In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

aPPEnDix onE Primary Documents While many of these documents are quoted or referenced throughout the course of this book, the opportunity to read them in their full and intact format helps shed a great deal of light on the mood of the times in which they were written, adding nuances of detail for those who want to read between the lines. In addition to Captain Coote’s official report and other documents from the Admiralty papers, there were several personal accounts and memoirs written, and nearly 100 newspaperarticles were published about the British raid in the days and weeks that followed. There have also been some interesting accounts written over the past 200 years that are informative in their specific content. I have here included a handful of the most important primary documents and some of the more interesting and informative other accounts. I have left the original spellings, styles, odd capitalizations, punctuation and grammar intact including all the variations on Pettipaug. Archivists ’ notes are included, also unedited. My own notes are shown in brackets. Many of the accounts had some of the basic facts wrong and modern writers have repeated some of these mistakes, making it even more difficult for future historians to sort fact from fiction. Despite the numbers quoted in some of these documents, we now know that there were 136 British directly involved in the raid and that they burned 27 vessels, although several of these were extinguished and salvaged. I hope that these documents and the narrative itself will help set the record straight and lead future historians down new paths of research to fill in some of the remaining mysteries surrounding the British Raid on Essex. from thE British aDmiralty DoCumEnts The Report of Captain Richard Coote to Captain Capel (ADM 1/506, pp 274–280) (From) Commanding Officer, H.M.S. BORER To his senior officer, Captain Capel in which he describes in detail, from his log, the raid on Essex Harbor. 134 } Appendix One His Majesty’s Sloop Borer Off Saybrook 9th April 1814 Sir, I have the honor to acquaint you that in obedience to your Order of the 7th instant, directing me to take charge of a detachment of Boats belonging to the Squadron under your command for the purpose of taking or destroying a number of vessels building and equipping as Privateers and Letters of Marque in Connecticut River, I proceeded to His Majesty’s Sloop under my command on the evening of that day to put those Orders in Execution, and I have now the pleasure of informing you that thro’ the steady and indefatigable exertions of the officers and Men who you did me the honor of placing under my Orders, the Service has been accomplished in a more effectual way than my most sanguine hopes could have led me to expect. The Borer anchored off Saybrook bar at 1/4 before 10, and the Boats, consisting of a Barge, Pinnace, and Gig, under Lieuts Pyne, Parry and Acting Lieut Fisher from La Hogue, a Barge from the Maidstone under Lt. Liddon, a Barge from the Endymion under Lieut Fanshaw, and the Borers Gig, with the Seamen and Marines selected for the expedition under their respective Officers immediately proceeded up the River. The wind being Northerly, and a very rapid outset of the Current (notwithstanding its being flood tide) prevented us from making as steady a progress as we desired, but even this difficulty tended in the end to render our operations more deliberate, the first object being that of destroying a Battery on the West Side of the Entrance, a division landed for that purpose, and meeting no opposition in entering the Fort from which was found the Guns had been removed. The distance from the Entrance of the River to Petty Pogue where the Vessels lay is only 6 miles; we did not arrive at that place till 1/2 past 3 in the morning of the 8th, on approaching it we found the town alarmed, the Militia all on the alert, and apparently disposed with the assistance of one 4 lb. Gun to oppose our landing, however after the discharge of the Boats’ Guns, and a volley of Musketry from our Marines, they prudently ceased firing and gave us no further interruption. The Marines were formed immediately on landing and under the skilful direction of Lieut Lloyd of that Corps, took up such a position as to command the principal Street and to cover...

Share