| Back to C |
 |
Pennsylvania Privateer Ship Chevalier de La Luzerne |
| Chevalier de La Luzerne |
| Sloop-of-War | Commander Thomas Bell |
| Pennsylvania Privateer Ship | 25 October 1779-4 April 1781 |
| Commissioned/First Date: | 25 October 1779 |
| Out of Service/Cause: | 4 April 1781/captured by British Privateer Ship Enterprize |
| Owners: | Robert Morris and William Bingham & Co., all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Tonnage: |
| Battery: | Date Reported: 25 October 1779 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 18/ Total: 18 cannon/ Broadside: 9 cannon/ Swivels: Date Reported: October 1780 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 18/6-pounder : 108 pounds 54 pounds Total: 18 cannon/108 pounds Broadside: 9 cannon/54 pounds Swivels: |
| Crew: | 25 October 1779: 76 [total] |
| Description: |
| Officers: | (1) First Lieutenant William Bell, -4 April 1781; (2) Second Lieutenant Clarkson [Clarkston], 4 April 1781; (3) Third Lieutenant Tindale [Tinddal], -4 April 1781; (4) Captain of Marines McArthur [McArther], -4 April 1781 |
| Cruises: | (1) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to L’Orient, France, [Fall/Winter] 1779-1780
|
| Prizes: | (1) Ship Betsey, [June/July] 1780
|
| Actions: | (1) Action with British privateer, [July] 1780 |
Comments:
Pennsylvania Privateer Ship Chevalier de La Luzerne was commissioned on 25 October 1779 under Commander Thomas Bell of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was listed as being armed with eighteen guns and as having a crew of seventy-five men. Her $10000 bond was executed by Samuel Inglis and George Ord, both of Philadelphia.1 Other sources give her battery as eighteen 6-pounders in October 1780.2
During the fall or winter of 1779-1780 Chevalier de La Luzerne sailed for France, and was at L’Orient by March 1780.
Among Bell’s activities at L’Orient was the signing of a petition in March 1780, to Benjamin Franklin, supporting the idea of using the recently captured Serapis in the American Navy.3 On 26 June 1780 Bell signed another letter to Franklin protesting Pierre Landais’s seizure of the Alliance.4
Chevalier de La Luzerne sailed from France for Philadelphia, with a detour through the West Indies.5 About 1 July 1780 she captured the ship Betsey. Two others were captured in this year and sent to America, both probably on this cruise. The boatswain aboard the Chevalier de La Luzerne describes an action that took place on this cruise: “Near one of the western islands [Madeira Islands] we discovered a large squadron of Vessels which deceived us with french Colors until we ran into and amongst them. They then hoisted the British Colors and fired upon us though we made our Escape with the loss of some men and an injury to our vessel.” A few days later the Chevalier de La Luzerne fell in with two British vessels which chased the privateer all day. At dusk one came up and got alongside the American: a sloop-of-war of twenty guns. According to Wilson she “engaged with us immediately and we were hoped to make a running fight for four hours the damage was great On both sides several kild and wounded.” Chevalier de La Luzerne then continued her cruise for three or four months.6
On 2 September 1780 the Chevalier de La Luzerne arrived at Philadelphia from L’Orient.7 On 23 September a newspaper ad appeared touting the newly imported merchandise from the ship.8
Chevalier de La Luzerne was at Philadelphia in October 1780, fitting out for her next cruise. At this time the officers aboard were First Lieutenant William Bell, Second Lieutenant Clarkson [Clarkston], Third Lieutenant Tindale [Tinddal] and Captain of Marines McArthur [McArther].9 About this time one John Claypoole joined her crew. Contrary winds delayed her departure but she sailed for France on 7 November 1780, bound for L’Orient with a cargo of tobacco. The wind changed after a few days and the passage was “tedious,” according to Claypoole. Chevalier de La Luzerne arrived at L’Orient on 1 January 1781.10
Chevalier de La Luzerne refitted at L’Orient and took on a cargo of salt and other goods. She sailed for home on 26 March 1781, in company with seven or eight other American vessels, including the Lyon. The weather was excellent the first week. After a few days the Lyon parted company, steering for the West Indies.11
On 4 April 1781 Chevalier de La Luzerne fell in with the British Privateer Ship Enterprize (Thomas Eden), a thirty-two gun vessel out of London.12 The crew and prize were taken to Limerick or Cork, Ireland.13 Many of the crew entered aboard the British privateer so that only thirty-seven men remained of the crew.14 Eventually they were transferred to Old Mill Prison in England,15 where twenty-two were committed on 6 July 1781.16 From then until they were released was about seventeen months. At least one man, Abijah Hunt, shipped on the South Carolina Navy Frigate South Carolina about 1 July 1782.17
The Philadelphia newspapers published a list of prisoners in England, as of October 1781. The Chevalier de La Luzerne prisoners are listed as twenty-two men.18
Bell was released on parole at Limerick, Ireland and was at L’Orient on 28 September 1781. There was a proposal by the commissary of prisoners to exchange him for one John Kinnere, captured by the schooner Sommer-set (Jones).19 On 31 October, Bell repeated his request for exchange. He wanted to sail for home, with the exchange pending. Kinnere had agreed to appear at Limerick, if paroled, collect Bell’s parole pappers, and release him. Bell wanted Franklin to authorize the exchange, as he was nearly broke from maintaining himself while waiting exchange.20 When Franklin ordered the release of Kinnere, the American commissary died, and the process had to start over on 4 January 1782.21
Wilson was pardoned for exchange in 1783 and sent to America in a cartel.22
As for the Chevalier de La Luzerne, she was tried and condemned in the High Court of Admiralty in 1781. She is described there as an American merchant ship with étranger.23
[Addition comments and acknowledgments. This entire profile was based on materials brought to my attention by SANDRA LA BELLE. Her ancestor, William Wilson, was the boatswain on board the Chevalier de La Luzerne. Sandra co-operated in writing the profile and did nearly all the research, coming up with this material in a few days. Thank You, Sandra, for the co-operation and bringing all this to my attention.]
1 NRAR, 253
2 “John Claypoole’s Memorandum Book,” in The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, XVI, Historical Society of Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, 1892, 178-180
3 “From American Gentlemen in France,” in the Benjamin Franklin Papers, online at http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedNames.jsp?ssn=001-66-0009. Accessed 3/18/2008.
4 “From Samuel Wharton et al” in the Benjamin Franklin Papers, online at [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedNames.jsp?ssn=001-66-0009. Accessed 3/18/2008.
5 Pension application of William Wilson. Reproduced at Heritagequest.com. Accessed 3/18/2008. William Wilson was the boatswain on the Luzerne about this time. He made his deposition at age 93. Although the incidents he describes are probably accurate, his statement that these occurred on a voyage to the West Indies cannot be supported. The Luzerne was in L’Orient in March 1780, and arrived in Philadelphia on 2 September 1780. Her route home might have taken her through the West Indies. William said he joined her in Philadelphia in June 1780. While that is possible, there is no room for a voyage to France and back between August and September 1780. However if William entered earlier, he would have been aboard at L’Orient in March 1780, and the homeward bound voyage through the West Indies is a distinct probability.
6 Wilson pension application.
7 The Pennsylvania Gazette [Philadelphia], Wednesday, September 6, 1780
8 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Saturday, September 23, 1780
9 Wilson pension application.
10 Claypoole’s Memorandum Book. Claypoole was the third husband of Betsey Ross.
11 Claypoole’s Memorandum Book.
12 Claypoole’s Memorandum Book, Wilson pension application.
13 Pension application of Abijah Hunt. Reproduced at Heritagequest.com. Accessed 3/18/2009; Claypoole’s Memorandum Book.
14 Claypoole’s Memorandum Book.
15 Wilson pension application.
16 “List of Americans Committed to Old Mill Prison, England, During the War,” in The New England Historical and Geneaological Register, Vol. XIX. The New England Historic-Genealogical Society, Boston: 1865, p. 209
17 Hunt pension application.
18 The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], Thursday, March 7, 1782
19 “From Thomas Bell” in the Benjamin Franklin Papers online at [http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedNames.jsp?ssn=001-66-0009. Accessed 3/18/2008.
20 “From Thomas Bell” in ibid, 31 October 1781
21 “From Jonathan Nesbitt” in ibid
22 Wilson pension application
23 HCA 32/392/21/1-6
| Posted 1 July 2008 |
|
|
|
|
|