands att her Rigging to mend it, her Sails being full of Shott holes, as also those of the Sloop. All the damage we Gott was One Shott through Our Main Sail. The Ship mounted 6 Guns of a Side and the Sloop 8. She was a Spanish privateer that had been Cruizing to the No'ward and had taken 5 Ships and that Sloop which We took some time before.[50] It Grieved Us to think that that felow shoud Go off with those prizes which he woud not have done had the Capt. been as willing as We. This battle was fought in the Lat.i.tude 29.26, Longt. 74:30 W. but no blood Shed on Our Side.

[Footnote 50: This is apparently the same Spanish privateer from St.

Augustine of whose doings in just these days an account is given in the _Journal_ of William Stephens, secretary of Georgia (_Colonial Records of Georgia_, Suppl. to vol. IV., pp. 225-228), and which Oglethorpe chased into St. Augustine a few days later (Wright, _Oglethorpe_, pp. 283-284).]

_Friday 7th._ Fine breeze of Wind. about 9 AM. Saw the Land. it was No'most part of Abbaco Keys.[51] tackt to Gett Clear of the Breackers.

[Footnote 51: The northernmost of the Bahamas.]

_Sat.u.r.day 8th._ These 24 hours turning to Windward to Gett Clear of the above Keys. att 6 PM. Opened a bb. of Beef and a tierce of bread.

the people had a pale of punch.

_Sunday 9th._ Still turning to Windward. About 8 AM. Gott Clear of the Keys. Caught Severall Baracowdas.[52]

[Footnote 52: Barracudas, fish six or eight or ten feet long.]

_Munday 10th._ Fine breeze of Wind att NW. with a large Sea. att 5 AM.

Saw Hog Island[53] and the Island of providence. att 8 a pilott boat Come off having fired a Gun and Lay too for one to pilott Us in.

Jeremiah Harman Mas'r of Our prize Came also off. he Arrived the day before att 9. Came by the Rose Man of Warr stationed here. we Saluted her with Seven Guns and she Returned Us five. We Run aGround and lay some time off of Major Stewarts House. The Man of War Send is [sent his] boat to Cary out an Anchor for Us, so We Gott off. The Capt. Went ash.o.a.r to wait on his Excellency[54] and send the pinnace off for the prisoners, who Imediatly were put in Jail. Our prize sent Us two Hogs which we Imediatly Killed.

[Footnote 53: A small island of the Bahamas, which forms the north side of the harbor of New Providence or Na.s.sau.]

[Footnote 54: John Tinker, governor 1740-1758. He came out in the _Rose_, Capt. Thomas Frankland, along with Peter Henry Bruce, the military engineer, and arrived at New Providence Apr. 21, 1741.

According to Bruce, he had previously been factor to the South Sea Company at Panama, and governor of Cape Coast in Guinea for the Royal African Company. Major Stewart, mentioned just above, was William Stewart, a member of the colonial council and major of the militia.

_Memoirs of Peter Henry Bruce_, pp. 375, 385, 386, 395. _Journal of the a.s.sembly of the Bahamas_, 1741, _pa.s.sim_.]

_Tuesday 11th._ This day begun to Unload our prize. made a present to the Governour of Our Horse and Deer. Landed 138 bbs. of provisions, pitch and tarr.

_Wednesday 12th._ Begun to Unload the Corn and sent it ash.o.a.r to a Store hired for that purpose. Mr. Moon appointed Agent for the Owners.[55] Opened a bb. of pork.