Some More on Richard Hill of the New York Flotilla's Gunboat No. 47

From "African American Historic Burial Grounds" by Glenn A. Knoblock.

Richard Hill (ca. 1792-1861)  Born in Maine according to census records and living in Portland, Maine, by 1830.  Served on Gunboat 47, part of the New York Flotilla during the War of 1812.

Gunboats such as he served on were small sloop or schooner rigged vessels about fifty feet long manned by a crew of about 40 and carried several guns.  The gunboats of the New York Flotilla saw quite a bit of action in Long Island Sound, and some of them, possibly including Hill's vessel were present at the Battle of Baltimore and witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry.

After the war, his whereabouts were not known until 1830, but it seemed he served as a sailor.  he was married by 1830 and had at least one child, a son named Richard, and worked as a laborer.

He was a widower when he was shot to death by his troubled son Richard on September 12, 1861.

--Brock-Perry

Jacob Lewis & the New York Flotilla-- Part 1: Watching the British

From "New York's War of 1812: Politics, Society and Combat" by Richard V. Barbuto.

A small flotilla of gunboats defended the waters around New York City and was under the command of  Jacob Lewis, former commander of the privateer Bunker Hill, as a master commandant, but he was given the honorific title of commodore.

He kept his gunboats actively engaged with most of his gunboats near Sandy Hook.  There they could observe the enemy fleet and, at the same time, be protected by  sandbars and shoals from deeper draft and stronger British ships.

On occasion, long-range shots were traded between the two sides, but with little damage to either.

He also kept gunboats by Long Island Sound to challenge British ships approaching from there.

So, Obviously There Was a New York Flotilla That Richard Hill Belonged To During the War.  --Brock-Perry

A Follow Up on the U.S. Privateer Governor Thompkins

From Footnotes to War of 1812 Blockade by Thomas R. Bayles.

I'd never heard of this particular privateer. which I wrote about yesterday, so looked it up.  I found mention of it at several places.  According to yesterday's account, the ship had had a run-in with a British frigate while under a Captain Shaler and the actions of two black sailors helped save the outgunned American ship.

In this other account, the ship was under command of a Captain Smith and had captured several British merchant ships and was on the way back to New York when it encountered and fought a British brig-of-war.  The two ships fought until dark and the Thompkins had slipped away by morning, but had been severely damaged with 5 men killed or wounded.  Its bowsprit had been carried away by a 32-pdr. shot.

New York was blockaded upon arrival all the way to Sandy Hook, so the Governor Thompkins tried to make for New London and would have been captured except for a Daniel Winters on board who knew the way through the narrow, rock strewn Plum Gut connecting Long Island Sound and Gardiner's Bay.

Didn't Know That.  --Brock-Perry