Captain James Drysdale in troubled waters in 1793:
The British brigantine Catherine, captained by James Drysdale, was captured by the French frigete Embuscade on 8th June 1793 within the limits of the protection of the US. (within US waters) and carried away as a prize into the harbour of New York
".........Deposition of Allen Erskine and four others, Philadelphia, 11 June 1793, wherein four of the deponents, escaped crew members of the Catharine, stated that this brigantine of Halifax, James Drysdale master, had been on her way to Philadelphia from Jamaica when she was captured by the Embuscade, a French frigate commanded by Citizen Bompard, on 8 June at about 2 p.m., “off Hereford a little to the northward of Cape May And not more than two miles from the Shore of the State of New Jersey,” with the pilot James Skillinger on board to guide the brigantine into the Bay and River of Delaware; and wherein the fifth deponent, who had witnessed the capture from a nearby pilot boat, confirmed the testimony of the others, except that in his judgment the Catharine was about two-and-a-half miles from the shore when captured......."
This caused a bit of a fuss and resulted in exchanges of Letters between the US, Great Britain & France - Thomas Jefferson, George Hammond etc and George Washington, the 1st President was informed.
Captain James Drysdale seems to have been very unlucky with the ships he commanded, losing another one in 1794, this time the ensuing correspondence included President John Adams:
".....The British brig Perseverance, Capt. James Drysdale, was sailing from Turks Islands to New Brunswick, Canada, when it was captured by the French privateer schooner Sans Pareille, Capt. Jean Bouteille. Crew member Jean Baptiste Bernard brought the brig into Newport, R.I., as a prize on 13 August. Following federal protocols, Rhode Island governor Arthur Fenner seized the Perseverance and charged that the Sans Pareille was an illegal American privateer outfitted in Charleston, S.C.......... eventually the French won the case!
Ronald Drysdale
Captain James Drysdale in troubled waters in 1793:
The British brigantine Catherine, captained by James Drysdale, was captured by the French frigete Embuscade on 8th June 1793 within the limits of the protection of the US. (within US waters) and carried away as a prize into the harbour of New York
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-26-02-0229
".........Deposition of Allen Erskine and four others, Philadelphia, 11 June 1793, wherein four of the deponents, escaped crew members of the Catharine, stated that this brigantine of Halifax, James Drysdale master,
had been on her way to Philadelphia from Jamaica when she was captured by the Embuscade, a French frigate commanded by Citizen Bompard, on 8 June at about 2 p.m., “off Hereford a little to the northward of Cape May And not more than two miles from the Shore of the State of New Jersey,” with the pilot James Skillinger on board to guide the brigantine into the Bay and River of Delaware; and wherein the fifth deponent, who had witnessed the capture from a nearby pilot boat, confirmed the testimony of the others, except that in his judgment the Catharine was about two-and-a-half miles from the shore when captured......."
This caused a bit of a fuss and resulted in exchanges of Letters between the US, Great Britain & France - Thomas Jefferson, George Hammond etc and George Washington, the 1st President was informed.
Brig 'Catherine' Captain Drysdale from Jamaica correspondence from ...
Brig 'Catherine' Captain Drysdale from Jamaica in Philadelphia port...
Best regards
Aug 22
Ronald Drysdale
Captain James Drysdale seems to have been very unlucky with the ships he commanded, losing another one in 1794, this time the ensuing correspondence included President John Adams:
".....The British brig Perseverance, Capt. James Drysdale, was sailing from Turks Islands to New Brunswick, Canada, when it was captured by the French privateer schooner Sans Pareille, Capt. Jean Bouteille. Crew member Jean Baptiste Bernard brought the brig into Newport, R.I., as a prize on 13 August. Following federal protocols, Rhode Island governor Arthur Fenner seized the Perseverance and charged that the Sans Pareille was an illegal American privateer outfitted in Charleston, S.C.......... eventually the French won the case!
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-21-02-0255
John Drysdale - or James - Master of the Perseverence which was sei...
Best regards
Aug 22
Ronald Drysdale
Quite a few Douglases in this book, including Governer Sir James Douglas
History of British Columbia from its earliest discovery to the present time by Alexander Begg
https://archive.org/details/historyofbritish00begguoft
https://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/jamesgovernordouglas.htm
Best regards
Sep 1