sign in sign up
<<
Home , British America, Joshua Barney

Carlyle House July, 2008

D OCENT D ISPATCH Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority For Cause and Profit: The Private Ship General Mercer of Alexandria by Jim Bartlinski Part 1 of 2 From Massachusetts waters. A number of these vessels were built by the to Georgia the port’s master shipwrights. Two designs unique to economies of Great the Chesapeake region were the single-masted sloops Britain and Her and two-masted , renowned for their speed. estranged American Although the majority of these distinctive sloops and were schooners were built as merchantmen to navigate the undeniably tied to the high seas engaging in international and coastal trade, sea. The majority of during time of war they were quickly pressed into colonial America’s service as privateers by resourceful merchant - population was situated shippers like Carlyle, looking to recoup wartime in and around maritime losses. mercantile centers like As a prominent merchant -shipper, landowner and Boston, Providence, member of Virginia’s aristocracy, Colonel Carlyle , , relied heavily on the transatlantic trade for his Alexandria, Charleston livelihood. His Most Christian Majesty George III’s New , Conn. 1776 and Savannah. The Royal Navy that once protected America’s sources of revenue of the inhabitants of these ports and transatlantic trade, now made every effort to surrounding areas were likewise linked to the sea. The suppress it. The blockade of the Virginia capes, the profession that was the impetus behind the growth of Chesapeake, and the Potomac during the fight for these mercantile ports along British-America’s Eastern independence by Great Britain’s naval forces Seaboard was that of the merchant -shipper, particularly threatened the way of life that the Colonel and his ones like the wealthy and well connected Alexandria, peers had worked so hard to establish. Therefore, Virginia merchant, Colonel John Carlyle, formerly of many entrepreneurial ship owners, merchants, and Carlisle, . private citizens alike turned to the time-honored As a successful seaport merchant, Colonel Carlyle practice of privateering. Privateering was not only a dominated Alexandrian society. He served as a trustee means by which to keep the economies of Britain’s of the port and contributed much to the early economic former American colonies afloat, but it was for success of his adopted hometown. From 1753, when a patriotic (if not opportunistic) citizens a way to wage thirty-three year old John Carlyle established residence an economic war against His Majesty’s . in Alexandria to his death in 1780, the town’s harbor Privateering was a unique blend of profit and had developed into an active port, from which tobacco, patriotism. For centuries European powers regularly flour, and sundry other cargoes were shipped and issued documents known as “Letters of Marqué and imports of every kind brought in. Alexandria’s large crescent bay was crowded with vessels of every design that were owned, manned, and fitted out by merchant - CARLYLE HOUSE shippers like Carlyle. From Alexandria’s ropewalk came hundreds of miles of rope to hoist the sails made Mary Ruth Coleman, Director in the town’s sail lofts that propelled the shallops, Jim Bartlinski, Curator skiffs, ships, , and brigantines that plied her Sarah Arnold, Curator of Education

Page 2 Docent Dispatch Reprisal” to private citizens. A letter of marqué the allure of prize essentially served as a license that made it lawful for money from privately owned vessels to attack enemy shipping. privateering was so Without the letter of marqué, these same activities enticing that the United were considered acts of piracy and subject to States Navy found it prosecution. When a privateer captured an enemy difficult to man its own vessel (known as a prize), an admiralty prize court had vessels. This lack of to approve the seizure. Then, the prize and its cargo Privateer Ship Rattlesnake willing sailors resulted were sold at public auction and the proceeds from its in American press sale were divided among the vessel’s owners, gangs combing the wharfs, taverns, and brothels of investors, , and crew of the privateer, according ports from Boston to Savannah, seeking “recruits” for to a pre-arranged contract. service in the navy of the thirteen . The term “privateer” was interchangeable. It could be For the first few years of the war, the Royal Navy used to identify the captain, a crew member, or the had the resources to combat most American privateer vessel itself. Typically a group of investors financed a activity. With the alliance between the fledgling privateer to run the Royal Navy’s blockade to deliver United States and in 1778, and a year their cargoes to foreign markets and bring back goods later, the vessels of His Royal Majesty’s Navy were to America. If, during the voyage, the privateer spread thin. American privateers were able to take happened to capture an enemy vessel, they were to be advantage of the reduced British naval presence in its taken back to the United States or to a neutral port, waters. Together with the ability to use French and to condemned as a prize, and sold. The government or some extent Spanish ports throughout their respective investors that granted the original letter of marqué , American privateers and naval vessels alike would receive the lion’s share of the spoils. had the capacity to attack George III’s naval and When the Revolution began the American colonies commercial fleets in their home waters. According to were in no position to defy British rule of the seas. By statistics compiled by the United States Merchant 1776, the already battle tested Royal Navy had proven Marines, from 1775 to 1783 the Continental/United itself to be the world’s dominant maritime power. At States Navy consisted of only 64 vessels with no point in the conflict did the American naval forces American privateers adding another 1,697. The have adequate resources to confront His Majesty’s American Navy had an arsenal of 1,246 guns aboard Navy on its own terms. To circumvent this imbalance its vessels; the privateers had 14,872. The American of naval power, George III’s rebellious colonies turned Navy captured 196 enemy vessels during the war to privateering. On March 23, 1776, Congress compared to the privateers 2,283. It is estimated that responded to the situation by issuing general “Letters- American naval forces inflicted upwards of £66 of-Marqué and Reprisal,” making all British shipping, million of damage to British shipping, causing armed or unarmed, liable to capture by American insurance rates to skyrocket 30 to 50 percent during the vessels. A month later Congress resolved to send to conflict. The London Spectator candidly admitted: each of the “United Colonies” blank letters of marqué “The books at Lloyds will recount it, and the rate of signed by the President of Congress to be issued to assurances at that time will prove what their [American anyone willing to be commissioned a privateer. privateers] diminutive strength was able to effect in the During the war it had been estimated that sixty-four face of our navy, and that when nearly one hundred Virginia vessels sailed under letters of marqué issued pennants were flying on our coast. Were we able to by Congress. The individual states also issued their prevent their going in and out, or stop them from own letters of marqué to entrepreneurial private taking our trade and our storeships even in sight of our citizens to harass British shipping. garrisons? Besides, were they not in the English and In late 1776, the unbridled zeal for sailing under a Irish Channels, picking up our homeward bound trade, letter of marqué caused one Bostonian to write - “the sending their prizes into French and Spanish ports to spirit of privateering has got to the highest enthusiasm: the great terror of our merchants and shipowners?” almost every vessel from 20 tons to 400 is fitting out In contrast the British had 800 privateers, compared here.” The same scene was repeated in every port to the 1,697 American privateers in service during the along America’s east coast. As it might be imagined, Revolution. Military and naval historian Angus

Page 3 Docent Dispatch Konstam points out in his work Privateers and Pirates enterprise. Not unlike George and Lund Washington, 1730-1830, that His Majesty’s privateers were it would not have been bad business for a merchant primarily “coastal vessels, designed to capture enemy like Carlyle to invest in such a scheme. According to shipping in the English Channel,” not on the high the memoirs of Joshua Barney (a naval seas. Therefore, British privateers did not have the hero of the Revolution and ) edited by same damaging effect on the economies of the his daughter -in-law Mary Chase Barney in 1832, as a thirteen United States as did their rebel counterparts nineteen -year-old in February 1779, he on that of Great Britain’s. It was the blockade of the shipped aboard a privateer fitting out in Alexandria. American coast by the men-of-war of His Majesty’s In Barney’s memoirs the vessel was to carry “a cargo Royal Navy and the actions of the Loyalist privateers of tobacco … to Bordeaux.” A native of Baltimore that impeded commerce. Evidence of this appears in and known as a skilled and brash sailor, Barney was the March 12, 1779 issue of the Virginia Gazette barely sixteen when he began his service to his printed by John Dixon and Thomas Nicolson of Country. Owing to his success against the Royal Williamsburg. In this issue the Gazette published a Navy during America’s two wars with Great Britain, report from Baltimore dated February 23, 1779 that Lieutenant Barney became something of a popular announced: “the merchants of this town have had hero. several meetings of late, to consider the state of their As Joshua Barney’s trade, which has suffered greatly by the enemy’s autobiography points out, privateers: and that in consequence thereof they have this was not his first time come to a resolution of laying up all their vessels for in the port of Alexandria. some time.” In April 1779, Jonathan Williams, Jr., a From 1769 to 1770, an commercial agent for the United States in France adolescent Barney was observed that “the situation of our [America’s] Trade apprenticed to a merchant is very trying.” As mentioned earlier, to combat this “friend” of his father, strain on the American economy, merchant -shippers “engaged in a brisk and like John Carlyle turned to privateers, not only to run active business at the British blockade, but to act as armed escorts for Alexandria.” Might this their poorly armed or unarmed merchantmen. merchant have been John Joshua Barney It is not clear if Colonel John Carlyle owned or Carlyle? If not apprenticed invested in privateers, but his contemporaries to Carlyle, surely as a prominent merchant and trustee undoubtedly did. During the war General George of the town, he was acquainted with Barney in some Washington invested in at least one privateer. On fashion. It is likely that between 1770 and 1779, the November 14, 1777, he wrote his stepson, John Parke youthful seaman had returned to Alexandria on a Custis, concerning the sale of one of the vessels that number of occasions, but as of yet no record has “It is perfectly agreeable, too, that Colonel Baylor surfaced to substantiate this supposition. In any case, should share part of the privateer. I have spoken to Carlyle was likely aware of the self-assured young him on the subject. I shall therefore consider myself sailor’s exploits and if involved in this privateering as possessing one fourth of your full share, and that venture, he probably would not have opposed yourself, Baylor, Lund Washington, and I are equally Barney’s participation. concerned in the share you at first held.” Lieutenant Although Barney never refers to the “private” Colonel George Baylor of Virginia was Washington’s vessel “laying at Alexandria” by name, she was likely former aide-de-camp and the first commander of the the ship General Mercer , captained by Isaiah 3rd Continental Light Dragoons, the regiment that a Robinson. Most naval historians of the American teenaged George William Carlyle served during his Revolution have mistakenly identified this vessel as short and tragic military career. Lund Washington the Pomona and her master, John Robertson was the general’s cousin and business manager. (also spelled “Robinson”) of Philadelphia for Isaiah Based on this example it is likely that Washington’s Robinson. Robertson/Robinson was in command of kinsman through marriage, John Carlyle, was the Pomona in March 1779, the same month that involved in some capacity with privateers. primary sources state that Isaiah Robinson and Joshua Albeit risky, privateering could be a lucrative Barney were making their way from Alexandria to

Page 2 Docent Dispatch Bordeaux aboard the General Mercer . Further briefly served with the Continental Army. Apparently evidence shows that in July 1779, the brig Pomona the Frenchman was “intrusted with Letters” for was captured by the British and John Robertson/ Franklin that Robinson doubted had “much more Robinson was taken prisoner. An October 8/10, 1779 Authentick Intelligence, than I can pretend to give letter from in Passy to his friend You; to these therefore I beg leave to refer You on that David Hartley, the British statesman and scientist who Subject.” The evidence provided in the letters written negotiated prisoner exchanges with Franklin as well as by Bondfield and Robinson lay further claim to the the treaty that ended the war, gives additional credence identity of the vessel in question, being that of the to this claim. Franklin writes his friend stating that he Alexandria built private ship General Mercer . But would like to procure the parole of “a Captain there are some period sources that continue to muddy Robertson [John Robinson] of Philadelphia, who was the waters for naval historians attempting to identify Master of the Brigantine Pomona which sailed in June the vessel commanded by Isaiah Robinson. last from Amsterdam, and is now with his Son a Apparently there were a number of vessels of various Prisoner at Forton.” The enemies of Great Britain designs named for Brigadier General Hugh Mercer of captured in European or African waters were sent to Fredericksburg, Virginia. Mercer a native of Scotland one of two prisons, Mill Prison near Plymouth and became a martyr to the American cause after his death Forton Prison, near Portsmouth. Obviously it is the in January 1777 at the Battle of Princeton. Within similarity of the two captain’s names that caused this three months of Mercer’s death, a James Babson of confusion. Further proof that Isaiah Robinson was not Gloucester, Massachusetts was commissioned on April in command of the Pomona stems from the fact that 30, 1777 as commander of the privateer brigantine the brig and her captain were captured in July 1779, General Mercer . In June 1777, Alexander Murray of when Robinson and Barney were still in France aboard Kent County, Maryland was understood to be Captain the General Mercer . of the Maryland privateer sloop General Mercer , Additional clues to the mounting ten-guns with a crew of 50. The October 10, identity of this mystery 1777 addition of the Virginia Gazette printed by vessel from Alexandria can Alexander Purdie of Williamsburg, reported that “The be found in the published General Mercer privateer, belonging to Baltimore, has papers of Benjamin Franklin. taken, and brought safe into port, a fine new brig While writing to Franklin on bound for Lisbon with 150,000 wt. of codfish; the April 24, 1779, John vessel and cargo valued at upwards of 10,000l.” This Bondfield, who had been “General Mercer privateer, belonging to Baltimore” is appointed by Congress in in all probability the same privateer sloop General February 1778 to serve as Mercer commanded by Alexander Murray. To further Ben Franklin, c. 1779 commercial agent for the confuse the issue, derivatives of the fallen hero’s name new United States in were also used to name American fighting vessels. Bordeaux (the first known American diplomatic station A newspaper from John Carlyle’s native Cumberland in the world), asserts that he expected “a vessel dayly County, England reported on July 5, 1777, that a vessel from Alexandria.” According to the American named “Mercer ” was “To be sold by the commercial agent, the vessel had been “ready for Sea Commissioners appointed by H.M. High Court of in February [1779]. This information is collaborated Admiralty at Whitehaven, 21 Jul: the cargo of the ship by Barney in his memoirs. Nearly a month after Mercer (master, Nathaniel Dowse) ‘lately Condemned, Bondfield’s correspondence with Franklin, a May 11th in the said Court, as Rights and Perquisites of letter from Captain Isaiah Robinson to the elder Admiralty’ - 506 hogsheads of tobacco ‘Duty Free, for statesman in Paris makes known that he had “arrived Inland Consumption only’; also some fustick [a wood here [Bordeaux] a few days ago from Virga. in a Ship, used to make a yellow dye] and staves, duty free. built there, belonging to Philadelphia … the Ship, Catalogues available soon; payment must be made in General Mercer .” In this same letter Robinson ‘Bank Notes or heavy Guineas’.” A subsequent report mentions to Franklin that he brought a passenger with indicates that “the Mercer’s cargo was sold by auction, him from Alexandria, a Martial -Jean-Antoine Crozat producing £31,788/1/9.5.” On May 5, 1778 privateer de Crénis. Crénis was a French army officer who captain, Dowse wrote to the American Commissioners

Page 2 Docent Dispatch in Paris from To any longshoreman, merchant -shipper, marine agent, Bordeaux, landsman, ordinary or able-bodied seaman worth his that he had salt, the proper identification of a vessel’s design or “sailed from rigging would have been second nature. And as so Virginia as clearly illustrated in Falconer’s Universal Dictionary master of the of the Marine , the distinctiveness of each of the three Mercer , with designs, as well as the evidence provided by Barney, tobacco Bondfield, Franklin, and Robinson, it can be surmised consigned by that the vessel in question is the Alexandria built design Privateer Congress to private ship General Mercer . the Delaps [the islands of and ]. On May 4 [1777] my crew mutinied and took me in to Tune back to next month’s newsletter to learn Whitehaven, where I was imprisoned until I escaped more about the Alexandria private ship, and found a vessel that arrived here yesterday. I tender General Mercer! you my services. Several local merchants have made me offers, but I shall wait until I hear from you. , Esq., whom I know, will answer any questions Hands-on-History a Huge Success! you may have about me.” This Mercer was classified a “ship” out of Virginia like the General Mercer of On June 26, Carlyle Alexandria. But because of her destination, date of House welcomed 200 capture, the name of her captain, etc., it is virtually children and family impossible that they are the same vessels. The fact that members to its annual the three “General Mercer s” have distinct design Hands-on-History Tent, designations (brigantine, sloop, and ship), provides more than double the further proof that the vessel Captain Robinson and number of visitors at Lieutenant Joshua Barney served on is the privateer last’s years event. ship General Mercer of Alexandria. The 1780 edition of William Falconer’s Universal Dictionary of the The Lion, a model , Marine bears this hypothesis out with contemporary graced the streets in front of descriptions of a brig or brigantine, sloop, and ship. Carlyle House– once visitors The explanations are as follows: “BRIG, or BRIGANTINE, a merchant -ship with two stepped into the yard, they could masts … Among English seamen, this vessel is play games, make and sail a boat distinguished by having her main-sail set nearly in the or clap along to period music. plane of her keel; whereas the main-sails of … a brig, Out back the fun continued with the foremost edge of the main-sail is fastened in crafts, dress up and tattoos! different places to hoops which encircle the main-mast, and slide up and down it as the sail is hoisted or Huge thanks to Rosalind Bovey, Judy Cyre, lowered: it is extended by a gaff above, and by a boom Philippe Halbert, Nancy Hough, Suzanne below.” Kalvaitis, Katherine Maas, Shelly Miller, Sue “SLOOP, a small vessel furnished with one mast, the Newton, Candace Quinlan, Pam and Eileen Smith, main-sail of which is attached to a gaff above, to the Doug Thurman, and mast on its foremost edge, and to a long boom below; Helen Wirka for by which it is occasionally shifted to either quarter.” helping out on this “SHIP, (vaisseau, Fr. scip. Sax.) …. In the sea- hot day and putting language … is more particularly applied to a vessel smiles on the faces of furnished with three masts, each of which is composed Alexandria children. of a lower mast, top-mast, and top-gallant -mast, with We couldn’t have the usual machinery thereto belonging.” done it without you!