Lat 47° . . 57' Long 7° April 26 — 1777
Gentlemen,
On the 22 inst I took ;md burned a Sloop in Ballast from Glasgow to Cadiz-While she was burning there came up another Brig bound from Lisborn to Corke ー After taking out what was most valuable & putting on board another Prize I have this day discharged this Brig with a large number of Prisoners who I could not otherwise dispose of 2 ー The next day I took two Brigs ー one from Antigua to London the other from the Bay of Vandoris to Amsterdam ー by the last of which I send this Letter ー It has been so windy & rough that I could not discharge any of the aforesaid Vessels till to day This Brig called the Phoebe, is loaded with Logwood & Mehogany & is almost a new one built of red cedar & Wild Cherry-tree ー
Since we left America I have taken eleven Prizes ー seven of which I have sent to America ー burned three and discharged one with Prisoners Out of this last I have taken several casks of wine & Boxes of Lemmons which with three Cables & the Sails belonging to other Vessels I have burned, I have put on board a Brig called the Two Betseys, this day discharged under the care of John Procter Master of the Freedom I remain [&c.]
John Clouston
P.S. It has been excessively windy & bad weather so that We have scarcely had three days moderate since we came from Port but thank God, have suffered no misfortune
1. Mass. Arch., vol. 152, 178-79, Board of War Letters, 1776-1777.
2. A letter from Cork, dated April 28:
Capt. Regan, of the Brig Dispatch, arrived here this Morning from Lisbon, was boarded by an American Privateer, Lat. 50 Deg. 50 Min. Lon. 10, off Cape Clear, who took from him eight Tons of Wine and Thirty Boxes of Fruit, and put on board him 19 Men belonging to several Ships the said Privateer had taken on this.Coast, three of which had been taken whilst Capt. Regan was on board the Privateer; the Betty from Glasgow for Cadiz, in Ballast, burnt; the Phoebe, Capt. [Nicholas] Devereaux, from Honduras for London, sent to Boston; and the Two Betseys, Captain Matthew Boosen, bound for London: She had burnt five others, and sent three to America. The Privateer's Name is the Freedom, Capt. Clewston, carries 12 Guns, and had taken a New Vessel from Dublin, bound to Bourdeaux, and another from Waterford, with Herrings.
Public Advertiser, London, May 16, 1777.
