Banks' History of Martha's Vineyard and the Collections of the Maine Historical Society tell of some of the earliest warlike exploits of Massachusetts seamen during this war. Emmons' Statistical History of the United States Navy gives a list of privateers, "copied from official documents" for the most part, but with insufficient care and accuracy. Lists of Salem privateers will be found in Felt's Annals of Salem, Hunt's Lives of American Merchants, and Paine's Ships and Sailors of Old Salem. The authors doubtless had access to original documents, but they give no authorities, no dates, and in most cases extremely scanty data. More carefully prepared is a list of Beverly privateers compiled by Dr. O. T. Howe and published in Volume xxiv of the Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts. There are other lists in town histories and elsewhere, including an unpublished one, compiled by William Leavitt, in the library of the Essex Institute. These various lists show evidence of having been more or less padded, are all open to suspicion, and should be used with caution.

A source of doubt which increases the difficulty of composing such a list is the confusion of different rigs by writers both contemporary and recent, and even occasionally in original documents. What is evidently the same vessel may be variously described as a ship or brig, schooner or sloop. Moreover, vessels were not infrequently converted from one rig to another.

MASSACHUSETTS PRIVATEERS

OF THE REVOLUTION

1779 ABIGAIL, Sloop. Guns, 6; Men, 12. Commander: Daniel Smith.

Feb. 6

Bond: Continental, $5000; State, £4000...

Bonders: Daniel Smith, mariner, principal; Henry Mitch-
ell and Edmund Dunkin, of Boston, sureties.
Bound to Hon. Henry Laurens, President, and other
members of the Honorable Continental Congress; and
to Henry Gardner, Esq., Treasurer of the State of
Massachusetts Bay.

Owners: Henry Mitchell and Edm[un]d Dunkin.
Witnesses: Francis Johonnot, William Gould.

M. A., v, 7, 10, 169, 433; Andrews, Guide to Public
Record Office, II, 334.

1776 ACTIVE, Schooner. Guns, 12; Men, 80.

Bonders: Andrew Gardner, principal; Joseph Pierce and
Nehemiah Somes, all of Boston.

Bound to John Hancock, President of Congress.
Owners: Joseph Pierce, Nehemiah Somes, and others.
Witnesses: Cha[rle]s Sigourney, Edmund Fowle.

M. A., v, 19, XL, 129, XLIV, 438, 139, 113, 127, 152,
271, 165, 358.

1777 ACTIVE, Brigantine. Guns, 12; Men, 70.

Oct. 13

Commander: John Foster Williams.

Bond: Continental, $5000.

Bonders: John Foster Williams, principal; Jacob Wil-
liams and Nehemiah Somes, of Boston.

Owners: Nehemiah Somes, Jacob Williams, and others.
Witnesses: Willia]m Turner, Isaac Townsend.

M. A., v, 6, 167, 313.

1777 ACTIVE, Vessel of War.

Nov. 8

Commander: John Foster Williams.

Bond: State, £2000.

Bonders: Charles Sigourney, James Foster Condy, and
John Foster Williams, of Boston.

Bound to Henry Gardner.

Owners: Charles Sigourney and James Foster Condy.
Witnesses: John Furnass, John M. Furnass.

M. A., 139, 151 (Bond not to enlist "any Inhabitant
of any of the New England States, other than the
State of the Massachusetts Bay").

1779 ACTIVE, Brigantine. Guns, 18. Commander: John Allen Hallet. Massachusetts State Navy.

1780 ACTIVE, Brigantine. Guns, 10; Men, 24. Commander: Benjamin] Ellinwood.

May 6

Bond: Continental, $10,000; State, £4000.

Bonders: Benjamin Ellinwood, principal; Job Prince, jr.,
and William Creed, merchants, sureties-all of Boston.
Owners: Job Prince and others.

Witnesses: Samuel Holbrook, jr., John Avery, jr.
M. A., v, 22, 24, VIII, 18, 171, 148.

1780 ACTIVE, Brigantine. Guns, 12; Men, 60.

Dec. 13

Commander: Nathaniel Swasey, of Beverly.
C. C. 196, 1, 22; M. A., 171, 314.

1781 ACTIVE, Brigantine. Guns, 14; Men, 60.
Apr. 9
Commander: John Pattin, of Beverly.

C. C. 196, 1, 20; M. A., 171, 364; Boston Gazette,
Dec. 8, 1783 (A prize of the Active to be tried Dec. 23,
at the last session of the Maritime Court in Boston).

1782 ACTIVE, Brigantine. Guns, 11; Men, 50. Commander: William Ross, of Salem. C. C. 196, 1, 21.

May 21

1782 ACTIVE, Brigantine. Guns, 14; Men, 60.

Commander: Johnson Briggs, of Salem.

Salem Gazette, Dec. 5, 19, 1782; Boston Gazette, Dec. 16, 1782; Felt, 11, 276.

now all Men by these presents That

We Nehemiah Somes Merchant and Andrew Gardner Mariner bott, of Proston in the County of Suffolk, are held and Hand firmly bound and Obliged unto Menry Gardner loof. Preasurer of the State of Massachusetts Bay and his successors in said Office in the full and just Sum of Six hundred pounds to be paid unto the said Steary Gardner Treasures as aforesaid of his successors in Fort office, to the which payment well and truly to be made.

Leven

we bind ourselves our heirs Executors and Administrators Downtly and Severally firmly by there presents Sealed with our Seals dated the Sixteenth day of April, In the Year of our Lord, One Thousand Seven hundred Geventy seve The condition of this present Obligation is such That Whereas the Great Thieneral Court of the State aforenced on the Seventh & april Instant by theit Resolve of that date did allow that the Inhabitants of any Town wither said State who had raised their full proportion by the continental Army to get out private Degrels of War, but not to ship or receive on board any men that are the Inhabitants of any Town in said Stale, that have not raised their propotion i sud.

army

any

Men

If Therefore the said Nehemiah Somes & Andrew Gardner shall not thip of receive on board the Schooner Relive where if the said Gardner is Commander that are the Inhabitant, I any Town within the said thate that have not lared their proportion of the fontinental Army, then the above written obligation to be vord, but default thered to remain in full force Virtue. Seated #div.

in

Fignes

in the presence of

Sitemiad Sornes

And Gardner

Bond not to recruit in any Town which has not raised its Quota

for the Continental Army

See page 42