War of 1812 Privateer’s Additional Instructions Issued for a Ship Captained by Future Navy Secretary Benjamin Crowninshield, Signed by Secretary of State James Monroe

We obtained these uncommon additional instructions directly from the Crowninshield descendants and this document has never before been offered for sale.

 

A supplement to a privateer’s instructions, fascinatingly made out to a future cabinet member

On June 18, 1812, Madison signed the Declaration of War, marking the beginning of the War of 1812. During that war, 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, and political and military leadership. 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 important figures in privateering and offered three vessels of their own 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 Ship Alexander, which had 19 owners, including George Crowninshield. Benjamin Crowninshield was for a time Captain of the Alexander.

Ship captains like Crowninshield were issued instructions, and these contained provisions such as this: “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.”

However, there was apparently some uncertainty about how to deal with American ships coming from British ports, as in August 1812 supplemental instructions were issued for the guidance of captains. These were entitled “Additional Instruction to the Public and Private Armed Vessels of the United States.”

Document signed, Washington, August 28, 1812, being the instructions provided to “Capt. Benjamin Crowninshield of the private armed Ship Alexander”, and signed by James Monroe as Secretary of State. “The public and private armed vessels of the United States are not to interrupt any vessels belonging to citizens of the United States coming from British ports to the United States laden with British merchandize, in consequence of the alleged repeal of the British Orders in Council, but are on the contrary to give aid and assistance to the same; in order that such vessels and their cargoes may be dealt with on their arrival as may be dealt with by the competent authorities. By command of the President of the United States of America.”

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.” The Alexander was returning from a 10-week privateering cruise in 1813, 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.

We obtained these uncommon additional instructions directly from the Crowninshield descendants and this document has never before been offered for sale.