Rising Sun Pennsylvania Ship [Decatur]

Rising Sun Commander Stephen Decatur Armed Ship 8 December 1781-19 March 1783 Pennsylvania Privateer Ship

Commissioned/First Date: 8 December 1781 Out of Service/Cause: 19 March 1783/wrecked on the New Jersey coast

Owners: Francis Gurney and Abraham Markoe et al, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Tonnage: 90

Battery: Date Reported: 8 December 1781 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 13/ Total: 13 cannon/ Broadside: 6 cannon/ Swivels:

Crew: 8 December 1781: 47 [] total

Description:

Officers: (1) First Mate John Osmon, 8 December 1781-[ 19 March 1783 ]

Cruises: (1) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to the Grenade Islands, French West Indies

(2) Grenade Islands, French West Indies to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 9 April 1782-7 May 1782

(3) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Tenerife, Madeira Islands

(4) Tenerife, Madeira Islands to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 22 October 1782-18 November 1782

(5) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Tenerife, Madeira Islands

Comment on this or any page at our ©awiatsea.com-posted July 2020 --1-- (6) Tenerife, Madeira Islands to New Jersey coast (wrecked), -19 March 1783

Prizes: (1) Brigantine Grace (George Kerr [] Carr ), November 1782

Actions:

Comments:

The 90-ton 1 Pennsylvania Privateer Ship Rising Sun was commissioned on 8 December 1781 under Commander Stephen Decatur of Philadelphia. First Mate was John Osmon of Philadelphia. Her battery was given as thirteen guns and her crew as forty-five men. Her $20,000 bond was executed by Decatur and Gurney. 2 Decatur is described as age 29, five feet eight inches tall, with dark brown hair and a fresh complexion. John Osmon is described as age 45, five feet six inches tall, with dark brown hair and a fair complexion. 3

Rising Sun made a voyage to the West Indies. She sailed from the Grenades Islands, then in the French West Indies, bound for to Philadelphia, about 9 April 1782, and arrived there on 7 May 1782. 4

Rising Sun made a voyage to the Madeira Islands in 1782. She sailed from Tenerife for Stephen Decatur, Sr., painted in 1783 by Charles Peale. Detail Philadelphia about 22 October 1782 and arrived of a photograph of the painting. The photograph is from Naval History and Heritage Command, NH#59512 in the Delaware River on 18 November 1782. During the passage home she captured a brig, “with a valuable cargo,” bound from England

1 Pennsylvania Archives , Series 5, volume 1:646

2 NRAR, 445

3 Pennsylvania Archives , Series 5, volume 1:647

4 The Freeman' s Journal: or, The North-American Intelligencer [] Philadelphia , Wednesday, May 8, 1782

Comment on this or any page at our ©awiatsea.com-posted July 2020 --2-- to Antigua in the British West Indies. 5 The brig was the Grace .6 Grace (George Kerr) was tried in the Pennsylvania Court of Admiralty on 26 November 1782. 7 Grace ’s cargo consisted of dry goods, porter, cheese, cordage and some “very fine” horses. 8

Rising Sun made a second voyage to Tenerife. On 19 March 1783, Rising Sun , returning to Philadelphia, ran aground in a gale on the New Jersey coast. 9 By 29 March the papers reported that part of the cargo was saved, but the ship was lost. 10

5 The Pennsylvania Packet or, the General Advertiser [] Philadelphia , Tuesday, November 19, 1782

6 The Pennsylvania Packet or, the General Advertiser [] Philadelphia , Thursday, November 21, 1782

7 The Pennsylvania Packet or, the General Advertiser [] Philadelphia , Tuesday, November 26, 1782

8 The Boston Gazette and the Country Journal , Monday, December 9, 1782

9 The Pennsylvania Packet or, the General Advertiser [] Philadelphia , Saturday, March 22, 1783

10 The Independent Gazetteer; or, the Chronicle of Freedom [] Philadelphia , Saturday, March 29, 1783