Admiralty Office
3d July 1777.
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Abstract of Advices lately received respecting Privatiers which have gitted out or refitted, in the Ports of France; or which have arrived at, or sailed from, some of those ports.
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| Dates of the Advices |
From Whom reced |
Nature of the Advices |
| 5 May 1777 |
Sr Stanr Porten |
That one Cunningham had sailed from Dunkirk in an Irish Wherry of 100 Tons mounting 8 Carriage Guns besides swivels & having on board about 50 men— |
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NB.
By various accounts received afterwards it appeared that the above Pirate had taken one of the Harwich pacquet Boats, and an English Brig & carried them into Dunkirk |
| 7 Do |
Do |
That an American Privatier which had taken the Swallow (another pacquet Boat) had refitted at L'Orient and afterwards put to sea again & taken several other prize |
| Do |
Mr Todd
of the post office |
That Capt Nichols of the Eagle pacquet Boat had spoken on the 19th Ult, with a Swedish ship from Brest to Malaga, & learnt by her that there were then fitting out at Brest 4 American Privtrs |
| 15th May 1777. |
Sr S. Porten |
That an English Cutter of 140 Tons, to carry 20 pieces of Cannon besides Swivels, had been purchased & was fitting out at Dunkirk by the same person who purchased & fitted out the Irish Wherry |
| 19 Do |
Lord Weymouth |
That a privatier of 10 Guns had arrived, the beginning of the month, at Bourdeaux, from Philadelphia, And that the Lexington privatier had sailed from Bourdeaux about the same time to join the Reprizal & other privatiers at Nantz. |
| 23d Do |
Sir S. Porten |
That 3 privatiers (one of 28 Guns, the others of 10 guns each) were at Bourdeaux the beginning of May preparing to sail on a Cruize; That the Reprizal had sailed from L'Orient on a Cruize; And that 6 privatiers (from 16 to 26 guns) were fitting out at Nantz. |
| Do |
Mr Robinson
of the Treasury |
That an English Cutter, of 150 Tons, built at Cawsand near Plymouth, had been purchased, and was fitting out as a privatier, in the Ports of France — And that two other small privatiers supposed to have been fitted out in the same manner, had been seen in the Channel |
| 24th May 1777 |
Lord Amherst |
That several privatiers were in the ports of Nantz L'Orient & Bourdeaux. |
| 25 Do |
Lord Weymouth |
That two French Ships (one of 400 Tons &18 Guns the other of 340 Tons & 12 or 14 guns) were fitting Out at Marseilles or Toulon (but believed to be at the former) destined, as supposed, to No America — the largest to have 12 brass mortars put onboard her — Each to have 2 Captains, one a Frenchman, the other with a Commission from the Congress. |
| 7 June |
Lord Amherst |
That a small privatier called the Montgomery mounting 2 Carriage, and 6 Swivel Guns, & manned with 23 men was at Brehaut —
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NB.
She afterwards took a Brig & carried her into Cherburgh — & since that her Commander has been seized & brought to England. |
| 13 Do |
Sr Thos Pye |
That a small Schooner Privr of 50 or 60 Tons arrived at Brehaut on the Coast of Britanny from Maryland; had cleaned & refitted there & had recruited French men to supply the places of those put onboard the several prizes she had taken. |
| 16th June 1777.— |
Sr Stanr Porten |
That a large Cutter privatier of 130 Tons was fitting out at Dunkirk, to be commanded by Cunningham, the pirate be forementioned; and to be navigated to Havre by French men; to which place he & his Crew were to go by Land. |
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NB.
The above intelligence is confirmed by various other ac counts, with this addition that Cunningham had declared his intention of seizing others of the pacquet Boats — And that the Wherry which he before commanded is to be employed under him. |
| 18th Do |
Do |
That Weeks, Johnson & Nicholson, who command 3 American privatiers (vizt the Reprizal, Lexington & Dolphin) sailed from St Nazier on the 27th Ult. |
| 20th Do |
Lord North |
That some Commanders of American Privatiers in France had formed & bound themselves by oath to execute, a design of surprizing, & carrying off from the Nore His Majesty's ship Conquestador |
| 21st June 1777 — |
Mr Knox |
That a Large ship of 400 Tons belonging to Dunkirk, employed last War as a privatier & since that in the West India Trade, was fitting out again at that Port as a Privatier. |
| 26 Do |
Mr Martin
of Whitehaven |
That the Reprizal, Lexington, & Dolphin privatiers before mentioned had, on the 23d Inst off the Mull of Cantire, taken 15 Vessels; some of which they had sunk, & sent others to the Ports of France & America; that they were pre paring to return to France to recruit their men; and that great part of their Crews were Frenchmen. |
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NB.
This intelligence hath been confirmed by various other Accounts — And yesterday advice was received that Capt Bowyer of the Burford had fallen in with them near Ushant & had chaced the Reprizal close into the Coast of France near Les Sept Isles, after having seen her throw her guns & many other things overboard — he supposes she is gone into St Maloes to refit— |
| 1 July |
Mr Todd |
That a privatier of 36 Guns is fitting out at Dunkirk — probably the ship abovementioned by Mr Knox. |
| 1 July 1777 |
Mr Robinson |
That the Freedom privatier, of 12 Guns, which lately sailed from Nantz to Boston with Prussian and French Officers, having Continental Commissions & with a Crew of French men and French Papers to cover her, had taken several prizes since left the above port. |
