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Snapdragon crewmen list of names aboard in 1814 when captured near Nova Scotia

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2018 7:50 pm
by NYhistorybuff
I am trying to locate a list of names of those crewmen aboard the Privateer ship the Snapdragon in 1814 when it was
captured near Nova Scotia as a relative of mine is believed to have disappeared while on the Snapdragon in 1814. I am trying to corroborate the family history with facts. His name was Benjamin Dale Coakley.

Re: Snapdragon crewmen list of names aboard in 1814 when captured near Nova Scotia

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:01 pm
by Grammont
Managed to find a book about the Snapdragon's commanding officer, Otway Burns, who missed the final fateful cruise of the vessel as he was suffering from rheumatism. However for the cruise of 20 January 1814 to 11 April a journal survives which includes a list of the crew on the cruise.

https://archive.org/stream/captainotway ... 4/mode/2up

As can be seen the 1st Lieutenant is listed as Benj. D. Coakley, confirming your relative was actually on board the vessel in 1814.

Re: Snapdragon crewmen list of names aboard in 1814 when captured near Nova Scotia

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 12:37 pm
by RubenLof
Grammont wrote: Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:01 pm Managed [url=http://www.testlink.com/]test link[/url] to find a book about the Snapdragon's commanding officer, Otway Burns, who missed the final fateful cruise of the vessel as he was suffering from rheumatism. However for the cruise of 20 January 1814 to 11 April a journal survives which includes a list of the crew on the cruise.

https://archive.org/stream/captainotway ... 4/mode/2up

As can be seen the 1st Lieutenant is listed as Benj. D. Coakley, confirming your relative was actually on board the vessel in 1814.
Fascinating how you managed to track this down, Grammont. More power to you. I may have to post our family story too and see what can be found about it as well.

Re: Snapdragon crewmen list of names aboard in 1814 when captured near Nova Scotia

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 3:22 pm
by Grammont
The crew of the Snapdragon after its capture were sent to Dartmoor Prison in Devon as prisoners of war. Five of the crew of the Snapdragon are buried in the American Prisoner of War Cemetery at the prison.

http://sril.gradeless.com/dartmoor/d_pow.htm

For a list of all American prisoners of war held at Dartmoor American Prisoners of War Held at Dartmoor During the War of 1812 published in 2016 should be consulted. The description of the book states:

This is a transcription of American prisoner of war records from the U.S. Navy, privateers and merchant vessels (plus some civilians) who were captured and then interned by the British Empire at the Dartmoor Depot in England during the War of 1812. There are also some U.S. Army soldiers, volunteers and militiamen included in these transcriptions. This book was compiled from copies of the General Entry Book of American Prisoners of War (GEB) ledger of the British Admiralty made by the Public Records Office in London, Great Britain (ADM 103 series). These ledgers contain the information on 6,553 American prisoners of war who were interned between 2 April 1813 and 26 March 1815 at the Dartmoor Depot. Eight-hundred-sixty-seven of these Americans are listed as Negroes, Blacks, Colored, Men of Color or Mulattos on the GEB ledgers, which amounts to 13% of the total American POW population. Sixteen men are listed as Creoles and there was one Chinese American. Fifty-nine American men entered British service, that is, they enlisted in either the British army, navy or merchant marines to avoid internment in Dartmoor Depot. Fifty-three Americans escaped from Dartmoor Depot, while 272 died and were buried in the American Cemetery near Dartmoor Depot.

It should be possible therefore to reconstruct the Snapdragon crew on its last cruise leading to its capture by HMS Martin