Galga vs 6 english privateers - help!!!

[andreu_wargames]

Let's see if anyone can come up with an idea for more information.

In January 1746, at the entrance to Havana harbour, 6 English privateers managed to intercept the 32-gun frigate Galga and an unarmed Havana schooner.

I have a document from the AGI (Archivo General de Indias) that documents that there was a combat, number and type of assailants, and its final result but it says nothing about the combat itself.

On the other hand, in several books on Rhode Island privateers, two of the attackers (Reprisal and Duke of Marlborough) are named, and it is even said that the captain of the Reprisal (John Hopkins) was killed in the action.

Can anyone think of where to look for more information?

Best regards,

[Navclio]

Can you post the document or a link to it?

I think there is a biography of Galga's captain, Pedro de Garacochea. I think I have seen other spellings for the name; perhaps he is mentioned in your document. Looking for him might turn up more info about his ship. It will probably be in Spanish.

Galga sailed with the Spanish Havana fleet under Teniente-general (Lieutenant-general = Vice-admiral) Andrés Reggio in October 1748 (September in the British calendar used in Rhode Island at that time), was damaged capturing a British merchantman, and was present for the Battle of Havana on October 1/12, 1748, but was ordered out of the line of battle and sent back to Havana; she would have had no business getting into an action with a British ship of the line.

I have not tried to describe privateering cruises and operations or naval operations to check them during the war of 1739–48 in my pending book,
All the Seas of the World: The First Global Naval War, 1739–1748. They were too numerous and scattered and describing the operations and battles of the state navies has taken two volumes and is closing in on 500,000 words.

[andreu_wargames]

Good morning,
Thank you very much for your reply. No, the confrontation in the battle of Havana in 1748 is very well documented with English and Spanish sources and even some documents from Galga itself. It is not that confrontation that I want.

As far as I have been able to discover, there was another. Of this other confrontation I have a document that I found in the Archivo de Indias in Seville. I have the transcription I made but there is no link to it. In this first document there is an account of a battle between the frigate Galga, an unarmed schooner from Havana against the following English corsairs; 1 sloop, 2 brigantines and 3 paquebotes. There is no further information except that the corsairs were in pairs and that the Havana schooner was captured but the frigate managed to enter Havana harbour.
Howard M. Chapin's book on British privateers mentions an attempt to capture a Spanish frigate off Havana at that time which ended badly for the British. He does not give details of the confrontation and only mentions two of the ships (the Reprisal and the Duke of Marlborough). It also says that the captain of the Reprisal died in the confrontation.
This is what I would like to know more about. It would be interesting to find the testimonies of the Duke of Marlborough or the Reprisal.
Best regards,
Andreu

[jon_ystrad]

It sounds like you could do with seeing the logs of the two British ships, at Kew?

I could offer to do that, but not until the Spring as I don't have any money at the moment.

As a note, I have a problem with one ship in BWAS where that book says it engaged a privateer, but the log when I looked it up did not mention it at all. I have no answer as to why, or how this is so. Hopefully if the logs are looked up of your relevant ships they would provide some information for you

[andreu_wargames]

Your offer is fantastic! And I am in no hurry. If you need any data that is in the Archivo de Indias let me know because I will need to go through to collect some data on the other ships owned by Garaycoechea (the owner and captain of the Galga).

Was the privateer in your problem Spanish?

Best regards,
Andreu

P.D. But any information on the activity of the Galga (1745-1748) would be appreciated wherever it comes from!

[jon_ystrad]

The privateer in my problem is Spanish. The Hampshire, Captain George Murray:-

10.12.1743 - Took the Privateer Nuestra Señora del Rosario in the Bay of Biscay

However, are the dates given HERE the same dates as would be found in the ship's log, given the calendars before 1752?

Regards
Jon

[andreu_wargames]

New post in Privateers

[Navclio]

What is "HERE"??

Dates in Rif Winfield, British Warships in the Age of Sail, are in whatever calendar the British navy was using at that time—the "old style" Julian calendar before 1752. This is true of all British naval records. Keep in mind also that the British naval day was 12 hours ahead of everybody else's day. It began at NOON rather than midnight, so the afternoon (p.m.) came first, then the morning (a.m.) Therefore, the afternoon of June 1 on land was the afternoon of June 2 in the British navy (and perhaps in merchants ships, but I don't know about that). On land, the p.m. hours of June 1 were followed by the a.m. hours of June 2; those 12 hours were also June 2 in the British navy. Therefore, if something happened that afternoon, a British navy officer would say that it happened on "June 2" but anyone else using the Juilian or "old style" calendar would say that it happened on June 1. A Spaniard would say that it happened on June 13.

A naval battle, chase, or other incident that began in the "morning" (some time after midnight but before noon) and continued into the afternoon, ending at sunset, occurred on TWO DAYS in the British navy and a record of it would have to be sought in two days' entries in a British officer's journal (if the officer was a captain or lieutenant) or log (if he was a master or navigating officer). Often, journals have several days' entries on the same page, so this isn't a problem; some masters used a whole page for each noon-to-noon day, including hourly records of wind direction, speed, and course.

[jon_ystrad]

Thank you, I will see if I can find the photographs I took of the page.

I just remember looking at it and thinking "Huh, where is the engagement?"

[andreu_wargames]

In the vicinity of Havana, at the beginning of January 1746.

Thx