Name of Vessel:

Wilkes

Master of Vessel:

William Pitts

Rig of Vessel:

Brig

Date of Capture:

[July] 1777

Place of Capture:

24 miles off Barbados, British West Indies

Captor:

[Continental] Privateer Sloop Intrepid

Home Port:

St. Johns, Newfoundland

From What Port:

St. Johns, Newfoundland

To What Port:

Barbados, British West Indies

Cargo:

Tonnage:

Battery:

Crew:

Owners:

Robert Bulley of St. Johns, Newfoundland

Prize master:

Prize crew:

Ordered Into:

Martinique, French West Indies

Into What Port:

Martinique, French West Indies

Date Arrived:

Date Tried:

Date Sold:

Action:

No

Recaptured:

No

Comments: Brig Wilkes (William Pitts) was owned by Robert Bulley of St. Johns, Newfoundland. She sailed from St. Johns bound for Barbados, British West Indies. About twenty-four miles from Barbados she was chased and captured by the [Continental] Privateer Sloop Intrepid (Commander John Littler). Littler showed his colors and fired three shots during the chase, and was extremely exasperated with Pitts for not heaving to. Intrepid was close alongside Wilkes’s quarter when she did stop and the privateer’s crew swam over and boarded the prize. When Pitts was brought aboard the privateer, Littler informed Pitts that “he would Stab me & all the Crew had they Fired one Shot more . . .” He called Pitts “a Scoundrell for not bringing to when I saw the thirteen Stripes & gave me other Abusive Language. . .” After a day or two Littler cooled down.  When Intrepid arrived at Martinique, the “French Captn. Ordered my Chest to be opened & took the best of my Cloaths Hatt Quadrant Watch Books &v.” Eventually Pitts got back to Newfoundland. On 29 October 1777 he filed his deposition with the local justice of the peace at St. Johns.

[NDAR, X, 337-338]

Revised 20 January 2009