British New York Vice-Admiralty Court. Captured ship: Eagle of New London (master...

British New York Vice-Admiralty Court.

Captured ship: Eagle of New London (master Edward Conkling).

Capture history: an American privateer (sloop, 40 tons, 6 guns) bound from New London, Connecticut on a cruise; taken on 8 May 1779 by the calendar and 9 May 1779"according to the mode of reckoning at sea" near Sandy Hook by William Murphy, a prisoner of war on board (having been part of the crew of the loyalist privateer Enterprize (Thomas Jolly commanding) taken on the same day), [in a revolt from the enemy] assisted by John Rodgers, James Hamilton and John Doyle, and brought into New York.

Intended voyage: a cruise from the United States.

Court papers:-

• [CP 1]: affidavit of papers brought in by the prize master William Murphy, lately of the brigantine Enterprize, a prisoner on board the Eagle, 19 May 1779.

Ship's Papers numbered SP 1-16:-

• SP 1: printed letter of marque granted by the Governor and Vice-Admiral of Bermuda to Thomas Jolly and the Enterprise, 12 May 1778, re-purposed by Jolly to appoint William Murphy as prize master of the [American] schooner Dove, and to take her into Bermuda, keeping as close to the Enterprise as possible, 27 April 1779;
• SP 2: printed privateer commission of the Eagle, issued at Lebanon, Connecticut, 20 November 1775;
• SP 3: printed instructions of Congress, 3 April 1776;
• SP 4: crew list and agreement, specifying shares;
• SP 5: logbook, 13 January-8 May 1779;
• SP 6: journal of the cruise, kept by [the mate ?];
• SP 7: certificate of the sale of a half share in the sloop Polly by Ebenezer Ledyard and William Ledyard of Groton, Connecticut [patriots], to Aden Wilber, 8 December 1777;
• SP 8: pass for William Crittenton of Sandisfield, Berkshire, Massachusetts, being lately returned from New York where he was a prisoner, requesting aid for him on his way home, issued by E Ledyard and William Ledyard, Major, Groton, 6 January 1779;
• SP 9: owner's instruction to Conkling, from John Wright, New London, 28 January 1779 [part missing];
• SP 10: letter from James John Fuller, New London, to Joseph Ball, Egg Harbour, to supply Conkling and forward the bills to him, 20 March 1779;
• SP 11: orders from Samuel Parsons BG [Brigadier General], New London to Conkling, empowering to seize or destroy any public stores belonging to the enemy's army or navy, by land or sea, New London, 22 March 1779;
• SP 12: share bill for the prize brigs Ranger, Peter and Thomas & William, taken by the Eagle;
• SP 13: share bill for the prize Bermuda;
• SP 14: pass for the British schooner Sally, New York, 11 March 1779;
• SP 15: pass from Admiral Gambier for the schooner Sally to pass and repass for the purpose of supplying the city of New York with fuel, forage and provisions, HMS Ardent, 13 March 1779;
• SP 16: page of arithmetic, used as a wrapper for the Eagle's papers.

[Papers previously wrongly identified as Court papers: 1-2; Ship's papers: 3-19 (large pencil numbers): sorted and renumbered in 2025].

[According to the American newspapers, the sloop Eagle of New London with other privateers captured three vessels early in the year and in May she took several more. Having manned these prizes, the prisoners on board the Eagle outnumbered her crew and took possession of her. They then murdered all the crew, except two boys (Boston Gazette, May 17, 31, 1779; Boston Post, May 22, 1779; Papers New London Hist. Soc., IV, i, 10; from this link]

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