Privateers and PrivateeringStatham, Edward Phillips
History
Privateers and Privateering
Statham, Edward Phillips
Naval biography; Privateering
This, however, is the story; and the English captain immediately putting
his helm "hard up" to take the strain off his unsupported foremast,
Robinson took occasion to give him a raking broadside; and this was the
last shot fired, the Englishman failing to come up to the scratch again,
and the _Pomona_ proceeding on her voyage.
The British vessel was said to be the privateer _Rosebud_, with a crew
of one hundred men, of whom forty-seven were killed and wounded; we are
not told the _Pomona's_ loss. Captain Duncan, of the _Rosebud_,
complained at New York that the Americans had not "fought fair," using
"langrage"--_i.e._ rough bits of iron, old nails, etc.; but this
illusion was put down to the crowbar--quite a legitimate missile!
There is no British account to hand of this action; but it is impossible
to feel any great admiration of the "Rosebuds," in allowing a vessel of
such inferior force to beat them off. They must have been sadly lacking
in thorns!
The _Pomona_ reached Bordeaux in safety, and there her captain, having
sold his tobacco, purchased a more satisfactory lot of guns, powder, and
shot, and raised his crew to 70 men; and, having shipped a cargo of
brandy, made sail on his return voyage to America.
On the road he encountered a British privateer of 16 guns and 70 men;
after several encounters, the Englishman all the while endeavouring to
escape, Robinson captured her: British loss, 12 killed, and "a number"
wounded; American loss, 1 killed, 2 wounded.
The _Pomona_, however, was destined to have her career cut short by
capture, and then there commenced a series of adventures for Joshua
Barney as a prisoner of war. We are not told when or by whom the
_Pomona_ was captured; Mr. Maclay, on page 148, says: "In the chapter on
'Navy Officers in Privateers', mention was made of the capture of the
armed brig, _Pomona_, commanded by Captain Isaiah Robinson, who had, as
his first officer, Lieutenant Joshua Barney, also of the regular
service." There is nothing, however, to be found, in the chapter
referred to, about the capture of the _Pomona_. The final allusion is to
her safe arrival in America from Bordeaux, probably in September 1779.
However, it appears that Joshua Barney became a prisoner some time
between September 1779 and the autumn of 1780, and was placed in one of
the prison-ships. The arrival of Admiral Byron, it is said, brought
about a welcome change in the prison administration; some additional
ships were ordered for the accommodation of the American officers, and
the admiral personally inspected all the prison-ships once a week; while
some of the officers who belonged to the regular navy were taken on
board the flagship _Ardent_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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