Name of Vessel:

HM [unknown] Tender [unknown]

Master of Vessel:

Collett

Rig of Vessel:

Date of Capture:

21 December 1775

Place of Capture:

Hampton Roads, Virginia

Captor:

Virginia Navy Schooner Liberty

Home Port:

From What Port:

Norfolk, Virginia

To What Port:

Norfolk, Virginia

Cargo:

Tonnage:

Battery:

Crew:

16 [total]

Owners:

Prizemaster:

Prize crew:

Ordered Into:

Hampton, Virginia

Into What Port:

Hampton, Virginia

Date Arrived:

21 December, 1775

Date Tried:

Date Sold:

Action:

No

Recaptured:

No

Comments: Virginia Navy Schooner Liberty (Captain James Barron) was on patrol on 21 December 1775. According to the report an express arrived at Williamsburg on the night of 21 December with the news that Barron had captured three vessels, two with salt amounting to 4600 bushels, and a British tender going to the Eastern Shore, manned by fifteen black sailors under a Captain Collett. When the express had left Hampton he was said to be in pursuit of a second tender. The two salt vessels captured were the sloop Swallow (George Burwell) and the sloop Molly.

An express from Hampton on the morning of 22 December, informed Williamsburg that Barron had taken a tender with sixteen men aboard, and a vessel belonging to two Norfolk Tories, with 2400 bushels of salt aboard. Some other vessels with salt were taken before. By the express it was learned that Barron took two vessels with salt, one of 2400 bushels, one of 1200 bushels, and a tender with 17 men aboard. Apparently, that day (22 December), Barron took a second tender, with several slaves aboard. This tender was in pursuit of a vessel just arrived with salt, which was also captured, and both were brought into Hampton.

Liberty continued on her cruise after capturing Swallow and Molly, and captured a tender of Lord Dunmore’s. This tender was identified as under one Captain Collett, and having a crew of fifteen blacks. This would be the same tender reported to have been captured by James and “Samuel” Barron, going to the Eastern shore on a foraging expedition, with one white and sixteen black hands aboard. He was then said to be in pursuit of a second tender.

The second tender was captured on the 22nd, with several slaves aboard. This tender was in pursuit of a vessel just arrived with salt, which was also taken. Both were carried in to Hampton, on the 22nd. This salt vessel was probably the sloop Industry. The second tender was evidently the one reported as having sixteen or seventeen men aboard.

On 23 December the Virginia Committee of Safety directed Colonel Henry to send an escort down to Hampton to remove the prisoners. On 25 December the prisoners from the two tenders were sent up to Williamsburg, thirty-three in all, black and white.

On 23 December the Virginia Convention unanimously passed a resolution thanking Colonel Thomas Elliott and Captains James and Richard Barron “for their spirited and successful exertions in defeating the designs of our enemies . . .”

What had happened was something like this. On 21 December Liberty had gone out after two vessels seen in Hampton Roads, which turned out to be sloops with cargoes of salt. By the fact that they were said to have 2400 and 1200 bushels of salt aboard, they can be identified as sloops Swallow and Molly. These were brought into Hampton. Both these vessels were at Hampton on 30 December 1775.

[NDAR, III, 210, 218, 219, 220, 227-228, 297, 309, 643-645]

Revised 10 August 2009