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The Providence Journal, And Town And Country Advertiser
Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
What is this article about?
Captain Thomas Tingey corrects a published account of a polite but tense encounter in Norfolk between his USS Ganges and the British HMS Surprise, where British inquired about English crew members; he affirms his crew's American status and vows to resist any impressment, rallying his men with cheers. Dated Feb. 27, 1799.
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To the Printers of the Norfolk Herald.
GENTLEMEN,
Being an enemy to misrepresentation, I must beg of you to correct the statement of the transaction between his Britannic Majesty's ship Surprise, of 32 guns, and the United States ship Ganges, under my command.
It is true, that Capt. Hamilton, of the above ship, did send an officer on board, requesting information whether any Englishmen were in my crew; observing that my assurance would be sufficient to prevent an officer being sent to examine their protections. I did not hesitate to say, I considered all my crew Americans by birth or adoption—but I also observed to the officer, that there were no protections on board to my knowledge—the only one we carried in our public ships being our flag. This business terminated here. It is not true that the officer demanded a sight of my commission; but during his stay behaved with much politeness, and was in return treated with all the civility I was capable of. Nor did I, as I have heard it represented, say any thing about my guns being a protection, if my flag was deemed insufficient.
As soon as the boat put off a second time to come on board the Ganges, being on the quarter deck with my officers, I declared to them my determination to fall there, sooner than suffer an investigation, or permit any man's name to be called over.
When the boat came alongside again; it was with the surgeon; and with a polite message from Capt. Hamilton, requesting to assist him with some medicine he was in need of. But no apology was made for the message sent by the lieutenant; nor was the subject thereof ever mentioned by the Doctor or myself.
Apprehensive that a similar circumstance might occur on a future day, I thought it incumbent on me to let my people know what they had to trust to. At evening, therefore, I caused all hands to be called; and when assembled, did pledge myself to them, that not a man should be taken from me, by any force whatever, while I was able to stand at my quarters; which declaration they received with three cheers, and high spirits.
THOMAS TINGEY.
Norfolk, Feb. 27, 1799.
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Letter to Editor Details
Author
Thomas Tingey
Recipient
Printers Of The Norfolk Herald
Main Argument
corrects the misrepresentation of the encounter between hms surprise and uss ganges, stating that the british officer inquired politely about englishmen in the crew, no demand for commission was made, and tingey pledged to protect his crew from impressment.
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