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BERMUDA

DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.

BY
ISAAC J. GREENWOOD.

BOSTON :
DAVID CLAPP AND SON
1896.

Reprinted from New-Eno. Historical and Genealogical Register for October, 1896.

BEEMUDA DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.

Saturday, July 15, 1775, the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, hav
ing considered Dr. Benjamin Franklin's motion, passed a resolution to the
effect that, " whereas, the Government of Great Britain had prohibited the
exportation of arms and ammunition to any of the Plantations, and had
endeavoured to prevent other Nations from supplying us with the same " ;
now " for the better furnishing these colonies with the necessary means of
defending their rights, every vessel importing Gunpowder, Sulphur and
Saltpetre, # * * Brass Field Pieces, or good Muskets fitted with Bayon
ets, within nine months from the date of this resolution, shall be permitted
to load and export the produce of these Colonies, to the value of such pow
der and stores aforesaid, the Non Exportation Agreement notwithstanding."
The following Monday an address was read from the Deputies of the sev
eral parishes of Bermuda, the people of which island, apprehensive of being
reduced to a state of starvation, as a consequence of the existing situation of
public affairs, had requested the Congress to take their case into serious con
sideration. The President was now ordered to return a favorable reply,
desiring an account of such provisions as had been imported for their use,
for some years past, and to enclose a copy of the foregoing resolution.
Some three weeks later (August 4), Gen. Washington addressed a letter-
from the camp at Cambridge, to Gov. Cook of Rhode Island, telling him,
in strictest confidence, that so great were his necessities in the articles of
powder and lead, as to require an immediate supply ; that he had " listened
to every proposition, which could give the smallest hope," and had learned
through a gentleman lately from Bermuda, that " there is a very consider
able magazine of powder in a remote part of that island; the inhabitants
being well disposed not only to our cause in general, but to assist in this
enterprise in particular." He then suggests that one of the two Rhode
Island armed vessels be sent out to secure the essential article.
This proposition meeting with the Governor's approval, Capt. Abraham
Whipple, with a crew of 61 men, was despatched in the larger of the armed
sloops, and sailing from Providence, September 12th, carried with him a
letter (of the 6th) from the Commander in Chief to the Bermudians, con
cluding as follows : " If your favor and friendship to North America and
its liberties have not been misrepresented, I persuade myself you may, con
sistently with your own safety, promote and further this scheme, so as to
give it the fairest prospect of success." In which case he promises them
his influence with the Continental Congress for supplying them with pro
visions, and keeping up a friendly relationship.

4
But a few days had elapsed since the vessel's sailing when it was an
nounced publicly that one hundred barrels of powder had arrived from Ber
muda by two vessels, the one from Philadelphia,* the other from South
Carolina. The second provincial vessel was now sent after Capt. Whipple,
who was supposed to be cruising for a few days off New York, but who, it
turned out, had proceeded direct to Bermuda. Here he put in at the west
end of the island, much to the alarm of the inhabitants, who at first took
his armed sloop for another British vessel of war ; for Gen. Gage, hearing
through the Governor of the loss of the powder, had immediately de
spatched an armed sloop from Boston, with a 600 ton transport, and both
were, at the time, lying in Georgetown harbor with a view of intercepting
all future supply of provisions to the inhabitants, who were treated as rebels.
Capt. Whipple returned to Providence, October 20th, after an absence of
38 days ; he had been received with great cordiality and friendship ; had en
tertained five members of the Council on board of his sloop, and " all had
assured him that the people were hearty friends to the American cause, and
heartily disposed to serve it."
November 22, the Committee of the Whole House in Congress, to whom
had been referred the several petitions from the Island of Bermuda for re
lief, made a report in favor of supplying that people with what might be
necessary for their subsistence and home consumption, as the inhabitants
" appear friendly to the cause of America." This supply was to be paid
for in salt, though this resolution was not to exclude them the privilege of
receiving American produce, to any amount, in exchange for arms, ammu
nition, sulphur, &c, agreeable to the previous resolution of July 15th. The
Committee of Safety for North and South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland,
Pennsylvania and New York were to superintend any exportation to Ber
muda, and no vessel could be loaded without their permission. " These
resolutions were to be kept as private as the execution of them would per
mit," and Edward Stiles, under direction of the Pennsylvania Committee of
Safety, was to send the brig Sea Nymph, Saml. Stobel, master, to the Island
forthwith, with corn, flour, bread, pork, beef, apples, &c, as part of the an
nual allowance. Just about this time we read of eight half barrels of pow
der, belonging to Capt. John Cooper of North Carolina, and intended for
the use of the inhabitants of that province, being sent from Bermuda by
Henry Tucker, Chairman of the Deputies of the several parishes of the
Island, and which were then in the keeping of the Pennsylvania Commis
sioner, Robert Towers.
In April, 1776, Silas Deane, our secret agent to France, stopped on his
way, at Bermuda, and in a letter of advice to Philadelphia, a portion of
which was afterwards published anonymously, he fully describes the pecu
liar situation of the island, its approach and intricate channel, and the re
sources and condition of the people, whose whole trade, in cedar and ship
building, " depended on their intercourse between the American colonies on
the Continent, and foreign ports. This ceasing throws them instantly into
distress, without stock of provision, and without the means of paying for it,
could it be procured ; and on a soil incapable of supplying them, were they
to cultivate every inch of it." The Governor, he states, was obnoxious and
had threatened the inhabitants with troops and cruisers stationed at either
end of the island, and " in such case instant famine is inevitable, unless they
*A report from the Penn. Com. of Safety, September 20th, mentions the receipt August
26, of sundry casks, containing 1800 lbs. of powder, 700 of which were not fit for use, im
ported in the Lady, Capt. Ord, from Bermuda.

can subsist on fish alone; and if they cannot by some means procure speedy
supplies from the Continent, they will be in the same unhappy situation."
He advises, therefore, that they be taken immediately under the protection
of the united colonies ; that either end of the island be fortified ; a safe
harbor made for cruisers ; and that then, with " a small fleet of swift sail
ing frigates and sloops," all the West India trade of Great Britain be in
tercepted. At the island, he concludes, a number of vessels, suitable for
privateers, and guns for the same, 4 to 9 pounders, could be readily pro
cured. In pursuance of this letter, Congress resolved, June 6, " that the Secret
Committee be instructed to fit out two fast sailing vessels loaded with pro
visions, for the immediate supply of the inhabitants of the Islands of Ber
mudas ; and that the Com. of Secret Correspondence be directed to take
such measures as they may think proper by those vessels to discover the
state of those islands, and the disposition of the inhabitants ; and that the
Marine Committee be instructed to take such measures, as they may think
proper for purchasing, arming and fitting, at the said Island, two sloops of
war for the service of the United Colonies."
Deane, writing from Paris, August 18, to the Committee of Secret Cor
respondence, says : " I wrote you from Bermuda on the subject of seizing
and fortifying the Island. I am well informed the British Ministry have
had it in contemplation, and propose doing it next spring;" and again he
writes, October 1, "you are desired by no means to forget Bermuda. If
you should, Gt. Britain will seize it this winter ; or France on the first rup
ture. * * * An agent from Barbadoes is arrived in London, to represent
their distresses. Another from Bermuda, with a declaration to the Minis
try of the necessity of their being supplied with provisions from the Colo
nies, and saying if not permitted they must ask the protection of Congress."
It was towards the end of this month (October 21, 1776) that the schooner
Sally, arriving at Philadelphia with salt, &c, reported the " Galatea," of 20
guns, and the " Dreadnaught," of 18 guns, at Bermuda, where they had
carried in several prizes, and that the " Galatea " was to sail in a short time,
to cruise off the Virginia capes ; accordingly a few days later, the American
Commodore, Esek Hopkins, was ordered by the Marine Committee to look
out both for this vessel and the " Nautilus," which was in company.
About June, 1777, two American armed brigs from South Carolina, said
to have been commanded by Bermudian captains, arrived at the west end
of the island, where they remained, keeping up friendly intercourse for a
week. The Governor complained bitterly of this fact to the Assembly,
and that body, in retort stated that H. M's 14 gun sloop-of-war " Nautilus,"
Capt. John Collins,* was lying at the time in Castle Harbour, but had done
nothing to drive them off ; the Executive, indignantly replying, said that
the vessel was foul, having been off the careen for two years or more, and
could not be brought up in time ; besides, she could not have overtaken the
enemy, as they were twenty miles ahead.
By this time it appears that the islanders were in receipt of some pro
visions from the home government, though one vessel might still be licensed
from each parish, to go in quest of the same, if necessary, and without which
license or protection they were liable to capture ; this trade, however, by
1779, was confined to Savannah and New York, the only colonial ports then
held by Great Britain.
* Knighted 1783 for bravery.

Meanwhile on January 10, 1778, a commission had been granted by the
Governor for cruising against the commerce " of the American Colonies in
Rebellion," and this, apparently their first armed vessel, was the " Ham
mond " of 100 tons, 8 carriage-guns (no swivels), and 20 men, owned by
Robert Shedden and Wm. Goodrich, merchants of the island, and com
manded by Capt. Bridger Goodrich.* Several other vessels were fitted out
during this and the two following years, " to cruize against the French,
Spaniards and Americans " ; among them the " Miraculous Pitcher," Capt.
H. Middleton ; the sloop " Whalebone," Capt. John Bryce ; the " Spitfire";
the " Jolly Bacchus," &c. ; and other vessels served as cartels to convey
prisoners, colonial or foreign, to various ports for exchange. These com
missions were all signed by Gov. George James Bruere,t who after admin
istering the affairs of the island for sixteen years, died September 10, 1780,
and the reins of government passed temporarily to the eldest councillor, the
Hon. President, Thomas Jones, a native, by whom a meeting of the As
sembly was called on the 18th. The next month Lt. Gov. George Bruere
was in office and remained so till December, 1781. In a speech of No
vember 23, 1780, he expressed a hope " that all trade and correspondence
with Rebels & the Enemies of Gt. Britain, will forthwith cease, &c, &c,
and encouragement be given towards fitting out private Ships of War to
distress all the Enemies of our Most Gracious Sovereign, which it is so
much in the power of these happy situated Isles to effect, so much for the
true Interest of the people instead of assisting Rebells & their Confeder
ates, the French and Spanish."
Again in a speech to the House, of June 19, 1781, the Lt. Gov. accuses
the people of favoring and trading with the Rebels. " To what a state,"
he says, " have wicked & designing men brought these islands ; instead of
fitting out Armed Vessels, enriching themselves, and perhaps even being
Instruments in shortening a cruel bloody civil war, they have caused a
misguided & deluded people to do all they could to serve the Americans."
On September 20th, however, he says : " At length a family is fitting out a
Noble ship (spight of the great obstacles in their way ; spight of the many
discouragements thrown out by the restless few, who have long had too
much influence for the good harmony and happiness of the country). I flat
ter myself her success, as well as the good fortune the other Armed Vessels
constantly meet with, will convince the reasonable and dispassionate that In
terest as well as duty lay on the side of Equipments against our Confeder
ate Enemies, not an illicit trade with them, which I forsee aright will, how
ever artfully covered, be in the end brought to light, to the shame, confusion
and utmost danger of the Traiterous delinquents that now carry it on under
false Oaths, Papers and Colours."
The fiery Governor, however, stepped down from his rostrum when, on
January 4, 1782, Col. Wm. Brown, a loyalist from Salem, Mass., succeeded
him. Whether by this time the islanders were becoming less dependent
upon their rebellious fellow colonists ; or whether Gov. Brown was trying
to make the best of things when writing to the home government ; what
ever the cause, we find him in one of his letters, among the Lansdowne
MSS. (vol. 78) expressing his opinion that " the spirit of privateering will
draw the resentment of the enemy." Happily a cessation of hostilities was
near at hand, and Peace, floating westward o'er the deep, soon followed,
dropping palms and lilies on this nursling of the sea.
* The Hon. Bridger Goodrich, Esq., died June 12, 1795, se. 38, and was buried under an
armorial tablet in St. Peter's church, St. George's, Bermuda.
t A MS. book in the Secretary's Office, Hamilton, lettered " Commissions, V, Pt. I," con
tains no naval commissions later than 1780, and unfortunately " Pt. II " is missing.

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