Name of Vessel:

Tartar

Master of Vessel:

William Marchant Bustle

Rig of Vessel:

Ship

Date of Capture:

[November] 1776

Place of Capture:

Captor:

[unknown] American privateer

Home Port:

From What Port:

New York, New York

To What Port:

Cork, Ireland

Cargo:

Ballast

Tonnage:

Battery:

10x4

Crew:

Owners:

Prize master:

Prize crew:

4 [total]

Ordered Into:

Into What Port:

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Date Arrived:

Date Tried:

Date Sold:

Action:

No

Recaptured:

Yes

Comments: British Transport Ship Tartar (William Marchant Bustle) was bound from New York, New York to Cork, Ireland in the fall of 1776, with verbal orders to pick up a cargo of provisions there. About November 1776 she was overtaken by an unknown American privateer, armed with six 2-pounders and with a crew of twenty-five men aboard. When the privateer threatened to attack the transport, which was armed with ten 4-pounders, Bustle absolutely forbade his crew to fire the guns. Although the crew was willing, no defense was made. A prize crew of only four men was put aboard the Tartar, along with nine others who were prisoners removed from other prizes taken by the privateer. Among these men were two mates from captured vessels. These two mates conspired to recapture the ship and “consulted the Master, whither or not, he was willing to assist; who declared he would have no hand in it, being determined (as he expressed himself) to stand neuter.” The mates rose on 24 November and seized the vessel. The American prize master expostulated with Bustle, who declared he was not involved. When the Tartar arrived at Halifax, about 4 December 1776, Captain Sir George Collier sent Lieutenant Joseph Haynes aboard to investigate the original loss of the ship. Following the investigation, Haynes declared “On the whole it appears to me that the Vessel was given up in a most cowardly or treacherous Manner, as a single Shot in all Probability . . .” would have driven off the privateer.

Sir George Collier was in favor of trying Bustle for cowardice, but discovered from the attorney-general of Nova Scotia that there was no basis for such an action, as Bustle was a civilian. The attorney-general offered to libel the vessel for salvage, which was done. On 8 January 1777 Collier wrote to the Board of Admiralty concerning the Tartar. Meanwhile the Tartar had indeed been libeled in the Halifax Vice-Admiralty Court. Bustle entered his claim, but the outcome of the trial is not known.

[NDAR, VII, 415-416, 428, 883-884; AVCR, 81]

Posted 10 August 2011

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