GRAND TURK (III) 1812

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aukepalmhof
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GRAND TURK (III) 1812

Post by aukepalmhof » Mon Oct 17, 2016 7:10 pm

Built at a shipyard in Wiscasset, Maine.
The Salem Gazette of 8 September 1812 has the following
To be sold at Wiscasset a vessel of about 300 tons, pierced for 18 guns exclusive of bridle and stern ports.
Built after the model of the fast sailing ship VOLANTE and by the same master-workman.
28 September she arrived at Boston and she attracted the attention of a group of Salem men interested in privateering, and soon after the brig appeared they made a thorough inspection of her, whereafter she bought the vessel and she was named GRAND TURK (III), The ship had about 30 shareholders.
Tonnage 309 ton (bm), dim. 102 x 28 x 12.4ft.
Rigged as a brig.

16 February 1813 after she was fitted out at Salem as a privateer, she set sail for her first cruise.

When the War of 1812 broke out the GRAND TURK was refitted as a privateer, carrying eighteen guns and a complement of one hundred and fifty men.
At first she had as her commander Holten J. Breed, but toward the close of the war she was commanded by Nathan Green. Her first venture was made early
in 1813, when she ran down to the coast of Brazil, cruised some time in the West Indies, and late in May put into Portland, Maine. In this time the
GRAND TURK captured three large vessels carrying heavy armaments and a schooner, all of which were ordered to France.

In her second cruise, which was begun in July, 1813, the GRAND TURK made directly for European waters. On her voyage across the Atlantic she cap-
tured the schooner REBECCA,from Halifax bound for Bermuda, laden with live stock and provisions, which was sent into Portsmouth. Reaching the other side of the ocean, the GRAND TURK cruised for twenty days in the chops of the English Channel without meeting a British war craft of any descrip- tion. She came across many of their merchantmen, however, and took, in rapid succession, the schooner AGNES, laden with fish, which was sent into a French port; the ship WILLIAM, of ten guns, having a valuable cargo of drygoods, crates, wine, etc., from Cork for Buenos Ayres, which was sent into Salem; the brig INDIAN LASS,from Liverpool for St. Michael, with drygoods, which also was sent into Salem with thirty prisoners; the brig CATHARINE, from Lisbon for London; and the schooner BRITANNIA, for the West
Indies, which was sent into Portland. The CATHARINE shortly afterward was recaptured by the English brig of war BACCHUS, but before the prize could
gain port the GRAND TURK again loomed up on her horizon and seized her for the second time. To make sure that she would not again fall into the hands
of the enemy, the Americans, after taking out the most valuable portion of the cargo, burned her.
Continuing her cruise in English waters, the GRAND TURK added to her list of valuable prizes the sloop CAROLINE,from London for St. Michael, laden
with drygoods. The cargo was transferred to the privateer, but the sloop being of little value, and the prisoners in the privateer becoming so numerous as to be dangerous, the CAROLINE was released and ordered to the nearest port with the prisoners. Soon afterward the privateer captured the merchantman COSSACK, laden with wine. This vessel was recaptured by the 74-gun ship of the line BULWARK, but, like the CATHARINE, was again captured by the Americans; this time by the privateer SURPRISE, of Baltimore, and was sent into Salem. After burning or sinking the schooner PINK; the brig BROTHERS, from St. John's for Liverpool, with lumber aboard; the brig ROBERT STEWART, also with lumber; the schooner COMMERCE, laden with fish; and releasing the brig BELGRADE, from Malta for Falmouth after taking
some guns out of her the GRAND TURK returned to Salem in November, 1813, having made a cruise of one hundred and three days, and with only forty-
four men of her original complement of one hundred and fifty left. One of her prizes had a cargo invoiced at thirty thousand pounds sterling.

On her third cruise which started on 17 February 1814 she sighted 01 May 1814 the British mail-packet HINCHINBROOKE see: http://www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewt ... allery]/3/

This privateer made one more short run to sea with fairly good success, but it was on her last cruise, when under the command of Captain Nathan Green, that she made her greatest reputation.

Half an hour after noon on Sunday, January 1, 1815, Captain Green stowed his anchors away and cleared his deck preparatory for sailing from Salem,
and at 2 p. M. he passed Baker's Island. Nothing more than an occasional glimpse of a British frigate or a ship of the line, to which the GRAND TURK
promptly showed a clean pair of heels, served to break the monotony of the cruise until 3.30 P. M., February 17th, when the privateer was in the vicinity of Pernambuco. At that time a small sail was sighted, which proved to be a catamaran, and for the purpose of gaining information as to the proposed movements of British merchant ships Captain Green boarded her. It happened that the craft had just left the port, and her master informed the
Americans that there were eight English vessels in the harbor, some of them ready to sail. This was the news Captain Green had been longing for, and he determined to hover off the port until some of the ships sailed. At six o'clock that evening he had approached sufficiently near Pernambuco to distinguish the shipping. Two days later, or at 5.30 P. M., Sunday, February 19th, his patience was rewarded by a sail appearing to the north.
Gradually drawing up on her during the night, he,at nine o'clock on the following morning, boarded the brig JOVEN FRANCISCO,sailing under Spanish colors from Pernambuco to London, but laden with a cargo of tea, coffee, sugar, and cinnamon consigned to British merchants. From her invoices and some letters found aboard, Captain Green was satisfied that the Spanish flag had been used merely as a cover, and that the craft and her cargo were in truth English property. Accordingly he seized her as a prize and placed Nathaniel Archer and some of his men aboard, with orders to make for the United States.

Scarcely had the last speck of the JOVEN FRANCISCO faded from the horizon when the people in the privateer were cheered by the sight of another sail, this one to the south, standing northward. Observing that she was coming directly upon the privateer, Captain Green allowed her to approach, and at 6.30 p. M., February 21st, he boarded her. She was found to be the British ship ACTIVE JANE, of Liverpool, from Rio Janeiro bound for Maranham. She had on board seven bags of specie, containing fourteen thousand milled rees, which were valued at about seventeen thousand five hundred dollars. A prize crew was placed aboard, with orders to keep near the GRAND TURK during the night. At daylight on the following morning Captain Green made a more thorough search of his prize, but finding nothing else of much value, he transferred the specie to his vessel and scuttled the merchantman.

From this time until March 10th the GRAND TURK cruised in this vicinity, occasioning much damage to the enemy's commerce. She stayed so long, how-
ever, that the English had time to collect several war ships, which were promptly sent out to capture the bold privateersman. Captain Green was fully alive to the growing danger of his position, and when at daylight, Friday, March 10th, the man at the masthead reported a sail in the eastern quarter, he promptly called all hands and sent them to quarters. Thinking that the stranger might be a merchantman, Captain Green cautiously ran down to her, but soon afterward he discovered another sail, this one being on the weather bow. This did not deter the GRAND TURK from continuing her approach to the first stranger, and she was fast drawing near to her,
when, at 6.30 A. M., she passed very near the second stranger. Captain Green stopped only long enough to be satisfied that she was a Portuguese schooner.
At seven o'clock a third stranger was made out from the GRAND TURK's masthead three points off the lee bow. By this time the chase was seen to be a fullrigged ship, a fact that made Captain Green more cautious in approaching, but did not prevent him from continuing the chase.
By 8 A. M. the third stranger was seen to be a large, fullrigged ship also, standing by the wind to the northwest. With increasing anxiety Captain
Green continued the chase after the first stranger and gradually drew up on her, but at ten o'clock, when he had reached a position three quarters of a
mile to windward, he became satisfied that the chase was a frigate endeavoring to decoy the privateer under her guns. Captain Green was not to be caught by such a simple trick as that, and in an instant the GRAND TURK tacked and made all sail to escape. With equal celerity the British frigate
for such she proved to be tacked also and was spreading every sail that would draw. It did not take the privateer long to demonstrate her superior sailing qualities, and in less than an hour she had so increased her lead on the enemy as to relieve Captain Green of all fear of capture; thereupon he ran up the American flag and fired a shot in defiance. But at this juncture the wind, most unfortunately for the privateer, suddenly hauled around to the west, which was very favorable for the frigate, and in a short time enabled her to approach dangerously near. At 11.30 A. M., find-
ing that the Englishman was within gunshot and was slowly getting alongside, Captain Green got out his sweeps. By urging his men to their that, though it was calm where the GRAND TURK was, there was a choppy head sea.
Observing that the American was slipping from his grasp, the Englishman began firing with his chase guns, and manning all his boats, sent them
ahead to tow. Four different times the frigate attempted to tack, but without success. In the hope of damaging the enemy's rigging, Captain Green
opened on the frigate with his long guns and again hoisted his colors. About this time a ship was discovered to leeward which also proved to be a British frigate, and joined in the pursuit of the privateer. At noon Captain Green swept his brig round with her head northward, and having a more favorable sea, managed to increase his lead on the enemy. In this manner the chase was kept up all that night, and the following day, March llth, the Americans were making every exertion at their sweeps, while the British were equally diligent in endeavoring to tow their ships within gunshot. The weather all this time was extremely warm and sultry, which made it especially trying on the American crew. The British, having a larger complement of men, were enabled to form relief crews. At dusk,
Saturday, March lljth, the enemy made a great effort to get within range, but the vigilant Americans were equal to the emergency, and by putting
forth renewed efforts managed to hold their own.

When Sunday, March 12th, dawned, Captain Green was much relieved to find that the enemy was out of sight; but at 1.30 P. M. the two frigates, favored by a breeze that did not reach the GRAND TURK, hove in sight again off the lee bow and gradually drew up on the chase. By five o'clock the wind had died out and the Americans again took to their sweeps. During the night, by ceaseless application of the sweeps, the privateer gained so much as to be out of sight of her pursuers when day broke. At two o'clock on Monday afternoon, not having seen anything of the enemy for some time, Captain Green employed all hands in getting down the fore-topmast, which had been strained in the chase, and replacing it with a new one. While busy at this task a sail was descried to the northwest, and at four o'clock another was observed standing for the privateer. By half past five Captain Green had his new fore-topmast and topgallant mast in place,
rigged and yards aloft. He then made sail for the second stranger, and at seven o'clock boarded her. She proved to be a Portuguese brig from Bnhia bound for La Grande, with a cargo of salt. Captain Green took this opportunity of placing five British prisoners, under parole, in this vessel, and, discharging ten Spaniards, he placed them aboard the brig with the necessary supply of provisions and resumed his course.

After this narrow escape the GRAND TURK saw nothing more of the British frigates until five days later, when her intrepid commander, unruffled by
the danger he had escaped, persisted in remaining in these waters. At two o'clock on the afternoon of Saturday, March 18th, Captain Green overhauled
and spoke a Portuguese brig from Africa bound for Rio Janeiro with a cargo of slaves. At this moment another sail to the northwest was reported from
the masthead, and away went the privateer in chase of it. As the American gradually overhauled the stranger it became more and more evident that she
was a ship of force, and at half past four o'clock she hoisted English colors and began firing her stern guns. No attention was paid to this by the Americans, who kept silently and persistently in the wake of the chase, confident in their ability to overtake her.

Forty minutes later the stranger took in her steering sails, gave a broad yaw, and fired a broad- side. Upon this invitation to a square yardarm fight the GRAND TURK promptly followed the maneuver and opened with her port battery, and maintained such a heavy fire that in ten minutes the Englishman struck. On taking possession, the Americans found her to be the British brig ACORN, from Liverpool, bound for Rio Janeiro. The prize carried four-teen 12-pounders, and had a cargo of drygoods. No time was lost in getting the cargo aboard the privateer, for Captain Green well knew that British cruisers were swarming in this part of the ocean.
In twenty minutes the first boat load of goods was brought aboard the GRAND TURK. All night long the crew was kept busy transferring the merchandise,
but at daylight Sunday morning the work was interrupted by the appearance of two frigates and a war brig in full chase of the privateer, and on her
lee beam. These frigates proved to be the same that had given the GRAND TURK such a hard and persistent chase the week before. Taking a "very full
boat load of goods on board," Captain Green placed Joseph Phippen and eleven men aboard the ACORN, with orders to make for the United States, and then gave attention to his own safety. As the wind was fair, he soon found that he was drawing away from the frigates, and by nightfall he had run them out of sight.

Having had a tolerably successful cruise of nearly three months, and believing that the treaty of peace, signed at Ghent, would be ratified, Captain Green decided to return home. Another reason for terminating his cruise was the fact that the GRAND TURK’s copper and rigging were very much out of repair and she was running short of water.
While homeward bound Captain Green, at four o'clock in the morning of March 29th, discovered a sail to windward, and, believing that he might take
another prize, tacked in pursuit. At half past eight he came up with the stranger, which proved to be a Portuguese ship from Africa for Maranham,
with nearly five hundred slaves aboard. Captain Green took this opportunity of releasing on parole eleven British prisoners who were placed aboard
the Portuguese.

Resuming her course northward, the GRAND TURK, on April 16th, boarded the American schooner COMET, from Alexandria for Barbadoes, with a cargo of flour, and learned that peace between the United States and England had been concluded. Captain Green notes that this announcement " produced the
greatest rejoicing throughout the ship's company." On Saturday, April 29th, the GRAND TURK dropped anchor in Salem harbor, cleared decks, and saluted
the town, thus completing a cruise of one hundred and eighteen days. This privateer captured, in the course of the war, three ships, twelve brigs, seven schooners, and eight sloops. On May 30, 1815, the GRAND TURK was sold to William Gray, of Salem, and for some time was employed as a merchantman.

She was sold at a public auction on 30 May at 11 o’clock at the India Wharf in Salem the brig GRAND TURK and she was sold at this auction for $8,000 to William Gray of Boston.
All the papers of Mr. Gray were destroyed by a fire and not much is known of the GRAND TURK as a merchantman.
June 5th she was moved to Boston and registered at the custom-house in the name of William Gray as sole owner and William Austin as master.
She cleared Boston on 29 June for Marseille loaded with general cargo.
17 November 1815 she is reported in the newspapers that she arrived from Marseille in Boston after a passage of 44 days with an assorted cargo.
After a month she cleared again from Boston bound for Havanna.
26 March 1816 her registry at the Bostom Custom House was cancelled, with the endorsement “Sold to a Spaniard in Havanna on 27 January 1816.”
Then she disappears and her subsequent career and fate remains a mystery.




https://archive.org/stream/historyofame ... p_djvu.txt The Log of the GRAND TURKS by Robert E. Peabody.

Belize 1985 15c sg847, scott531. (the stamp is designed after a painting made by William I, Pocock.)
Turks and Caicos Islands 1973 8c sg398,scott282,1976 6c/55c sg446/49, scott311/14 (On this stamps and mint sheet she is in the background of the stamp the other vessel is the HINCHINBROOK.)( GRAND TURK depict on the 25c is not the same vessel but the one built in 1780 http://www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewt ... allery]/2/ )
1983 20c sg773a, scott?
Attachments
grand turk III.png
Image (26).jpg
hinchinbrook painting.jpg
Image (35).jpg

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