America	Commander William Dennis [Dring]
Armed Sloop	13 August 1776-
Rhode Island Privateer Sloop

Commissioned/First Date:	13 August 1776
Out of Service/Cause:

Owners:

Samuel Wyatt et al

Tonnage:

45

Battery:

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

Crew:

13 August 1776: 38 [total]

Description:

Built in 1776.

Officers:

Cruises:

(1) Newport, Rhode Island [?] to Stonington, Connecticut, [October] 1776-27 December 1776

Prizes:

(1) Brigantine Countess of Eglington (Robert Reid), 25 November 1776, with Massachusetts Privateer Retaliation

Actions:

Comments:

Rhode Island Privateer¹ Sloop² America was commissioned on 13 August 1776.³ Her commander was listed as William Dennis⁴ (William Dring),⁵ and her owners were given as Samuel Wyatt et al.⁶ She sailed with Massachusetts Privateer Retaliation for the West Indies, perhaps in October 1776. Before sailing the two privateers made an agreement to share prizes and proceeds of the cruise.⁷ The Countess of Eglinton was sighted at 1000 on 25 November 1776, to windward of the West Indies, and chased. At the time of sighting Retaliation was nine miles away. By 1600 America was close enough for the British to see that she was armed, and an hour later could count her ports. The Countess of Eglington fired three swivels, America raised her colors, and Reid surrendered. Retaliation was six miles away at this time and did not come up until 1800.⁸ Retaliation sent a prizemaster and eight men aboard the Countess of Eglington, and America added a prizemaster and four sailors.⁹ The prize was ordered for New Bedford, Massachusetts.¹⁰ The prize crews argued on the voyage, nearly coming to blows.¹¹

The prize made New Bedford on 31 December 1776. She was valuable, a 160-ton brigantine with linen, thread, hose, shoes, butter and bread,¹² en route from Greenock, Scotland to Antigua¹³ when captured. She was libeled on 12 January 1777 and tried on 17 January,¹⁴ with the proceeds being given to America.¹⁵This was appealed by the Retaliation and the verdict upheld,¹⁶and then appealed to the Continental Congress, where the verdict was reversed in 1783.¹⁷

When America arrived back at Newport on 27 December 1776, she noticed an unusual amount of shipping off that town. She swung out her barge and sent it to investigate. The British, who had just invaded Rhode Island and captured Newport, also captured the barge and crew. Two warships came to sail and chased America, which ran for Stonington, Connecticut and got into port there.¹⁸ America was advertised for sale at Stonington on 13 February 1777.¹⁹

She was apparently sold and resumed her privateering, still under Dennis [Dring], in 1778.²⁰

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¹ Sheffield, An Address Delivered by William P. Sheffield before the Rhode Island Historical Society, 59

²  NDAR, 6, 165 and note

³ NDAR, 6, 165 and note; Sheffield, An Address Delivered by William P. Sheffield before the Rhode Island Historical Society, 59

⁴  NDAR, 6, 165 and note

⁵ Sheffield, An Address Delivered by William P. Sheffield before the Rhode Island Historical Society, 59

⁶ Sheffield, An Address Delivered by William P. Sheffield before the Rhode Island Historical Society, 59

⁷ NDAR, 7, 1135-1136

⁸ NDAR, 7, 888-891

⁹ NDAR, 7, 1135-1136

¹⁰ NDAR, 7, 639 and note

¹¹ NDAR, 7, 888-891

¹² NDAR, 7, 639 and note

¹³ NDAR, 7, 868 and note

¹⁴ NDAR, 7, 943

¹⁵ NDAR, 7, 1135-1136; 8m 1002-1003

¹⁶ NDAR, 7, 1135-1136; 8, 1002-1003

¹⁷ NDAR, 8, 1002-1003

¹⁸ NDAR, 7, 859 and note

¹⁹ NDAR, 7, 1118

²⁰ Sheffield, An Address Delivered by William P. Sheffield before the Rhode Island Historical Society, 60