A Revolutionary War Privateer Journal - The Story of Jacob Nutter

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

March 8. 1777
Nothing exceptional today. The weather has been mild the past two days. The Captain continues to employ us at various tasks as he continues to be short of his own crew. Several of us have been busy at reworking some rigging. Others of our number are at work fashioning boxes and chests for the Master at Arms.

We hear that the Dolton was condemned and sold to be pressed into service as a privateer for the British. This is an unfortunate turn of fate for her and for us. The Somerset, 74 guns, has sailed for the America station. We saw her run down the Sound the day before yesterday while we were about our tasks on deck. There is more activity in this harbor than I ever did witness anywhere on the North American coast.

Prayers were read by the Captain on board ship last Sunday and our people were allowed to attend. I have not been a regular attender of church since I was a boy and was forced by my mother to go. Sitting for hours in my father’s pew caused me great distress as I found it impossible to sit still. However in the present circumstances I find great comfort in hearing the gospel and I will make a bargain with the Lord to become a regular attender should I ever find myself a free man at home again.

1 comment:

D. Hawks9:19 PM
One of the references used to construct this journal is "samuel Cutler's Diary," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 32 (1878): 42-43.

Samuel Cutler was the Dolton's clerk.
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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these 4 years; rather this is a compilation written from Nutter's perspective based on first hand accounts of others, historical documents and the many books written about this important part of America's early navy.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.

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Wednesday, March 08, 2006

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