An Account of a Naval Engagement, 1778

From The Pensylvania Magazine of History and Biography. 13:1 (1889). 109-111.

An Account of A Naval Engagement
Between An American Privateer and A British Man-Of-War,
1778

Note: The London Chronicle, October 6-8, 1778, contains the following account of an engagement between an American privateer (brigantine), mounting fourteen guns÷4- and 6-pounders÷and six coehorns, and the British ship "Minerva," commanded by Edward Morrison, of sixteen guns÷6-pounders÷and ten coehorns, off the Jersey coast, in lat. 38.40 N., and long. 73 W., in May of 1778.

On the evening of May the 25th, we discovered a sail astern, but there being little wind he did not come fast up with us. In the morning of the 26th, saw the vessel still astern, carrying all sail to come with us. At half past seven we had a squall, which obliged us to hand our topgallant sails, and run before it; then we discovered the vessel to be a brigantine of force; we handed our mainsail, and took in most of our small sails. At eight o'clock he came up with us, it blowing then easy, he kept his head toward us, so that we could not see his whole force, and we suspected his attempting to board; on which we fired a cohorn, and hoisted our colours. He still keeping his station, we fired on board of him, and opened our stern ports; on seeing this he run up abreast, and gave us a broadside, hoisting the 13 stripes. We returned his broadside, and the action continued for one hour and 57 minutes, having obliged him to sheer off at ten o'clock. We were in no condition to follow him, 16 of our crew being killed and wounded; our scuppers on both sides running with blood (I may say) of as brave men as ever faced an enemy; our sails and rigging being mostly cut and destroyed, and all our masts very severely wounded. Our greatest distance from the privateer during the engagement, did not exceed the length of our ship; and we were often yard-arm and yard-arm, scarce clearing one another's rigging. Our topmast stay-sail, which continued set during the action, had 180 shot through it; 9 great shot, beside small ones through our ensign; 1 through our pendant; 13 shot in our mizen-mast; our main-mast shot through, and our fore-mast greatly damaged. I believe that the rebel was as much damaged in rigging as ourselves, and his loss of men must have been very considerable, he being quite crowded with them; he carried six swivels in his tops, and great quantities of their shot consisted of old iron cut square, old pots, old bolts, &c.
About the middle of the engagement an alarm was raised that our ship was beginning to sink; on this a number of the men deserted their quarters, and among them the person who was at the helm; the captain rallied them instantly, took the helm himself, and while standing there a ball went through his hat. Such resolution was then shewn that had the ship been in a sinking condition, I am convinced she would have gone to the bottom with the colours standing, every one on board being determined to sell his life as dear as he could. The rebel hailed us to strike but we could spare no time to answer him.
We steered away in a very distressful situation for the Delaware, as the nearest friendly port; and on the evening of the 27th was off Egg-island, where we came to an anchor, intending to stop till the tide made; but in half an hour two row-gallies came off and viewed us. On hoisting our colours, one of them gave us three shot which we returned, and they left us. Then we hove up and stood across towards Cape Henlopen, and were close in with it in the morning, in hopes of meeting some of his Majesty's ships, that would assist us with a Surgeon, and see us into a safe port; but we could not fall in with any; and it began to blow so fresh against us, that we could not carry sail, by our masts being wounded, therefore we bore away for New York; and in a few hours the Thames frigate (then commanded by Capt. Halloway) came up with us, from whom we got every assistance; and on the 30th of May we arrived at New York.
Seven killed; nine wounded. Both the mates are of the wounded.
P.S.÷The report, during the engagement of the Minerva being sinking, arose from some of the enemy's shot having gone through and through, which staved 14 puncheons of rum between decks.