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Rhode Island Privateer Schooner Eagle |
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| Eagle [War Eagle] | Commander Isaac Field [Fields] |
| Schooner | 20 September 1776- |
| Rhode Island Privateer Schooner |
| Commissioned/First Date: | 20 September 1776 |
| Out of Service/Cause: |
| Owners: | John Mathewson et al of Providence, Rhode Island |
| Tonnage: |
| Battery: | Date Reported: Number/Caliber Weight Broadside Total: Broadside: Swivels: |
| Crew: |
| Description: |
| Officers: |
| Cruises: |
| Prizes: | (1) Schooner Property (William Freeman), 10 October 1776, with Rhode Island Privateer Sloop Montgomery
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| Actions: | (1) Action with Addellgunte Loewise, 15 December 1776 |
Comments:
Rhode Island Privateer Schooner Eagle [War Eagle] was commissioned on 20 September 1776 under Commander Isaac Field [Fields]. Her owners were listed as John Mathewson et al, of Providence, Rhode Island.1 She was at sea in the late summer of 1776.
Eagle sailed on 9 October 1776, accompanied by Rhode Island Privateer Sloop Montgomery (Commander Thomas Ruttenber). Within twenty-four hours the two privateers made their first prize.2
On 10 October 1776 the two privateers fell in with and captured the 90-ton schooner3 Property4 (William Freeman),5 bound from M*le Saint-Nicolas, Saint-Domingue6 to Liverpool, Nova Scotia,7 with a cargo of molasses, sugar, coffee, wool, flour and cotton.8 Property was sent off to Providence. En route she was stopped on 14 October, at 40°N, 68°16'W by Massachusetts Navy Sloop Republic (Captain John Foster Williams). After learning she had been captured Williams released the Property.9 She got into Providence, where she was libeled on 31 October10 and tried and condemned on 18 November 1776.11 On 16 November Property was advertised for sale, with the sale to be held on 19 November. Property was described as “well-built” and a “good Sailer.” Her cargo was to be sold at the same time.12
Eagle was at anchor in Tarpaulin Cove on 1 November, preparing to return to sea. At 1600 the Continental Navy Ship Alfred (Captain John Paul Jones) and the Continental Navy Sloop Providence (Captain Hoysted Hacker) came into the anchorage,13 just as darkness was falling.14 The Eagle was recognized at once, as she was a vessel familiar to the Continental sailors.15
Alfred’s anchor rope rumbled as her anchor sank into the water, followed immediately by her boat being swung out. A party of sailors under First Lieutenant John Peck Rathbun clambered aboard. Rowing vigorously the party soon reached and boarded Eagle. Rathbun informed Field that he was under orders to bring “sd Schooner under sd Ships Stern—Accordingly the sd Rathbone immediately with his Men weigh’d Anchor and carried her along side the Sloop Providence.” A guard was set over the schooner and her long boat removed.16
Before dawn17 Jones ordered First Lieutenant of Marines John Trevett of Providence to report to him on Alfred.18 At a meeting of Trevett and other officers Jones told them to man and arm the barges from Alfred and Providence and go alongside Eagle. After boarding the schooner, the officers were to examine her papers, looking for deserters from the Navy.19 If any were found Trevett was to “press all we could.”20
Meanwhile, the schooner’s crew and officers had spent an apprehensive night. Field knew what was coming, and had taken what steps he could, as will be seen. A little before sunrise the two boats moved over to Eagle, and Rathbun, Captain of Marines Arrowsmith, Providence’s First Lieutenant Philip Brown, and Trevett boarded the schooner, accompanied by a suitable number of armed Marines and sailors. Rathbun informed Field they had come to examine his crew for deserters. Field replied that they could take any man they could successfully challenge.21
The Marines set about searching the schooner. A new bulkhead was found forward22 below decks23 and was broken down.24 Cowering behind the bulkhead were found two deserters from the Continental Navy and two from the Rhode Island brigade of state troops. These were hauled up on deck and put in the boats.25 Rathbun now told Field that he “had further Orders to take all the men on Board.” The Marines set to with relish and “by Force and Violence they took out of sd schooner” twenty more men throughout the day.26
Near the end of the day Rathbun returned aboard with a boat full of “Indians,” who were ordered to go through the schooner’s hold, probing and poking with drawn cutlasses. Rathbun “abus’d the first Lieut of sd Schooner by heaving him on the Deck, and many other Acts of high insult were committed by Rathbone’s Orders.” After the last of the men were aboard Alfred, the two Continental vessels raised sail and sortied for Cape Breton.27 Before he sailed Jones made a brief report to Hopkins. He noted, in a significant phrase concerning the deserters, “I ttok them out with about Twenty—others greeable to your Orders.”28
With only a few men aboard, Field was forced to return to Providence to recruit again. The owners eventually filed a lawsuit against Jones. Commodore Esek Hopkins filed a lawsuit against them for enlisting the deserters. In a letter to William Ellery, the owners explained that if, in spite of their precautions, deserters had enlisted on the Eagle, it was actually the fault of the Continental Navy officers, “in not being more vigilant.”29
On 23 November owner Mathewson placed an advertisement for a surgeon and a few more sailors for the schooner, which was to sail by 26 November.30
Eagle was at sea soon after, in the vicinity of Nantucket Shoals, sailing with the Massachusetts Privateer Sloop True Blue (Commander Oliver Allen). Here they encountered a very large vessel.
She was the 500-ton British Transport Ship Addellgunte Loewise [Adeligonda Louisa] (Barnard Anderson). Addellgunte Loewise was owned in The Netherlands and chartered by the British to use as a transport vessel. During her passage to New York, New York from Europe she sprang a dangerous leak. At New York she was hove down to have her bottom examined. In doing so she missed a chance to join a homeward bound convoy and waited at New York for another convoy. When HM Frigate Lark sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia,31 her captain was directed to escort the Addellgunte Loewise clear of Nantucket Shoals,32 off which HM Frigate Mermaid was stationed. Lark and Addellgunte Loewise sailed from New York on 12 December 1776. On 14 December Lark and Addellgunte Loewise parted company.33
The next day, 15 December, Addellgunte Loewise fell in with the two privateers. She was attacked. Addellgunte Loewise was armed with at least three 3-pounders, and made some defense before she was captured.34 She was described as a “Light” transport35 measuring 500 tons by the Americans.36 Addellgunte Loewise arrived safely in New London, on 1 January 1777.37 She was libeled on 24 January 1777, tried on 10 February,38 and advertised for sale on 14 February, with the sale to take place on 17 February. She was listed as Jafrow Adalgonda Louisa, 500 tons.39 By 22 February 1776 some of her crew had been released and were in New York, where the incident was reported to Lord Howe.40
Eagle was at sea again about the end of January 1777. Before 14 February 1777 she captured a 11041 or 114-ton42 transport schooner, bound from Quebec, Quebec to New York with a cargo of coal. The prize had arrived in a “safe port” before 15 February.43 This was probably the Britannia, which was brought into New London, Connecticut, where she was libeled on 17 February, and tried on 14 March 1777.44
1 Sheffield, An Address Delivered by William P. Sheffield before the Rhode Island Historical Society, 59
2 The Providence Gazette; And Country Journal, Saturday, October 19, 1776
3 NDAR, “List of All the Vessels Cargoes &c Brought into the Port of Providence and Libelled Tried and condemned in the Maritime Court AD 1776,” VII, 642-647
4 NDAR, “Captain John Foster Williams to the Nassachusetts Council,” VII, 31-32 and 32 note
5 NDAR, “List of All the Vessels Cargoes &c Brought into the Port of Providence and Libelled Tried and condemned in the Maritime Court AD 1776,” VII, 642-647
6 NDAR, “Captain John Foster Williams to the Nassachusetts Council,” VII, 31-32 and 32 note
7 NDAR, “List of All the Vessels Cargoes &c Brought into the Port of Providence and Libelled Tried and condemned in the Maritime Court AD 1776,” VII, 642-647
8 NDAR, “Captain John Foster Williams to the Nassachusetts Council,” VII, 31-32 and 32 note; The Providence Gazette; And Country Journal, Saturday, November 2, 1776
9 NDAR, “Captain John Foster Williams to the Nassachusetts Council,” VII, 31-32 and 32 note
10 NDAR, “List of All the Vessels Cargoes &c Brought into the Port of Providence and Libelled Tried and condemned in the Maritime Court AD 1776,” VII, 642-647
11 NDAR, “Captain John Foster Williams to the Nassachusetts Council,” VII, 31-32 and 32 note
12 NDAR, “Providence Gazette, Saturday, November 16, 1776,” VII, 185
13 NDAR, “Captain John Paul Jones to Commodore Esek Hopkins,” VII, 16 and 16-17 note, qwuoting deposition of Eagle Prize Master Justin Jacobs; hereafter “Jacobs.”
14 NDAR, “Captain John Paul Jones to Commodore Esek Hopkins,” VII, 16
15 NDAR, “Captain John Paul Jones to Commodore Esek Hopkins,” VII, 16; “Jacobs,” VII, 16-17
16 NDAR, “Jacobs,” VII, 16-17
17 NDAR, “Jacobs,” VII, 16-17
18 NDAR, “Captain John Paul Jones to Commodore Esek Hopkins,” VII, 16 and 16 note, quoting John Trevett’s Journal, hereafter “Trevett.”
19 NDAR, “Captain John Paul Jones to Commodore Esek Hopkins,” VII, 16; “Trevett,” VII, 16
20 “Trevett,” VII, 16
21 NDAR, “Jacobs,” VII, 16-17
22 NDAR, “Jacobs,” VII, 16-17
23 NDAR, “Captain John Paul Jones to Commodore Esek Hopkins,” VII, 16
24 NDAR, “Jacobs,” VII, 16-17
25 NDAR, “Captain John Paul Jones to Commodore Esek Hopkins,” VII, 16
26 NDAR, “Captain John Paul Jones to Commodore Esek Hopkins,” VII, 16; quoting “Jacobs,” VII, 16-17
27 NDAR, “Jacobs,” VII, 16-17
28 NDAR, “Captain John Paul Jones to Commodore Esek Hopkins,” VII, 16
29 NDAR, “Owners of Privateer Eagle to William Ellery,” VII, 357; “Commodore Esek Hopkins to Captain John Paul Jones,” VII, 510 and note; “Daniel Tillinghast, Continental Agent for Rhose Island, to Captain John Paul Jones,” VII, 983; “Captain John Paul Jones to the Continental Marine Committee,” VII, 1005-1007
30 The Providence Gazette; And Country Journal, Saturday, November 23, 1776
31 NDAR, “Vice-Admiral Richard Lord Howe to Philip Stephens,” VII, 1258-1260
32 NDAR, “Vice Admiral Richard Howe to Philip Stephens,” VII, 460-462
33 NDAR, “Vice-Admiral Richard Lord Howe to Philip Stephens,” VII, 1258-1260
34 NDAR, “Vice-Admiral Richard Lord Howe to Philip Stephens,” VII, 1258-1260
35 NDAR, “Connecticut Gazette, Friday, January 3, 1777,” VII, 854 and note
36 NDAR, “Providence Gazette, Saturday, January 11, 1777,” VII, 922
37 NDAR, “Connecticut Gazette, Friday, January 3, 1777,” VII, 854 and note
38 The New-London Gazette, Friday, January 24, 1777
39 The New-London Gazette, Friday, February 14, 1777
40 NDAR, “Vice-Admiral Richard Lord Howe to Philip Stephens,” VII, 1258-1260
41 NDAR, “Providence Gazette, Saturday, February 15, 1777,” VII, 1209
42 The Independent Chronicle and the Universal Advertiser [Boston], Thursday, February 20, 1777
43 NDAR, “Providence Gazette, Saturday, February 15, 1777,” VII, 1209
44 The New-London Gazette, Saturday, February 21, 1777
| Posted 20 September 2010 |
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