PREFACE

THE author of the following pages, at the time they were first written, never intended that they should appear before the public eye. But through the earnest solicitation of a number of friends, who having read his Journal, from which the following sheets have been compiled; he has been induced (together with a view of opposing the zeal with which certain characters in this country have strove lately to debase the American name, by branding it with the epithet of "coward," "poltroon," not so brave as an Englishman, and the like; which has often sounded in the ears of the author) to change his intentions, and to commit the whole to the press. He pledges himself, that he has in the compilation, kept truth on his side. That the perusal will meet with the entire approbation of every one is not to be expected; but it is hoped that the reader will forbear censuring the author too much, as he does not pretend to be a scholar (in regard of style or orthography), never having had but barely a common education; having followed the seas for a livelihood from his early youth upwards to the present time. However, the manner of writing, or the style, may suit the reader, as coming from the pen of an experienced sailor; he flatters himself that the public will condescend to give it a kind and favourable reception. In the meantime, he has the honour to be

The public's most obt. servant,

THE AUTHOR.

xvii

NARRATIVE, &c.

HAVING been born 1755, in the state of Connecticut, and in the early part of the American Revolution for independence, I imbibed the idea that the struggles between Great Britain and her American Colonies would eventually prove to the advantage of the latter. In full belief of the same, I took an active and decided part in favor of my country.

After having made two successful cruises against the English, I embarked on a third at Boston, on the 26th day of May, 1778, on board the brig Angelica, William Dennis, commander, a new vessel, mounting sixteen carriage guns, and carrying ninety-eight men and boys, on a six months' cruise against the enemies of my country. We sailed from Boston on the same day on which I embarked (it may be well perhaps to observe that I was only a prize-master on board said privateer). We saw nothing but a privateer belonging to Salem, which we spoke, till the 31st of May* at noon, when we discovered a sail bearing S.S.E. of us, the wind then being about N. by E. Orders were immediately given by the captain to make sail for her; in a short time after we could perceive with our glasses that she was a ship standing by the wind to the eastward; at 1 P.M. saw that she was a long frigate-built ship. All hands were now ordered to quarters and prepare for action; at 4 P.M. we were near enough to distinguish the chase from a Jamaica merchantman, which we at first view supposed it to be. In consequence of our being convinced that she was an English ship of war, we jibed ship and hauled on a

* My birthday.

wind to the westward, but too late, as the ship immediately hove in stays, run out her guns, and gave us chase in her turn, and in about three-quarters of an hour more she came alongside of us, and obliged us to haul down our Yankee colours, and proved to be the Andromeda frigate of twenty-eight guns, five days from Philadelphia, and had on board as a passenger the celebrated General Howe, of Bunker Hill memory, and was bound to Portsmouth, in England. The enemy soon obliged us to abandon the poor Angelica, and conducted us on board the Andromeda, where we were all paraded on the quarterdeck in presence of their great and mighty general, who asked us a number of insignificant questions; among which was, 'If we were willing to engage in his Majesty's service?'. We having answered pretty unanimously in the negative, he then upbraided us with these words: 'You are a set of rebels, and it is more than probable that you will all be hanged on our arrival at Portsmouth.' The master at arms was then ordered on the ship's quarterdeck, who soon made his appearance, and under the pretence of searching our baggage for concealed knives; he, with some of his comrades, very dexterously conveyed our said baggage out of sight, so that we saw nothing of it, or any part thereof afterwards. This was the more astonishing, as it was done under the general's eye; who ordered us all to be confined in the ship's hold. We soon began our march for this young hell upon the seas, and on our way we were ordered by some of the Jack tars to halt; who began to strip us, saying, or rather accosting us with these words: 'd-n my eyes, shipmate, but you have got a dd fine coat there-fine hat -fine shoe buckles-fine jacket-fine breeches, etc.' but taking care to lard these expressions with an oath. In short everything that we then had was fine to them; and after saying, 'Come, come! shipmates, these fine things will only be a plague to you, as the climate is very hot where you are bound,' (meaning the ship's hold;)

they then without any further ceremony fell to work and stripped us of our clothes. There happened at this juncture to pass by a midshipman, who said, "That is right lads, strip the d- -d rebels, and give each of them a frock and trousers, those will be good enough for them to be hanged in!' We were, according to his orders, stripped, and after being furnished with frocks and trousers, we continued our march till we were shoved headlong into the aforesaid hell upon the seas! Two sentinels were then placed at the mouth thereof to prevent our running away! Here they kept us fasting during twenty hours, and then sent us our small pittance of provisions, which was no more per man per day than two-thirds of the allowance of a prisoner of war: however, it was in vain we petitioned for redress to the captain of the ship, and to General Howe; they were deaf to our complaints, and answered that we were treated with too much lenity, being considered as rebels, whose crimes were of such an aggravated kind that we should be shewn no mercy. The enemy at about nine at night set the Angelica on fire, and she soon after blew up, and the ship continued on her course for England.

a

The next day after being confined in the frigate's hold, a plan was set on foot by our surgeon to make ourselves masters of her; this met with the approbation of all, to appearance; and we agreed to put it in execution on the third of June, at half-past eleven night, or to die in the attempt. However, in the meantime the surgeon had frequent conversations with the forecastle men and sentinels, who agreed all as one to join us. We had by this time pretty severely felt the effects of the heat in our confinement in the ship's lower hold upon the haul-up deck (a temporary one laying over the water punchions, ballast, &c.) as we were obliged from the excessive heat to go stark naked, only when we had occasion to go upon deck, which we were allowed to do only one at a time,