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moustic
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Privateers and Mariners in the Revolutionary War

Wed Oct 04, 2006 3:30 pm

:tournepas http://www.usmm.org/revolution.html :tournepas
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Comparison of Navy vs. Privateers in Revolutionary War
Continental [color="blue"]Navy[/color] [color="red"]Privateers [/color]
Total ships [color="blue"]64[/color] [color="red"]1,697 [/color]
Total guns on ships [color="blue"]1,246 [/color][color="red"]14,872 [/color]
Enemy ships captured [color="blue"]196[/color] [color="red"]2,283 [/color]
Ships captured by enemy [color="blue"]?[/color] [color="red"]1,323[/color]

John Manley
(°1733, Torquay, England, +1793, Boston, Massachusetts)
On 24 October, 1775, he received a commission from General Washington to cruise in the vicinity of Boston, and intercept supplies that were intended for General Thomas Gate's army. He went to sea in the schooner "Lee" before the commanders of the other cruisers, sailing from Marblehead near the close of November. On 29 November he fell in with and captured the brig "Nancy," which had on board a large mortar, several brass guns, muskets, ammunition, and various military supplies. He captured three other transports on 8 December, and succeeded in bringing into port all his prizes. The guns and ordnance stores were of great assistance to General Washington in the siege operations. Captain Manley continued to cruise during the rest of the winter. He was chased into Gloucester harbor by the "Falcon," and, running inshore, inflicted damage on his pursuers. Manley was given a captain's commission in the Continental navy on 17 April, 1776, and on 22 August was assigned to the command of the frigate "Hancock," of thirty-two guns, then building at Boston. Of the captains in the navy, as it was regularly organized after the Declaration of Independence, he was the second in seniority and rank. Soon after putting to sea in the "Hancock" he engaged, and after a sharp contest captured, the " Fox," a British war vessel carrying twenty-eight guns, but the prize was afterward recaptured by the "Flora." On 8 July, 1777, the " Hancock" and the "Boston," which was commanded by Captain Hector McNiel, fell in with the "Rainbow," of forty-four guns, accompanied by the brig " Victor." Captain Manley intended to engage the enemy, but when the "Boston" sailed away, attempted to escape and was overtaken and compelled to surrender to Sir George Collier in the "Rainbow." He was confined on board that vessel and in Mill prison, Halifax. His conduct was made the subject of an investigation that fully exonerated him from blame, while Captain McNiel was dismissed the service for not assisting the "Hancock." Having been exchanged, Manley was again captured while commanding the privateer "Pomona," and held a prisoner at Barbadoes until he made his escape, and took command of the privateer " Jason." In July, 1779, being attacked by two British privateers, he ran between them, and poured a broadside into both at once, which compelled them to strike their colors. In September, 1782, Captain Manley was placed in command of the "Hague" frigate, and sailed for the West Indies. After calling at Martinique his vessel was descried by a British seventy-four, which gave chase.
http://famousamericans.net/ormanlymanley/

Jonathan Haraden
(°1744, Glucester, Massachusetts, +1803, Salem, Massachusetts)
When the war of independence began, he joined the " Tyrannicide" as 1st lieutenant, and shortly afterward was promoted captain, and appointed to the command of the "Picketing." In a night assault in the Bay of Biscay he captured a British privateer of 60 men and 22 guns, beat off a London privateer with 42 guns and 140 men, and on another occasion came upon three armed vessels in a line, and captured one after the other, with no loss of life on his own vessel. He is said to have taken nearly 1,000 cannon from the British during the war. At the close of 1781, with all his vessels and prizes, he was captured by the royal commander, Rodney, at St. Eustatius, West Indies. The "Julius Caesar" was his last command.
http://www.famousamericans.net/jonathanharaden/

Alexander Godfrey
(°1768, Chatham, Massachusetts, +1804)
In 1791 he married Phoebe West. He was commander of the privateer brig The Rover which defeated a Spanish squadron off the Spanish Main in 1800. He died of yellow fever in Jamaica in 1803. His only child Ruth, who died of burns, is buried in Liverpool, Nova Scotia's historic cemetery.

James Forten
(°1766, +1843)
was a 15 year-old powder boy on the privateer Royal Louis, commanded by Stephen Decatur, Sr. He was born free in Philadelphia and had already served as a drummer in the Continental Army.
The Royal Louis had a crew of 200, 20 of them African-Americans. During her first cruise as a privateer she captured a British Navy brig. On her second cruise she met the heavily armed British frigate Amphylon and two others, and was forced to surrender.

Joshua Barney
(°1759, Baltimore, Maryland, +1818, Pittsburghh, Pennsylvania)
He left his father's farm while yet a child to go to sea, and navigated a vessel when but sixteen years old. He was made master's mate of the "Hornet," one of the first cruisers fitted out by the continental congress, and took part in Com. Hopkins's descent upon New Providence and capture of British stores, in February 1776. He was made a lieutenant for gallantry in the action between the schooner "Wasp" and the British brig "Tender" in Delaware bay, and was assigned to the sloop "Sachem," which captured a British privateer. While prize-master on board a captured vessel he was taken prisoner, but was soon exchanged. In the spring of 1777 he took part on board the Andrea Doria" in the defense of the " Delaware." He was lieutenant of the frigate "Virginia," which, before she got to sea, ran aground in Chesapeake bay and was captured by the enemy on 30 March 1778. After having been again exchanged in August 1778, he joined a privateer which brought into Philadelphia a valuable prize in 1779. He was again captured and exchanged in 1779, and afterward served on board the sloop-of-war "Saratoga," and, in the capture of the ship " Charming Molly" with two brigs, he led the boarding-party. The day after, when he was in charge of one of the prizes, the three vessels were re-taken by the "Intrepid," of 74 guns. He was confined in Portsmouth prison until May 1781, when he made his escape. He was re-taken, but again escaped, and reached Philadelphia in March 1782. He was placed in command of the "Hyder Ally," of 16 guns, fitted out by the state of Pennsylvania, for the purpose of clearing the Delaware of British privateers. On 8 April 1782, he captured a British sloop of war, the "General Monk," of 18 guns, off Cape May after a severe engagement. For this exploit Captain Bar-hey was voted a sword by the Pennsylvania legislature. He was made commander of the captured ship. He sailed for France in the "General Monk," in November 1782, with dispatches for Dr. Franklin, and returned with the information that preliminaries of peace had been signed, and bringing a large sum lent by the French govern-merit.
http://famousamericans.net/joshuabarney/


http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?t=1217&highlight=Privateers
http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?t=20&highlight=pirate
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moustic
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excellent

Sun Jan 28, 2007 8:26 pm

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Sandra
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Sun Jan 28, 2007 9:28 pm

Cool !! :cwboy:

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Pocus
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Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:50 am

excellent, this is an aspect of the war that should be emphasized more in BOA then.
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Hofstadter's Law: "It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's law."

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moustic
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Mon Jan 29, 2007 4:20 pm

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