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Warren (1) Commander William Coas Schooner 2 August 1776-[] October 1776 Massachusetts Privateer Schooner (2) Commander John Coulston 21 October 1776-[] 26 December 1776 (3) Commander Silas Howell 3 September 1777-9 September 1777

Commissioned/First Date: 2 August 1776 Out of Service/Cause: 9 September 1777/captured by HM Frigate Unicorn

Owners: (1) Joseph Foster, Winthrop Sargent and Epes Sargent, all of Gloucester, Massachusetts and John Winthrop, Jr. of Boston, Massachusetts; (2) John Coffin Jones of Newburyport, Massachusetts and Stephen Bruce of Boston, Massachusetts et al

Tonnage: 70

Battery: Date Reported: 2 August 1776 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 4/4-pounder 16 pounds 8 pounds 4/3-pounder 12 pounds 6 pounds Total: 8 cannon/28 pounds Broadside: 4 cannon/14 pounds Swivels: twelve

Date Reported: 21 October 1776 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 8/ Total: 8 cannon/ Broadside: 4 cannon/ Swivels:

Date Reported: 1 December 1776 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 12/6-pounder 72 pounds 36 pounds Total: 12 cannon/72 pounds Broadside: 6 cannon/36 pounds

©awiatsea.com-posted August 2019 --1-- Swivels: twelve

Date Reported: 3 September 1777 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 10/ Total: 10 cannon/ Broadside: 5 cannon/ Swivels:

Crew: (1) 2 August 1776: 53 [ total (2) 21 October 1776: 61 [] total (3) 1 December 1776: 85 [] total (4) 3 September 1777: 53 [] total

Description:

Officers: (1) First Lieutenant Coas Gardner, 2 August 1776-; (2) First Lieutenant Benjamin Tucker, 3 September 1777-9 September 1777; (3) Second Lieutenant Moses Harris, 2 August1776-; (4) Second Lieutenant Thomas Sanders, 3 September 1777-9 September 1777

Cruises: (1) Cape Ann, Massachusetts to sea and return, []7 August 1776-28 September 1776

(2) Cape Ann, Massachusetts to sea and return, [ 7 November] 1776-26 December 1776

(3) Cape Ann, Massachusetts to area of Nantucket Shoals, []8 September 1777-9 September 1777

Prizes: (1) Ship Picary (Breholt Cleveland), in the West Indies, 29 August 1776

(2) Brig Swallow (Benjamin Griffiths), in the West Indies, []1 September 1776

(3) Ship Sarah and Elizabeth (James Foot), in the West Indies, 18 September 1776

(4) Schooner Patroclus (William Gill), 1 December 1776

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©awiatsea.com-posted August 2019 --2-- John Winthrop, Jr., owner of the Massachusetts Privateer Schooner Warren , petitioned the Massachusetts Council for a commission on 2 August 1776. Winthrop stated that Warren was a 70- ton vessel, armed with four 4-pounders, four 3-pounders, twelve swivels and four cohorns, and listed her crew as fifty men. Appointed as commander was William Coas of Gloucester (Cape Ann), with Coas Gardner of Gloucester as First Lieutenant and Moses Harris of Ipswich as Second Lieutenant. Winthrop also petitioned to be allowed to buy seven hundred pounds of gunpowder from the state. Both petitions were granted. 1 Warren ’s $5000 Continental bond was signed the same day, by Joseph Foster, Winthrop Sargent and Epes Sargent, all of Gloucester and by John Winthrop, Jr. of Boston, Massachusetts, and by Coas. The owners were listed as the Sargents, Foster and Winthrop. 2 Coas Gardner was formerly master of the sloop John , captured by the British on 7 March 1776. 3 Warren was the former fishing schooner Britannia .4

Warren probably sailed soon after her commission was granted. Three prizes were captured on this cruise:

(1) Ship Picary (Breholt Cleveland), a three decked 300 to 400-ton vessel bound to London from Tobago. She was captured on 29 August (or 4 September) 1776 and was sent in to Cape Ann, arriving there on 14 September. Picary ’s cargo consisted of sugar, cotton, Madeira wine, rum and indigo. Picary was libeled on 26 September and trial was held on 15 October 1776. 5

(2) Brig Swallow (Benjamin Griffiths) was between 70 and 120 tons and engaged in the Guinea trade (i.e., the slave trade). She had sailed from the Guinea coast to Tobago, and was proceeding to London or Bristol with no cargo except gold dust and elephant tusks when she was captured. Although armed with six or eight 1½ -pounders and ten swivels, she made no resistance. She was sent into Cape Ann, arriving on 16 September 1776. She reported that Warren had been in chase of a ship when she parted company. She was libeled and tried at the same time as the Picary .6

1 NDAR, " Journal of the Massachusetts Council," 6: 12-14 and 14 note; also listed in Emmons, 168

2 NDAR, "Journal of the Massachusetts Council," 6: 12-14 and 14 note; Allen, Massachusetts Privateers of the Revolution , 319

3 NDAR, 4: 207 and note, 228

4 Hurd, D. Hamilton (comp.), History of Essex County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of Its Many Pioneers and Prominent Men , Philadelphia: J. W. Lewis & Co., 1888, II, 1336

5 NDAR, "Public Advertiser , Wednesday, October 2, 1776," 6: 626-627 and 627 note; "Boston Gazette , Monday, September 23, 1776," 6: 952; "Libels Filed Against Various Prizes in the Massachusetts Admiralty Court," 6: 1002-1003; "Petition to the Massachusetts Council of John Bardwell Barnard, Passenger in the Prize Ship Picary ," 7: 4 and note; "Petition of British Prisoners to the Massachusetts Council," 7: 593-594

6 NDAR, "Independent Chronicle , Thursday, September 19, 1776," 6: 899 and note; "Boston Gazette , Monday, September 23, 1776," 6: 952 and note; "Libels Filed Against Various Prizes in the Massachusetts Admiralty Court," 6: 1002-1003; "John Bradford to John Hancock," 6:1053-1055 and 1055 note; "Observations by the Late Master of the British Ship Spiers ," 7: 299- 300; "Whitehall Evening Post , Thursday, December 26 to Saturday, December 28, 1776," 7: 809-810

©awiatsea.com-posted August 2019 --3-- (3) The 500-ton 7 ship Sarah and Elizabeth (James Foot) was another large Indiaman and was captured on 18 September 1776. She had a cargo of sugar, rum, indigo, tortoise, tortoise shell, cotton, mahogany, cash and plate, and was from Tobago or Barbados to London. Although she had sailed with the homeward bound Leeward Islands convoy under Navy escort, she had parted company after leaving the Florida Gulf and had fallen to Warren . She was escorted most of the way to Cape Ann by the privateer, who then took out her money and plate. Warren arrived on 28 September and the prize arrived safely on the 30th. The ship was tried and condemned, but purchased by her master, who sought permission from the Massachusetts Council (on 24 February 1777) to sail her to Jamaica in ballast. The Council gave limited permission on 21 March 1777, Foot having first to go to New York and negotiate a prisoner exchange for himself and his crew. If the exchange could not be arranged Foot was to return within sixty days. 8

Warren was re-commissioned under Commander John Coulson []Coulston of Gloucester on 21 October 1776. She was listed as having eight guns and a crew of sixty men. Her $5000 Continental bond was signed by Coulston and by John Coffin Jones of Newburyport, Massachusetts and Stephen Bruce of Boston. The owners were listed as Jones, Bruce and others. 9

Another cruise began about 7 November 1776. The only prize reported was the 100 ton schooner Patroclus (William Gill), from Dominica to Quebec, 10 or to Halifax, Nova Scotia, 11 captured on 1 December 1776. She was brought in to Cape Ann. The owners of the privateer denied the master and crew their private interest, then promised restitution, thus leading the prisoners to miss a cartel ship. Warren arrived at Cape Ann on 26 December 1776 from her cruise. The schooner was libeled on 9 January 1777, with trial set for 28 January 1777. 12 The prisoners reported that the Warren was armed with twelve 6-pounders, twelve swivel guns, and had a crew of eighty-five men. 13

7 Hurd, History of Essex County , II, 1336

8 NDAR, "John Bradford to John Hancock," 6: 1053-1055 and 1055 note; "Independent Chronicle , Thursday, October 3, 1776," 6: 1113-1114 and 1114 note; "" Petition of British Prisoners to the Massachusetts Council," 7: 593-594; "Whitehall Evening Post , Tuesday, November 19 to Thursday, November 21, 1776,"" 7: 749-750; Captain William Cornwallis, R.N., to Philip Stephens," 7: 750-751; "Petition of James Foot to the Massachusetts Council," 7: 1274-1275; "Acts and Resolves of the Massachusetts General Court," 8: 164-166 and 166 note; "Petition of John Stoughton to the Massachusetts General Court, " 8: 250

9 Allen, Massachusetts Privateers of the Revolution , 320; Emmons, 168

10 NDAR, " Petition of British Prisoners to the Massachusetts Council," 7: 593-594; "Boston Gazette , Monday, January 6, 1777,"" 7: 868; Libels Filed in the Massachusetts Maritime Court," 7: 906-907

11 New-Lloyd’s List [] London , Friday, February 25, 1777

12 NDAR, "Petition of British Prisoners to the Massachusetts Council," 7: 593-594; "Boston Gazette , Monday, January 6, 1777,"" 7: 868; Libels Filed in the Massachusetts Maritime Court," 7: 906-907

13 New-Lloyd’s List [] London , Friday, February 25, 1777

©awiatsea.com-posted August 2019 --4-- Warren was advertised for sale at Boston on 15 July 1777. She was then at Colonel Foster’s wharf and was noted as 70 tons. Warren was to be sold just as “she came from sea.”14

Warren was again commissioned on 3 September 1777, under Commander Silas Howell of, probably of Gloucester. She was listed as having ten guns and a crew of fifty men. Her $5000 Continental bond was signed by Howell and by Winthrop Sargent of Gloucester and John Winthrop, Jr. of Boston. The owners were listed as Winthrop and Epes Sargent and others of Gloucester. 15 She fitted out at Cape Ann, Massachusetts with a listed battery of ten guns and a crew of fifty men. 16 Benjamin Tucker served aboard as First Lieutenant and Thomas Saunders served as Second Lieutenant. Her owners were Winthrop Sargent, Epes Sargent et al of Gloucester, Massachusetts. 17

Warren sailed on her first and last cruise under Howell on 6 September 1777. 18 She came out of Gloucester, got through the British blockade and was about 140 miles southeast of Nantucket Shoals by the morning of 9 September: a squally grey day. At 0700 little Warren was sighted by HM Frigate Unicorn , away to the east, and a pursuit was begun. By 1000 the British frigate had come with musket shot and began firing her bow chasers and then small arms at the privateer. Howell hove to and surrendered. The prisoners were soon aboard the Unicorn and a midshipman and eight sailors boarded the Warren as a prize crew. 19 The British reported she was armed with ten guns and had a crew of fifty-seven men aboard. She was sent into Rhode Island, 20 then in to New York, where she was condemned on 3 November 1777.21

Efforts to exchange the prisoners were underway by 22 November. 22 By 10 December 1777 the exchanges had been arranged and twenty-nine men from the Warren , including the officers had been released. 23

14 The Independent Chronicle and the Universal Advertiser [] Boston , Thursday, July 17, 1777

15 Allen, Massachusetts Privateers of the Revolution , 321

16 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Unicorn , Captain John Ford,” 9: 901 and note

17 NDAR, “Rear Admiral Sir Peter Parker to Governor Nicholas Cook,” 10: 566-567 and 567 note

18 Hurd, History of Essex County , II, 1336

19 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Unicorn , Captain John Ford,” 9: 901 and note

20 The New-York Gazette; and the Weekly Mercury , Monday, October 6, 1777

21 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Unicorn , Captain John Ford,” 9: 901 and note; HCA 32/488/9/1-10

22 NDAR, “Rear Admiral Sir Peter Parker to Governor Nicholas Cook,” 10: 566-567 and 567 note; “Rear Admiral Sir Peter Parker to Governor Nicholas Cook,” 10: 644 and note

23 NDAR, “Governor Nicholas Cooke to the Massachusetts Council,” 10: 698 and note

©awiatsea.com-posted August 2019 --5--