Privateer General Armstrong (II)

GENERAL ARMSTRONG

Captains:  John Barnard, Guy R. Champlin, Samuel C. Reid

Commissioned 29 August 1814

Scuttled 17 September 1814  (A really short career.)

Out of New York, N.Y.

Owner:  Frederick B. Jenkins (Jenkins & Havens)

Schooner, 270 tons

Crew:  150, 115, 100

Guns:  19, 15, 7

Prizes:  23  (2)

--Brock-Perry

Privateer General Armstrong (I)

Actually, there were two privateers using this name.  One operating out of Charleston, S.C., and the other out of New York City.

By far, the more famous of the two was the one from New York

This is the other one.

GENERAL ARMSTRONG

Captain:  John Sinclair

Commissioned:  23 November 1812

Operated out of Charleston, S.C.

Owners:  Rensalaer Havens, Thomas Formar, Thomas Jenkins, John Sinclair, John Everingham Smith (New York owned)

Ship:  205 tons

Crew:  120 to 100

16 guns

Prizes:  3 (0)

--Brock-Perry

Nathaniel Shaler, American Privateer Captain-- Part 1

From the New London County Historical Society "Privateers."

Nathaniel Shaler (1775-1814)

He was the commander of the Governor Tompkins who wrote about the two valiant black sailors under his command in the previous two posts.

Was born in Bridgeport, New Hampshire, although his family was from Bolton and the Connecticut River Valley.  he and his brother William (who became a prominent mariner and diplomat)  were quite young when they went to sea.

Nathaniel was master of the brig Aurora when she was seized  for trading in violation of Portuguese regulations in Para, Brazil, in 1803.  He replaced the wounded Guy Champlin of the New York privateer brig  General Armstrong, making a successful cruise in 1813.

He then took command of the New York privateer Governor Tompkins in 1814 and was lost at sea  during her cruise.

--Brock-Perry

Battle of New Orleans Timeline-- Part 1

From the www.battleofneworleans.org. site.

All events from 1814.

SEPTEMBER 3--  Captain Nicholas Lockyer of the HMS Sophia meets with pirate Jean Lafitte, hoping to enlist his aid in the British attack on New Orleans.  Lafitte sends copies of their offer to the Americans.

SEPTEMBER 12--  British commander Robert Ross killed in the Chesapeake Bay area and General Pakenham takes over.

SEPTEMBER 13--  Despite warnings of impending British attack, Commodore Daniel Patterson leads an attack on Jean Lafitte's base at Grand Tere, seizing goods and ships and burned down the base.  Lafitte escapes.

SEPTEMBER 16--  Failed British attack on Mobile.

SEPTEMBER 26-27--  Battle of Fayal in the Azores.  The 74-gun ship-of-the-line HMS Plantagent and two other warships sailing for the Gulf of Mexico fight the U.S. brig General Armstrong, 7 guns, and are delayed for several days, giving time for General Jackson to prepare for the British upcoming attack.

One Ship, Several Owners

An interesting account from the Niles Register concerning a ship captured by the American privateer brig General Armstrong.

"SHIFTING OWNERS!:  The prize schooner to the General Armstrong (lately arrived at an Eastern Port) was formerly the Matilda, American privateer.  She was captured on the Brazil coast, some months since, by the Lion. British privateer ship of 28 guns, after severe action, recaptured going into England by the late U.S. Brig Argus, recaptured going into France by a British 74 (74-gun ship-of-the-line), and again recaptured by the American privateer Armstrong."

One Owner, two owner, Four.  --Brock-Perry

Battle of Fayal, Azores: Scuttling of the General Armstrong-- Part 2

After a successful cruise in which many prizes were taken, the General Armstrong returned to its home port in July 1814 and Samuel Reid became its new captain.  It departed Sandy Hook in August 1814.  While at Fayal in the Portuguese Azores, the British ship Carnation and several boats armed with cannons, sailors and Royal Marines attacked the American ship, but were repulsed.

But, Captain Reid felt he had no chance to escape the Azores and had his ship scuttled to prevent capture.  The Americans escaped to shore and were protected by Portuguese authorities.

American losses were 2 killed and 7 wounded.  British losses were 36 killed  and 93 wounded as well as two of the boats sunk and 2 captured.

Claims for the sinking of the General Armstrong went on for 70 years and it became the subject of a popular 1890s play called "The senator."

--Brock-Perry

Battle of Fayal, Azores: Scuttling of U.S. Privateer General Armstrong-- Part 1

SEPTEMBER 26-27, 1814:

From Wikipedia.

The American privateer General Armstrong was a brig of 246 tons, crewed by 90 men and armed with six 9-pdrs and one long 42-pdr. (Long Tom).

Named after Brigadier General John Armstrong, a hero of the American Revolution and father of President Madison's Secretary of War, John Armstrong, Jr., whose decision not to defend Washington, D.C. from the August attack led to his dismissal.

The General Armstrong's home port was Baltimore and it was a very successful privateer, capturing many prizes in 1812 and 1813.  On 11 March 1813, it was involved in the Battle of Surinam River and lost 6 killed and 16 wounded and received much damage in a battle with what was presume to be the British privateer Coquette.

It was scuttled by its crew on September 27, 1814, at the Battle of Fayal in the Azores.

--Brock-Perry