Name of Vessel:

Friendship

Master of Vessel:

Samuel Broomstone [Bromstone]

Rig of Vessel:

Ship

Date of Capture:

[5] November 1776

Place of Capture:

Captor:

Rhode Island Privateer Sloop Independence

Home Port:

From What Port:

Cork, Ireland

To What Port:

New York, New York

Cargo:

beef, pork, butter, oatmeal, flour, bread, peas, gunpowder, cannon shot, cordage

Tonnage:

300

Battery:

16x3 and 4, 8 swivels

Crew:

30 [total]

Owners:

Prize master:

Prize crew:

Ordered Into:

Providence, Rhode Island

Into What Port:

Providence, Rhode Island

Date Arrived:

[20] November 1776

Date Tried:

9 December 1776

Date Sold:

Action:

Yes

Recaptured:

No

Comments: In the early part of November 1776, the Rhode Island Privateer Sloop Independence (Commander John Tillinghast) was The sloop fell in with a 300-ton British Navy Transport, the victualler Friendship (Samuel Broomstone [Bromstone]), en route from Cork, Ireland to New York, New York with a cargo of beef, pork, butter, oatmeal, flour, bread, peas, gunpowder, cannon shot, and cordage. The transport mounted sixteen guns, 3-pounders and 4-pounders, and eight swivels. She had about thirty men aboard, including a sergeant, corporal and eleven soldiers. Broomstone decided to fight and the Independence began an action that lasted twenty minutes. Tillinghast, whose only advantage probably lay in the size of his crew, closed in and boarded the Friendship. A short but vicious fight followed on the deck before the British were driven from their quarters, leaving Broomstone alone on the deck. He surrendered. The British lost three killed (the sergeant and two privates) and seven men wounded (including Broomstone). Tillinghast was wounded, shot by a musket ball. Three other Americans were wounded and two killed.

While this fight was going on two sail had come up to support the Friendship, a fourteen gun ship and a brig mounting eight swivel guns. After exchanging a few broadsides with the Independence, the ship sheered off. The brig never got involved. Independence and her prize got into Providence by 21 November. Friendship’s trial was held on 9 December 1776. Ten men from the Friendship were sent to Newport for exchange on 1 February 1777. The loss of the Friendship was reported in the London newspapers on 4 January 1777.

[NDAR, VII, 250-251, 642-647; VII, 1079-1080; VIII, 508]

Posted 10 August 2011

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