July 5. 1777
Unexpected but very welcome guests came to Mill Prison today. I was visited by William Clark and Benjamin Hodgson both of Portsmouth and good friends of my father. I have known them since I was a young boy running about the shipyard. They were forced into service of the British Navy as they were in England at the outbreak of the war and they are now both sailing masters of transport ships that put in here yesterday and are now windbound. Having learned of our condition and having some time they came on shore. To my great comfort they have promised to get word of my condition to my Rebecca when they return to America. They also inquired after Guppy Studley, another old Portsmouth acquaintance, and found that he was with the small pox in the prison hospital.
Before they departed they gave those of us they know from Portsmouth some money for relief. To me, they gave two guineas. One for me and one for Guppy. Their kindness is very welcome indeed as our regular daily rations are not nearly enough to sustain us, being hardly enough for a single meal.
Their fleet now laying in the Sound sailed from London three weeks past and consists of 32 merchant vessels, and four men o’ war convoys -two two-deckers, a frigate and a sloop o’ war. Mr. Hodgson says they carry 4000 troops bound for Canada.
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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these 4 years; rather this is a compilation written from Nutter's perspective based on first hand accounts of others, historical documents and the many books written about this important part of America's early navy.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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- July 28. 1777Three of our crew were put on half al...
- July 26. 1777We have the good news that the Hancoc...
- July 25. 1777Henry Lunt, William Smith and James D...
- July 23. 1777Last night several British transports...
- July 22. 1777Yesterday Mr. Little was brought back...
- July 19. 1777Guppy was returned from the prison ho...
- July 17. 1777Pleasant weather. About 40 of our me...
- July 16. 1777We received grievous news today that ...
- July 15. 1777The occupants of the itchy ward divul...
- Sunday July 13. 1777Today Cowdry placed the occupa...
- July 12. 1777When mustered out of the prison this ...
- July 9. 1777Warm, very pleasant weather. We are n...
- July 8. 1777Today sailed from the Sound the fleet ...
- Sunday July 6. 1777It being Sunday many of the loc...
- July 5. 1777Unexpected but very welcome guests cam...
- July 4. 1777One year ago America declared its inde...
- July 3. 1777Continued rainy. Benjamin Shackle, an...
- July 2. 1777It rains very hard today so that we mu...
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