NARRATIVE OF CAPTAIN GUSTAVUS CONYNGHAM,

U. S. N., WHILE IN COMMAND OF THE "SURPRISE" AND "REVENGE," 1777-1779.

CONTRIBUTED BY MISS M. B. CLARK, LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

[The career of Captain Gustavus Conyngham was a varied and eventful one, and his interesting narrative while in command of the "Surprise" and "Revenge," which follows, is a valuable contribution to the history of our Continental navy. Some of his correspondence with Franklin, while the latter was ambassador at the Court of Versailles, has been published. He was born in 1747, and in October of 1773 was married to Ann Hockley, at Christ Church. Poulson's Advertiser for November 29, 1819, contains the following notice of his death:

"Died on Saturday morning last [November 27] at one o'clock, in the 72d year of his age, Captain Gustavus Conyngham, long a respectable inhabitant of this city.

"His connections and friends are respectfully invited to attend his Funeral from his late Dwelling No. 81 Lombard street, at 2 o'clock this afternoon. The Captain's Society are also respectfully invited to attend."]

"A Narrative respective Lugger surprize & Cutter revenge.

"1st The Lugger surprize was purchased in dunkirk early in the Year 1777, and fitted out by order of the Commissioners of the United States at paris, doctor Franklin & silas dean, & the appointed Agents in dunkirk for that purpose, & my commission, a Captain of the Navy of the United States, Given to me by P. Commissioners in Paris; signed by John Hancock, then president in Congress, dated first day of March 1777, attested Chas. thompson Sectr. In thiss vessell made a cruze to the East, took the harwick packett & Brig Joseph on the 3a & 4th May 1777, secured the mail & delivered it to one of the agents on our return to dunkirk with those prizes, which were Given up by order of the french Government, Capt. & crew confined in prison, my commission taken & sent up to Versailes & not returned

here it is to be observed the Commissioners was not well informed as to the views of the french court or by designe from every circumstance Led to beleive the Latter from political motives, the court of Versailes carried on their duplicity & blinded the British minister Lord stormount. Also that the Crew should be delivered up, and actually sent two sloops of War & tenders to dunkirk to receive us. 3 The revenge cutter was also purchased and fitted out at dunkirk by the same directions. Viz-the Commissioner at paris & their Agents, first a house to advance the money. 24 A person to purchase a vessell & that in England, 3a the material, 4th a person With a priest to execute, thiss to shew the caution necessary at that time, and my Commission as before mentioned as a publick one -Given to me by Wm Carmichael Sect to the commissioners at paris, dated 2a day of May 1777 attested by Chas. thompson Sect. 4th Notwithstanding all this Caution & obscurity the french Government required a surety that the revenge should not commence hostily on the British-the Commissioners procured an American Citizen for the purpose & W Carmichael came to dunkirk to expedite the Cutter & gave me verbal explanations, could not be committed to paper. Also a Letter not to attack, but if attacked at Liberty to retaliate in every manner in our power-Burn-Sink & destroy the Enemy. 5th 16th Jully 1777, the revenge left dunkirk next day attack, fired on, chased by several british frigatt sloops of War & Cutters. Without an enquiry into the Circumstances attending the hostilety commenced, the french Government threw the Surety into the bastile, further deception to appease Lord Stormount & his court for the surety was done away & the revenge at Liberty to retaliate, the coast lined by British frigatts & Cruszers of every description. A vessell in disguise in dunkirk peers to give Signals on our going out & Was executed & answered in the offing by their ships of War; 6th Count de Stang was fitting a fleet at toulon by report destined for the protection of their Coloney so he should be clear of the European seas-the real object in view. A secret, our ministers at Court urging

a declaration of those intentions brought it to a close the Compt de Vergennes could no longer avoid. Count de Stang was but 24 hours late of capturing Lord howe in the delaware

66 7th In the first instance of those Armaments at dunkirk it was to Capture & destroy the transports & to liberate the hessians & the other troops from the Continant bound to England, on Certain Conditions, destroy the Enemy; plan in sending those troops to America from dificulty & delay in paris & dunkirk. We lost a Glorious Opportunity.

66

"gth Leaving dunkirk we stood to the E & N E, made several prizes in the German Ocean, N. Seas, Irish Channel & Western Ocean, destroyed several others, ordered to America, West Indies, to such places as their Cargoes would answer, few of them Got in safe, some of the prize masters made the most of them to their own use. Also by deception Arrived in England-We suffered from Gales sprung our bowsprit, short of supplys put into Kinehead-N. W. Coast of Ireland-We got Watter, verry little else to be got theare, the little we Got, paid them their own priceLeaving this place Bare away for ferrol-on our Arrival there No Agent or person Would Undertake to supply us at Corruna-the house of Lazonere & Co. undertook to supply the revenge on condition of my responsibility for the payment of Advances they should make-I comply with9th I wrote the Commissioners at paris Giving them every information of our cruze & our situation, Also the names of the Mercantile houses in spain our prizes should be addressed too & they approved of and appointed the house of Lazonere & Co. Consul & Agents for every Continental vessell or their prizes that should enter that port, or other ports in Gallicia-Giving me orders to cruze in those seas & where most probable to make prizes & ordering to send some prizes to bilboa to the house of Guardozine, selecting the most difficult port they could have pointed out, Also into the hands of the principal merch were they should arive. We made several cruzes from Corruna & ferroll the prizes as before mentioned with directions on arriving safe-to

Give every information to the Commissioners to take their directions, to those houses they were addressed too

"10th in 1777 fell in with the french Brig Grasiosa of Cape Ortinzal from London bound to Corruna, a valuable Cargo amt pr Invoice 75,000 pounds sterl. covered by a Spaniard in Corruna, thiss & other circumstances well known on board revenge. thiss vessell & cargo was fully insured in England against all. the crew insisted she should be stopt otherways would do no further outcry, put a crew on board, ordered her to bilboa, from Gales & seveare W. arrived at St Sebastians-the officer & Crew sent to prison, french Cap & crew put in com" of the brig. On my arrival at bilboa in the revenge I went to St Sebastians by Land, then every difficulty ensued to Get our people Liberated from prison, I was obliged to submit to their terms, viz-the Governour & Sect, I protested against such arbitrary proceedings & claiming a restitution on the Spanish Goverm* & left St Sebastians. 11th the spanish Governour & his sect by representations to Court rec orders to discharge the Brig, they disposed of the Cargo, pay the french Capt. the freight & proceed as he saw fit, he refitted, that they had no right either to detaine the vessell or make sale of the Cargo. After Long delay the Spanish Court determined that the Captors should pay the damages in fourteen days from the date of said decission, if not paid by them in that time, the french Cap' should pay it, so much for diplomatick proceedings. A concerted plan of Villany at Court & St Sebastians; it is to be observed the time specify by the Spanish Courts that the Captor should pay they was out of their power & they knew it.-Appearance of a public sale ma of thiss Cargo at St Sebastians, the Greater part of purchased for that Governour & secyt most arbitrary & clandestine

manner.

"12th at Bilboa the time the crew was engaged for Expired, no provission made for paying them off the Agent theare had no funds for that purpose. one of our prizes Getting in safe at Bilboa otherways would have been attended with disagreeable circumstances. A crew consisting of all nations

not possible to Govern or be Governed, short of mutiny in several instances, Afterwards could not engage a crew for any term beyond a Cruze & to be settled with at the expiration of No Wages p' month, a bounty advanced to be deducted from their shares in prizes as p' orders of Congress, & regulation of seaman. 13th 1778 left bilboa on a Cruze to the WS W. & S° stright of Tib, made several prizes, sent some to [America], & different ports in Europe, few Got in safe. Seven prizes ordered to Am. all retaken but one, that the prize master sold and Give no acct of, we were badly situated for prize master.

"14th put into Cadiz to refit & apply to the house of Lacoute & Co. no funds there. A prize getting in we were able to refit & proceed on a cruze to the W N. E-& N° Latt 50° N° made prizes & destroyd several, had a bad Acct of their fate some of them we never heard of, An English ship of the Line & two frigatt' were laying in Cadiz on our arrival-in their usual & diabolick mode of Warfare had determined in the Night by their boats to set the revenge on fire-A Good french man on board one of them Gave notice to the french Consul of their designe, who advised us of. Consequently was prepared for them, they did appeare in the dead of the night but took Care to Keep their distance, the spanish admirall had thiss notice & he politely offered a 74 Gun ship to protect us-We acknowledge the favor, but was noways apprehensive of any danger, to the 15th Contrary it was our wish they would make the Attempt. from seveare Gales & short of supplys put into ferrol-fitted out, Went on a Cruze to the Western & Canary Isld', made severall prizes & destroy others ordered as before observed to AM. & ports in Europe-came to Anchor at Punto Nego, tenerif, to Wood & Watter, Also how we should be recd at the Capitol, received notice we should be received with hospitality, proceeded to Sandy-Cruze, Got provissions & Necessarys-the house of Casalon & Co furnished us-here we learned that one of our prizes-Cargo Wine, fruit & Oyle, was at Island of Palma, the prize master was disposing of the Cargoe in League With the British Consul, We pro