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Two Privateers Take Addellgunte Loewise 15 December 1776 |
Two Privateers Take Addellgunte Loewise
15 December 1776
Rhode Island Privateer Schooner Eagle (Commander Isaac Field) was at sea in mid-December 1776, 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,1 her captain was directed to escort the Addellgunte Loewise clear of Nantucket Shoals,2 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.3
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,4 and made some defense before she was captured.5 She was described as a “Light” transport6 measuring 500 tons by the Americans.7 Addellgunte Loewise arrived safely in New London, on 1 January 1777.8 She was libeled on 24 January 1777, tried on 10 February,9 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.10 By 22 February 1776 some of her crew had been released and were in New York, where the incident was reported to Lord Howe.11
No casualties were reported on either side.
Summary Table
Vessel | Tons | Guns | Broadside | Men | Killed | % | Wounded | % | Total | % |
Eagle | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
True Blue | 55 | 6 | — | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | American Total | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Addellgunte Loewise | 500 | [3] | [9] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | British Total | 500 | [3] | [9] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Time: [unknown] | ||||||||||
1 NDAR, “Vice-Admiral Richard Lord Howe to Philip Stephens,” VII, 1258-1260
2 NDAR, “Vice Admiral Richard Howe to Philip Stephens,” VII, 460-462
3 NDAR, “Vice-Admiral Richard Lord Howe to Philip Stephens,” VII, 1258-1260
4 The New-London Gazette, Friday, February 14, 1777
5 NDAR, “Vice-Admiral Richard Lord Howe to Philip Stephens,” VII, 1258-1260
6 NDAR, “Connecticut Gazette, Friday, January 3, 1777,” VII, 854 and note
7 NDAR, “Providence Gazette, Saturday, January 11, 1777,” VII, 922
8 NDAR, “Connecticut Gazette, Friday, January 3, 1777,” VII, 854 and note
9 The New-London Gazette, Friday, January 24, 1777
10 The New-London Gazette, Friday, February 14, 1777
11 NDAR, “Vice-Admiral Richard Lord Howe to Philip Stephens,” VII, 1258-1260
| Posted 20 September 2010 |
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