Name of Vessel:

La Seine

Master of Vessel:

Stephen Morin

Rig of Vessel:

Ship

Date of Capture:

5 April 1777

Place of Capture:

Off Martinique, French West Indies

Captor:

HM Frigate Seaford

Home Port:

Le Havre, France

From What Port:

Martinique, French West Indies

To What Port:

Boston, Massachusetts

Cargo:

Muskets, tents, flintlocks, gun worms, handspikes, buckets, shells, mortars, sponges, rammers, match, gunpowder, musket balls, lagrange shot, and assorted other goods

Tonnage:

250, 302, 350

Battery:

14x

Crew:

37 [total]

Owners:

Caron de Beaumarchais [Hortalez et Cie]

Prize master:

Prize crew:

Ordered Into:

Roseau, Dominica, British West Indies

Into What Port:

Roseau, Dominica, British West Indies

Date Arrived:

5 April 1777

Date Tried:

28 April 1777

Date Sold:

12 June 1777

Action:

No

Recaptured:

No

Comments: Ship La Seine (formerly the Andromide) was a vessel of 302 tons, with a length on the deck of 95'6", a length on the keel of 80'6", a beam of 27', a depth in the hold of 12'7", and a height between decks of 5'10". Other estimates of her tonnage were 350 tons (by Beaumarchais) and 250 (by her captors). La Seine was taken up at Le Havre (Havre de Gras), France, where her equipment was handled by D’Eyries. She was to have sailed in December 1776.

La Seine was in the process of loading at Le Havre by 19 January 1777. William Carmichael, on the scene, reported that there was enough cargo to fill only one vessel, although two were available. No order had come to permit the exportation yet. La Seine was a fine sailer and fit for the voyage, according to the observers present. more. The other vessel, Romaine, was safe for the voyage, but sailed and steered badly. She had been loaded with cannon, their carriages, and some munitions. Carmichael was pretending to be unhappy with these vessels, so that "if Your orders & the Courts" arrive they could sail for America. The artillery men, embarking for service in America, were a different problem. They had been at Le Havre for three or four months, working in the various changes of loading and unloading. Now they were not be be embarked. Carmichael suggested that Monthieu or Beaumarchais write to them, if these orders persisted.  Romaine was sufficient except for sailing qualtities. Seine mounted ten, but could mount sixteen, guns, and would be ready to sail as soon as the embargo was lifted. If so, nineteen cannon would be left behind, for both ships now had cargo. To put these guns in Seine, she would have to be unloaded and reloaded.

Deane replied to Carmichael on 22 January, asking, apparently for more information. Carmichael, on the 24th, told him that the ships could not sail without an order from the French court. The nineteen cannon were stowed in the Romaine, in such a manner that it would be a "work of Time" to unload them, unload the Seine, and reload the cannon in the latter ship. Seine already was loaded with clothing, muskets, two mortars, shells, flints, powder, bullets, tents, and such: a full cargo. Had the embargo been taken off she would have sailed with Du Coudray's ship: she could sail tomorrow if the embargo was lifted. If she were ordered to St. Domingue, Carmichael would "promise mountains" to Morin to proceed directly to America, for "we are so distressed we must not stick at Trifles." Carmichael implored Deane to "Paint the dispatch of the Ships here, at Dunkirk and Marseilles, as the proof necessary to Show us that France wishes to see us Independent."

By 19 February Seine had finally sailed, steering directly for America. La Seine arrived at St. Pierre, Martinique on 18 March 1777 from Le Havre, France "a Vessel taken up on Account of the Continent" with arms, ammunition. She was blown off the coast of American in a hard gale, and met with a succession of storms and dirty weather. Morin bore away for the West Indies, despite a suggestion in his orders that he put into Bermuda. Among the passengers aboard was Colonel Nicholas Davis. At St. Pierre Morin reported to William Bingham. Bingham unloaded part of her cargo, to split it up among smaller vessels. The ship would then be sent out with the remainder. Bingham suggested, to the American Commissioners, that her return cargo be sent from the American south.

Bingham consulted the Governor of Martinique and the intendent. Morin obtained the opinion of the island's Council. The clearances for La Seine were changed, so that she was now shown to be bound for St. Pierre and Miquelon. The Governor wrote a false letter to lend color to the new destination. On 29 March 1777 Bingham reported La Seine would sail on the morrow for Boston. At least a portion of her cargo was unloaded and subsequently transshipped to other vessels.

To ensure La Seine's getting safely into port Bingham engaged a pilot. He gave the pilot an order for his payment in America, after performing his services. If captured the pilot was to destroy the order. This unusual step was taken to prevent the pilot absconding with his money, as several others had done.

La Seine sailed from St. Pierre on 4 April 1777, bound for Boston. She had a battery of fourteen guns and a crew of thirty-seven aboard when she sailed. Morin behaved very stupidly. He steered into the channel between Martinique and Dominica, where the patrolling British vessels were more likely to be found. Morin allowed a fire to burn in his caboose the whole evening. This little light led to La Seine's being sighted at 0100 on 5 April by HM Frigate Seaford (Captain John Colpoys). Seaford chased and, at, 0200, fired two guns to stop the ship. No resistance was made. A prize crew was put aboard and La Seine taken into Rosseau, Dominica at 1300, where she was moored. The British estimated she had a value of £30000 in goods aboard.

There was plenty of evidence for the British. The pilot, despite Bingham's "positive Orders & his own personal safety" had not destroyed the order for his pay to be received in America. Colonel Nicholas Davis turned his coat. He "behaved with...manly Fortitude upon his being first made Prisoners" but now relinquished all "Pretensions" to American service and "has become our open & avowed Enemy," and would naturally testify to the real mission of La Seine. So badly conducted was Morin's part in this sailing that Bingham thought that "if...his Owners could derive any Advantage from the Capture of his Vessel, I Should be led to believe that he acted from a Sinister Motive..."

As soon as he heard the La Seine was captured, Bingham called on the Governor and asked for his assistance in obtaining her release. He hoped Morin had destroyed his true papers. By 26 April Bingham could report that the ship was certainly going to be condemned. The British had rebuffed the French governor, leaving the affair in their Admiralty court. She was condemned on 28 April.

La Seine was surveyed on 9 May 1777. La Seine was taken into the Royal Navy, for £2200, on 12 June 1777, as HM Sloop Snake, to mount sixteen 6-pounders.

The restitution of the ship and its cargo was a subject of discussion between England and France. Bingham noted, in a report to the Continental Congress’s Foreign Affairs Committee, that the circumstances of the capture were “happily disposed to occasion a Subject of reciprocal Complaint & Altercation;—England cannot restore her without Showing to an excessive Degree her Weakness; & France cannot relinquish her Claim, & preserve her Dignity . . .”

[NDAR, VIII, 175-176, 226, 280 and note, 283-284 and 284 note, 450-452, 489 and note, 490-491, 537-538, 543-544 and 544 note, 570-571, 594-595, 622, 725-730, 900-901 and 901 note, 902-905; IX, 84 and note, 100-102 and 102 note; X, 151-152 and 152 note, 677-678 and 678 note, 722-724, 821, 1130-1131 and 1131 note]