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Convoy Battle-Raleigh Attacks Druid: “ . . . a Pretty Little Action

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Convoy Battle-Raleigh Attacks Druid: “ . . . a Pretty Little Action North Atlantic Convoy Battle-Raleigh Attacks Druid: “ . a pretty little action . .” NEWFOUNDLAND BANKS TO THE FRENCH COAST -4-8 September 1777- 1. The Summer Leeward Islands Convoy, August 1777 The summer convoy from the British Leeward Islands, homebound with the trade from the West Indies, sailed about 1 August 1777 1 from Basseterre Road, St. Christopher' s. 2 The escort group for this convoy consisted of the: Camel Frigate 20 Captain William Finch Weazle Sloop 16 Commander Charles Hope Druid Sloop 14 Commander Peter Carteret Grasshopper Sloop 14 Commander William Truscott 3 By the time Captain Finch, the senior officer, had sailed and collected the various merchant ships and vessels from the several ports along his course he had 127 sail under convoy. The merchantmen promptly began the usual routine of straggling, breaking away, and being chased and herded back to the convoy. On 31 August the convoy was at 39 o56' N, 52 o40' W. Here the Grasshopper was detached from the escort group to return to the Leeward Islands. Despite some ships breaking off to proceed alone there were still well over one hundred sail. 4 Except for two small sloops which had been ""detained it had been an uneventful voyage. 5 One of these was the 1 NDAR, "Vice Admiral James Young to Philip Stephens," 9:322-324 2 NDAR, "Disposition of Vice Admiral James Young'" s Leeward Island Squadron, 9:312-313 3 NDAR, "Disposition of Vice Admiral James Young' s Leeward Island Squadron," 9:312-313; "Extract of a Letter from on board the Jupiter , Capt. Campbell, dated Corke, Sept. 5, received Yesterday by the Irish Mail," 9:627-628 and 628 note; "Journal of H. M. Sloop Druid , Captain Peter Carteret," 9:877 and note; "Journal of H. M. Sloop Weazle , Captain Charles Hope," 9:878 4 NDAR, "Extract of a Letter from on board the Jupiter , Capt. Campbell, dated Corke, Sept. 5, received Yesterday by the Irish Mail," 9:627-628 and 628 note 5 NDAR, "Captain William Clement Finch, R.N., to Vice Admiral James Young," 9:858-859 Comment on this or any page at our ©awiatsea.com-posted November 2020 --1-- Alexander (James Cuthbert), from Antigua with a cargo of rice, indigo, and tobacco. She was taken by the Camel and arrived at Portsmouth, England on 2 October 1777. 6 2. The American Squadron at Portsmouth, August 1777 Continental Navy Frigate Raleigh (Captain Thomas Thompson) had gone through a long and tortuous fitting out process at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. After many near starts she was ready to sail by late July 1777, despite being short-handed and without her complete battery. It was decided to send her to France with a cargo and there obtain the necessary items to complete her outfit and arming. Raleigh (Captain Thomas Thompson) had gone through a long and tortuous fitting out process at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. After many near starts she was ready to sail by late July 1777, despite being short-handed and without her complete battery. It was decided to send her to France with a cargo and there obtain the necessary items to complete her outfit and arming. To accompany the Raleigh , the Alfred was chosen. Command of the squadron thus to be formed was vested in Thompson. Alfred sailed from Marblehead in late July 1777 and arrived in the lower Piscataqua River about the first of August. 7 Hinman brought the Alfred up to Portsmouth soon after. Here he completed his stores, drawing supplies from Continental Agent John Langdon on 12 August. 8 Raleigh was so short-handed that Hinman was forced to send twenty of his men aboard to enable her to sail. 9 Although Hinman was but a short time at Portsmouth, he was there long enough to make a favorable impression on William Whipple, delegate to Congress from New Hampshire and a Marine Committee member. Whipple, writing to Robert Morris on 28 August, said “I had formed an opinion of him not the most favorable (and that without any just cause, or indeed without any cause, except the general Prejudice I had taken to Commodore Hopkins' s Officers) I think myself bound in justice to say...I am fully convinced he is an exceeding good Officer. He is very judicious && active, an Excellent disciplinarian at the same time possesses the intire Confidence & even the affection of his Officers & men . .” 10 3. The Squadron Sails, 22 August-1 September 1777 Raleigh and Alfred sailed for France on 22 August 1777. Three days after sailing a small 6 NDAR, “Extract of a Letter from Portsmouth, dated Oct. 2,” 10:854 7 Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution , i, 222-223 8 Morgan, Captains to the Northward , 240n74 9 NDAR, “Captain Elisha Hinman to Ellis Gray,” 10:946-947 and 947 notes 10 NDAR, “William Whipple to Robert Morris,” 9:828-829 Comment on this or any page at our ©awiatsea.com-posted November 2020 --2-- schooner 11 (Athens) 12 was sighted and captured. She was bound for Halifax from New York and was in ballast except for a small cargo of flour and $4390 in counterfeit Continental and Massachusetts currency, as well as 275 Spanish milled dollars. Thompson saved a small sample of the counterfeit money and burned the rest. The schooner was of little value so it was burned too. 13 The next day, 26 August, the Continentals fell in with a Bermudian vessel bound from Halifax. Since vessels from Bermuda were exempted from capture by Congress, the vessel was released. The skipper was short of provisions for he had not been allowed to take any provisions from Halifax. The Americans supplied him with some provisions and received intelligence in exchange: a British sloop or two lay about Bermuda and “greatly annoy’d” American trade to the West Indies. The Americans set sail for Bermuda to engage the British sloops. 14 The wind was favorable until 36 EN was reached, when a hard gale blew up from the south. For two days the American ships ran to the northeast under shortened sail. They were pushed far to the north and east, away from Bermuda. After the gale eased, about 1 September 1777, the captains conferred and decided to steer to the east in hopes of finding the Jamaica convoy, or at least stragglers from it. 4. Capture of the Nanny, 2-3 September 1777 On 2 September 1777, just a daybreak, the 150-ton 15 snow 16 or brig 17 Nancy 18 (or Nanny ), 19 11 NDAR, “Captain Thomas Thompson to the Continental Marine Committee,” 10:847-849; “Captain Elisha Hinman to Ellis Gray,” 10:946-947 and 947 notes; Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution , i, 223; Smith, Marines in the Revolution , 117 12 NDAR, “William Cooley and W. Stiles to the Commissioners of the Customs,” 10:939 and note; “Captain Elisha Hinman to Ellis Gray,” 10:946-947 and 947 notes 13 NDAR, “Captain Thomas Thompson to the Continental Marine Committee,” 10:847-849; Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution , i, 223; Smith, Marines in the Revolution , 117 14 NDAR, “Captain Thomas Thompson to the Continental Marine Committee,” 10:847-849 15 NDAR, “Libels Filed in the Massachusetts Maritime Court of the Southern District,” 10:242 and note 16 NDAR, “Captain Thomas Thompson to the Continental Marine Committee,” 10:847-849; “Providence Gazette , Saturday, October 11, 1777,” 10:116 and note, “Libels Filed in the Massachusetts Maritime Court of the Southern District,” 10:242 and note; “Affidavit of John Hall, Seaman of Snow Nanny ,” 10:930 and note; “Captain Elisha Hinman to Ellis Gray,” 10:946- 947 and 947 note 17 NDAR, “Captain Thomas Thompson to John Langdon,” 9:895-896 and 896 note 18 NDAR, “Admiral Sir Thomas Pye to Philip Stephens,” 10:940-942; Allen, Naval History of the American Revolution , i, 224; Smith, Marines in the Revolution , 117 19 NDAR, “Captain Thomas Thompson to John Langdon,” 9:895-896 and 896 note; “Captain Thomas Thompson to the Continental Marine Committee,” 10:847-849, “Providence Gazette , Saturday, October 11, 1777,” 10:116 and note, “Libels Filed in the Massachusetts Maritime Court of the Southern District,” 10:242 and note; “Affidavit of John Hall, Seaman of Snow Comment on this or any page at our ©awiatsea.com-posted November 2020 --3-- master Anthony Hooper 20 was captured, bound from St. Vincent’s to England.21 She had outsailed the convoy the day before, 22 and was thus a “romper” rather than a straggler. A sailor aboard the Nanny gave the position as 40 E00 NN. 23 Aboard the Nanny were several passengers. These, and skipper Hooper, were “Old Acquaintance” of Thompson’s. They “communicated freely every particular they knew respecting the fleet.” From them Hinman and Thompson learned that there were four escort vessels: the Camel , a large, lofty ship, like an Indiaman, armed with twenty-two 12-pounders, and three sloops-of-war, the Druid , Weazel , and Grasshopper , all armed with sixteen guns. One sloop was to part at 39 EN, and return to the West Indies, which Thompson thought had probably already departed. 24 He took copies of the convoy' s sailing orders and signal books. 25 One Nutter was put in command of the Nanny as prizemaster. 26 Nanny was loaded with sugar and cotton 27 and coffee. 28 Thompson kept her with him for the time being, 29 removing most of the crew to the Raleigh .30 5. Interception, 3-4 September 1777 Raleigh and Alfred went hunting for the convoy and found it the next morning. All day long the two American frigates closed the convoy and were close enough by dusk to count over sixty sail from the mastheads, as well as to make out details of the leading ships.
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