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Rhode Island Republican
Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island
What is this article about?
On June 20, 1804, the American ship Hopewell and brig Rockland, under convoy, were captured by a French brig from Guadaloupe after a 40-minute battle off Guadaloupe. Prescott Sherman, captain of Hopewell, reports three killed and six wounded on his ship; the brig had one mate and one man killed, four wounded including the captain who later died. Prisoners held in harsh conditions at Point-Petre, facing threats as pirates.
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Thursday, Sept. 6, 1804
Extract of a letter from Mr. Prescott Sherman, of this town, to his friend here, dated Point-Petre, Guadaloupe, July 26, 1804.
"I am sorry to inform you of the capture of the ship Hopewell, and brig Rockland, under my convoy. On the 20th June, we fell in with a brig of ten long French sixes, two twelve pound carronades, and one long eighteen pounder, and one hundred and fifty men belonging to Guadaloupe, who engaged us under English colours, boarded and took the brig in less than a moment; then sheared off, gave me her broad side, and attempted to board us ; but I repulsed them, and they were obliged to shear off clear of our pikes, and played continually with their musketry. We fought in this manner for forty minutes, until my men began to fall and the landsmen to quit their quarters. Seeing this, they made the second attempt to board, cut away our nettings and overpowered us by numbers, when we were obliged to haul down our colours.—I had three men killed and six wounded; the ship very much shattered. The brig had the mate and one man killed, and four wounded; the Captain was one of the wounded, and died since we arrived here. They put us all together in prison, with nothing to eat but stinking beef and bad bread, and but short allowance of that. What will be the consequence; I don't know—they threaten us very hard as pirates. We expect to be sent to the other end of the Island, to Basse Terre ;—and we are informed that they have sent a vessel to our government about it, and expect to remain in prison until they receive an answer, to know if our government will claim us or not. If they don't, God only knows what they will do with us; they will not suffer any Americans to come near us, nor have we any communication with any one, only by chance. Still I am in good spirits; all that I can say more is, that I did not give my ship away, but fought to the last moment."
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Foreign News Details
Primary Location
Point Petre, Guadaloupe
Event Date
20th June 1804
Key Persons
Outcome
ship hopewell: 3 killed, 6 wounded; ship shattered. brig rockland: mate and 1 man killed, 4 wounded including captain who died later. both vessels captured; prisoners imprisoned with poor conditions, threatened as pirates, awaiting government response.
Event Details
The ship Hopewell and brig Rockland under convoy encountered a French brig of 150 men armed with ten long sixes, two twelve-pound carronades, and one long eighteen-pounder from Guadaloupe, flying English colors. The French boarded and captured the brig quickly, then engaged Hopewell with broadsides and musketry for 40 minutes. After repelling a first boarding attempt, the French succeeded on the second, overpowering the crew by numbers, forcing surrender.