The Deposition of James Semple of Irvine in Great Britain, of lawful age is as follows —
That on the 25th Day of November 1776 being a Cabin Passenger on board the Brigt Countess of Eglinton Bound from Glasgow to Antigua. About ten in the Morning I saw two Sail off our Lee Quarter at such a Distance we could not see their Hulls after a while I discovered they stood after us & that they were both Sloops we varied our Course to get Clear of them but perceived the small Sloop came fast up with us, particularly so after she got into our wake it was my own opinion & likewise heard them men belonging to the Brigt say they thought the large Vessel did not set so much Sail as the other did in the Chaise. the little Sloop still gain'd on us. between four & five she was so nigh us as we could see she was an armed Vessell at or about five we could number her Guns from the Deck & see her men we hoisted our Colours & I myself fired three Swivel! Guns as I was going to fire the fourth the Capt of the Brigt looking thro' his Glass saw them on board the America hoist their Jack to the Mast Head & saw the Stripes very plain being vexed at the Sight he called to fire no more now they had shewn their Colours (and struck the Glass on the Taflle rail which broke it) we hauled down Our Colours but still keept making all the Sail we could [but he] ([t]he small Privateer) came up under our Stern & fired a Shott which went thro' several of our sails we immediately hauld down our main Top Gallant & Royall sails likewise hove the Vessell too, the small Sloop came under our Lee haild us from whence come we answer'd Glasgow he then ordered us to back our main Top Sail afterwards to hoist our Boat out & send her on board his Vessel the Boat returned laden'd with their People a Leut & Prize Master stopt some time till the Capn of the Brigt got his Papers & drank some Porter with the Leit & Prize master the Boat then took him on board the Privateer & returned with some more of their Hands to help hand the Brigt Sails the Sails were Clued up & all I have mentioned done before the large Sloop came up with us & haild us at the Time she hailed us it was so dark we could not distinguish one from another on board of her & I often heard the Captain & People say belonging to the Brigt (during the Chaise) that in the[ir[Oppinion the large Sloop would not have got us & it is my humble oppinion she never would have troubled us had the small Privateer let us go on. the Distance I think the Retalliation was from us when We struck was about five or six Miles What Convinces me more in that Oppinion is the Work we did & the rate we was going at I immagine we were going 5 Nots at the Time we Struck if the large Sloop would have took us She must have been going quicker & I am Certain she was more than an hour of Coming up from the Time we hove too to Capt [William] Dennis & took in our Sail
James Semple
Questions
asked by
Joshua
Babcock.
Did the Sloop Retalliation fire any Guns in the C[h]aise
Answer No.
Did you hear Capt Read say what distance he judged the Sloop Retalliation was off when he the said Reid struck to Captain Dennis —
Yes I think he said five or six Miles when the little Sloop was near enough to discover she was an American Vessell by her Colour & of force by her Guns he seemed much vexed & said had it not been for her he should have escaped the large Sloop.
Have you heard the Boatswains Mate say any thing of his setting Sail on board the Privateer Retaliation during the Chase?
During the Passage Home I have heard Him relate the Story as follows. — That he went aloft of his own accord to sett Top Gallant Sail the Officers of the Privateer was much offended at him & asked what Buissness he had to set a Sait without Orders. he said he wanted to over take the Brigt they took hold of him & threatned to put him in Irons the people who were rowing took in their Oars & would not let it be done —
Was there any Dispute between Capt Hood the Prize Master & Mr Blevin the Mate about Command during the Passage home?
Not untill we came in with the Land & then they had a Dispute each of them Claiming the Command which rose to such a Height that Blivin told Hood he was his man at Sea or on Shore & mentioned something of his taking one side of the Binacle & Hood the other. —
The People on Board the Brigt belonging to the different Privateers were with difficulty kept from fighting some Blows did pass
Was there any Conversation between Blevin & you about the Owners of the different Privateers on board the Prize?
I heard Blevin as well as others of their People say that the Owners of the small Privateer were People of little or no Consiquence & so many of them that their Shares would not be more than a Timber head a Piece & that they had but one Owner & he was one of the first People in the Country &a great Merchant —
Had you any Freight on board the Prize Vesell?
No, no concern with her only as a Passenger & my Cloaths on Board
What distance from the Brigg did Capt Reid enter in his Journal the Sloop Retaliation to be at the Time the small Sloop got a long side of him
How was the Wind when you first saw the two Sloops & what Course was you Stearing?
I dont know we was going large without stearing sails out —
Are you used to the Seas, or so much as to know your Compass or Stear a Vessel?
I have steared the Brigt Countess of Eglindon & know the Compass —
What Point of Compass did the Sloops Bear from you when you first saw them & or what Distance
I dont know what Point they were off our Lee Quarter & I suppose about three leagues I took no particular notice of them for some time —
Did you or did you not alter your Course from the Time you first see the two Sloops to the time you was taken —
Yes we varied our Course.
What distance do you suppose the two Sloops was apart when you first see them —
I could be no Judge they were both so far from us & the one being so much larger than the other that tho' the little Sloop had been nigher to us it would not have appeared so I paid so little attention to them at first I could be no Judege. After I saw they got into our Wake I keept looking at them every other minute —
Which Sloop did you understand first discover'd your Brigt
When you altered your Course in the Brigt did it Carry you fartherest from the large or small Sloop?
In my oppinion fartherest from the large Sloop we altered our Course often
Was the large Sloop in sight all the Time from your first seeing the small Sloop till you struck?
What Conversation did you hear had passed between some of the People on Board the Sloop Retaliation during the Chase —
James Semple
State of Rhode Island & Providence Plantations Providence ss In Providence in the County of Providence — January 8th 1777 AD The above & a fore named James Semple in his own proper Person came before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in & for said County: & after being examined & duly cautioned to testify the whole Truth & nothing but the Truth, mad[e] solemn Oath that the foregoing Deposition, which was written, compos'd & subscribed by him with his own hand in my presence and all the several Answers to the Questions subjoind which were also written & subscribed by him with his own hand, contain the whole Truth & nothing but the Truth in all Parts thereof which Deposition & answers were taken at the Request of Adam Babcock to be used in a Prize Cause wherein the said Adam is libellant, against the Brigt Countess of Eglinton & her Cargo, & John Brown & others are Clamants, as Captors of the said Brigt & Cargo in Company, which Cause is pending to be tried, at the Marritime Court, to be holden at Plimouth & in the County of Plimouth for the southern District in the State of the Massachusetts Bay, on the seventeenth Day of January A. D. 1777.
The said John Brown was legally notifyed of & was present at the Caption.2
| Before me |
John Foster |
Jus: Peace |
| True Copy attest |
Bartlett Le Barron |
Regr |
| Copy Examined |
Wm Winthrop |
Cler |
