Name of Vessel:

Lee

Master of Vessel:

Richard March

Rig of Vessel:

Sloop

Date of Capture:

10 July 1777

Place of Capture:

South of Cape Henry, Virginia

Captor:

HM Sloop Senegal

Home Port:

From What Port:

Virginia

To What Port:

Martinique, French West Indies

Cargo:

Tobacco, flour

Tonnage:

Battery:

Crew:

Owners:

Prize master:

Prize crew:

Ordered Into:

New York, New York

Into What Port:

New York, New York

Date Arrived:

Date Tried:

Date Sold:

Action:

No

Recaptured:

No

Comments: Sloop Lee (Richard March) was bound from James River, Virginia to Martinique, French West Indies with a cargo of tobacco and flour. She was part of a group of seven vessels that ran past the British blockaders in the night of 9/10 July. At 0500 the seven were still in sight from the entrance to Chesapeake Bay. At 0500 HM Sloop Senegal (Captain Anthony Molloy) made sail and chased to the southeast, joined by HM Brig Raleigh and HM Frigate Emerald (Captain Benjamin Caldwell). The wind fell off and became very light at 0800, so Caldwell dispatched his boats. Senegal sent her boats away at 0900. The pinnace took the Lee, and the lonboat took the schooner Fanny.  At 1100 the Emerald saw her boats board three of the group: sloop Friendship, sloop Resolution, and sloop Betsey. Lee was sent to New York, New York, on 11 July with Senegal and Raleigh. Lee was tried and condemned in 1778.

[NDAR, IX, 257 and notes, 258-259, 267, 295-296; “The following is a List of Vessels seized as Prizes, and of Recaptures made, by the American Squadron, between the 27^th of May and 24^th of October, 1777, according to the Returns received by Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Howe,” in The London Chronicle, Tuesday, December 2, to Saturday, December 6, 1777; HCA 32/387/24/1-3]