"Struck Severely with Such a Spectacle" - The Privateer Yankee Hero
The Privateer Yankee Hero of Newburyport was a 14 gun sloop-of-war that was part of General Washington's 1775-1776 “Wolf Pack”. This small fleet of privateers from the North Shore region of Massachusetts routinely harassed British shipping en route to resupply British troops trapped in Boston. Following the Evacuation of Boston on March 17, 1776, the Yankee Hero continued to patrol Cape Ann for enemy supply ships that strayed too close to the Massachusetts coast. On June 6,
"A Schooner of Forty-Five Tons . . . Intended for the Enemy in Boston" - Interdiction of B
In May, 1775, efforts were undertaken by the Massachusetts Committee of Safety to prevent provisions from reaching the British Army trapped in Boston. Today we'll examine accounts detailing the activities of Massachusetts privateers to achieve that goal. It appears that by early fall of 1775, privateers from Newburyport, Beverly, Salem and Plymouth were actively cruising the waters off of Massachusetts Bay in search of supply ships destined for Boston. Many of these private
"To Cruise Against the Enemies of the United States" - The Privateer General Arnold
The Privateer General Arnold was a two hundred and fifty ton merchant vessel that was converted into a privateer in early 1778. It was owned by Nathaniel Tracy of Newburyport and authorized on April 16, 1778 by the State of Massachusetts "to cruise against the enemies of the United States." She was commanded by Captain Moses Brown and was armed with 18 guns. This ship was NOT the same General Arnold that was destroyed in Plymouth Harbor during a blizzard in December, 1778.
