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Date Posted: 12:10:50 11/26/08 Wed
Author: carl brechler
Subject: Re: Privateers
In reply to: John Tredrea 's message, "Privateers" on 08:48:47 11/26/08 Wed

Hi,

I had noted the large numbers of privateers in the Russian Black Sea squadrons through out the war, not just the one example. It appears to have been standard operating procedure for the Russians.

In the Penobscot Expedition, there appear to have been only 10 privateers along with the three continental ships, three Massachusetts brigs and one New Hampshire brig. As I recall, Boston had shut down the port to preserve surprise. They added the privateers from ships in the port by hiring them, some voluntary, others not. They also hired twenty-two or twenty-four ships to act as transports/supply ships. From the evidence, it is hard to say that the privateers acted any better or worse than the regular warships.

The famous encounter of JP Jones and the Bon Homme Richard was actually the second cruise of his squadron. He had two Continental ships and three French ships in Continental service. During the first cruise, the cutter Cerf fought a credible action with two English cutters, I do not know if they were RN. On the second cruise, two French privateers, on of 38 guns and one of 10 guns attached themselves to the squadron, and the same had been offered to an American privateer, who declined. The privateers were not parties to the concordant signed by the regular warships, so Jones’s control over them was minimal, and he does not seem too upset when they left in the first week. The Cerf also left before the battle, but the other two French ships preformed well, better than the Alliance, capturing the Countess of Scarbourgh. It should be noted that the Countess was a hired ship, not a regular RN warship. Further, the French frigate Pallas began life as a privateer but was bought into the French Navy along with her officers and crew after a creditable action with the British frigate Brune.

The hiring of ships was not an isolated occurrence for the Americans during the Revolutionary War. South Carolina hired most of its ships, appointing the officers. Four South Carolina ships accompanied Randolph on her last cruise, and I believe three were of the hired persuasion. All participated in the battle with the Yarmouth.

So the question becomes, what is a privateer? Is it a ship that has been issued a Letter of Marque and Reprisal, or just a privately owned warship, whether privately employed or hired out to a national navy? A perusal of Lyon shows that the Royal Navy hired numbers of ships up to large sloops in size, and employed them in active service (convoy escort, etc).

carl

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