America	Commander Asa Palmer
Armed Sloop	[1] May 1777-18 July 1777
Connecticut Privateer Sloop

Commissioned/First Date:	[1] May 1777
Out of Service/Cause:	18 July 1777/captured by the British

Owners:

Tonnage:

45

Battery:

Date Reported: Number/Caliber  Weight        Broadside Total: Broadside: Swivels:

Crew:

Description:

Built in 1776, fast sailer.

Officers:

(1) Lieutenant Edward Williams, May 1777-18 July 1777

Cruises:

(1) [Stonington], Connecticut to New London, Connecticut, [1] May 1777-10 May 1777 (2) New London, Connecticut to Stonington, Connecticut, [12] May 1777-[13] May 1777 (3) Stonington, Connecticut to New London, Connecticut, [15] May 1777-[30] May 1777 (4) New London, Connecticut to sea, [15] July 1777-18 July 1777

Prizes:

(1) Sloop Generous Friend (John Freebody), [3] May 1777 (2) Sloop Polly (James King), [3] May 1777 (3) Schooner Success (Peleg Borden), [20] May 1777 (4) Schooner [Britannia or Success], [20] May 1777 (5) Schooner Britannia (Obadiah Rogers), [20] May 1777

Actions:

Comments:


Connecticut Privateer Sloop America (Commander Asa [Amos] Palmer)¹ was certainly the former Rhode Island Privateer Sloop America, which was advertised for sale at Stonington, Connecticut on 13 February 1777.² It was necessary to obtain a Connecticut commission for the sloop. By late April 1777 she was ready for sea. Edward Williams served aboard as her Lieutenant.³ Palmer was a resident of Stonington.⁴

America was patrolling in Long Island Sound in early May 1777.⁵ About 3 May she captured two sloops in the eastern part of the sound.⁶ One of these was the 80-ton Generous Friend (John Freebody),⁷ bound from New York to Newport with flour and dry goods. Freebody was a notorious Tory, resident in Newport. A sum of money, said to be $20,000 was captured with him.⁸ The other prize was presumably the 40-ton sloop Polly (James King),⁹ also from New York to Newport with flour and dry goods. Both sloops were carried into New London by 10 May,¹⁰ before America proceeded to Stonington.¹¹

America was supposed to be at Stonington on 16 May, when Governor Trumbull suggested she join the Connecticut Navy Ship Oliver Cromwell (Captain Seth Harding) on an expedition.¹² Harding reported on 17 May that Palmer had sailed “up the sound.¹³ Palmer was seeking the small trading vessels of the Tories which sailed down to New York to deliver goods to the British. America found what she was seeking. At unknown dates she captured the 45-ton schooner Britannia (Obadiah Rogers), and the 40-ton schooner Success (Peleg Borden). An unknown 50-ton schooner (perhaps named either the Britannia or Success) was taken up after being abandoned. All these prizes were taken into New London, where they were libeled on 10 June 1777, along with Generous Friend and Polly. Trial was held on 7 July 1777.¹⁴

It seems likely that Palmer remained in New London this time. In early July 1777, Nathaniel Shaw purchased some £83 of materials from Palmer for the use of the Continental Navy Brigantine Resistance (Captain Benjamin Chew).¹⁵

Soon after America sailed again. She was captured on 18 July by the British. Palmer and his crew  were taken to Newport, Rhode Island as prisoners.¹⁶ Palmer was later exchanged.¹⁷ Lieutenant Edward Williams died aboard the British prison ship at Newport in August 1777.¹⁸

¹ Middlebrook, Maritime Connecticut During The Revolution, II, 49-50

² NDAR, “Independent Chronicle, Thursday, February 6, 1777,” VII, 1118

³ Middlebrook, Maritime Connecticut During The Revolution, II, 49-50

⁴ Middlebrook, Maritime Connecticut During The Revolution, II, 49-50

⁵ NDAR, “Providence Gazette, Saturday, May 10, 1777,” VIII, 945; “Libels Filed Against Prizes of Connecticut Privateer Sloop America,” IX, 81-82

⁶ NDAR, “Providence Gazette, Saturday, May 10, 1777,” VIII, 945

⁷ NDAR, “Libels Filed Against Prizes of Connecticut Privateer Sloop America,” IX, 81-82

⁸ NDAR, “Providence Gazette, Saturday, May 10, 1777,” VIII, 945

⁹ NDAR, “Libels Filed Against Prizes of Connecticut Privateer Sloop America,” IX, 81-82

¹⁰ NDAR, “Providence Gazette, Saturday, May 10, 1777,” VIII, 945; “Libels Filed Against Prizes of Connecticut Privateer Sloop America,” IX, 81-82

¹¹ NDAR, “Governor Jonathan Trumbull to Captain Seth Harding,” VIII, 978-979

¹² NDAR, “Governor Jonathan Trumbull to Captain Seth Harding,” VIII, 978-979

¹³ NDAR, “Captain Seth Harding, Connecticut Navy Ship Oliver Cromwell, to Governor Jonathan Trumbull,” VIII, 986 and note

¹⁴ NDAR, “Libels Filed Against Prizes of Connecticut Privateer Sloop America,” IX, 81-82

¹⁵ NDAR, “Accounts of the Continental Navy Brigantine Resistance,” X, 441-447

¹⁶ Middlebrook, Maritime Connecticut During The Revolution, II, 49-50

¹⁷ Claghorn, Naval Officers of the American Revolution, 230

¹⁸ Middlebrook, Maritime Connecticut During The Revolution, II, 49-50

Revised 4 May 2012

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