Name of Vessel:

Willing Maid

Master of Vessel:

Roger Pye

Rig of Vessel:

Brig

Date of Capture:

6 April 1777

Place of Capture:

Eighteen miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

Captor:

HM Frigate Camilla

Home Port:

From What Port:

St. Thomas, Danish West Indies

To What Port:

Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina

Cargo:

Sugar, rum, salt

Tonnage:

Battery:

Crew:

Owners:

Prize master:

Mate

Prize crew:

7 [total]

Ordered Into:

Into What Port:

Date Arrived:

Date Tried:

[sank at sea]

Date Sold:

Action:

No

Recaptured:

No

Comments: On the morning of 6 April 1777 HM Frigate Camilla (Captain John Linzee) was patrolling eighteen miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. HM Frigate Pearl was also patrolling with Camilla. At 1000 Camilla sighted a sail to the east, raised sail, and chased. At 1530 Camilla was within gun range and fired six 9-pounders, stopping the chase, a brig. The weather was bad enough to prevent Camilla launching a boat, so she lay to with the chase. As darkness fell the brig showed no lights, and seemed to be trying to ease away. Linzee ordered several volleys of small arms fired at her. Lights appeared. At 0200 on 7 April, Camilla fired several swivel guns at the brig, again, probably to keep her in company. At 1200 the cutter was hoisted out and a mate and six men went aboard the brig as a prize crew. At 1300 the cutter returned with the prisoners, but, in getting under Camilla’s lee quarter, was overset and lost. The people were all rescued. From the prisoners Linzee learned the brig was the Willing Maid (Roger Pye), bound from St. Thomas, Danish West Indies to Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina with a cargo of sugar, rum, and salt. At 0800 on 8 April Camilla chased a sail, the brig in company. At 0900 the prize crew hailed Camilla: the brig had sprung a leak “and would certainly sink with them . . .” Camilla sent her lieutenant and seven men over in the pinnace to rescue her men and remove the rest of the prisoners. Linzee then sailed off and left the brig to sink. In Howe’s prize list of 22 May 1777, the capture is credited to HM Frigate Pearl.

[NDAR, VIII, 300-301 and 301 note; 1053-1063]