New Orleans	Commander John Carey
Armed Brig	6 September 1782-28 September 1782
Maryland Privateer Brigantine

Commissioned/First Date:	6 September 1782
Out of Service/Cause:	28 September 1782/captured by HM Frigate Jason

Owners:

John Baptist McCarty of New Orleans, Louisiana and Robert Smith of Havana, Cuba

Tonnage:

116

Battery:

Date Reported: 6 September 1782 Number/Caliber  Weight        Broadside 2/ Total: 2 cannon/ Broadside: 1 cannon/ Swivels:

Crew:

6 September 1782: 19 [total]

Description:

Officers:

Cruises:

(1) Baltimore, Maryland to sea, [10] September 1782-28 September 1782

Prizes:

Actions:

Comments:

The 116-ton Maryland Privateer Brigantine New Orleans was commissioned on 6 September 1782 under Commander John Carey. She was listed as being armed with two guns as having a crew of eighteen men. Her owners are given as John Baptist McCarty of New Orleans, Louisiana and Robert Smith of Havana, Cuba.¹

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.²

New Orleans probably sailed from Baltimore around 10 September, with a cargo of flour. She was bound for New Orleans, Louisiana,³ and dropped down to Mobjack Bay, where Emeraude was collecting his convoy. Among other vessels in the convoy were the Maryland Privateer Ship Matilda (Commander James Belt) and the Maryland Privateer Ship Jolly Tar (Commander Charles Harrison).

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.⁴ 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.⁵ 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.⁶

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.⁷ 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.”⁸ Emeraude seemed to be pareparing to run.

About 1730⁹ or 1800,¹⁰ the British frigate had closed to within four miles,¹¹ (“the chase then being aback two Guns shot” said Harrison)¹² 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, . . .” ¹³  

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 Orleans.¹⁴ 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 . . .”¹⁵

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 29^th 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. ¹⁶

Joseph Smith, aboard the Jolly Tar, blamed the cowardly conduct of the French captain for the capture, in a letter to Benjamin Franklin.¹⁷

Jolly Tar was sent in to New York, New York, as was the New Orleans. Both prizes arrived at New York on 3 October 1782.¹⁸ New Orleans was tried and condemned there.¹⁹

¹   Archives of Maryland: Journal and Correspondence of the Council of Maryland, 1781-1784, 48:255

² Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp

³  “List of Vessels captured by the Ships of His Majesty’s Fleet, under the Command of Hugh Pigot, Esq., Admiral of the Blue, Commander in Chief, &c. &c. &c.,” in The London Gazette, Tuesday, November 12, to Saturday, November 16, 1782

⁴ Capt. Harrison’s Protest , 24 October 1782, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp

⁵ Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp

⁶ Capt. Harrison’s Protest , 24 October 1782, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp

⁷ Capt. Harrison’s Protest , 24 October 1782, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp

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 Capt. Harrison’s Protest , 24 October 1782, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp

¹³ Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp

¹⁴ Capt. Harrison’s Protest , 24 October 1782, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp;  “List of Vessels captured by the Ships of His Majesty’s Fleet, under the Command of Hugh Pigot, Esq., Admiral of the Blue, Commander in Chief, &c. &c. &c.,” in The London Gazette, Tuesday, November 12, to Saturday, November 16, 1782

¹⁵ Capt. Harrison’s Protest , 24 October 1782, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp

¹⁶ Letter, Chase to Benjamin Franklin, 18 September 1783, in http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp

¹⁷ Letter By Joseph Smith of the Ship "Jolly Tar." to Franklin, 13 January 1783, in http://www.amphilsoc.org/library/mole/f/franklin/haysmisca.htm

¹⁸ The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser [Philadelphia], October 12, 1782, datelined New York, October 4

¹⁹  HCA 32/410/8/1-11

Posted 15 July 2008

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