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Massachusetts Privateer Schooner Active |
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| Active | Commander Andrew Gardner |
| Schooner | [1] October 1776- |
| Massachusetts Privateer Schooner |
| Commissioned/First Date: | 11 October 1776 |
| Out of Service/Cause: |
| Owners: | Nehemiah Somes, Joseph Pierce, Eleazer Johnson, Thomas Melvill and John Hinkley |
| Tonnage: | 85 |
| Battery: | Date Reported: 15 October 1776 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 12/ Total: 12 cannon/ Broadside: 6 cannon/ Swivels: Date Reported: Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 14/3-pounder 30 pounds 15 pounds Total: 10 cannon/30 pounds Broadside: 5 cannon/15 pounds Swivels: Date Reported: Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 6/3-pounder 18 pounds 9 pounds Total: 6 cannon/18 pounds Broadside: 3 cannon/9 pounds Swivels: |
| Crew: | (1) 15 October 1776: 81 [total]
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| Description: |
| Officers: | (1) Surgeon John Sprague, May 1777- |
| Cruises: | (1) Boston, Massachusetts, to Boston, Massachusetts, with the Continental Navy squadron under Captain John Manley (to about 26 May), 21 May 1777-[September] 1777 |
| Prizes: | (1) Brig Three Brothers (Thomas Johnson), 25 July 1777, with Massachusetts Privateer Schooner Speedwell
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| Actions: | (1) Action with the Johnson, 19 August 1777 |
Comments:
Massachusetts Privateer Schooner Active was an 841 or 85 ton schooner and was fitting out at Boston by 11 October 1776 as a privateer, when her owners worked out an exchange of cannon with Massachusetts. The object was to reduce weight aboard the schooner. These guns were partly obtained from Massachusetts Navy Schooner Diligent.2 Owner Nehemiah Somes was also skipper of privateer Run Fast.3 Active was commissioned on 15 October 1776, under Commander Andrew Gardner of Boston, Massachusetts. She was listed as having a crew of eighty men and a battery of twelve guns4 and ten swivels.5 Her $5000 Continental bond was signed by Gardner and by Joseph Pierce and Nehemiah Somes, both of Boston, who were also listed as owners.6
Surgeon John Sprague was aboard Active about this time and sailed on her first cruise.7
The owners agreed to the temporary manning restrictions on 16 April 1777,8 and, on 19 April, they agreed to allow Active to sail with the Continental Navy frigates Hancock and Boston.9 Massachusetts accepted the offer of the Active on 26 April.10 The schooner sailed with the two frigates and eight other privateers at 1100 on 21 May 1777.11 Active was among those vessels which helped chase a large sail into Portsmouth, New Hampshire on 24 May, the chase proving to be friendly.12 Soon after Active parted from Manley's squadron, sailing in company with Massachusetts Privateer Schooner Speedwell (Commander Jonathan Greely). These two schooners were spoken at 43°4'N, 45°30'W (from London) by New Hampshire Privateer Schooner McClary (Commander Thomas Dalling), perhaps about mid-June 1777. They reported no prizes captured as yet, but all else was well.13 On 25 July the two schooners fell in with and captured the brig Three Brothers (Thomas Johnson), out of Newfoundland to Barbados with a cargo of fish. Three Brothers was dispatched to America, but was recaptured on 20 August 1777 by HM Frigate Rainbow (Captain Sir George Collier).14
On 19 August15 the two privateers encountered the British Privateer Ship Johnson (Richard Jones), a large vessel of 30016 or 340 tons,17 armed with twelve 6-pounders,18 or six 6-pounders and four 4-pounders, four cohorns and two swivels. Aboard Johnson were thirty-five men “and boys.”19 She was bound from Liverpool to New York with a cargo of salt.20 Johnson sighted the two schooners about 0600, together with another sail to the north. Jones held his course. Jones soon discovered the sail to the north was a French vessel and then hauled as close as possible to the wind. The schooners came up about 1200 and engaged the British for about forty-five minutes at long range, only a few shots passing over Johnson. They then ran south out of gun range and prepared to board. About 15:15 they came up again, one on each quarter and engaged for about thirty minutes. While this skirmish was underway Johnson saw another sail coming down before the wind. Jones decided to see what this vessel was before striking. When the schooners sheered off he steered for the stranger, which proved to be the Massachusetts Navy Brig Massachusetts (Captain John Fisk). The schooners chased, continuing to fire: Johnson had only slight damage and one man wounded. Massachusetts came alongside, fired a single broadside, and Johnson struck.21 Massachusetts sighted the three vessels in the afternoon and chased. By 1600 Fisk had made out that the two schooners attacking the ship. As the Massachusetts came closer the two schooners fell astern and the Johnson tacked toward the Massachusetts. At 1700 the Massachusetts was alongside the Johnson. One broadside from Fisk's guns brought the British to surrender.22 The prize was valuable, being worth between £6000 and £7000.23 Johnson was sent in to Boston, arriving there on 31 August.24 She was libeled on 18 September 1777 and 2 October 1777, with trial set for 7 October.25 The Massachusetts General Court, pending the outcome of the trial, resolved to use four of Johnson’s 6-pounders on the Massachusetts Navy Brig Hazard, then fitting out.26
In September 1777 Gardner and Greely, along with Nehemiah Soames, Gustavus Fellows and Mungo Mackay, petitioned the Massachusetts General Court to enforce the terms of the contract signed when the privateers sailed with the Continental fleet of Captain John Manley. This stipulated that, for a period of twenty-five days, all prizes would be equally shared, even if the vessels had separated from the fleet. Some owners with prizes were not forthcoming with their shares. On 3 October 1777 the Massachusetts General Court referred the matter to a committee, which reported favorably, and the Massachusetts Council ordered the bonds of the offending owners prosecuted on 18 October.27
On 12 December 1777 the owners (Nehemiah Somes, Eleazer Johnson, Thomas Melvill and John Hinkley) petitioned the General Court again. The Massachusetts Board of War was offering the owners the value of the four 6-pounders from the Johnson in cash; the owners preferred the value in the other cannon. The General Court agreed with the owners on 15 December.28
This was possibly the privateer that captured the 70-ton sloop Alexander (Monkhouse), bound from Grenada to Halifax, Nova Scotia with a cargo of provisions, about July 1779. Alexander was sent into Boston and tried on 5 August 1779.29
1 Claghorn, Naval Officers of the American Revolution, 118
2 NDAR, "Petition of Nehemiah Somes to the Massachusetts Council," VI, 1213 and note
3 NDAR, "Articles of Agreement by Crew of the Massachusetts Schooner Run Fast," VI, 1395
4 Allen, Massachusetts Privateers of the Revolution, 65
5 Emmons, 127
6 Allen, Massachusetts Privateers of the Revolution, 65
7 Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors, 14:755
8 NDAR, "Owners' and Commander's Bond Restricting Enlistments in Massachusetts Privateer Schooner Active," VIII, 352
9 NDAR, "Owners of Massachusetts Privateers to the Massachusetts General Court," VIII, 375-376
10 NDAR, "Acts and Resolves of the Massachusetts General Court," VIII, 434-436
11 NDAR, "Journal of Captain Hector McNeill," VIII, 1006-1007
12 NDAR, "Journal of Captain Hector McNeill," VIII, 1023-1024
13 NDAR, "The Freeman's Journal, Saturday, July 19, 1777," IX, 298
14 NDAR, "Journal of H.M.S. Rainbow, Captain Sir George Collier," IX, 772 and note. The prize his referred to here as the Two Brothers.
15 Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution, i, 237 from Fisk's report of his cruise. In “Deposition of Daniel Christian,” X, 105-106, the date is given as 18 July 1777.
16 NDAR, “Libels Filed in the Massachusetts Maritime Court of the Middle District,” X, 15-16 and 16 note
17 NDAR, "John Bradford to the Continental Marine Committee," IX, 862 and note
18 NDAR, "Major General Artemus Ward to Colonel Joseph Ward," IX, 867 and note
19 NDAR, “Deposition of Daniel Christian,” X, 105-106
20 NDAR, "John Bradford to the Continental Marine Committee," IX, 862 and note; “Deposition of Daniel Christian,” X, 105-106
21 NDAR, “Deposition of Daniel Christian,” X, 105-106
22 Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution, i, 237 from Fisk's report of his cruise
23 NDAR, "Major General Artemas Ward to Colonel Joseph Ward," IX, 867 and note
24 NDAR, "John Bradford to the Continental Marine Committee," IX, 862 and note
25 NDAR, “Libels Filed in the Massachusetts Maritime Court of the Middle District,” X, 15-16 and 16 note
26 NDAR, “Acts and Resolves of the Massachusetts General Court,” X, 106
27 NDAR, “Petition of Mungo Mackay and Others to the Massachusetts General Court,” X, 200-201 and 202 note
28 NDAR, “Petition of Nehemiah Somes and Others to the Massachusetts General Court,” X, 711-712 and 712 note
29 Faibisy, “A Compilation . . .” in NDAR, X, 201-210
| Revised 13 September 2008 |
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