War of 1812 Privateer’s Commission Issued for a Great Ship Captained by Salem Merchant, Future Navy Secretary and Original Privateer Benjamin Crowninshield, Signed by President James Madison and Secretary of State James Monroe

Acquired from the Crowninshield heirs and never before offered for sale; it was considered “the fastest sailing privateer out of the United States.”

 

Crowninshield is authorized to “subdue, seize and take any armed or unarmed British vessel, public or private, which shall be found within the jurisdictional limits of the United States or elsewhere on the high seas”

 

We have never before seen a privateer’s commission made out to a cabinet member, nor seen a commission with a surviving letter of instruction

The Commission:

During the Napoleonic Wars, the British practices of impressment (boarding American vessels, taking American sailors and forcing them into the Royal Navy), restrictions on American trade, and British support for Native Americans, were major grievances for the U.S. On June 1, 1812, President James Madison sent a message to Congress outlining these grievances and asking for a declaration of war. The House of Representatives voted 79-49 in favor of the declaration, and the Senate voted 19-13. Thus, unlike in World War II where there was unity in Congress, the vote showed divisions in the nation. Still, on June 18, 1812, Madison signed the Declaration of War, marking the beginning of the War of 1812.

During the War of 1812, American privateers played a significant role in disrupting British maritime commerce and bolstering the American economy. Privateers often used fast-sailing schooners and sloops, well-suited for raiding and capturing merchant vessels. They captured a substantial number of British merchant vessels, far exceeding the U.S. Navy’s captures, and brought home valuable prizes. Privateers were privately owned and operated, commissioned by the U.S. government to attack enemy ships during wartime.

The Crowninshield family was historically prominent in shipbuilding and merchant shipping, political and military leadership, and the literary world. The family is one of those known as Boston Brahmins, a reference to old wealthy New England families that became influential in the development of American institutions and culture. George Crowninshield was a captain and merchant, and he had a son Benjamin, who was a captain, merchant, ship builder, and Secretary of the Navy between 1815 and 1818, during the administrations of Presidents James Madison and James Monroe.

During the war, the Crowninshields were prominent figures in privateering and offered three vessels to the U.S. government for service as privateers. These were the ship John, the sloop Jefferson, and the ship America. They were also involved with other privateers where they had an ownership interest, such as the Alexander, where there were 19 owners, including George Crowninshield.

Document signed by Madison as President and Monroe as Secretary of State, Washington, March 1, 1813, being the privateers commission for the Ship Alexander, specifically mentioning the ship and Captain Benjamin Crowninshield, soon to be Secretary of the Navy, who “is further authorized to detain, seize and take all vessels and effects.” According to the postwar book, “Royal Navy Biographies”, “The Alexander is a remarkably fine ship…and was considered the fastest sailing privateer out of the United States.”

“That in pursuance of an Act of Congress, passed on the 26th day of June, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, I have commissioned, and by these presents do commission, the private armed Ship called the Alexander, of the burthen of three hundred and eight tons or thereabouts, owned by Joseph Winn, William Manning, William Rice, George Crowninshield & Co., Josiah Orne, John Dodge, Joseph White, Jr., Gilbert Chadwick, Stephen White, Timothy Wellman, Samuel Webb, Jr., John Hathorne, Nathan Blood, Penn Townsend, Joseph J. Knap, William Fabens, all of Salem, William Fettyplace of Marblehead, William Marston of Boston, all in the State of Massachusetts, and Joseph Despaux of Baltimore in the State of Maryland, mounting sixteen carriage guns, and navigated by one hundred twenty men, hereby authorizing Benjamin Crowninshield, Captain, and Jeremiah Shepard, Jr., Lieutenant of the said Ship, and the other officers and crew thereof to subdue, seize and take any armed or unarmed British vessel, public or private, which shall be found within the jurisdictional limits of the United States or elsewhere on the high seas, or within the waters of the British dominions, and such captured vessel, with her apparel, guns and appurtenances, and the goods or effects which shall be found on board the same, together with all the British persons and others who shall be found acting on board, to bring within some port of the United States; and also to retake any vessels, goods and effects of the people of the United States, which may have been captured by any British armed vessel, in order that proceedings may be had concerning such capture or recapture in due form of law, and as to right and justice shall appertain. The said Benj. Crowninshield is further authorized to detain, seize and take all vessels and effects, to whomsoever belonging, which shall be liable thereto according to the Law of Nations and the rights of the United States as a power at war, and to bring the same within some port of the United States in order that due proceedings may be had thereon. This commission to continue in force during the pleasure of the President of the United States for the time being.” This is noted as being commission number 613.

The 308-ton privateer Alexander was returning from a 10-week privateering cruise, having captured four prizes and recaptured three others. Captain Benjamin Crowninshield had assigned more than half of his crew to sail his prizes into Salem. The Alexander then had just 40 crew members, 16 Frenchmen from the twice recaptured French privateer Invincible Napoleon, and 110 British prisoners onboard, when the British ship Rattler, in company with the small schooner the Bream, ran her onto the beach.

The Evening Post of Boston reported May 24, 1813, “We learn by a gentleman who came in the last eastern stage, that two seamen belonging to the privateer ship Alexander…, Captain Crowninshield, of Salem, came as passengers in the stage from Portsmouth to that town. They informed that on Wednesday, between 10 and 11 o’clock, that ship was chased on shore in Wells Bay, by a British sloop of war. The Alexander had endeavored to reach Portsmouth but the wind favored the enemy, who were so close in pursuit that but 20 of the crew escaped, and about 20 more including the officers, remained on board when she was taken possession of.”

Captain Crowninshield agreed to relinquish his privateer and all his prisoners and cargo in exchange for the parole of his crew. Captain Alexander Gordon, commander of the British sloop-of-war, sent a flag of truce and a message for the militia men onshore. Convinced that resistance would be unwise, the militia watched as the Alexander was floated off at the next high tide and sailed for St Johns, N.B. She had lost her rudder but was otherwise no worse for the battle. Captain Gordon was thrilled with his prize. Crowninshield and other Americans were released.

The Letter of Instruction:

Fascinatingly, this commission is still accompanied by the original letter of instruction from some of the owners of the ship Alexander to Benjamin Crowninshield as ship’s captain. It is the first time we have ever seen a privateer’s letter of instruction from the War of 1812, and it is filled with interesting details. “You being appointed commander of the private armed ship Alexander, now ready for sea, the undersigned, a committee appointed by the owners, give you the following for your instructions. As soon as you have quartered your men, you will embrace the first favorable wind and proceed to sea with the Ship Alexander, for the purpose of seizing upon and capturing vessels, goods and effects belonging to subjects of Great Britain and her dependencies, and sending them into port for condemnation, comfortable to your commission granted by the President of the United States. After leaving here, we recommend that you proceed to the SW coast of Ireland, keeping in the track of vessels bound to Newfoundland or Halifax. After arriving there, cruise between that ground and Cape Finisterre. You will then be in the track of all vessels bound to and from England and Ireland. Having the fullest confidence in your judgment, and leaving many things to your discretion, you are at liberty to change your cruising ground as circumstances shall dictate.

“You will be particularly cautious not to molest any vessels having the American flag, unless you can ascertain the cargo to be on British account, sufficient in value to justify sending her in. Neutrals are to be in all cases respected, unless they have enemy property on board, or articles contraband of war, bound to an enemy port. The property of a friend is to be respected on board of an enemy, while the goods of an enemy are, by the laws of nations, good prize even on board the ship of a friend. Should you have many prisoners on board, it would be well to appropriate some captured vessel of little value, and send them to some convenient British port, taking a receipt for them. We do not recommend your burning any vessel, even though they may not be worth sending into port. Probably in most cases, you may ransom, or take out some valuable articles of cargo aboard your ship. But you must be very careful to procure the necessary papers or evidence of property so taken, that it is laden on British account, to procure the condemnation. We deem it not improper to caution you to be careful that no petty plunder, or embezzlement, or unnecessary violence be committed by the crew under your command, such being always disgraceful and unjustifiable by the rules of civilized warfare.

“Mr. Joseph Winn of Salem and Mr. Lemuel Pope, Jr., of Boston being appointed prize agents for this cruise, to whom you will address all prizes captured and ordered to the United States, you will be particularly careful to give prize masters instructions to make the first port in the United States, always preferring those to the northward, especially at this time, when it is known the Chesapeake and Delaware are blockaded and we have no doubt will be extended to New York. But should you capture any vessels laden with fish, timber or flour, that you may deem an object to send to France, you will have our liberty to do it. In which case you will direct the prize master to address the vessel and cargo to Messrs. John Lewis, Brown & Co., merchants of Bordeaux, provided he has no doubts of their responsibility, and the prize master is to have the proceeds remitted in undoubted bills to the agents in the United States, to Samuel Williams, Esq. of London, subject to the orders of the agents; for the extra services of the prize master you may allow him a commission, not exceeding 2 1/2 P. Ct. on the sales of the prize. The ship being provisioned for four months it is not expected you will return with the ship before the expiration of that time unless you have put out so many men or meet such disaster as may make it necessary. In the event of accident to yourself, which we hope may be averted, the first command of your ship will devolve upon your first lieutenant and in rotation afterwards. Wishing you a prosperous cruise and safe return, we remain in behalf of the concern…Joseph Winn, Lemuel Pope, Jr., Timothy Wellman, William Gelsbee.”

Privateer commissions from the War of 1812 are uncommon, and we have never before seen one made out to a prominent public servant, no less a cabinet member; nor one accompanied by the original letter of instruction, filled with details about prizes, prisoners, practices allowed and disallowed.

We obtained these directly from the Crowninshield descendants and they have never before been offered for sale.