Name of Vessel:

Friendship

Master of Vessel:

Nicholas Houtvat

Rig of Vessel:

Sloop

Date of Capture:

3 April 1777

Place of Capture:

24 miles southeast of Cape Henry, Virginia

Captor:

HM Frigate Emerald

Home Port:

From What Port:

Virginia

To What Port:

St. Eustatius, Netherlands West Indies

Cargo:

Bread, flour, tobacco

Tonnage:

Battery:

Crew:

Owners:

Prize master:

Quartermaster

Prize crew:

6 [total]

Ordered Into:

New York, New York

Into What Port:

[New York, New York]

Date Arrived:

Date Tried:

Date Sold:

Action:

No

Recaptured:

Yes

Comments: Sloop Friendship (Nicholas Houtvat) sailed from Virginia bound to St. Eustatius with a cargo of bread, flour, and tobacco. She was twenty-four miles southeast of Cape Henry on the morning of 3 April. As the morning fog burned off, about 1000, HM Frigate Emerald (Captain Benjamin Caldwell) was seen. The frigate gave chase and captured the sloop about 1400. Her crew was removed and a prize crew of a quartermaster and six men sent aboard. Friendship was ordered to New York by Caldwell. Soon after, about 15 April, as the prize was approaching New York, she fell in with and was captured by New York Navy Sloop Montgomery (Captain William Rogers). Rogers removed the prize crew and put his own men aboard. He kept the sloop with him and steered for Fairfield, Connecticut, but she parted company. On the night of 23 April Friendship lay just outside Fisher's Island, when HM Frigate Lark (Captain Richard Smith) came upon the scene. Montgomery's prize crew took to the boat and rowed ashore on Fisher's Island, Lark securing the Friendship. Emerald's prize crew were landed as prisoners at Fairfield on 22 April, when Montgomery made port.

[NDAR, VIII, 267 and note, 426-427 and 427 note, 1003, 1053-1063; The Providence Gazette; And Country Journal, Saturday, May 17, 1777, datelined New London, April 25, 1777]