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Monday, May 08, 2006

May 8. 1777
Today I met one Thomas Chase, crewman of the sloop Charming Sally, from Martha’s Vineyard. We began exchanging stories and soon we had a large group of both Dolton’s and Sally’s listening and adding their own parts to the story. I find that their story closely resembles our own. Mr. Chase told us the Sally sailed from Martha’s Vineyard on the 27th of November last under the command of Captain Francis Brown. She was somewhat more successful than the Dolton, making prize of the Schooner Betsy from Gaspee bound for Jamaica with a cargo of fish and oil on the 8th of December. She also made prize of the Brig Hannah from St. Johns Newfoundland on the ninth of January, she being bound for Lisbon with a cargo of fish. 9 prize hands were sent aboard to sail her for America.

The Sally met her misfortune on the 16th of January when she was taken by the HMS Nonesuch Man O’ War, 64 guns, Captain Walter Griffis, Esq. Master. Most of the Sally’s crew were sent on board the Nonesuch while 30 British sailors and the Nonesuch’s first mate took command of the Sally. The Nonesuch arrived here at Plymouth on 20th of February. Their treatment was much better than ours during their time aboard the Nonesuch. The Sally’s were allowed to keep most of their belongings and they were not forced into the cable tier. After their arrival here the Sally’s were transferred from ship to ship as were we.

After their arrival at Plymouth the Sally’s were confined together with a prize crew of six from the American Schooner Lexington, Henry Johnson, Master. The prisoners on the Lexington’s prize rose up and took the ship back from the Americans and brought it in to Plymouth. A prize crew of the American ship Freedom was taken in like manner. We also find held prisoner here Captain Southard of Salem having been taken on the Sturdy Beggar’s prize.

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