Captain William Nichols-- Part 6: Captured Many Times

From the Marine Society of Newburyport.

Captain William Nichols joined the Marine Society in November 28, 1811.  He was born in 1781 and died Feb. 12, 1863.

he was captured by the French twice (probably during the Quasi War) and in 1811, while commanding the brig Alert, ran the English blockade into the French port of Bordeaux with a cargo of brandy, wine and silk, but the next day, on his way out, was captured by the British frigate HMS Semiramis.

A prize crew was put aboard, but Nichols and four others were left on board and the same day retook their ship.  They put the prize crew in a small boat and cast them off.

A week later, the Alert was again captured, this time by the HMS Vestal..  Nichols and his men were taken to Portsmouth and put aboard a prison ship.  He was later sent ashore for an examination and he escaped again and went to London to secure passage back to the United States.  (This was in 1811, before war had started between the two countries.)  He was spotted by a former jailer but bribed his way out off recapture and returned to Boston.

After the War of 1812 began, he commanded a fast-sailing privateer.  (I imagine the Decautur.)

--Brock-Perry