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Maryland Privateer Ship Matilda |
| Matilda | Commander James Belt |
| Frigate | 21 February 1782-29 September 1782 |
| Maryland Privateer Ship |
| Commissioned/First Date: | 21 February 1782 |
| Out of Service/Cause: | 29 September 1782/captured by HM Frigate Perseverance |
| Owners: | John Dorsey & Co. of Maryland [Dorsey, Wheeler & Co. of Baltimore, Maryland] |
| Tonnage: | 319 |
| Battery: | Date Reported: 21 February 1782 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 22/ Total: 22 cannon/ Broadside: 11 cannon/ Swivels: Date Reported: 26 September 1782 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 16/9-pounder 144 pounds 72 pounds 4/4-pounder 16 pounds 8 pounds Total: 20 cannon/160 pounds Broadside: 10 cannon/80 pounds Swivels: |
| Crew: | (1) 21 February 1783: 71 [total]
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| Description: |
| Officers: | (1) Captain of Marines Michael McNamarre, -29 September 1782 |
| Cruises: | (1) Baltimore, Maryland to Havana, Cuba, [March] 1782-[April] 1782
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| Prizes: |
| Actions: |
Comments:
The 319-ton Maryland Privateer Ship Matilda was commissioned on 21 February 1782 under Commander James Belt1 of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.2 Matilda was listed as having a battery of twenty-two guns and a crew of seventy men.3 One of her owners (Samuel Chase) later noted her battery as sixteen 9-pounders and four 4-pounders, with a crew of ninety men.4 Her owners are given as John Dorsey & Co. of Maryland.5 Chase gives the owners as Dorsey, Wheeler & Co., which included among its members, Samuel Chase.6
Matilda sailed for Havana, Cuba in the summer of 1782. She had returned from Havana to Baltimore by 20 July 1782 with a cargo of sugar and other typical West Indies products.7
A number of vessels were loading with flour at this time in Baltimore. As they began to complete their lading the merchants of Baltimore asked the Count De Rochambeau if an escort could be arranged. Rochambeau wrote to the Chevalier De Quèmÿ, commander of HMCM Frigate Emeraude, to escort the vessels clear of the coast of America.8
The owners of the Matilda instructed Belt, before he left Baltimore, to sail with, or without the escort, “as he should in his descretion think proper, on his arrival near the Capes.” Matilda was loaded with a cargo of 1800 barrels of flour for her initial voyage and sailed from Baltimore on 2 September 1782, bound for Havana, Cuba.9 Among the other vessels also loading with flour for Havana was Maryland Privateer Ship Jolly Tar (Commander Charles Harrison), twenty 9-pounders and sixty-five men. Jolly Tar sailed the next day, 3 September.10
On 9 September, Matilda arrived in Mobjack Bay, Virginia. Belt decided to sail, without the escort, at the first fair wind. The next day, 10 September, Emeraude came in and anchored in Mobjack Bay.11 Presumably other American vessels had arrived in Mobjack Bay by this time, or were arriving each day.
The wind was fair for sailing on 13 September. Matilda raised anchor and made sail, but didn’t get far. Belt was “prevented by the Chevalier De Quémÿ from passing and detained by force . . .” The Chevalier was informed that Matilda was under discretionary orders from her owners, to sail with or without escort, which de Quémÿ ignored. Chase said that “repeated applications were made to him by Captain Belt to permit the Ship to proceed on her Voyage . . .” but de Quémÿ was unmoved. To make matters worse, he allowed several flags of truce to proceed to sea. Men aboard these vessels had certainly noted the collecting convoy.12 The French captain also sent his men aboard the Matilda with instructions to search the ship for French sailors.13
The convoy dropped down to Lynnhaven Bay and anchored. At 1100 on 26 September the convoy raised sail and exited the Virginia Capes: ten merchant vessels and privateers, and the escort, Emeraude. By 1880 the convoy was five or six miles east of Cape Henry, sailing along under light winds, which lasted all night. At daylight a sail was seen to the southwest which gave chase to the convoy. About noon the ship in chase was seen to be making signals “as it were to a Consort of an Enemy fleet and fired Several Guns . . .” Harrison’s men could see nothing from the mastheads but their own convoy and the vessel in chase. Harrison spoke to the “Commodore,” de Quémÿ, several times.14 De Quémÿ now sailed close to the Matilda and asked Belt if he would “Assist him in Engaging the Enemy . . .” which Belt promised to do.15 De Quémÿ then closed Jolly Tar. “The Commodore asked him if he would assist him to fight the ship if she came up with them which he the deponant consented to do—,” said Harrison.16
About 1700 De Quémÿ again hailed the Jolly Tar and asked Harrison “what he intended to do—he told the Commodore he woud do what he pleased and if he woud fight the Ship they woud assist him—upon which he the Commodore made a Signal for to form the line . . .” Both Jolly Tar and Matilda formed a line of battle on the Emeraude and began clearing for action, taking in sails and booms.17 But the Emeraude had a peculiar way of preparing for action: “the Chevalier employed himself in Rigging out steering Sail Booms, and getting Steering Sails ready to set.”18 Emeraude seemed to be pareparing to run.
About 173019 or 1800,20 the British frigate had closed to within four miles,21 (“the chase then being aback two Guns shot” said Harrison)22 and was clearly seen to be a frigate. Emeraude lowered the signal for line of battle and raised the signal for the convoy to run “and each to shift for himself; and immediatly crowded all his sail and fled as fast as he could, and deserted the fleet, which he had delayed by his signal to heave to, and prepare for action, . . .” 23
The Jolly Tar set all sail she could and ran, but the chasing ship, HM Frigate Jason (Captain James Pigot), still gained on the privateer. Harrison began throwing some of his cago into the sea to lighten his ship. A fresh breeze from the west came up and more sail was set. About midnight a heavy squall rolled in and some of the sails were taken in. “At half past twelve the Wind blew hard and shifted to the Northward and carried away his Mizin top Mast the long tail Boom and fore top Mast staying sail Boom at which time he was Obliged to Clew up top Gallarts top sails and fore sails and keep the Ship before the Wind to get the sails handed in . . .” This made Jolly Tar bear down on the frigate which was still in chase. Jason was now seen to be firing at another vessel from the convoy, the brig New Orleans24 (John Carey)25 Harrison hauled his wind, but the Jason was soon within gunshot. The first round went overhead, but the second struck the ship “and forced to bring him too . . .”26
Jolly Tar was sent into New York, arriving there on 3 October 1782. She was said to be armed with twenty guns and to have a cargo of flour and tobacco. The New Orleans arrived the same day.27
The Matilda steered the same course as the reluctant de Quémÿ. On 28 September Emeraude parted company and returned to the Virginia Capes. Matilda turned for Havana but was captured on the 29th by HM Frigate Perseverance. All the convoy, with the exception of one or two were captured. Chase estimated the loss of the Matilda at £9000 and the loss of the convoy as £100000.28
Matilda was taken in to New York, New York, where she arrived on 11 October 1782.29 She was condemned in the Vice Admiralty court. She was noted as an American merchant vessel with a letter-of-marque in the court records.30
So egregious was De Quémÿ’s conduct that Samuel Chase, in a letter to Franklin dated 18 September 1783, wondered if the Americans could not obtain redress for the loss of the Matilda from the French government.31
1 Archives of Maryland: Journal and Correspondence of the Council of Maryland, 1781-1784, 48:83
2 Claghorn, Naval Officers of the American Revolution, 21. This may have been a Maryland commission.
3 Archives of Maryland: Journal and Correspondence of the Council of Maryland, 1781-1784, 48:83
4 Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
5 Archives of Maryland: Journal and Correspondence of the Council of Maryland, 1781-1784, 48:83
6 Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
7 The Independent Gazetteer [Philadelphia], Saturday, July 20, 1782
8 Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
9 Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
10 Capt. Harrison’s Protest , 24 October 1782, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
11 Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
12 Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
13 Deposition of Captain of Marines Michael McNamarre of the Matilda, 13 January 1783, in http://www.amphilsoc.org/library/mole/f/franklin/haysmisca.htm
14 Capt. Harrison’s Protest , 24 October 1782, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
15 Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
16 Capt. Harrison’s Protest , 24 October 1782, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
17 Capt. Harrison’s Protest , 24 October 1782, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
18 Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
19 Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
20 Capt. Harrison’s Protest , 24 October 1782, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
21 Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
22 Capt. Harrison’s Protest , 24 October 1782, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
23 Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
24 Capt. Harrison’s Protest , 24 October 1782, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
25 HCA 32/410/8/1-11. See also Maryland Privateer Brigantine New Orleans.
26 Capt. Harrison’s Protest , 24 October 1782, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
27 The New-York Gazette; and The Weekly Mercury, Monday, October 7, 1782
28 Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp
29 The Salem Gazette, October 31, 1782, datelined New York, October 12
30 HCA 32/400/28/1-79
31 Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp. See also the protest of James Belt, 28 October 1782, extracted in Hays, I. Minis (ed.), Calendar of the Papers of Benjamin Franklin in the Library of the American Philosophical Society, Volume IV, The American Philosophical Society: Philadelphia, 1908, 332: Letter, James Belt to Benjamin Franklin, October 28, 1782.
| Posted 14 July 2008 |
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