The NOANK'S LOG

A PRIVATEER OF THE REVOLUTION

BY W. O. STODDARD

Author of "Guert Ten Eyck," "Gid Granger," etc.

ILLUSTRATED BY WILL CRAWFORD

BOSTON
LOTHROP PUBLISHING COMPANY

COPYRIGHT, 1900,
BY LOTHROP PUBLISHING COMPANY.

Norwood Press
J. S. Cushing & Co.—Berwick & Smith
Norwood, Mass. U.S.A.

PREFACE.

The latter half of the year 1776 and the whole of the year 1777 havebeen vaguely and erroneously described as "the dark hour" of the warfor American independence. It is true that our armies, hastilygathered and imperfectly equipped, had been outnumbered and defeated inseveral important engagements. Beyond that purely military fact therewas no real darkness. Upon the sea the success of the Americans hadbeen phenomenal. Before the end of the year 1777, the commerce ofGreat Britain had suffered losses which dismayed her merchants. Asearly as the 6th of February, 1778, Mr. Woodbridge, alderman of London,testified at the bar of the House of Lords that the number of Britishships taken by American cruisers already reached the startling numberof seven hundred and thirty-three. Of these many had been retaken, butthe Americans had succeeded in carrying into port, as prizes, fivehundred and fifty-nine. The value of these and their cargoes wasdeclared to be moderately estimated at over ten millions of dollars.Only a few of the American cruisers were public vessels, sent outeither by individual states or by the United States. All the otherswere private armed ships, "letters of marque and reprisal" privateers.Something of their character and cruising is set forth in this story ofthe old whaler Noank, of New London.

Something is also told of the condition and feeling of the people onthe land during the misunderstood gloomy days. The years of theRevolutionary War were not altogether years of disaster, devastation,and depression. They were rather years of development and prosperity.The war was fought and its victory won not only for political, but forsocial, industrial, and financial freedom. All the energies of theAmerican people had been fettered. As the war went on, and withoutwaiting for its close, all these energies became free to work out thegreat results at which the world now wonders.

We are justly proud of our navy. It was founded by our sailorsthemselves, without the help of any Navy Department, or TreasuryDepartment, or national shipyards, or naval academies. There were,however, very good admirals, commodores, and captains among theself-taught heroes who went out then in ships in which, ton for ton andgun for gun, they were able to outsail and outfight any other cruisersthen afloat.

CONTENTS.