She measured 110 ft. 8 in. long on deck, had
an extreme beam of 25 ft. 8 in., and was of 320 tons burthen.
She had a hermaphrodite rig and was thus a combination schooner
and brigantine. She carried four sails on the foremast, one square
sail on the main, and a large fore-and-aft sail with gaff abaft
the fore, with large staysails over and three jibs. Her spanker
boom projected far beyond the stern.
Eleven gun ports were cut in each side of her
high bulwarks and two in her stern. Besides a couple of long chase
guns, her main armament consisted of 12-pound carronades.
Captain Ordronaux took the vessel to sea virtually
unarmed, and sailed to Cherbourg, France, arriving January 27,
1814. There she was fitted out as a privateer over the winter.
Papers filed with the District Court at Boston
indicate that she captured the Hazard, Capt. John Anderson,
from Rio de Janeiro for Greenock, with a cargo of barrels of beer
on January 18th. This would indicate that the capture was made
on the way over.
However, the first war cruise against the British
originated from Cherbourg in early March 1814. Sailing into the
English Channel six British vessels were captured, some of which
were sent into French ports, and the others, not deemed valuable
enough, were burned.
Boston, Oct. 15, Saturday Evening
Arrived, the privateer brig Prince of Neufchâtel,
Ordronaux, commander, of N. York, of 310 tons and 17 guns from
a cruize, the particulars of which are taken from her journal,
and follow, viz.
Sailed from Cherbourg, France, 4th July.
[July] 9th, captured sloop Jane, Bowen,
(John Brown) of Cardigan, from St. Jean de Lux for Falmouth,
cargo lumber, 70 tons burthen, 5 men — burnt her.
[July] 11th, captured brig Steady,
(Richard) Bulley, of Hull, from Bordeaux for St. Johns, NF cargo
provisions (barley, pork, hams) and bale goods (9 bales), took
out the latter and some of the former articles and burnt her
— 107 tons burthen, 11 men and 4 guns.
[July] 22nd, captured brig Triton,
(James) Blance, of Peter Head, 127 tons, 8 men, 2 guns, from
Cadiz for London, cargo coffee and wine, took out part of the
cargo and then scuttled her. (Ed. Note: subsequently fallen
in with off Cape St. Vincents by the Tuscan sloop of war, almost
under water, and towed to Gibraltar with about 65 pipes of wine
still on board)
[July] 24th, captured transport brig Aaron,
(Jacob) Pindall, of Scarborough, 142 tons, 8 men, 4 guns, from
Gibraltar for Lisbon, in ballast, and scuttled her.
July 26th, spoke under English colors, (and
kept in co. for some time) an English brig of 8 guns. and 30
men, from Lisbon for Gibraltar, in ballast, and ascertaining
from her that she had parted a short time before with several
men of war, which were looking after several American privateers
said to be in the neighborhood, and knowing we should have to
put all our prisoners on board and let her go, by which the
enemy might get information of us, let her proceed undeceived
of our being an American.
[July] 27th, captured brig Apollo,
(William) Hardy, of Hull, 135 tons, 7 men, from St. Ubes for
Riga, cargo salt, and burnt her.
August 9th, captured the cutter General
Doyle, (Henry) Simpson, of Bristol, from Leghorn for Bristol,
83 tons, 7 men, 6 guns, coppered, cargo oil, took out most of
the cargo, and burnt her.
[August] 14th, captured brig Barwick Packet,
Crosby, from Cork, of and for Bristol, coppered, 94 tons, 7
men, 4 guns, with 50 passengers, and ballast, put on board a
number of prisoners and gave her up. Same day captured sloop
George, (William) Barber, of Ramsgate, 50 tons, 5 men,
from Milford Haven for Plymouth, cargo coals, scuttled her.
[August] 16th, captured brig Sibson,
(Michael) Clark, of Whitehaven, 200 tons, 4 men, 4 guns, from
Greencock for Cork, in ballast, scuttled her.
[August] 18th, captured brig Nymphe,
(James) Hutchinson, of Whitehaven, 150 tons, 10 men, from St.
Jean de Luz for Cork, cargo whiskey and dry goods (350 cases),
took out the latter, threw overboard the former, put on board
a number of prisoners and gave her up. Same day, captured brig
Albion, (John) Farquar, of Whitehaven, 185 tons, 8
men, 4 guns, from Greencock for Cork, cargo wine, gin, brandy
and dry goods, took out the latter, and then burnt her.
[August] 20th, captured brig Harmony,
(John) Wilson, of Greencock, 295 tons, 8 men, 4 guns, from Greencock
for Cork, cargo dry goods, rum, and an assortment of other articles,
took out part of the cargo, manned her, kept co. till the 24th,
and saw her recaptured on that day by a sloop of war, then 8
leagues south of the Land's End. (Ed. Note: Ordronaux now turned
southwestwards, for his next capture was made far north of the
Azores, on his way home)
August 30th, lat. 45.12, lon 27 captured brig
Charlotte, (William) Edwards, of London, 9 men, 8 guns,
190 tons, from Rio Janeiro for Greencock, cargo hides (100 dozen;
removed) and brazil wood, burnt her. — Same day boarded Russian
ship Austrian fr. Havana—.
Sept. 2d, lat. 44, lon. 35.12 (far off Nfld.)
spoke and boarded brig William, prize to the York of
Baltimore, and supplied her with bread.
Sept. 6th, lat. 41.12, long 45, (off Nfld.)
captured ship Douglas, (Duncan) Cameron, of and for
Liverpool, fr. Demerara with a cargo of 421 hhds sugar, 190
puncheons of rum, 6 hhds molasses, 254 bales cotton, 412 bags
coffee, 3 bags ginger and 28 logs of mahogany, Of 420 tons,
21 men, and 4 guns, manned her to keep company.
All of the goods taken from the above captured
vessels were libeled by the owners of the Neufchâtel
and Ordronaux in the District Court of Boston in early November.
The decree was in favor of the libellants, and on December 2nd
James Prince, agent for the owners, acknowledged receipt of
$8,436, being one half of the proceeds of the sale of the various
goods, the other half going to the officers and crew of the
Neufchâtel.
With the prize Douglas still in company, on the 10th
of September [October?] he ran into the British 40-gun frigate
Endymion, off the southeastern tip of Martha's Vineyard.
A most desparate battle followed…
