Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period Part 61

[Footnote 86: See doc. no. 148.]

_Thursday 1st Octor._ Calm Weather with thunder and Rain. Spoke with the Sloop. Brave Living with Our people. Punch Everyday, which makes them dream strange things which foretells Great Success in Our Cruize.

they dream of nothing but mad Bulls, Spaniards and bagg of Gold.

Examined the papers. found Severall Spanish and french among which the Condemnation of Capt. Stockings Sloop. died on board the prize a Negro boy.

_Friday 2d._ Att 6 AM. Saw a Ship Under the Land. stretchin[g] for her we Saw aSh.o.r.e a french Pennant and English Ensign. Hoisted Our Spanish Jack att Mast head and Sent Our pinnace aboard to discover what it was. She proved to be a Ship that had been taken by Don Fransoiso[87]

Loranzo our prisoner, that had taken her off the Capes of Virginia and had put a Lieut. and 10 more hands with 5 Englishmen to Carry her to the Havanah, but the Spaniards Run her ash.o.a.re apurpose. We bro't off the five Englishmen. the Spaniards having Run for it we Caught one and bro't him on board. Sent Our prize alongside of her to Gett what Goods we Cou'd Save. the Ship was Bilged.[88]

[Footnote 87: Francisco.]

[Footnote 88: Was staved in the bottom.]

_Sat.u.r.day 3d._ The people busy in Getting Goods out of the Ship, we Laying off and on.

_Sunday 4th._ Opened a bb. of beef. put the following hands on board the prize With Orders to the Master which are as underneath written.

the people on board Are John Webb Masr., John Evergin Mate, Timothy Northwood, James Hayes, Wm. Jackson, Joseph Marshall, John Elderidge, James Jennings and a Bermudian Negro which was taken prisoner in a fishing boat off of Bermudas by the Spanish Capt. (as Mariners) and one Mollatto prisoner belonging to the Spaniards. Gave them a bb. of beef and a bb. of pork.

Lat.i.tude 22.50 No. Octo'r 4th, 1741

Mr. John Webb

You being Appointed Master of the Sloop _Invinsible_, Late a Spanish privateer Commanded by Capt. Don Fransoiso Loranzo and taken by me and Comp'y, We Order You to keep Comp'y with Us till further Orders, But if by some Unforeseen Accident, Bad Weather Or Giving Chase We shou'd Chance to part Then We Order that You proceed directly with said Sloop and Cargo to Rhode Island in New England And if by the providence of G.o.d You Safe Arrive there You must apply to Mr. John Freebody, Merch't there, and deliver Your Sloop and Cargo to him Or his a.s.signs.

You are also Ordered to take Care that You Speak to no Vessell nor Suffer any to Speak with You during Your pa.s.sage nor Suffer any disorders on board but to take a Special Care of the Cargo that none be Embezled. And if Weather permitts You must be dilligent in drying of the Goods on board to hinder them from Spoiling etc. Wishing You a Good Voyage We Remain Your Friends

BN

DM

_Coppy of the Letter Sent to Capt. Freebody per John Webb in the Sloop._

_Sr._

I hope my Sundry Letters Sent You by different hands are Come Safe. My first was from the hook[89] Acquainting You what Number of hands had on board the time of Sailing for Providence, togather with an Acct. due from the Company to the Owners. Att my Arrivall att Providence I wrote You of my safe Arrival there and what Success we had mett with in Our pa.s.sage and delivered the Letter to Capt. Freeman, Bound to Boston in a Schooner. a few days after had an Opportunity of Informing You of an Unfortunate Accident which happened to Us by thunder and the damage it had done Us. that went per Capt. Barrett Via So. Carolina inclosed in a Letter to Mr.

Henry Collins, Sent to Mr. Steed Evance, who was desired to forward it to him. the Last was per Capt. Green, bound to Boston in the Sloop we had taken, Sold to Capt. Thomas Frankland, whose first bill of Exch'ge for 540 NEC drawn by him on his Brother, Messrs. Frankland and Lightfoot, Merch's in Boston, togather with the Amount of what we Received for Salvage for Retaken that Sloop was Inclosed.

[Footnote 89: Sandy Hook.]

This waits upon You with the Agreable News of Our taking a Spanish privateer on the 26th of Septem'r last, off of Cape Roman[90] att the No. side of Cuba, who was Conveying a Brig'ne to the Avanah which he had taken in the Lat.i.tude 26 No. Coming from Barbadoes Bound to Boston with Rum, Sugar and Some Baggs of Cotton. We had the pleasure to meet him Early in the morning and Gave her Chase. when within a mile of her we hoisted Our pennant. she Imediatly Returned the Compliment with her Ensign att Mast-head and a Gunn to Confirm it. we Received Severall Shott from her and Chearfully Return'd them. then she made the best of her way, Crowding all the Sail she Cou'd, and we doing the Like Came again within Gun-Shott and plyed her with Our Bow Chase which were shifted to the fore ports for that purpose and she kept pelting of Us with her Stern Chase out of her Cabbin windows. So that after Severall brisk Shott on both Sides she Struck. Our Rigging, Mast and Gunnell Received some damage. Upwards of 25 Shott went through Our Sails. 2 Shott went through Our mast and in the weakest part Just below where it was fisht. a Shott Cut our fore Shrewd[91] on the Larboard side and another went through Our Starboard Gunnell, port and all. We had only one Man slightly wounded with a Splinter by the Enemy, two others by an Accident on board by one of the peoples peice Going off after the Engagement, which shott them in the Arm. The poor Capt. of the privateer was wounded in the Arm and the bone fractured, One Negro boy Killed and others wounded. He was fitted out last Novem'r att the Avanah and went to St. Aug'ne and was on Our Coast Early in the Spring and took severall Vessells as per list herein inclosed. he was again fitted out in August last and had been on the Coast again and had taken Severall more Vessells, as you will Observe by the Acct., but we had the Good fortune to Stop his Cruize. Is Name is Don Fransoiso Loranzo, and by all Report tho' An Enemy a brave Man, Endued with a Great deal of Clemensy and Using his prisoners with a Great deal of humanity. the Like Usage he has on board for he Justly deserves it.

[Footnote 90: An error of the quartermaster's in copying.

There is no Cape Roman on the north coast of Cuba. The captain had no doubt written Cayo Romano. Cayo Romano is a small island, one of the "Jardines del Rey" that fringe the north coast of eastern Cuba, bordering on the Old Bahama Channel.]

[Footnote 91: Shroud.]

We have Sent You the Sloop, Commanded by John Webb, Loaded with Sundry Goods that has Rec'd some damage, which must desire You to Unload directly and take Care to Gett them dryed. there is also a Negro Boy that is Sickly, a Negro Man said to be taken off of Barmudas by the privateer as he was a fishing, and a Mollatto belonging to Some of the Subjects or Va.s.salls of the King of Spain, all which We Recomend to Your Care that they may not Elope. the Number of Spanish prisoners taken on board is 48, out of which is Eleven of the blood of Negroes, The Capt. Included, for which we dont doubt having his Majestys bounty mony, which is 5 Ster. per head. We also desire that the Vessell may not be Condemned till Our Arrivall but only Unloaded and a Just Acct. taken of what on board. As to the Brigantine, the Capt. of her, whom we put in again out of Civility, has Used Us in a Very Rascally manner, for he Run away with the Vessell from Us in the Night and no doubt with a design to Cheat Us of Our Salvage, which is the one half of Brig and Cargo, the Enemy having had possession of her 22 days. As she is a Vessell of Value, hope You'l do Your Endeavours to Recover Our Just dues and Apply to the Owners who are, as we are Credibly Informed, Messrs. Lee and Tyler of Boston, both Under the State of Conviction Since the Gospell of Whitefield and Tennant [h]as been propagated in New England,[92] So that we are in hopes they will Readily Give a Just Acct. of her Cargo and her true Value and Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars, which is the Moral preachd by Whitefield.

[Footnote 92: An allusion to the "Great Awakening", and to the revivalist preaching of George Whitefield in Boston in the autumn of 1740 and of Gilbert Tennent in the ensuing winter. Tyler at any rate (John Tyler of Boxford and Boston) seems certainly to have been affected by the "New Light"

movement, for in 1745 the Second Church in Boxford suspended him, among others, for "receiving into their houses Itinerant Preachers and holding meetings in opposition to the repeated entreaties of their Brethren". _The Tyler Genealogy_, I. 43.]

As this will Require a Law Suit I hope You'l Gett the best Advice You possibly Can and Gett her Seized if att Boston or Else Where and Gett her Condemned. She was designed to be Consign'd to You and the Master Sent on board to take possession and Gett things in Order to Sail, whilest we were Getting Letters wrote and bills of Lading with a hand to Go with him, but he Gave Us the Slip. So Relying on Your Care we don't doubt but you'll Recover her and add her to the privateer prize. The Brig'ne was Called the _Sarah_, Commanded by Thos. Smith, had on board 11 hhds. of Rum, 23 hhds. of Sugar and 12 bags of Cotton. she was Well fitted with 4 Swivells, one Gun and other Stores, a New pink Stern[93] Vessell. One of Our hands he Carryed with Us[94]

whose Name is Jerem'h Harman, who no doubt will Acquaint You of the whole Affair. We hope you'l Shew no favour to the Capt. for his ill Usage and Gett a Just Acct. of his Venture, which one half is our due. This Affair is Recomended to You by all the Company and hope that you'll Serve to the Utmost of Your powers, not doubting in the least of Your Justice and Equity.

[Footnote 93: Sharp-sterned.]

[Footnote 94: Error for, with him.]

Inclosed You'l Receive Capt. Frankland['s] 2 Bill of Exchg.

on his Brother for 540, also a List of what Vessells taken by Fransoiso Loranzo Since he first went out on his Cruize, which You may Use att pleasure Either to publish or Conceal. We are still Cruizing on the No. side of Cuba and are in hopes of Getting something worth while in a Short time. all in Good health. So having no more to add but My Kind Remembrance to all friends, I Remain

S'r, Y'rs, BN.

_Munday 5th._ Fine moderate Weather. the Comp'y Gave the Capt. a Night Gown, a Spencer Wigg[95] and 4 pair of thread Stock'gs, to the Lieut.

a pr. of Buck skin Breeches, the Doctor bot. a Suit of broad Cloth which Cost him 28 ps. of 8/8 which is Carried to his Acct. in the Sloops Leidgers. Six men that had been prisoners Signed Our Articles, Viz. Patterson taken out of the Sloop, and John Greenshaw, Thos.

Sinclair, Lawrence Willson, James Hadle, Jno. Bruman, prisoners on board the Ship. the whole Vandue this day amounted to 9 ps. 8/8 4 R.

[Footnote 95: A variety of periwig named after Charles Spencer, better known as the second earl of Sunderland. A night-gown in 1741 was a dressing-gown.]

Expended this month: 7 bb. beef, 3 bbs. of pork, 6 bbs. flour, 2 tierces of bread.

_146. Account of the Crew with the Owners. October 30, 1741._[1]

[Footnote 1: Ma.s.sachusetts Historical Society. It is hard to interpret this account. It will be seen that 1776 16s. 9d. New England currency is reckoned as equal to 1972-1/8 pieces of eight or Mexican dollars.

That would be reckoning 18s. of New England paper money to the dollar, or about 20s. 6d. to the ounce of silver. But in 1741 the rate of depreciation was certainly much higher. In January of that year Governor Ward of Rhode Island reports to the Board of Trade, "that for these six years last past, bills have continued to be equal to silver at twenty-seven shillings per ounce". _Col. Recs. R.I._, V. 13. And the Ma.s.sachusetts rate was twenty-nine or more.]

Comp'y of the Sloop _Revenge_ their Acct. Curt. with the Owners.

Dr. New Eng'd Cur'y Ps. 8/8. R.

To the first Out sett for provisions etc. bot. att Rhode Island and New York, being 1698. 6.3 1886.4

To Rum and Sugr. bot. att provid'ce. 39.12. 44.

To cash paid Mr. Stowe per B.N. 19.11.6 20.1

To do. for prison fees for a Negro and Mollo. Slaves. 4.19. 5.4

To John Wright for frock and trowsers. 1. 7. 1.4

To Cash paid for Storedge of the provisions. 7. 4. 8.

To a bb. of Pork. 5.17. 6.4 ------------------------- 1776.16.9 Ps. 8/ 1972.1

Cr.

By Cash Recd of Mr. Moon 137. 5. 152.

By a bill of Exchg. of Capt.