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 There are other lists in town histories and elsewhere, including an unpublished one, compiled by William Leavitt, in the library of the Essex Institute.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.
Feb. 6
Commander: Daniel Smith.

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, 11, 334.

1776 ACTIVE, Schooner. Guns, 12; Men, 80.
Oct. 15
Commander: Andrew Gardner.

Bond: Continental, $5000.

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: W[illia]m Turner, Isaac Townsend.
Μ. Α., v, 6, 167, 313.

1777 ACTIVE, Vessel of War.

Νου. 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.

Μ. Α., 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.

May 6

Commander: John Allen Hallet.
Massachusetts State Navy.

1780 ACTIVE, Brigantine. Guns, 10; Men, 24.
Commander: Benjamin] Ellinwood.
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.
Μ. Α., v, 22, 24, VIII, 18, 171, 148.

1780 ACTIVE, Brigantine. Guns, 12; Men, 60.
Dec. 13

Apr. 9

Commander: Nathaniel Swasey, of Beverly.
С. С. 196, 1, 22; Μ. Α., 171, 314.

1781 ACTIVE, Brigantine. Guns, 14; Men, 60.
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.
May 21
Commander: William Ross, of Salem.
С. С. 196, 1, 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.

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now all men by there prevents The

and Hand

Treasurer

the

Gardner

Tehemiah Somes Merchant and Andrew Gan red bott, of Boston in the County of Suffolk are held formly bound and Obliged unto henry Gardner Toys Preseuses of Me State of mapachustles Bay and his successors in said office in the full and just Jum of fix hundred pounds to be paid unto the waid Henry ner Treasurer as aforesaid of his successors in Par office, to the which payment well and thely to be made. we bind ourselves out heirs Excutors and Administratorn Joyntly and Severally firmly by then presunds Frated with our Seals dated the Suckcenth day of April, de te yoas of our Lord One Thousand Seven hundred Seventy seven

The Condition of this forcevent Obligation is Tuch That Whereas the Great General Court of the State aforesaid on the Seventh of aprel Instant by theit Resdue of that date did allow that the Inhabitants pany Town withen said State who had rains hair full potiotthon d'thelontinental army. to fit out private bepels of War, but not to thep or receive on board any men that are the Inhabitants of any Town in Jany said State, that have not raised their propetion ward

Army

Af Therefore the said Nchomiak Som es & Adsens Gardner shall not thip of receive any men on board the Ichamel Active whereof the said Garretes Commander that are the Inhabitants hanny Town within the saw Hate that have not land that proportion of the fontinentet

Army, then the above written bligation to be vord, but

in Sefault thereof to remain in full force Winter.

And Gardner