Nov. 27 1776
Course continues today E.N.E. Captain Johnston has not yet revealed his plan for our cruise. There is much talk among the crew that we will make our way to Nova Scotia to capture British prizes either entering our departing Halifax. Several of our other New England privateers have found this most profitable. The weather continues squally and cold but we keep quite warm tending to our regular duties. The captain was unable to shoot the sun today at meridian because of the poor weather. Many of our crew are young or have never been to sea and are rated as landsmen and must learn the ropes. Mr. Buntin our second lieutenant informs us that Captain Johnston will begin exercising us at our stations tomorrow weather permitting.
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Overview
The hellhole of Mill Prison England where hundreds of American sailors are held for high treason and most probably the noose; John Paul Jones' bloody but victorius battle between Bonhomme Richard and Serapis; the Captain Queeg-like French captain of the American Frigate Alliance whose insanity finally drives the crew to mutiny; this is the story chronicled in Jacob Nutter’s journal covering the span of 1776 to 1780 during America’s battle for independence. This journal is actually fictional as Nutter documented very little of his experience during these 4 years; rather this is a compilation written from Nutter's perspective based on first hand accounts of others, historical documents and the many books written about this important part of America's early navy.
Jacob Nutter was my ancestor. He enlisted on the privateer Dolton in Portsmouth NH in November of 1776, expecting to cruise for 3 months with a crew of 120, capturing British merchant ships. Instead, on Christmas Eve 1776, off the coast of Spain, the Dolton was taken by the HMS Raisonable. Nutter and the Dolton's crew were taken to Plymouth England where they were committed to Mill Prison for piracy and treason. In early 1779, after nearly two years of imprisonment Benjamin Franklin obtained a prisoner exchange and roughly 100 of the Mill Prison inmates were set free and sent to France. Most had no money, no clothes and no way home and therefore enlisted on American ships then recruiting mariners. Nutter enlisted on the new American Frigate Alliance, commanded by Pierre Landais, as a quartermaster thinking that this ship would soon be returning to America with supplies for the war. Instead, Franklin re-assigned the Alliance to John Paul Jones' small flotilla. The Alliance participated in the famous battle between Jones' Bonhomme Richard and the HMS Serapis. Due to Landais' poor conduct during the battle he was subsequently removed from command by Jones when the flotilla arrived in the Netherlands. In early 1780 after cruising along the coast of France and Spain, and after a near mutiny by the crew, Alliance made her way to L'Orient France. While Jones basked in his glory in Paris, the crew remained at L'Orient suffering for want of clothing, food and money. In Jones' absence Landais made his way to L'Orient and convinced much of his former crew that he was rightful commander of the Alliance. After a showdown between Jones and Landais in which the Alliance was nearly fired upon by a French fort to prevent her departure, Alliance finally made sail for America. During the 2 month cruise home, the crew mutineed when Landais informed them he would cruise to Philadelphia instead of Boston. Landais began acting irrationally and the officers were forced to take command. Finally, in August of 1780, Alliance raised the American coast and Jacob Nutter was home after nearly four years away from his family and country.
Jacob Nutter was my ancestor. He enlisted on the privateer Dolton in Portsmouth NH in November of 1776, expecting to cruise for 3 months with a crew of 120, capturing British merchant ships. Instead, on Christmas Eve 1776, off the coast of Spain, the Dolton was taken by the HMS Raisonable. Nutter and the Dolton's crew were taken to Plymouth England where they were committed to Mill Prison for piracy and treason. In early 1779, after nearly two years of imprisonment Benjamin Franklin obtained a prisoner exchange and roughly 100 of the Mill Prison inmates were set free and sent to France. Most had no money, no clothes and no way home and therefore enlisted on American ships then recruiting mariners. Nutter enlisted on the new American Frigate Alliance, commanded by Pierre Landais, as a quartermaster thinking that this ship would soon be returning to America with supplies for the war. Instead, Franklin re-assigned the Alliance to John Paul Jones' small flotilla. The Alliance participated in the famous battle between Jones' Bonhomme Richard and the HMS Serapis. Due to Landais' poor conduct during the battle he was subsequently removed from command by Jones when the flotilla arrived in the Netherlands. In early 1780 after cruising along the coast of France and Spain, and after a near mutiny by the crew, Alliance made her way to L'Orient France. While Jones basked in his glory in Paris, the crew remained at L'Orient suffering for want of clothing, food and money. In Jones' absence Landais made his way to L'Orient and convinced much of his former crew that he was rightful commander of the Alliance. After a showdown between Jones and Landais in which the Alliance was nearly fired upon by a French fort to prevent her departure, Alliance finally made sail for America. During the 2 month cruise home, the crew mutineed when Landais informed them he would cruise to Philadelphia instead of Boston. Landais began acting irrationally and the officers were forced to take command. Finally, in August of 1780, Alliance raised the American coast and Jacob Nutter was home after nearly four years away from his family and country.
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- D. Hawks
- An engineer in the semiconductor industry by profession and an amateur illustrator for fun.
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February
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- Feb 13. 1777We are moved from the Torbay to the Bu...
- Feb 12. 1777This day our captors brought a newspap...
- Feb. 7 1777Today we are moved from the Bellisle to...
- Feb. 6 1777We learn today that we are not the only...
- Feb. 5 1777Today is payday for the Bellisle crew. ...
- Feb 1. 1777Nothing exceptional today. Thick weath...
- Jan 30. 1777This day Capt. Brown of the Sloop Char...
- Jan 19. 1777This day we are moved from the Raisona...
- Jan 16. 1777Yesterday our officers were brought ba...
- Jan 15. 1777We are now held captive on board HMS R...
- Dec 24. 1776Today we are near our planned cruising...
- Dec 23. 1776The weather has turned unseasonably mi...
- Dec 8. 1776Clear weather and making good headway o...
- Dec 6. 1776Today the storm continues with snow, g...
- Dec 5. 1776This day dawned with the wind shifting ...
- Dec 3. 1776The sloop we chased on the 28th is the ...
- Nov 29. 1776Yesterday the weather cleared with a s...
- Nov. 27 1776Course continues today E.N.E. Captain...
- Nov. 26 1776This day we sailed from Portsmouth New...
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