Privateers are private naval people or vessels that are used by authorities to do tasks such as attack and plunder enemy ships. For many centuries, privateers played key roles in times of war. Here, Avery Scott looks at the important role that privateers played during the American Revolution.
Captain Luke Ryan. From Hibernian Magazine in May 1782.
From the beginning of time, rivers, lakes, and the sea all formed highways that allowed men, supplies, goods, and money to flow from one location to another. In times of war, these superhighways became significantly more important, as those that controlled the sea, controlled the supply lines. Because of this, countries have always battled for control of the sealanes linking their country to others. However, the maintenance of a full navy is expensive, difficult, and, at times, impossible. The difficulty of maintaining a navy led to the rise of privateering commissions, or letters of marque. Letters of marque have played key roles in many periods in history, specifically from the 1500s to the golden age of piracy (1650-1730). Men like Sir. Francis Drake, Henry Morgan, and William Kidd all obtained letters of marque that allowed them the right to pillage and plunder enemy vessels during times of war, and to act as a proxy to the nations navy. Prior to the golden age of piracy, privateers were commonplace, at times replacing the country's navy. However, diplomatic relationships changed around the golden age of piracy, and less commissions were awarded. This led the formerly government sanctioned privateers to begin acting as pirates. Despite the number of privateer commissions decreasing, it did not rid the world of their operations entirely. They would continue to appear during times of war when a particular government found their dastardly services advantageous. And, fortunately for privateers, the American revolution would lead to the commission of hundreds of privateers and untold wealth for those brave enough to risk their lives against the powerful Royal Navy. These privateers, in many cases, are the untold heroes of the American revolution. While they did not have the direct impact of men like George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin’s Franklin, The Marquis de LaFayette, and Baron Von Steuben, they were a menace to the Crown.
The Black Prince
One such example of this is the story of Luke Ryan, and his ship the Black Prince. Ryan began his career as an Irish smuggler turned privateer for the British. However, Ryan was unable to shake his former habits, and returned to Ireland without completing his mission as a privateer, instead he returned with large amounts of contraband. His vessel, the Friendship, was quickly impounded by customs officials, and the crew was thrown into jail. Ryan, having already vacated the ship, was not among these. Ryan decided that he must break his crew out of prison, and quickly sail out of Irish waters. Early in the morning, the crew escaped out of the prison, stole several smaller boats which they rowed to their commandeered ship the Friendship. They proceeded to cut the anchor cables and confined the guards aboard. After escaping from the Black Dog prison, he renamed his ship the Black Prince, and headed for France to obtain a privateers commission from Benjamin Franklin.
Ryan faced a major challenge in obtaining this commission - he was Irish. Not only was Ryan Irish, but nearly his entire crew as well. Franklin could only grant commissions to vessels that had, at minimum, an American captain. However, it was not long before Ryan found Stephen Marchant, an American in France in search of a vessel to command. Ryan felt that Marchant could be easily manipulated into doing whatever Ryan and the other Irish sailors desired - essentially, giving Ryan total control of the ship, and Marchant nothing more than the appearance of a command. Only Ryan and his crew would be privy to the plan, which ultimately resulted in Franklin granting Marchant the commission. It was not long before the Black Prince became a successful privateer that struck fear in the hearts of British merchant vessels and seafaring towns alike. Soon after Marchant was informed of Ryan's plan, and was relieved of the modicum of command he currently maintained. Franklin also found out about the situation, but due to the overall success of the cruises he was unconcerned, even sending Ryan a gift to show his gratitude. In addition to his gift, Franklin was so impressed that he commissioned another vessel - the Black Princess. After another successful cruise, Franklin granted another commission, this one named the Fearnot. Again, these cruises were very successful. There were setbacks in the cruises, but these were minimal compared to the number of successes that each cruise produced. However, Ryans’ commissions were eventually recalled when it became apparent that privateers were hurting Franco-American relations due to a number of factors, not the least being Franklin's leniency in granting them. Overall, Ryan’s cruises amounted to 114 captured vessels and huge monetary damages from insurance rates, trade interruptions, and an overall distraction to the Royal Navy.
The Lee
Stories such as that of Luke Ryan happened frequently during the revolution, whether those privateers came from France or from American shores. Millions of dollars (billions in today’s money) of damages occurred as well as damage to the Royal Navy's morale, supplies, and productivity. Another benefit privateers offered the continental forces was their ability to obtain supplies needed by continental forces. Early in the revolution, in November 1775, the Lee, was patrolling near the coast of Massachusetts, when it came across a large vessel and decided to board. Captain John Manley sent several of his best sailors on board with concealed weapons, taking the British ship Nancy completely by surprise. The Nancy’s Captain Robert Hunter was excited to see the men, assuming they were there to assist the Nancy, as the ship had battled tough seas and was in need of repair. Hunter soon realized that Manley’s men were not there to help, but it was too late. Manley’s men drew their weapons, and Nancy's crew had to surrender. The Lee’s crew discovered a huge military cargo that was one of the most valuable of the war. The cargo included 2,000 muskets, 7,000 cannonballs, and 30 tons of shot, in addition to many other war time essentials. Washington was thrilled at the capture, calling it an “instance of divine favor.”
Conclusion
These two stories show how privateers played a pivotal role in winning the revolution. They helped to obtain goods needed for fighting the war and molested Royal Navy ships and merchantmen coming to resupply British troops. They expanded the size of the Navy, while reducing the financial burden of supplying a full time Navy. They caused huge financial woes for British citizens, merchantmen, and the government. Finally, they helped to create a war weary public that pushed for an end to the Revolutionary War. While often unacknowledged, ignored, or simply forgotten about, privateers were true heroes of the Revolutionary War, and victory would likely have not been possible without their brave contributions.
What do you think of the role or privateering in the American revolution? Let us know below.
Now read Avery’s article on Captain Henry Morgan and the escape from Maracaibo here.
References
Empire of Blue Water by Stephan Talty
Rebels at Sea by Eric Jay Dolin
The Republic of Pirates by Colin Woodard
