Diary entry recording engagement with Admiral Keppel

Entry of Jonathan "Waterhouse" on ship's payroll

OLIVER CROMWELL

This vessel, 80 feet keel, 27 feet beam, 12 feet depth of hold, was ordered built at Saybrook (Essex) by the General Assembly January 81st, 1776, and was the largest full-rigged ship constructed for the State under the general direction of the Governor and Council of Safety. Uriah Hayden, ship builder, was chosen to do the work under the supervision of Capt. Seth Harding, who was paid £32.6.9 for his services, according to voucher dated Jan. 30, 1776, on file, and various payments were made beginning April 2,1776, and continuing to October 23, 1776, as the work progressed, during which time £1750 had been paid, according to orders on the Committee of the Pay Table drawn by Benjamin Huntington, Clerk of the Council. These payments included provision for rigging which was furnished by Ephraim Bill; Wm. Lax for making the gun carriages; Nathaniel Wales for muskets and gun locks, and Capt.. Benj. Williams for iron and blacksmith work. The Cromwell was launched at Saybrook on Thursday, June 13, 1776. On Thursday night, August 1, 1776, she was struck by lightning, which did considerable damage to her main and mizzen masts, but repairs were quickly made, and on Sunday, August 18th, the new ship of war Oliver Cromwell, commanded by William Coit, Esq., sailed out of Connecticut River and arrived at New London on Tuesday, August 20th, 1776, the largest craft that had ever come over Saybrook bar, and piloted by James Harris. On Oct. 22, 1776, Titus Hosmer, a member of the Council, gave an order to Mr. Buell for 40 firearms to be delivered to Captain Coit for the use of the ship. The next day James Tilly of Saybrook was allowed £400 for cordage, and Levi Young was appointed Master and warrant as such issued by the Governor. Captain Coit also received two months cruising orders and Nathaniel Shaw of New London was directed to supply the ship with whatever it needed. On Nov. 15th, Captain Colt was allowed £1,000 for the use of the ship and Mr. Shaw £2,000 for public use. Dr. Samuel Lee of Windham was appointed Surgeon of the Cromwell on the same day. On Dec. 14, 1776, Nathl. Shaw was authorized to draw a letter of credit in favor of Captain Coit, for use when necessary, for repairs or supplies while in any foreign port, and Dr. Albigence Waldo was appointed Chief Surgeon of the ship, as evidently Dr. Lee resigned.

On January 8, 1777, the furnace at Salisbury was ordered to cast and furnish 200 hand-grenades and a ton of swivel shot for the ship, and on Jan. 28th, all officers and men were ordered on board to make ready for sailing, £150 being provided Captain Coit for expenses. About this time there were difficulties attending the shipping and entering of the crew, causing further delay and trouble. The other officers of the vessel were Timothy Parker, 1st Lieut., David Hawley, 2d Lieut., Samuel Champlain, 3d Lieut., Azariah Whittlesey of Saybrook, Master in place of Levi Young, and Eliphalet Roberts of Hartford Captain of Marines. Dissatisfaction occurred among the officers; some of them retired and others dismissed. In October, 1776, the list stood: Captain William Coit, 1st Lieut. Michael Melally, 2d Lieut. John Chapman, 3d Lieut John Smith of East Hartford, 2d Lieut. of Marines John Prentiss, Surgeon’s Mate Thos. Gray. Desertions and trouble amongst the crew made further delay and almost mutiny, due to lack of pay and apparent inability, on account of hurried calls upon the sources of supply for war material and provisions from every quarter of the State, to provide the many needs so urgent at the same time.

Nathaniel Shaw of New London, as well as Capt. Jonathan Huntington, Nathl. Backus and Jabez Perkins were authorized to adjust and settle up Captain Coit’s accounts remaining unpaid with Uriah Hayden, Capt. Benj. Williams and Capt. Richard Deshon for labor, services, sailmaking, &c., and matters were generally hurried along, and on April 11th, 1777, the Council then sitting at Lebanon appointed Captain Seth Harding to the command of the Cromwell, he having released his command of the Defence to Captain Smedley because of ill health, though sufficiently recovered to accept the billet thus offered. Timothy Parker was recalled and appointed as First Lieutenant and Executive Officer, John Chapman recalled as Second Lieutenant, John Smith of East Hartford appointed Third Lieutenant, Eliphalet Roberts remaining as Captain of Marines, John Prentiss 2d as First Lieutenant of Marines, Bela Elderkin as Second Lieutenant of Marines, and Josiah Burnham as Master. Captain Harding enlisted a new crew to serve until Oct. 14, 1777, and matters were promptly placed in motion, so that by April 22d, the ship was ready for the inspection by the Governor and Company, which was held in New London harbor on that day.

Before sailing, however, there was another change in the personnel. Eliphalet Roberts was dismissed as Captain of Marines, as well as Lieutenants Prentiss and Elderkin, and but one marine officer provided for, viz. Lieut. James Day; and Josiah Burnham was succeeded by Caleb Frisbie as Master. Benjamin Ellis was appointed Surgeon, and Timothy Rogers his mate. The Cromwell sailed on her first cruise early in May, 1777, and soon captured the prizes hereafter recorded. Before the ship sailed, Captain Coit, late commander, applied to the Council on April 22nd, complaining of hard treatment and requested a committee appointed to examine his accounts, that he may be exonerated, and accordingly Capt. John Deshon, Ebenezer Ledyard and Capt. Jos. Hurlbut were selected. Nathaniel Shaw was also directed to assist in the examination and to act in behalf of the State. June 7th, 1777, the accounts of Captain Roberts were adjusted also, concerning the marines, and Captain Coit appointed as paymaster in the settlement, and an auditing committee appointed June 10th, consisting of Jabez Huntington, Nathaniel Wales and Benjamin Huntington, to attend to the final adjustment, and on July 14, 1777, said settlement was made in full by voting Captain Coit a payment in full for all accounts of £787.12. 6 1/4. Capt. Eliphalet Roberts, after his dismissal as Marine Officer of the Cromwell, fin-mediately engaged as Captain of the privateer sloop Polly, and was ready to sail on a cruise June 19, 1777, when he advertised for seamen and marines.

On April 14, 1777, Captain Harding took command of the ship, reconditioned her, and recruited a crew of 102 men, so that by May 21st he was able to sail, and arrived at Bedford in Dartmouth, Massachusetts Bay, the next day, and opened a house of rendezvous for recruiting. Having secured a crew of 150 men he left Bedford June 5, 1777, for the high seas, in search of British prizes. He had not been out long before he was rewarded, his first prize being the brig Honour, which arrived safely at Bedford with a cargo valued at £10,204-11-6, as shown by her inventory of sale. What the brig itself brought does not appear. His next capture was made on July 28th, 1777, when he took the ship Weymouth, 14 guns, bound from Jamaica to London, which was sent into Boston, and on July 19th he fell in with and captured the ship Restoration. The latter, however, which was in charge of Midshipman Sherman Lewis as prize master, was recaptured by the British ship Ambuscade, Captain McCartney, and sent into Halifax. Capt. Harding put into the Kennebec with his prisoners, and as he himself was ill, he remained until well enough to proceed with his people to Boston overland; and Lieut. Timothy Parker continued with the Cromwell and her prize the Weymouth to Boston. The prisoners, later in the season, were convoyed overland in care of one Azariah Hilliard, a seaman belonging to the Cromwell, to Connecticut, where provision was made at New London for them to be transported by a cartel to New York for exchange. While en route down the Sound, however, they mutinied, overpowering the cartel’s crew, and escaped ashore on Long Island. The officers of both the Weymouth and the Honour set out for Lebanon under the care of Midshipman Curtis Reed of the Cromwell. Captain Judd of the British Frigate Antelope, and Captain Flynn of the Weymouth, were among the prisoners taken.

Captain Harding, however, did not readily regain his health and was compelled to relinquish his command on that account to Lieut. Timothy Parker, who remained at Boston, refitted the ship and prepared for another cruise in company with the State ship Defence, Captain Smedley, who had been detained at Boston for the purpose of lengthening out his vessel. By December, 1777, everything was in readiness, Captain Parker bad been appointed to command the Cromwell and received his orders to cruise, but on account of delay with the reconstruction program of the Defence, it was the following spring before the two vessels were ready to take their departure. In the meantime Captain Harding had sufficiently recovered from his prolonged illness as to be recommended to the Navy Board of the United States, by Governor Trumbull, for the command of the new Continental frigate Confederacy, then being built in the Thames River below Norwich, and to which command he was later ordered. About the last of February, 1778, as soon as the Defence received her new guns, both ships put to sea in search of more prizes. The Cromwell had been incidentally ordered to Charleston, S. C., for a cargo including indigo, to be taken to France., but on account of smallpox, kept to sea while inoculations were being made, and to assist the Defence, which also was similarly stricken. While cruising east of St Kitts in company with the latter vessel, on April 15th they fell in with two British privateer ships, the Admiral Keppel and Cyrus, of 18 and 18 guns respectively, and captured them. (See correspondence relating to the Defence, and the Log of Timothy Boardman, carpenter’s mate in the Cromwell.) Both of these prizes were sent to Boston and a handsome sum was realized for the State for their condemnation and cargoes.

Among the prisoners was the Hon. Henry Shirley, his wife, family and suite, en route to Jamaica as His Majesty’s Governor, etc., and there was prolonged correspondence on his account, with respect to his being allowed to charter a vessel, after giving his parole, for the purpose of reaching his destination. After much consideration by Governor Trumbull and Council, he was finally permitted to carry out his desire, together with Mr. Paul Phipps of Kingston, Jamaica, to proceed to that island, under a flag of truce, at his own expense, provided he arranged for an equal exchange for his party, which was accordingly done.

The Cromwell then proceeded to cross the Bahama Banks and to gradually work up the coast, but suffered a severe check to her operations by running intoa severe hurricane near the Bahamas, in which she lost all her masts and barely escaped utter annihilation the tempest. This happened after she left Charleston (August 24, 1778) and while en voyage to France. Her condition was such, however, that Captain Parker was compelled to abandon his voyage and under jury rig, find his way back to New London for refitting, of which he was sadly in need, and where be arrived Sept. 8, 1778. After refitting and before the winter set in Captain Parker made another dash to sea and early in October, 1778, fell in with and. captured the Brig Medway, with a cargo valued at £3,969, and sent her into Hyannis, Cape Cod. (See Inventory, Vol. IX, Rev. War.) Having again returned to New London, be remained there all winter. Nathaniel Shaw of New London, Marine Agent for the State, was directed to get the. Cromwell in readiness to annoy the enemy down the Sound by Jan. 7, 1779, if practicable and if a crew could be obtained speedily for this purpose, the dividend of prizes to be the same as allowed to privateers. But on account of various delays incident to the winter, recruiting, etc., it was March before she was able to complete her preparations, and even April before being able to sail. She, however, got away in time, and on May 25, 1779, returned to New London with four British prizes, viz., the schooner Hazard, of 10 guns and, swivels and 40 men; a British schooner, St. George, with mahogany and logwood from Honduras; the schooner Dove, and the Frigate Renown’s tender York. Having libeled her prizes in the Maritime Court, she immediately put to sea again, but had. only gotten fairly started on her voyage (in company with the privateer Hancock) when, on Saturday, June 6th, 1779, while cruising some leagues south of Sandy Hook, she fell in with three British ships and a brig. One of the ships was a very fast sailer, and coming up with the Oliver Cromwell they engaged for nearly two hours, in which time the Cromwell shot away her main topmast; but the other two ships coming up, she was obliged to strike, after making a gallant defence. The Oliver Cromwell mounted about 20 guns and had about 180 men. The British changed her name to the Restoration. Captain Parker and his men were made prisoners and taken to New York, where they remained until August 25th, when they were exchanged.

The record of the Oliver Cromwell’s prizes therefore is as follows:

Captain Parker, commander of the Oliver Cromwell, had previously been captured when he was Lieutenant of the State Schooner Spy, and had been exchanged before. After returning in August, 1779, as an exchanged prisoner, he went to privateering as commander of the ship Scourge, 20 guns, 150 men; and later in command of the Norwich owned sloop Prudence, 10 guns and 45 men. He also commanded the sloop Hancock, in the fall of 1779, for a short time. Timothy Parker was born May 7, 1735, the son of John Parker and Elizabeth Smith, who removed from Falmoutb, Cape Cod, to Norwich, Conn., in 1745. Capt. Timothy Parker married Deborah Lester of Norwich, March 23, 1769, and some of their descendants live in that city now.

One of the members of the crew of the Cromwell kept a Log on the second and third cruises of that vessel in 1778, which is given verbatim herein, as contributing to and portraying conditions and reality of daily experiences of the venturesome voyages of that time.

Timothy Boardman, 24 years old, Carpenter’s mate in the ship Oliver Cromwell, 1778.

April 7th: The Defence has 5 Men Broke out with Small Pox.

May 2d: Sprung our Fore Top Mast. Struck it and shipt another in its Room.

Charles Town SC May y^e 30, 1778.

Charlestown July 6^th 1778.

Conversation between Capt Parker & My Self this Day.

• Pr: What are You Doing a Shore?
• My Sf.: I want to See you Sir.
• Pr: Verry well.
• My Sf.: The Term of my Inlistment is Up & I would be Glad of My Discharge Sir.
• Pr: I can not Give you One, the ship is in Distress. Plumb has been Trying to Get you a way.
• My Sf.: No sir. I can have Good wages here & I think it Better than Privateering. I cant think of Going for a Single Share. I had a hard Task Last Cruise & they all Left me.
• Pr: You have had a Hard Task of it & I will Consider you & you shall have as much again as you Expect. Ranny & those that leave me without a Discharge will never Gett anything. You Better Go aboard Boardman. I will Consider you & you'll Lose Nothing by it.
• My Sf.: I am oblige^d to you Sir. So went aboard.

July 24th:Weigh^d anchor at 5 Fatham Hole & came over the Bar in Compan^y with the Notre Dame a 16 gun Brig & 2 sloops. Mett a French ship on the Bar Bound in.

Aug. 6th:

Sep 1st: