Hello, Would it have been common during the American revolution for a privateer to have two men referred to as "Captain"? I imagine that if this is the case one man would be the master of the vessel, the mariner, while the other would be a military captain. I ask over confusion with who was captain of the privateer sloop Three Brothers.  The History of Maritime Connecticut during the American Revolution, 1775-1783 by Louis Middlebrook says: "Amos Hubbell of Stratford, commander, is recorded in the records of the Fairfield County Maritime Court as having captured the British privateer sloop Three Brothers, Cornwall late master..." On the same page it quotes a letter written by Benjamin Tallmadge to Geo. Washington saying: "One of the latest naval exploits of the Revolutionary War was the capture of the British privateer Three Brothers, commanded by Captain Johnstone (?) [the author's ?]...." Washington afterwards sent Tallmadge a confiscated "passport" that British Adm. Robert Digby granted to Capt. Jacob Cornwell (full name given, my ancetor), master of the Three Brothers.  This passport was granted 31 Dec 1777 and the Three Brothers was taken on 20 Feb 1773.  There were many sloops of that name (due to the popular Child Ballad Henry Martin), but in all accounts this sloop was operating in the Connecticut River and Long Island sound within the same month.  Johnstone was killed in the engagement.  I want to think that Cornwell was the captain of the ship while Johnstone was the military/militia captain who controlled the men at the guns, the 25 musketeers and may have been the top authority, but wasn't a mariner. Any thoughts would be appreciated.  Best, Jordan Peeples

Hello Jordan, Don't know if you have this entry on the engagement you speak of. It is from the Papers of the Continental Congress. As you can see, the question you pose is answered here - at least from the American side, with Captain Hubbel commanding the vessel and Captain Brewster commanding the troops onboard her. From my take on this account, as written by Tallmadge, I'd say that Johnstone was the commissioned captain of this THREE BROTHERS sloop: "One of the latest naval exploits of the war was the capture of a British privateer in Long Island Sound by a detachment of forty men from the army. Colonel Tallmadge, in a report to General Washington, dated Greenfield, Connecticut, February 21, 1783, says: "Yesterday the Enemy's Vessel was discovered near Stratford Point, when at 2 o'Clock P.M. the troops were embarked in a fast sailing Vessel prepared for that purpose, which was commanded by Capt. Hubbel, and at 4 P.M. they came up with her, when she gave a discharge of her Cannon followed by her Swivels and Musketry (our troops being concealed) till both Vessels met, when the troops rose, gave the Enemy one discharge of Musketry and boarded them with fixed Bayonets. The Captain of the Privateer was killed and only three or four of his Men were wounded, two of them supposed mortally wounded. Tho' Captain Hubbel's Vessel was much damaged in her Hull, Spars & Rigging, Yet not a man on board was killed or wounded. Captain Brewster, who commanded the Troops, as well as the other Officers and Soldiers on board, deserve Commendation for the Spirit and Zeal with which this Service has been performed. The Privateer is called the Three Brothers, was commanded by Captain Johnstone, mounting eleven Carriage Guns, four Swivels and twenty-five Stand of small Arms, and navigated by twenty-one men." (Pap. Cont. Conqr., 152, 11, 87.)" Hope this helps, Bill Otis ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jordan Peeples" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, July 08, 2013 11:41 PM Subject: [MAR] "Captain" of a Privateer Hello, Would it have been common during the American revolution for a privateer to have two men referred to as "Captain"? I imagine that if this is the case one man would be the master of the vessel, the mariner, while the other would be a military captain. I ask over confusion with who was captain of the privateer sloop Three Brothers. The History of Maritime Connecticut during the American Revolution, 1775-1783 by Louis Middlebrook says: "Amos Hubbell of Stratford, commander, is recorded in the records of the Fairfield County Maritime Court as having captured the British privateer sloop Three Brothers, Cornwall late master..." On the same page it quotes a letter written by Benjamin Tallmadge to Geo. Washington saying: "One of the latest naval exploits of the Revolutionary War was the capture of the British privateer Three Brothers, commanded by Captain Johnstone (?) [the author's ?]...." Washington afterwards sent Tallmadge a confiscated "passport" that British Adm. Robert Digby granted to Capt. Jacob Cornwell (full name given, my ancetor), master of the Three Brothers. This passport was granted 31 Dec 1777 and the Three Brothers was taken on 20 Feb 1773. There were many sloops of that name (due to the popular Child Ballad Henry Martin), but in all accounts this sloop was operating in the Connecticut River and Long Island sound within the same month. Johnstone was killed in the engagement. I want to think that Cornwell was the captain of the ship while Johnstone was the military/militia captain who controlled the men at the guns, the 25 musketeers and may have been the top authority, but wasn't a mariner. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Best, Jordan Peeples ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Out of curiosity I googled and found the following additional detail for Captain Amos Hubbell on a Find a Grave site as well as the name of his sloop : Captain Amos was a member of the firm Richard Hubbell & Son, merchant. He was an active whig during the Revolution. The battle off Stratford Point took place on Feb. 20 1783 with Capt. Amos Hubbell of Stratford capturing the privateer sloop "Three Brothers". Capt. Hubbell commanded the seventy two ton sloop "Julius Caesar", built in Bedford Mass. 1782. "Captain Hubbell's capture was listed in the records of the Fairfield County Maritime Court and reported by Col. Benjamin Talmadge in a letter to Gen. Washington, written from Greenfield Hill, Fairfield and dated Feb. 21 1783. Paddy Byers On 09/07/2013, at 3:26 PM, william otis <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello Jordan, > Don't know if you have this entry on the engagement you speak of. It is > from the Papers of the Continental Congress. As you can see, the question > you pose is answered here - at least from the American side, with Captain > Hubbel commanding the vessel and Captain Brewster commanding the troops > onboard her. > From my take on this account, as written by Tallmadge, I'd say that > Johnstone was the commissioned captain of this THREE BROTHERS sloop: > "One of the latest naval exploits of the war was the capture of a British > privateer in Long Island Sound by a detachment of forty men from the army. > Colonel Tallmadge, in a report to General Washington, dated Greenfield, > Connecticut, February 21, 1783, says: "Yesterday the Enemy's Vessel was > discovered near Stratford Point, when at 2 o'Clock P.M. the troops were > embarked in a fast sailing Vessel prepared for that purpose, which was > commanded by Capt. Hubbel, and at 4 P.M. they came up with her, when she > gave a discharge of her Cannon followed by her Swivels and Musketry (our > troops being concealed) till both Vessels met, when the troops rose, gave > the Enemy one discharge of Musketry and boarded them with fixed Bayonets. > The Captain of the Privateer was killed and only three or four of his Men > were wounded, two of them supposed mortally wounded. Tho' Captain Hubbel's > Vessel was much damaged in her Hull, Spars & Rigging, Yet not a man on board > was killed or wounded. Captain Brewster, who commanded the Troops, as well > as the other Officers and Soldiers on board, deserve Commendation for the > Spirit and Zeal with which this Service has been performed. The Privateer is > called the Three Brothers, was commanded by Captain Johnstone, mounting > eleven Carriage Guns, four Swivels and twenty-five Stand of small Arms, and > navigated by twenty-one men." (Pap. Cont. Conqr., 152, 11, 87.)" > Hope this helps, > Bill Otis > ---- Original Message ----- > From: "Jordan Peeples" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, July 08, 2013 11:41 PM > Subject: [MAR] "Captain" of a Privateer > Hello, > Would it have been common during the American revolution for a privateer to > have two men referred to as "Captain"? > I imagine that if this is the case one man would be the master of the > vessel, the mariner, while the other would be a military captain. > I ask over confusion with who was captain of the privateer sloop Three > Brothers. The History of Maritime Connecticut during the American > Revolution, 1775-1783 by Louis Middlebrook says: > "Amos Hubbell of Stratford, commander, is recorded in the records of the > Fairfield County Maritime Court as having captured the British privateer > sloop Three Brothers, Cornwall late master..." > > On the same page it quotes a letter written by Benjamin Tallmadge to Geo. > Washington saying: > "One of the latest naval exploits of the Revolutionary War was the > capture of the British privateer Three Brothers, commanded by Captain > Johnstone (?) [the author's ?]...." > Washington afterwards sent Tallmadge a confiscated "passport" that British > Adm. Robert Digby granted to Capt. Jacob Cornwell (full name given, my > ancetor), master of the Three Brothers. This passport was granted 31 Dec > 1777 and the Three Brothers was taken on 20 Feb 1773. There were many sloops > of that name (due to the popular Child Ballad Henry Martin), but in all > accounts this sloop was operating in the Connecticut River and Long Island > sound within the same month. Johnstone was killed in the engagement. I want > to think that Cornwell was the captain of the ship while Johnstone was the > military/militia captain who controlled the men at the guns, the 25 > musketeers and may have been the top authority, but wasn't a mariner. > Any thoughts would be appreciated. > Best, > Jordan Peeples > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message