Name of Vessel:

Roby

Master of Vessel:

William Howland

Rig of Vessel:

Brig

Date of Capture:

12 November 1776

Place of Capture:

Amboy River, New Jersey

Captor:

American troops

Home Port:

From What Port:

Dartmouth, Massachusetts

To What Port:

Surinam, Netherlands South America

Cargo:

Fish, horses, candles, staves

Tonnage:

Battery:

Crew:

Owners:

Prize master:

Prize crew:

Ordered Into:

Into What Port:

Date Arrived:

Date Tried:

[burned]

Date Sold:

Action:

Yes

Recaptured:

Yes

Comments: The brig Roby (William Howland) was bound from Dartmouth, Massachusetts to Surinam with a cargo of fish, horses, candles and staves.  On 1 November 1776 she was about 280 miles southeast of Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Roby was sighted at 0900 by HM Frigate Perseus (Captain George Keith Elphinstone), away to the southwest, and chased. In the afternoon Perseus got up with the Roby and captured her. The prisoners were removed and a prize crew put aboard. Roby was brought in to Sandy Hook on the evening of 9 November, along with the prize ship Adventure, by the Perseus.

On 12 November a strong gale blew in. The Roby was driven from her anchorage and went ashore up the Amboy River, New Jersey. She was re-captured by the Americans while onshore. Perseus manned and armed all her boats to go after the Roby and re-capture the prize, but the weather intervened, blowing very hard. In the afternoon Perseus, at 1300, dispatched her boats, “but finding them too strongly possessed, and great Numbers of People on the Shore,” the boats were recalled. The boats returned at 1500. At 1600 Perseus slipped her anchor and made sail, heading up the river. Ahe brought to, opposite the Roby, and fired on the shore with her main battery. Again the boats were sent off to the Roby. At 1800 the British got aboard her and set her on fire. At the same time volleys of small arms and several cannon were fired from the shore. At 2000 the boats returned and Perseus returned to her anchorage.

Howland was taken to New York as a prisoner. On 22 November 1776 he was aboard a British flag of truce sent to New London, Connecticut. He was landed there, on parole for three days, to facilitate a prisoner exchange. The Connecticut authorities suggested the British refer the matter of prisoner exchanges to George Washington. Presumably Howland returned aboard, still a prisoner.

[NDAR, VII, 9-10 and 10 note, 98 and note, 120, 241 and note]

Posted 10 August 2011

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