vengeance massachusetts brig [newman thomas] massachusetts brig [ne… · tracy, thomas thomas, and...

Vengeance (1) Commander Wingate Newman[ ]Sloop-of-War Brig/Sloop 17 June 1778-May 1779

[ ]Massachusetts Privateer Brig Ship (2) Commander Thomas Thomas30 June 1779-27 August 1779

Commissioned/First Date: 17 June 1778Out of Service/Cause: 14 August 1779/destroyed to prevent capture in the Penobscot

River

Owners: Nathaniel Tracy, John Tracy, Thomas Thomas, John CoffinJones, all of Newburyport, Massachusetts

Tonnage: 350-400

Battery: Date Reported: August 1778Number/Caliber Weight Broadside18/Total: 18 cannon/Broadside: 9 cannon/Swivels:

Date Reported: August 1778Number/Caliber Weight Broadside20/Total: 20 cannon/Broadside: 10 cannon/Swivels:

Date Reported: 17 September 1778Number/Caliber Weight Broadside20/6-pounder 120 pounds 60 poundsTotal: 20 cannon/120 poundsBroadside: 10 cannon/60 poundsSwivels:

Crew: [ ](1) 17 June 1778: 120 total[ ] [ ](2) August 1779: 100 total

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Description:

Officers: (1) First Lieutenant John Fletcher, 27 June 1779-27 August1779; (2) Third Lieutenant William Wyer, 27 June 1779-27August 1779; (3) Master John Beach, 27 June 1779-27 August1779; (4) Master’s Mate William Coombs, 27 June 1779-27August 1779; (5) Master’s Mate Dan Parsons, 27 June 1779-27 August 1779; (6) Midshipman Enoch Pike, 27 June 1779-27 August 1779; (7) Midshipman Aaron Potter, 27 June 1779-27 August 1779; (8) Midshipman James Thomas, 27 June1779-27 August 1779; (9) Pilot Sam Fairfield, 27 June 1779-27 August 1779; (10) Pilot William Wilson, 27 June 1779-27August 1779; (11) Lieutenant of Marines Joshua French, 27June 1779-27 August 1779; (12) Surgeon Samuel Nye,August 1778-May 1779; (13) Surgeon Samuel Blanchard, 27June 1779-27 August 1779; (14) Surgeon’s Mate Elias Davis,27 June 1779-27 August 1779

Cruises: (1) Cape Ann, Massachusetts to La Coruña, Spain, 16 August[ ]1778- 1 October 1778

(2) La Coruña, [ ] [ ] Spain to La Coruña , Spain, October -[ ]December 1778

(3 [ ]) La Coruña, Spain to Newburyport, Massachusetts, 15April 1779-29 May 1779

(4) Newburyport, Massachusetts on Penobscot Expedition, 24July 1779-14 August 1779

Prizes: (1) HM Packet Ship Harriot [ Harriet] (Captain SamsonSprague), 17 September 1778, at 49EN, 20EW

(2) HM Packet Snow Eagle (Captain Edward Spence), 21September 1778, at 51E26NN, 19E27NW

(3) British Privateer Brig Defiance, October 1778, off theSpanish coast

(4) Brigantine Elizabeth, 3 December 1778

(5) Brig Francis, 27 December 1778

(6) British Privateer Brigantine Mary, 19 April 1779


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Actions: (1) Action with Harriot, 17 September 1778(2) Action with Eagle, 21 September 1778(3) Action with Defiance, October 1778

Comments:

The 350 to 400-ton1 Massachusetts Privateer Brig2 Vengeance (Commander Wingate Newman)3 wasa twenty4 gun brig, manned by one hundred men.5 Her bond indicates she carried a crew of 120men and is dated 17 June 1778.6 Another source indicates she was armed with twenty 6-pounders.7

Vengeance was owned and operated out of Newburyport, Massachusetts,8 by Nathaniel Tracy, JohnTracy, Thomas Thomas, and John Coffin Jones.9 Newman was an experienced privateercommander, having been out in the Massachusetts Privateer Brigantine Hancock in September 1776.10

Aboard the Vengeance as Surgeon was Samuel Nye, who kept a journal of the cruise.11 BenjaminConnor of New Hampshire served aboard as Second Lieutenant.12

Vengeance sailed from Cape Ann, Massachusetts on 16 August 1778, with the intention ofintercepting a convoy bound from the West Indies to England, which had sailed about the same

1 Blake, Euphemia Vale, History of Newburyport; from the Earliest Settlement of the Country to the Present Time witha Biographical Appendix, Press of Dambell and Moore, Newburyport: 1854, 116

2 Maclay, American Privateers, 117; Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution, i, 359; Allen, Massachusetts Privateersof the Revolution, 314; Claghorn, Naval Officers of the American Revolution, 308, refers to her as a ship; 219, as a brig;Howe, Beverly Privateers in the Revolution, 425, as a ship. Her commander, Wingate Newman, referred to her as a brig.The Boston Gazette, and Country Journal, Monday, January 11, 1779, in a letter from Newman dated 4 October 1778. Seethe illustration reproduced here for a more definitive classification.

3 Maclay, American Privateers, 117; Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution, i, 359; The Boston Gazette, andCountry Journal, Monday, January 11, 1779

4 Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution, i, 359; The Boston Gazette, and Country Journal, Monday, January 11,1779

5 Maclay, History of American Privateers, 117

6 See the bond illustration.

7 The Pennsylvania Magazine of History or Biography, XIV, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia: 1890, 93, fromThe London Chronicle, October 22-24, 1778

8 Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution, i, 359

9 The Boston Gazette, and Country Journal, Monday, January 11, 1779, in a letter from Newman dated 4 October 1778

10 Claghorn, Naval Officers of the American Revolution, 219

11 Blake, History of Newburyport, 117, from Surgeon Samuel Nye’s Journal

12 Pension Application of Benjamin Connor, statement by Samuel Nye, at Fold3.


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time. On 2 September 1778, at 41E13NN, 44EW the Vengeance encountered the fleet, but wasdriven away from it by two British frigates. These chased her for about four hours without comingup to her and then broke off and returned to the convoy. Four days later Vengeance encounteredthe same convoy, but, “. . . at the same time saw a ship standing to the Westward, I gave chaseto her and lost sight of the fleet; but night coming on could not keep sight of her . . .”13

On 17 September, at 49EN, 20EW, she fell in with HM Packet Ship Harriot14 (or Harriet,15 Captain Samson Sprague16 [ ]Sparge ).17 Harriot was bound from Falmouth, England to New York,having sailed18 about 2 September19 or 7 September.20 She was armed with sixteen 3-pounders andhad a crew of forty-five men.21 Surgeon Nye reports the beginning of the encounter:

“Sept 17 Lat 49 Discovered a sail at 9 AM bearing ENE 4 leagues distance at 3 PMgot within cannon shot of her gave her two or three bow chasers and received asmany stern chasers from her soon after which she hauled up her courses and gavea broadside but her guns being light the shot did not reach she then endeavored toget away by making sail again but found it impracticable she again lay to till wegot within pistol shot of her and then gave us another broadside which wasreturned on our part and to such purpose as to oblige her to strike at once after


14 Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution, i, 359, from a letter by Newman in the Boston Post, January 9, 1779;The Boston Gazette, and Country Journal, Monday, January 11, 1779, in a letter from Newman dated 4 October 1778. Herethe packet is spelled Hariot. The British date the capture to 18 September, at 49EN, 22EW. The Pennsylvania Magazine ofHistory or Biography, XIV, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia: 1890, 93, from The London Chronicle, October22-24, 1778.


16 Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution, i, 359 from a letter by Newman in the Boston Post, January 9, 1779;The Boston Gazette, and Country Journal, Monday, January 11, 1779, in a letter from Newman dated 4 October 1778


18 Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution, i, 359 from a letter by Newman in the Boston Post, January 9, 1779;The Boston Gazette, and Country Journal, Monday, January 11, 1779, in a letter from Newman dated 4 October 1778; TheMassachusetts Spy: Or, American Oracle of Liberty [ ] Worcester , October 29, 1778, datelined Boston, October 22


20 Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution, i, 359 from a letter by Newman in the Boston Post, January 9, 1779;The Boston Gazette, and Country Journal, Monday, January 11, 1779, in a letter from Newman dated 4 October 1778; TheMassachusetts Spy: Or, American Oracle of Liberty [ ] Worcester , October 29, 1778, datelined Boston, October 22

21 Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution, i, 359 from a letter by Newman in the Boston Post, January 9, 1779;The Boston Gazette, and Country Journal, Monday, January 11, 1779, in a letter from Newman dated 4 October 1778; Blake,History of Newburyport, 117, from Surgeon Samuel Nye’s Journal



Photograph of performance bond for privateers, filled in for the Vengeance. Courtesy Tenpound Books.


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having one man killed and six wounded . . .”22

After fifteen minutes the Harriot struck,23 with one killed and five wounded aboard.24 Vengeancehad one man killed.25 Newman called this a “small resistance.” The crew was removed and theprize was manned and dispatched to Newburyport.26 She arrived in Boston about 19 October 1778.27

Harriot was advertised for sale on 9 November 1778, with the sale to be held on 11 November.28

Four days later, on 21 September, at 51E26NN, 19E27NW,29 Vengeance encountered another packet,snow Eagle (Captain Edward Spence30 [ S. ]Spencer 31 armed with twelve32 or fourteen33 3-pounder34

carriage guns and with sixty men aboard including military passengers. She was bound from NewYork to Falmouth,35 and had sailed about 24 July 1778.36 After another long chase the Eagle was


23 The Massachusetts Spy: Or, American Oracle of Liberty [ ] Worcester , October 29, 1778, datelined Boston, October 22





28 The Independent Ledger, and the American Advertiser [ ] Boston , November 9, 1778








36Blake, History of Newburyport, 117, from Surgeon Samuel Nye’s Journal



brought to action, Newman again holding his fire until very close to the British.37 After a twentyminute fight the Eagle surrendered38 with two killed and six wounded.39 Among the dead was aColonel Howard of the 1st Guards Regiment, one of the passengers.40 Among the other passengerswere four41 lieutenant colonels,42 three majors,43 and a dragoon officer. en route from America. TheAmericans had one man wounded, Commander Newman, hit in the thigh by a musket ball. Afterremoving his prisoners, Newman sent the Eagle off to Newburyport with a prize crew.44

Surgeon Nye reported this fight as follows:

“Sept 21st Lat about 49 Discovered ourselves within a league of a sail at 7 AMcame up with and engaged her She fought bravely fifteen or twenty minutes andthen struck after having two of her people killed and four or five wounded one ofthem so badly I was obliged to amputate his leg The prize proved to be the EaglePacket a snow Spence commander from New York to Falmouth out twenty eightdays mounting twelve three pounders and having forty three men beside thefollowing passengers Col Howard of the 1st Regiment Guards killed in theengagement Col McDonald 71st Regiment Highlanders Col Anstruther Col Stevensof the Guards Maj Barcley Maj Forbes and the Hon Maj afterwards Lord CharlesCathcart Capt of the Athol Highlanders and 2d Major of Lord Cathcart’s legionand brother to Lord Cathcart Mr Sloper cornet of horse two sergeants three or fourservants and Miss Jane Marsh On board were some dry goods besides plate and cashto a considerable amount Got the prisoners on board our brig and sent Mr ThomasNewman prize master and a gang of our people aboard to repair her rigging Wehad no person hurt except Captain Newman who received a musket ball in the





41 Maclay, Privateers, 117; Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution, i, 359 from a letter by Newman in the BostonPost, January 9, 1779


43 Maclay, History of American Privateers, 118; Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution, i, 359 from a letter byNewman in the Boston Post, January 9, 1779




thigh wound not dangerous . . .”45

Newman now had “more prisoners aboard than my own number consisted of, my vessel excessivecrank, and not much provisions on board, I determined to go to Bilboa in order to get rid of myprisoners and to refit my vessel, but on making Cape Ortugal the wind came to the Eastward and

[ ]blew very hard, which obliged me to put into this port La Coruña, Spain . . .”46

Vengeance arrived at La Coruña on 29 September 1779,47 where Newman turned his prisoners, alleighty-eight of them, plus a woman passenger,48 over to the British consul residing there, whowas obligated to give a receipt for the future exchange of American prisoners.49 The British consul,



47 Pension Application of Benjamin Connor, statement by Samuel Nye, at Fold3; Allen, Naval History of the AmericanRevolution, i, 360; The Boston Gazette, and Country Journal, Monday, January 11, 1779, in a letter from Newman dated4 October 1778


49 Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution, i, 359 from a letter by Newman in the Boston Post, January 9, 1779.In 16 August 1779 the Marine Committee forwarded a list of Newman’s released prisoners to Colonel John Beatty at WestPoint to use in prisoner exchanges. NRAR, 113.


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A map of La Coruña, Spain, from a 1773 chart.



Herman Katenkamp, notified his superiors on 1 October and enclosed a list of the prisoners, as wellas a certificate from Newman requesting the commanders of American and French vessels to allowthe prisoners to pass unmolested to England.50 This affair produced some ill feeling among theBritish and protests to the Spanish court, which led to a brief period of apparent inhospitality tothe Americans by the Spanish.51

The loss of the packets was announced in the London Chronicle for October 22-24 1778 as follows:

“Accounts are just received at the Post Office that the Harriot packet boat CapeSprague with the mail of September for New York was attacked and taken on the1 81h of September in lat 490 long 22 by the Vengeance American privateercarrying 20 six pounders. One man was killed and five wounded on board theHarriot. Intelligence is likewise received that the Eagle packet boat Capt S Spencerfrom New York for Falmouth was taken on the 21st of September in lat 51.26 long190.27 by the same privateer. Col Howard Howard a passenger and one more waskilled on board the Eagle and six men wounded. The crews of the above packetswere put on shore at Corunna and the packets were sent to Newburyport in NorthAmerica. The mails with the letters were thrown overboard.”52

Among the prisoners was one Jonathan Nutting, a passenger aboard the Harriot. He had beenwounded in the fight with Vengeance. Nutting, and presumably the other prisoners, arrived inEngland about six weeks later.53

Vengeance was back at sea in October 1778. She encountered the British Privateer Brig Defiance.Defiance was armed with fourteen guns and had a crew of seventy-two men aboard. An unusuallytough fight followed before Vengeance forced the British to surrender. Newman lost eight menkilled and wounded, the British lost fifteen killed and wounded.54

On 3 December 1778 Vengeance captured the brigantine Elizabeth, and, on 27 December, the brigFrancis with a cargo of fish. These two prizes were apparently also sold in Spain.55 Vengeance

50 Historical Manuscripts Commission, Report on American Manuscripts in the Royal Institution of Great Britain, Mackie &

Co., Ltd, London: 1904, I, 307-308

51 Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution, i, 360

52 From the History of Newburyport, I, 630

53 Batchelder, Samuel Francis, The Life and Surprising Adventures of John Nutting Cambridge Loyalist, and His StrangeConnection with the Penobscot Expedition of 1779, Cambridge Historical Society, Cambridge: 1912, 77

54 The Pennsylvania Magazine of History or Biography, XIV, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia: 1890, 93, fromThe London Chronicle, October 22-24, 1778. Maclay, Privateers, 118 gives this action as conducted by a Vengeance commandedby one Deane.

55 Coffin, Joshua, A Sketch of the History of Newbury, Newburyport, and West Newbury, from 1635 to 1845, Samuel G.Drake: Boston, 1845, 408, extracted from Nye’s Journal



ended her cruise off the coast in Vigo, Spain.56

Vengeance sailed for America on 19 April 1770.57 That same day she met the British letter-of-marque brigantine Mary, bound from Liverpool, England to Antigua in the British West Indies.Mary was armed with sixteen 4-pounders and had a crew of forty-eight men aboard. There seemsto have been no fight involved in her capture. Vengeance returned to Newburyport from her cruiseon 29 May 1779.58

Vengeance was overhauled at Newburyport and seems to have been converted into a ship duringthe overhaul. As she was nearing the end of her refit the British established a post at Penobscot,Maine. The Massachusetts authorities began raising an expedition to drive them out. Among theprivateers recruited for this expedition was the Vengeance. Since the government was paying thecrews for this expedition we have a reasonably full list of the officers aboard the Vengeance, datedfrom 27 June, the day she entered Massachusetts service: First Lieutenant John Fletcher,59 ThirdLieutenant William Wyer,60 Master John Beach,61 Master’s Mate William Coombs,62 Master’s MateDan Parsons,63 Midshipman Enoch Pike,64 Midshipman Aaron Potter,65 Midshipman James Thomas,66

Pilot Sam Fairfield,67 Pilot William Wilson,68 Lieutenant of Marines Joshua French,69 and Surgeon’sMate Elias Davis,70 Aboard as Surgeon was Samuel Blanchard of Boston, Massachusetts, from 27

56 Pension Application of Benjamin Connor, statement by Samuel Nye, at Fold3

57 Pension Application of Benjamin Connor, statement by Samuel Nye, at Fold3

58 Coffin, A Sketch of the History of Newbury, 408, extracted from Nye’s Journal

59 MASSRW, 5:776

60 MASSRW, 17:972

61 MASSRW, 1:837

62 MASSRW, 3:972

63 MASSRW, 11:693

64 MASSRW, 12:397

65 MASSRW, 12:617

66 MASSRW, 15:640

67 MASSRW, 5:474

68 MASSRW, 17:583

69 MASSRW, 6:83

70 MASSRW, 4:485


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June.71

Vengeance was re-commissioned on 30 June 1779 under Commander Thomas Thomas ofNewburyport. She was noted as a “ship” measuring 350 tons and listed a battery of twenty gunsand a crew of 120 men. The petition for her commission was signed by Samuel White forNathaniel Tracy and others of Newburyport.72

Vengeance was a participant in the ill-fated Penobscot Expedition of 1779, and was destroyed inthe Penobscot River to prevent her capture on 14 August 1779.73 One of the crew of the Vengeancehas left a few comments concerning her participation in the expedition. Micajah Lunt ofNewburyport reported, in a later statement, that “ . . . in the year 1779 1 shipped inNewburyport on board the armed ship Vengeance commanded by Thomas Thomas in the expeditionto Penobscot which ship was driven up the river by the British fleet and with others in theexpedition was burnt by order of the Commodore to prevent them falling into the hands of theBritish their crews took to the woods and on foot found their way back to the province ofMassachusetts.”74 All the crew were discharged from Massachusetts service on 27 August 1779.

71 Howe, Beverly Privateers in the Revolution, 425

72 Allen, Massachusetts Privateers of the Revolution, 324-315

73 Maclay, History of American Privateers, 118; Allen, Massachusetts Privateers of the Revolution, 324-315

74 Blake, History of Newburyport, 118-119, from Micajah Lunt’s statement


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