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Pennsylvania Privateer Schooner Rattlesnake |
| Rattlesnake | Commander David McCullough [McCulloch, M’Cullough] |
| Sloop-of-War | [December 1776]-22 November 1778 |
| Pennsylvania Privateer Ship [Schooner] |
| Commissioned/First Date: | [December 1776] |
| Out of Service/Cause: | 22 November 1778/driven ashore and destroyed by HM Sloop Swift |
| Owners: | Matthew Irwin, Thomas Mifflin, Blair McClenachan et al of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Tonnage: |
| Battery: | Date Reported: 3 January 1777 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 12/ Total: 12 cannon/ Broadside: 6 cannon/ Swivels: Date Reported: 15 March 1777 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 18/ Total: 18 cannon/ Broadside: 9 cannon/ Swivels: six Date Reported: [April] 1777 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 16/ Total: 16 cannon/ Broadside: 8 cannon/ Swivels: Date Reported: 17 May 1777 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 16/ Total: 16 cannon/ Broadside: 8 cannon/ Swivels: Date Reported: 8 September 1777 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 14/ Total: 14 cannon/ Broadside: 7 cannon/ Swivels: Date Reported: 1 February 1778 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 22/6-pounder 132 pounds 66 pounds Total: 22 cannon/132 pounds Broadside: 11 cannon/66 pounds Swivels: Date Reported: 20 March 1778 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 18/6-pounder 108 pounds 54 pounds Total: 18 cannon/108 pounds Broadside: 9 cannon/54 pounds Swivels: [twelve cohorns] |
| Crew: | (1) 3 January 1777: 80 [total]
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| Description: | By all accounts, she was extremely fast. |
| Officers: |
| Cruises: | (1) Rattlesnake sailed out of Martinique and patrolled to the east of Barbadoes. It is not possible to follow her exact movements.
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| Prizes: | (1) Brig Hope (Price), 3 January 1777, 210 miles east of Barbados, British West Indies
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| Actions: | (1) Action with Betsey, 5 March 1777
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Comments:
Pennsylvania Privateer Schooner Rattlesnake (Commander David McCullough [McCulloch, M’Cullough]) was at sea early in 1777. She may have been fitted out either at St. Pierre or at St. Lucia,1 but it seems much more likely she sailed from Philadelphia. She operated out of St. Pierre, Martinique. McCullough was an Irish-born former sea captain from Philadelphia.
One of Rattlesnake’s first prizes was the brig2 Hope (Price), owned in Chester, England, with a cargo of fish and oil from Newfoundland to the West Indies, taken on 3 January 1777. The men aboard reported the Rattlesnake as armed with twelve guns and having a crew of eighty men. Hope was captured 210 miles east of Barbadoes and taken into Surinam. From there the crew took passage home on the Betsey in March 1777.3 Hope was sent into Philadelphia, where she was in the lower Delaware River on 19 February 1777, being noted as a prize of the Rattlesnake’s.4 This was apparently the brigantine for which her agent received one eighth the proceeds on 21 May 1777 at Philadelphia (£360.4.6).5
The ship Elizabeth (Thorpe) was taken by the Rattlesnake and Pennsylvania Privateer Brig General Mifflin (Commander John Hamilton). She was from London to Leeward Islands, and was captured in sight of Barbados, about mid-February 1777, but was retaken and sent into Jamaica.6 It seems that about £3000 worth of “prize effects” were transferred to the General Mifflin.7 [Shomette, 67]
Rattlesnake may have been the privateer that captured a ship (Helm), bound from London to Barbados with a cargo of dry goods. She was captured within sight of that island in early or mid-February.8
The brig Betsey (Samuel Gerrich) bound from Surinam to Barbadoes, was captured by the Rattlesnake within sight of Barbadoes on 5 March 1777. The American came up and fired at the Betsey on which the crew returned one gun and struck. The commander’s name was given as David M’Cullough. A boarding party removed the brig’s papers and master, mate and crew. The next day a prizemaster and prizecrew of five men sent aboard, together with one Wilbraham (of Chester), the supercargo of the Hope, and the Hope’s carpenter. The prize was then ordered to St. Pierre, Martinique. Within sight of that place, Hugh Chrisham (mate of the Betsey), Wilbraham, and the carpenter, rose and seized four of the prize crew below decks asleep. Then the two on deck were seized and the prize taken into Roseau Bay, Dominica.9
Rattlesnake was reported to be at St. Pierre or at St. Lucia on 10 March 1777. Rattlesnake was listed as a schooner with eighteen guns and 150 men at this time.10 She evidently sailed not long after. She was reported to be at Martinique in the period between 23 February and 15 March 1777. At this time Rattlesnake was reported to be armed with eighteen guns and to have a crew of 150 men.11 Although McCullough may have put in to Martinique, he was at sea again by early March, as seen by the capture of the Betsey.
Some time before 25 March, to the west of Barbados, Rattlesnake captured the brig Endeavour (Michael Dwyer), owned in Liverpool. Endeavour was sailing from Africa with forty slaves, nine or ten tons of ivory and other goods.12
Before 5 April, sailing with the Pennsylvania Privateer Schooner Security (Commander John Ord, Jr.), the Rattlesnake was said to have taken and sent into St. Eustatius two ships from Cork. Another six or seven sail from Cork were sent into Martinique, as well as some ships from Africa with slaves.13 The two sent into St. Eustatius were further identified as two transports, and the others as nine transports and two slaving vessels.14 One of the slavers had five hundred slaves aboard. The Rattlesnake was a noted “runner” and was making a reputation as the terror of the British islands.15 Most of her prizes were sent into Martinique.16 On 8 May it was reported that on her last cruise she took a vessel with lumber from Florida, a ship from Grenada with sugar, and a ship with 511 slaves from Guinea.17 Finally, on 14 May it was reported that she had taken eight prizes since sailing from Pennsylvania, and five had gotten into safe ports.18
McCullough felt the need for a tender, and had prize proceeds in hand to purchase one. A small schooner, with French papers and some Americans aboard, was dispatched from Martinique to St. Eustatius to purchase one. A sum of specie was sent with the men. Unfortunately the schooner fell in with HM Sloop Cygnet (Captain Stratford) and was captured. She arrived at Grenada on 15 May 1777.19
The ship John (M’Cartin) was en route from Liverpool to St. Vincent’s when she encountered the Rattlesnake, about the middle of May 1777. John managed to beat the privateer off, inflicting a dangerous shot in her bow. M’Cartin reported the privateer to be armed with sixteen guns.20
She was sighted and chased by HM Sloop Beaver (Commander James Jones) on 17 May 1777, between St. Vincent’s and St. Lucia.21 Jones reported she was armed with sixteen guns and had 121 men aboard. Calm weather allowed her to escape by using her sweeps.22
In early June 1777 Rattlesnake was at St. Pierre, Martinique.23
She was off Barbados on 8 September 1777, in chase of a vesssel. She was then reported as armed with fourteen guns and noted as an excellent sailer, having taken a “prodigious” number of prizes. McCullough was said to be the “boldest fellow” seen in the West Indies in some time. “Bets used to be often laid at Martinico, relative to the captures the above little vessel would bring into any of the respective harbours. People would be looking out for her; and on her appearance with a prize, the joyful alarm was, Le Sepent a Sonnettes! — The beach would then be crowded with spectators, and the Rattlesnake enter the harbor in triumph.”24
On 16 December 1777 HM Sloop Beaver (Commander James Jones) was patrolling northeast of Martinique. At 1000 she saw a ship to windward off the island, which was “Supposed to be the rattle snake,” and chased her. At 1130 she turned into Trinity Bay, Martinique and Beaver broke off.25 On 25 December she was reported to be fitting out at Martinique, being listed as a ship of eighteen guns.26
Rattlesnake, having prepared for sea, departed Fort Royal in Martinique, to pass around to St. Pierre. On leaving the harbor at Fort Royal she raised her colors and saluted the fort and a French frigate there with twenty guns. The salute was returned with an equal number of guns. When McCullough entered St. Pierre harbor he again saluted the fort, which failed to return the salute, as he had no colors flying.27
Rattlesnake was laying in the harbor at St. Eustatius on 31 January 1778. At 0700 HM Sloop Ceres (Commander James R. Dacres) came into the road and anchored. Dacres noted the presence of the privateer. Dacres sent a boat ashore with an officer28 to inquire if the governor intended to protect the privateer, and if not to order her out to sea. Dacres, through the officer, was informed that the Rattlesnake had put into port in distress, and would sail in forty-eight hours. When eight sail appeared off the island,29 Ceres sailed after them, noting that the privateer was still anchored in the road.30 Ceres proceeded to cruise around the waters of St. Eustatius, hoping the Rattlesnake would sail.31 Rattlesnake was still there on 2 February. Dacres thought she was “Afraid to Come out.”32 At this time the British reported Rattlesnake was armed with twenty-two brass 6-pounders.33
It may have been during this stay that Rattlesnake was re-rigged as a ship.34
Rattlesnake saw her chance of the night of 4 February 1778, and departed from St. Eustatius. None too soon, for the next day HMS Portland (Captain Thomas Dumaresq) departed St. Christophers and sailed over to St. Eustatius, looking for the notorious privateer. He discovered she had sailed the night before and sailed out to sea.35
About March 1778, one of the owners of the Rattlesnake, Thomas Mifflin, noted that he received, from Matthew Irwin, £659.12.6 “on account of my share of the schooner Rattlesnake.” To further demonstrate the value of this particular vessel to the investors, Mifflin records selling his interest in the Rattlesnake and the brig General Lee: “In May, 1778 , I sold to Mr. Blair McClenachan my shares of the schooner Rattlesnake and brig General Lee, (two of the four vessels in which I had been interested) for £7250. . .”36
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Grand Cayman Island. |
Neill reported that the Rattlesnake was armed with eighteen 6-pounders, had twelve cohorns and a “good many men, also a good many negroes on board . . .” McCullough claimed to have taken a “good many prizes, one of which was the Admiral’s tender called the Lady Parker.” He was also told of three American privateers at the Isle of Pines, taking in wood and water. These three made that place and Grand Cayman their “general rendezvous.”38
The next day, 21 March, McCullough sent a notice ashore for the inhabitants:
“On board the privateer ship Rattle-
snake, 21st March 1778
“Gentlemen,
“When we came into your port yesterday, I did not think it prudent to let you know who we were, as not being acquainted with the situation of the place. We are an American privateer, and just come in here to get some turtle; you may all rest assured, that I shall not let a single person armed to do you any damage. Whatever I get from you, I shall pay you for the same, as I would pay any other person.”
“The sloop now in the port being by her papers belonging to James Neill, an inhabitant of Jamaica, I must, in justice to my crew, make a capture of her, But I desire you would not be under any apprehension of our doing you any damage.”
“I am gentlemen,
your humble servant,
DAVID McCULLOUGH”
“To the inhabitants of the Grand Caimanas”39
Meanwhile, McCullough was bargaining with Neill concerning the Aurora. The small sloop was stripped of every thing movable, including her cable, running rigging, provisions, and the caboose. Neill now found that “nothing would do, but a sum of money; upon which I was permitted to go ashore, and returned with 20£ cash, for the purpose of ransoming the vessel, but was disappointed by some person telling the Captain I was a Scotchman (tho’ he is of the same country) had some property in Jamaica, was a single man, and could afford the loss.” An additional £17.10.0 was now paid to McCullough, who issued a bill of sale for the sloop to James Thomson of Grand Cayman. He also gave Neill a certificate of protection against capture by another privateer for forty-two days.40
Not long after this raid Rattlesnake captured two prizes, one with dry goods for the British army at New York, the other a recaptured vessel with a cargo of salt. Both were carried into Georgia. A schooner from Jamaica and a brigantine from the Bay of Honduras were captured and sent into Yorktown, Virginia.41
Rattlesnake proceeded up the coast to Charlestown, South Carolina. At Charlestown McCullough reduced her crew to thirty-five men and landed part of his battery. A cargo of salt and rice was taken aboard.42 About mid-November 1777 Rattlesnake sailed for Philadelphia.43
On the night of 21 November, near the Virginia Capes, Rattlesnake was sighted by HM Sloop Swift (Commander Joseph Tathwell), armed with fourteen44 (or sixteen) guns,45 which was passing up the coast bound for Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Swift immediately began chasing Rattlesnake but soon lost sight of her in the night. As dawn broke Swift again sighted the Rattlesnake, now steering directly for the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.46
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The entrance to Chesapeake Bay, showing the Middle Ground. |
Darkness was approaching, the two ships were running alongside one another, and both were in the entrance of the bay, approaching the Middle Ground shoal. Tathwell fired a broadside into the Rattlesnake, and planned to come across her track and fire another, and then anchor. As Swift fired the first broadside, Rattlesnake turned, perhaps in an effort to avoid the fire, and ran aground, crashing to a complete stop. As Swift yawed to deliver the second broadside she also smashed into the shoal and ground to a halt.49
In the darkness the Americans began evacuating the Rattlesnake. All got ashore safely. The crew tried to burn the ship, but the firing was only partially successful.50
As for Swift, Tathwell ordered provisions and guns thrown overboard to lighten the ship, with no success. At daylight Swift’s boats tried to carry out her anchors and kedge her off, again without success because of the weather conditions. Her upper rigging was struck. Swift soon bilged. Her crew, gathered on deck, observed the Rattlesnake roll over on her beam ends, perhaps a foretaste of Swift’s fate. By afternoon of 23 November the weather eased a bit and a party from the Swift got ashore. American militia promptly captured this party and more militia soon collected, with two field pieces. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Walker called for the British to surrender. Tathwell sent his crew ashore and personally set fire to the Swift as he abandoned her, about 0700 on 24 November. She blew up soon after.51 Ninety-two prisoners were taken to Portsmouth, Virginia.52
With the news of the loss of the Rattlesnake fresh in Philadelphia, her owners decided to make a last profit from the vessel. On 10 December an advertisement in the Pennsylvania Packet appeared, stating:
“To be SOLD by Public Vendue, In the Pennsylvania Coffee house, on Saturday the twenty sixth instant, at Six o’clock in the evening, THE ORIGINAL. DRAUGHT, and MODEL, of the Ship called the RATTLESNAKE .
The Rattle Snake has been lately lost near the Capes of Virginia; which is much to be lamented, as she sailed much faster than any other vessel that ever appeared upon this globe.”53
This was not the end of the Rattlesnake, however. She was inspected, righted, salvaged, and put into service in Virginia.54
1 Shomette, David G., Shipwrecks, Sea Raiders and Maritime Disasters along the Delmarva Coast, 1632-2004. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007, 70
2 NDAR, “Diary of Christopher Marshall,” VII, 1237 and 1237 note
3 NDAR, “Extract of a Letter from Chester, March 21,” VIII, 699
4 NDAR, “Diary of Christopher Marshall,” VII, 1237 and 1237 note
5 NDAR, “Matthew Irwin’s Account of Privateering Adventures,” VIII, 1013
6 NDAR, “London Chronicle, Thursday, March 20 to Saturday, March 22, 1777,” VIII, 701
7 Shomette, 67
8 The Pennsylvania Gazette [Philadelphia], April 23, 1777
9 NDAR, “Extract of a Letter from Chester, March 21,” VIII, 699. The date for this event may be incorrect.
10 NDAR, “Extract of a letter from a Gentleman at St. Lucia, to a Merchant in this town [London], Dated March 10, 1777,” VIII, 81
11 NDAR, Extract of a letter from a Gentleman at St. Lucia, to a Merchant in this town [London], Dated March 10, 1777,” VIII, 81. But at least one of the vessels he lists at St. Pierre was elsewhere at the time.
12 NDAR, “Extract of a Letter from Barbadoes, March 25,” VIII, 202. About the same time, on 4 March, the South Carolina Privateer Rutledge (Commander Jacob Milligan) captured the brig Endeavour (Thomas Dwyer), off Carlisle Bay, Barbados, from Africa bound to Barbados. NDAR, “Gazette of the State of South-Carolina, May 19, 1777,” VIII, 997-998. This seems like an enormous coincidence, and there may not have been two Endeavours.
13 NDAR, “Pennsylvania Journal, Wednesday, April 23, 1777,” VIII, 411-413 and 413 note
14 NDAR, “Robert Morris to William Bingham, Martinique,” VIII, 429
15NDAR, “Nicholas Way to Owen Biddle,” VIII, 430
16 NDAR, “Pennsylvania Gazette, Wednesday, April 30, 1777,” VIII, 487
17 NDAR, “Extract of a letter from St. Eustatia, May 8,” VIII, 936
18 NDAR, “Pennsylvania Journal, Wednesday, May 14, 1777,” VIII, 965-966
19 The Pennsylvania Gazette [Philadelphia], Wednesday, July 23, 1777, datelined St. George, May 21, 1777
20 NDAR, “Public Advertiser, Tuesday, May 27, 1777,” VIII, 871
21 NDAR, “Journal of H. M. Sloop Beaver, Captain James Jones,” VIII, 999
22 NDAR, “London Chronicle, Thursday, July 31, to Saturday, August 2, 1777,” IX, 545
23 NDAR, “London Chronicle, Saturday, August 2, to Tuesday, August 5, 1777,” IX, 93
24 NDAR, “Extract of a letter from Barbadoes, Sept. 8.,” IX, 899 and note
25 NDAR, “Journal of H. M. Sloop Beaver, Captain James Jones,” X, 748
26 NDAR, “Lord Macartney to Lord George Germain,” Xi, 809-810
27 NDAR, “Governor Valentine Morris to Lord George Germain,” XI, 285-286 and 287 note
28 NDAR, “Journal of H.M. Sloop Ceres, Commander James R. Dacres,” XI, 254 and notes
29 NDAR, “The New-York Gazette; and the Weekly Mercury, Monday, March 30, 1778,” 835 and 835-836 notes
30 NDAR, “Journal of H.M. Sloop Ceres, Commander James R. Dacres,” XI, 254 and notes
31 NDAR, “Journal of H.M. Sloop Ceres, Commander James R. Dacres,” 262-263 and 263 note
32 NDAR, “Journal of H.M. Sloop Ceres, Commander James R. Dacres,” XI, 270 and note
33 NDAR, “The New-York Gazette; and the Weekly Mercury, Monday, March 30, 1778,” 835 and 835-836 notes
34 NDAR, “Extract of a Letter from Capt. Cook, Commander of the Black Prince, from Senegal to Dominica with 215 Slaves, lately taken by an American Privateer, to his Owners,” X, 273, dated about 1 November 1777, where he says “Rattlesnake is made into a Ship . . .” Note that McCullough refers to her as a ship in the incident related in the next paragraph.
35 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Portland, Captain Thomas Dumaresq,” XI, 297 and note
36 The Pennsylvania Gazette, Wednesday, February 6, 1782
37 The New-York Gazette; and The Weekly Mercury, Monday, June 15, 1778, datelined Montego-Bay, Jamaica, April 11 [1778]
38 The New-York Gazette; and The Weekly Mercury, Monday, June 15, 1778, datelined Montego-Bay, Jamaica, April 11 [1778]
39 The New-York Gazette; and The Weekly Mercury, Monday, June 15, 1778, datelined Montego-Bay, Jamaica, April 11 [1778]
40 The New-York Gazette; and The Weekly Mercury, Monday, June 15, 1778, datelined Montego-Bay, Jamaica, April 11 [1778]. This is the earliest example of “ransoming” a prize that I have discovered in this war.
41 The Pennsylvania Gazette, Saturday, May 23, 1778, datelined York Town, May 23
42 Shomette, 72
43 The Philadelphia Packet, Thursday, December 10, 1778
44 Shomette, 72
45 The Philadelphia Packet, Thursday, December 10, 1778
46 Shomette, 72
47 Shomette, 72
48 The Philadelphia Packet, Thursday, December 10, 1778
49 Shomette, 73
50 Shomette, 73
51 Shomette, 73
52 The Pennsylvania Gazette, Saturday, December 12, 1778, datelined Williamsburg, October 9, 1778. See also The Philadelphia Packet, Thursday, December 10, 1778; The New-York Gazette; and The Weekly Mercury, Monday, December 21, 1778
53 The Pennsylvania Packet, Thursday, December 10, 1778
54 See Virginia Privateer Ship Rattlesnake.
| Revised 22 February 2009 |
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