The ships and sailors of old Salem

by Ralph Delahaye Paine

APPENDIX

APPENDIX

LISTS OF THE PRIVATE ARMED SHIPS OF SALEM IN THE
REVOLUTION AND THE WAR OF 1812

The following list of the armed ships of Salem from 1776 to 1783 includes both privateers and letters-of-marque. As defined in international law “letters-of-marque” as issued by a Government are privateering commissions, but in practice a distinction was made between the two classes of ships. A privateer cruised in pursuit of the enemy’s commerce and went to sea for no other purpose, while a letter-of-marque vessel carried a cargo to a destined port or ports, taking prizes if they came in her way and defending herself against the enemy as a regularly commissioned private ship of war under heavy bonds to her government to obey the rules of warfare.

The Naval Records of the Revolution, as compiled and published by the Library of Congress, contains a list of the letters-of-marque issued by the Government, and includes no fewer than one hundred and ninety of these commissions granted to Salem shipowners, and commanders, designating them all as “private armed ships of war.” The most accurate catalogues of this kind that were compiled many years ago by local historians and shipmasters agree upon one hundred and fifty-eight as the total number of vessels of all kinds which actually engaged in privateering out of the port of Salem during the Revolution. The Government records show, however, that this reckoning falls far short of the total number of craft commissioned by means of letters-of-marque to prey upon England’s commerce as private ships of war. Even these Government records are not complete, however, the names of several well-known privateers being absent from the list, while on the other hand the name of one vessel may be recorded two, three, or four times, a new commission being granted and a new bond demanded when the ship, schooner, or brig changed commanders or owners. The bond required in all cases was in the sum of $20,000.

From the Naval Records of the Revolution, and from all lists made and preserved in Salem archives and from other sources the following catalogue has been compiled, as the most nearly complete record of the private armed ships of Salem during the Revolution that has been published:

Name	Class		Commander	Guns	Men
Active	brigantine		William Ross	14	60
			Johnson Briggs
Adventure	brig		J. Gardner	4	10
			Jonathan Tucker
America	schooner		Geo. Williams	8	80
Atalanta	brig		Cornelius Thompson	10	25
American Hero	ship		William Fairfield	16	25
Astrea	ship		John Derby	20	50
Aurora	brigantine		Geo. Williams, Jr.	6	12
Aurora	brig		—— Caldwell	10	75
Black Prince	ship		Nathaniel West	18	160
Banter	sloop		Henry White	8	50
Belisaurus	ship
Bloodhound	brig			14	55
Brutus	ship		John Leach	18	100
Bunker Hill	ship		John Turner	20	110
Blackbird	schooner		William Groves	8	20
Black Snake	sloop		William Carelton	12	60
Bloom	schooner		Silas Smith	6	25
Beaver	schooner			10 swivels
Bowdoin	sloop			8
Buckaneer	ship		Jeremiah Hacker	18	150
Centipede	schooner			6
Charming Polly	brig		D. Bigelow
Captain	brigantine		John Donaldson	10	45
Cato	brig		Johnson Briggs	16	60
			James Pickman
			Jesse Fearson
Chace	brigantine		Cornelius Thompson	10	35
Concord	brig		Ephraim Emerton
Cutter	schooner		Silas Smith	8	20
			Joseph Strout
Cutter	brigantine		Geo. Ashby, Jr	10	45
Cicero	ship		Hugh Hill	20	100
Commerce	sloop		John Baptist Millet	10	25
Commerce	brigantine		Ephraim Emerton	6	12
Columbia	schooner		J. Greeley	12	30
Comet	brigantine		Samuel Waters	6	15
Comet	schooner		Richard Eldredge	9	29
Creature Terrible	brig		Robert Richardson	14	43
Catchall	schooner		Moses Chase	6	15
Civil Usage	brig		Greag Powers	14	45
			Peter Martin
Congress	ship		David Ropes	20	130
Cyrus	ship		Jonathan Mason, Jr	10	20
Dispatch	ship		John Felt	10	60
			David Ropes
			William Gray
Dolphin	schooner		Greag Powers	8	30
			David Felt, Jr.
			Frank Benson
Dart	schooner		Zenas Cook	6	22
Delight	schooner		J. Temple	4	40
Don Galvez	brig		Silas Jones	6	16
Disdain	ship		William Patterson	20	100
Diana	brigantine		Robert Barker	6	16
Defense	brigantine		John Barr	10	16
Eagle	brig		John Leach	20	110
Exchange	ship		Simon Forrester	20	60
			John Collins
Experiment	brigantine		Samuel Ingersoll	6	14
Essex	ship		John Cathcart	20	150
Elizabeth	brig		Clifford Byrne	4	10
			Ichabod Clarke
Exchange	schooner		Henry Tibbetts	2	15
Franklin	ship		Silas Deval	18	25
Fame	brig		Samuel Hobbs	16	50
Freedom	brig		Benjamin Ober	7	15
Fortune	brig		Benjamin Ives	14	60
Favourite	brigantine		William Patterson	11	50
Fanny	brigantine		Samuel Tucker	4	12
Felicity	brig			8	20
Flying Fish	brigantine		John Gavett
			Anthony Divers
Fly	schooner		Christopher Babbidge	6	25
			William Mallory
Fox	schooner		Jeremiah Lansvay	6	75
			Jonathan Neall
Friendship	ship		Gideon Henfield	6	20
General Putnam	schooner		S. Mascotte	8	66
General Gates	brig		—— Skinner	8
General Lincoln	brig		John Carnes
General Greene	ship		Aaron Crowell	16	90
Grand Turk	ship		Thomas Simmons	28	140
			Joseph Pratt
Grey Hound	schooner		Jacob Wilds	8	35
			John Cooke
Good Luck	ship		Jonathan Neall	8	20
General Galvez	ship		Thomas Smith	18	40
Griffin	brig		Gideon Henfield
Gamecock	schooner		Richard Smith	8	30
General Montgomery	brigantine		Samuel Hobbs	14	60
Harlequin	schooner		Jonathan Tucker	6	16
Hornet	schooner		Robert Brookhouse	10 swivels
Henry	schooner		John Baptist Millet	4	10
Hasket & John	brig		Benjamin Crowninshield
Hero	brig		Silas Smith	12	50
Hynde	brig		Francis Boardman	8	16
Hector	ship		John Carnes	18	150
Hector	schooner		John Cartright	6	15
Hope	schooner		Robert Wormsted	8	25
Hyder Alley	brigantine		Francis Boardman	8	16
Hind	brigantine		Benjamin Dunham	8	16
Hazard	sloop-schooner		Nathaniel Coit Webb	8	25
			Benjamin Knight
			Edward Smith, Jr.
			Hugh Helme
Hound	brig		John Adkinson	14	50
Harkey	galley		Phineas Smith	2	18
Hawke	schooner		John Barbaroux	6	15
			Jacob Wilde
Iris	ship		Robert Rantoul	9	18
Jack	ship		David Ropes	14	60
Junius Brutus	ship		John Brooks	20	120
Jason	ship		Charles Hamilton	16	70
Julius Caesar	ship		Thomas Benson	14	40
			Jonathan Haraden
Junius	ship		Nathaniel West	10	25
Juno	brig		John Felt	12	16
Jackall	schooner		Adam Wellman	8	45
			Thomas Holmes
James	ship		John Clarke	11	25
John	ship		Jonathan Ingersoll
Jupiter	ship		William Orne	14	40
Joseph	brig		Henry Higginson	8	15
Kendrick	ship		Thomas Benson	18	100
Languedock	schooner		John Augusta Dunn	4	25
			Reuben Yoemens
			Jeremiah Hegerty
Lexington	brig		David Smith, Jr.	10	20
Lively	brig		George Ashby	8	35
			John Augusta Dunn
			Nathaniel Brookhouse
Live Oak	sloop		Samuel Tucker	6	20
Lion	brig		Jonathan Mason	16	50
			Benjamin Warren
Lark	schooner		N. Tilden	10 swivels
Lee	schooner		Daniel Waters
Lincoln	brig		John Carnes
Louis le Grande	ship			18	100
Lucy	brig		S. Clay	12	25
Liberty	sloop		Eben Pierce	6	25
Manete	schooner		John Daccaretta	6	10
Marquis de Lafayette	ship		Ebenezer Reed	10	100
			John Buffington
Mermaid	brig		Jonathan Tucker	14	30
Minerva	sloop		Nehemiah Buffington	6	10
Massachusetts	brig		John Fisk	16	30
			Jonathan Haraden
Mars	ship		William Woodbury	16	75
Monmouth	brigantine		David Ingersoll	6	20
Montgomery	brigantine		John Carnes	8	20
			James Barr, Jr.
Morning Star	sloop		Francis Roch	8	12
Macaroni	brig			14
New Adventure	brig		Jonathan Neall	14	50
Nancy	schooner		George Leach	6	25
			William Woodbury, Jr.
Neptune	ship		Hugh Smith	14	65
			Silas Smith
			Benjamin Cole
Oliver Cromwell	ship		Nathaniel West	16	100
			James Barr, Jr.
Pallas	ship		Gamaliel Hodges	10	20
Panther	schooner		Samuel Masury	8	35
Patty	sloop		Nathan Nichols	4	16
			Simon Forrester
Patty	ship		John Derby	8	20
			David Smith
Penguin	schooner		Samuel Foster	10	40
Pickering	ship		Jonathan Haraden	16	50
Porus	ship		Samuel Crowell	22	100
Pilgrim	ship		Joseph Robinson	18	100
Pompey	schooner		Silas Smith
Putnam	ship		Nathan Brown	18	90
Plato	brig
Pompey	schooner		W. Thomas	6
Port Packet	ship		Simon Forrester	8	20
Race Horse	schooner		Alexander Story	8	25
Rainbow	schooner		Oliver Webb	6	25
Rattlesnake	ship		Mark Clark	20	85
Raven	schooner		David Needham	12	40
Recovery	brigantine		Samuel Ingersoll
			William Dennis
Revenge	schooner		Benjamin Knight	8	40
			Samuel Foster
Revolt	brig		Henry Phelps	8	20
Resolution	schooner		Joseph Trask	8	20
Roebuck	ship		Gideon Henfield	14	90
			Joshua Grafton
Romulus	brig		Joseph Waters	14	25
			Thomas Palfrey
Rover	ship		James Barr, Jr.	24	100
Rover	schooner		Thomas Morgridge	10	30
Retaliation	brig		E. Giles	10	70
Revenge	sloop		Benjamin Dean	10
Ranger	schooner		Thomas Simmons	10	20
Rambler	brig		Benjamin Lovett	16	40
Rhodes	brig		N. Buffington	20	90
Resolution	ship		Samuel West	20	130
Robust	ship		Jonathan Tucker	12	25
Salem	brig		Henry Williams	12	30
			Edward Stanley
Salem Packet	ship		Joseph Cooke	12	30
			John Brewer
Satisfaction	schooner		Edward Stanley	6	30
Speedwell	brigantine		John Murphy	10	50
Scourge	brigantine		—— Parker	20	80
Sharke	sloop		10 swivels
Spanish Packet	ship		Thomas Dalling	10	20
Sturdy Beggar	brig		Daniel Hathorne	8	60
			Edward Rowland
Shaker	brig		—— Stacey	6	40
Spitfire	schooner		William Perkins	11	20
Spy	schooner		Thomas Philips	8	20
Surprize	schooner		Nathaniel Perkins	8	35
			Germain Langevain
Surprize	brig		Benjamin Cole	14	70
Swift	brig		Israel Johnson	14	70
Scorpion	schooner		Israel Thorndike	16	60
Swett	schooner		Joseph Fearson	12
Spring Bird	schooner		John Patten	4	25
Saucy Jack	schooner
Tartar	schooner		Thomas Dexter	10	18
Thomas	ship		Francis Boardman	10	20
Thrasher	schooner		Benjamin Cole	8	30
Titus	sloop		John Buchmore	4	11
Two Brothers	ship		William Gray		25
			Daniel Sanders
Tyger	brig		Samuel Crowell	14	70
Thorn	ship		Samuel Tucker
Trenton	ship		Joseph Nati	12
True American	schooner		Israel Thorndike	6	50
			John Blackler
Union	schooner		Jonathan Gardner, 3d.	8	25
			Isaac Smith
Union	sloop		John Fearson	6	30
Venus	ship		Thomas Nicholson	10	20
Viper	ship		Jonathan Neall	14	65
			Benjamin Hilton
Washington	brig		Edmond Lewis	7	15
Willing Maid	schooner		John Savage	4	25
Wild Cat	brig		Daniel Ropes	14	75
Warren	schooner		I. Thorndike	6	50
William	schooner		Joseph Fearson	8	25

PRIVATE ARMED SHIPS OF SALEM IN THE WAR OF 1812

Name	Class		Commander	Guns	Men
Active	schooner		Benjamin Patterson	12	25
Alexander	ship		T. Williams, Jr.	18	140
Alfred	ship		Benjamin Crowninshield	16	110
America	ship		Joseph Ropes	20	150
			John Kehoe
			Jas. W. Chever
Black Vomit	boat		John Upton	muskets	16
Buckskin	schooner		I. Bray	5	50
Cadet	schooner		William Calley	2	40
Castigator	launch		Stephen G. Clarke	6	20
			Spencer Hall
			John Upton
Cossack	schooner		Wm. Davis	1	45
			Abner Poland
Dart	schooner		T. Symonds	2	40
			John Green
Diomede	schooner		Jacob Crowninshield	3	100
Dolphin	schooner		Jacob Endicott	1	70
Enterprize	schooner		John R. Morgan	4	100
Fair Trader	schooner		John R. Morgan	1	35
			Abner Poland
Fame	schooner		John Upton	2	30
			—— Webb
Frolic	schooner		Nathan Green	1	60
			J. B. H. Ordione
Galliniper	schooner		Timothy Wellman	1	30
			Andrew Tucker
General Putnam	schooner		John Evans	2	60
General Stark	schooner		John Evans	3	50
Grand Turk	brig		Holten J. Breed	18	150
			Nathan Green
Growler	schooner		Samuel B. Graves		105
Helen	schooner		Nathaniel Lindsay	4	70
			John Upton
Halkar	boat		John Kehoe	muskets	16
			Samuel Lamson
Jefferson	sloop		S. Giles Downie	1	20
			T. Wellman, Jr.
John	ship		James Fairfield
			Benjamin Crowninshield
John & George	schooner		John Sinclair, Jr.	1	50
Lizard	schooner		Samuel Loring	2	30
Montgomery	brig		Holten J. Breed	10	100
			Ben. Upton
Onion	boat		John Upton	muskets	20
			Jonathan Blythe
Owl	boat		William Duncan	muskets	14
Phoenix	schooner		Stephenson Richards	1	25
Polly	sloop		Samuel C. Hardy	1	60
Recovery	schooner		Joseph Peele	2	20
Regulator	schooner		James Mansfield		50
Revenge	schooner		John Sinclair, Jr.	1	50
Scorpion	sloop		Stephenson Richards	1	20
Swift	schooner		Harney Choate	1	25
Swiftsure	launch		Stephen Clarke	1	20
			Charles Berry
Terrible	boat		John Green	muskets	10
Viper	schooner		Joseph Preston	1	20
Wasp	sloop		Ernest A. Erwin	2	35

RECAPITULATION

REVOLUTIONARY WAR

Ships	56
Brigs and Brigantines	69
Sloops	14
Schooners	56
Galley	1
	196
Total number of guns	1,965
Total number of men	7,631
Total number of vessels	196

WAR OF 1812

Ships	4
Brigs and Brigantines	2
Sloops	4
Schooners	21
	31
Total number of guns	147
Total number of men	2,081
Total number of vessels	31