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Captain Thomas Boyle And The Comet
According to the biography of Thomas Boyle, by Professor Hopkins: Thomas Boyle was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, on June 29, 1775. Boyle first went to sea at the age of ten as a ship's boy under the command of his father. On October 15, 1792 Thomas Boyle's name was listed in the Registry of Ships of the Baltimore Custom House as the captain of the Hester, a schooner owned by John Carrere. Boyle was 17 years old. John Carrere was born in France in 1759, and had immigrated to Baltimore before the Revolution. John Carrere's business was importing sugar and coffee from the West Indies and South America, and he became one of Baltimore's leading coffee merchants. It was likely John Carrere who provided Thomas Boyle with his French connections in Bordeaux and Nantes, France, as Boyle would later frequent French ports when need be, for ship repairs, buying and selling goods, etc. On October 4, 1794, Thomas Boyle married Mary "Polly" Gross, the daughter of widow Elizabeth Gross. By time Thomas Boyle took command of the Comet, he had commanded or owned a total of 12 ships. On April 4, 1808, Thomas Boyle was appointed to the rank of captain and company commander in Baltimore's 51st Regiment. Captain Thomas Boyle resigned his commission in the 51st Regiment in order to take command of the Comet in late June or early July 1812. By the time the War of 1812 began, Thomas and Polly Boyle had 5 daughters, and various business and real estate investments in the city of Baltimore, besides his shipping interests. His life was about to change forever as President James Madison declared war on Great Britain.
The schooner Comet had been built in 1810 at the Fells Point (Baltimore) shipyard of Thomas Kemp. She was registered at the Baltimore Customs House as 90 feet 6 inches long, 23 feet 3 inches wide, with 10 feet of draft and of 187 tons burthen. The Comet's cost was roughly $4,114. The Comet was purchased jointly by Francis Foreman, Jeremiah Sullivan, Thomas Shepherd, Levi Hollingsworth, Christian Keller, Peter Karthaus, Andrew Clopper, Levi Clagett, Elie Clagett, and Thorndike Chase. Thomas Boyle was assigned as the captain, and Thomas Ring as lieutenant of the Comet. Boyle hired a crew of 110 seamen and marines. The Comet was armed with 2 nine-pound long guns and 10 twelve-pound carronades.
At 12:30 P.M. on July 26, 1812, Boyle and the Comet sighted a sail, and as the Comet closed, the other ship hoisted English colors. Boyle prepared the Comet for battle. After a 12-minute fight, Boyle recorded in his log: "down came the boasted pride of Old England to a Yankee Comet." The Comet had only been slightly damaged by grapeshot in her rigging. Boyle discovered that his prize was the ship Henry under the command of James Dryden, bound to London from St. Croix, Virgin Islands. Boyle took 15 of the Henry's crew as prisoners aboard the Comet and put a prize crew of 11 men onboard the Henry. In August, when the Henry arrived in Baltimore, the Niles Register recorded that the owners' and crew shares would amount to $100,000.00 and that the government would get nearly $50,000.00 in duties and charges. The Henry's cargo was sugar, wine, and fustic.
On August 16th, while the Comet was near Bermuda, Boyle sighted a large ship about 1 mile windward. Boyle brought the Comet within 9 feet of his quarry by 12:20 P.M. At this point the ship hoisted an English flag and opened fire. A fierce broadsides battle lasted about 15 minutes, when the Comet's topsail braces were shot away. Boyle tried to board the ship several times, but the maneuvering of the English ship prevented Boyle from boarding it. The battle lasted for nearly an hour. Tom Boyle brought up his marine detachment, commanded by Captain Robert Cascadden, and had them clear the enemy deck with musket fire. At 1:40 P.M. the badly damaged ship struck her colors. The Comet had two casualties; Thomas Cadle, a marine was hit in the eye by a musket ball, and William Cathell was badly wounded in the arm and leg when the powder horn exploded when he was priming his gun. The Comet itself had taken no real serious damage.
Boyle boarded the prize, the Hopewell of London, from Surinam for London, with a cargo of sugar, molasses, cotton, coffee, and cocoa. The Hopewell had a crew of 25 men including officers. She carried 6 eighteen-pounders and 8 six-pound carronades. William Anderson, the Hopewell's captain and 7 crewmen were wounded and the ship's carpenter had been killed. Captain Boyle allowed Anderson and 5 crew to stay onboard their ship, which he put under the command of John Hooper to sail the ship back to the United States. On September 12, 1812, the Hopewell arrived in Baltimore and was valued at $150,000.00.
On September 2, 1812 at 6 A.M., Boyle sighted another sail to the north of his position which he began pursuing despite contrary wind conditions and at 3 P.M. the brig hoisted English colors. Boyle ran up the American colors and fired a shot over his opponent's bow. The Comet came within pistol shot of the brig. Boyle fired a partial broadside and his marines fired a volley of musket fire. The English brig immediately struck her colors without firing a shot. She was the brig Industry of London, from Surinam bound for London, with Peter Holden as captain. The Industry carried a crew of 13, and was armed with 10 guns and carried a cargo of sugar, molasses, cotton, coffee, cocoa, and wine. Boyle allowed Captain Holden and 4 crew to stay onboard the Industry and put her under the command of Solomon McCombs, as Prize-Master. In October, the Industry sailed safely into Beaufort, North Carolina.
On September 18th, Boyle spotted a ship southwest of the Comet. The ship ran up English colors and fired her 2 stern chasers at the Comet. One shot hit and seriously damaged the Comet's foremast. Boyle approached the ship's weather quarter and opened fire with his big guns and musket fire. The English captain hauled down his flag. The ship was the Letter of Marque John, with David Tyrer as captain. The John had sailed out of Demerara for Liverpool with a cargo of sugar, rum, cotton, coffee, hardwood, and copper. Boyle put the John under the command of Purnel Austen. Boyle headed home after a cruise of 83 days "and had not a man killed during the cruise, and was never chased during the whole time." Thomas Boyle's share of the $400,000.00 in prize money earned so far was enough to become one of the owners of the Comet by the time she set sail on her second cruise.
A month and a half was to pass before Tom Boyle would again sail from Baltimore on the Comet. It was November 12, 1812 when Captain Boyle had the Comet ready to put to sea again. This trip, he added two 12-pound carronades to the Comet's compliment of weaponry. His Second-in-Command was to be Clement Cathell. The Comet cleared Cape Henry, Virginia November 24, 1812 sailing for Brazil. On January 9, 1813 Boyle was cruising off the coast of Pernambuco. The events to follow were to be "the start of his almost legendary fame and which was to end with the Comet and her captain far better known to the English than they ever were to the United States."
From the March 27, 1813 Niles Register which published a portion of Captain Thomas Boyle's logbook:
"January 9, made Pernambuco-spoke to a coaster from Pernambuco who informed us of some English vessels to sail in a few days from there-11th, spoke Portuguese brig Wasa from St. Michaels to Penambuco-14th, at 1 P.M., discovered four sail standing out of Pernambuco, laid by to give them an opportunity of getting off shore, and then to cut them off; at 3 P.M. they were upon a wind, standing S.E. and about six leagues from land; bore up and made all sail in chase; at 5 we were coming up with them very fast; at 6 discovered one to be a very large man of war brig, called all hands to quarters, loaded the guns with round and grape, cleared the deck and got ready for action; at 7 P.M. close to the chase, hoisted our colors and sheered close up to the man of war brig who hoisted Portuguese colors; he hailed me and said he would send his boat on board; accordingly I hove to and received his boat; the officer informed me that the brig was a Portuguese national vessel, mounting twenty 32's and 165 men, that the others were English, for Europe, under his protection, and that I must not molest them; I informed him that I was an American cruiser, and insisted on his seeing my authority to capture English vessels, which he did; I then informed him that I would capture those vessels if I could, that we were upon the high seas, the common highway of all nations, that he had no right to protect them, that the high seas, of right, belonged to America as much as to any other power in the world, and that at all events (under those considerations) I was determined to exercise the authority I had, and capture those vessels if I could: he said he should be sorry if anything disagreeable took place, that they were ordered to protect them and should do so; I answered him that I should equally feel regret that anything disagreeable should occur; that if it did, he would be the aggressor; as I did not intend to fire on him first; that if he did attempt to oppose me or fire on me when trying to take those English vessels, we must try our respective strengths as I was well prepared for such an event, and should not shrink from it; he then informed me those vessels were armed and very strong; I told him I valued their strength but little; and should very soon put it to the test; he then left me to go on board the man of war brig to communicate our conversation, with a promise of again returning, however, he did not: finding he did not mean to return, I spoke the man of war immediately, and asked if he intended sending his boat back; he said he would speak his convoy, and requested me to send my boat on board;—entertaining some suspicion of his motives for thus asking for my boat, I told him that I did not make a practice of sending my boat from my vessel after night, and should not do it now; I then again told him of my determination very distinctly, so that he would not misunderstand me; the English vessels were ahead of us, consisting of a ship of 14 guns, and two brigs of 10 guns each, making in all a force of 54 guns!
I made sail immediately for them, came up with the ship (the three in fact were close together) hailed her and ordered them to back the main-top-sail; he gave little or no answer, having quick way at the time I shot ahead, but told him I should be alongside again in a few minutes, and if he did not obey the orders, I would pour a broadside into him; after a few minutes tacked; the man of war close after me; this was about half past 8 PM.
I then ran alongside the ship, one of the brigs being close to her, and opened my broadside upon them both; we were all carrying a crowd of canvas, and I was from superior sailing frequently obliged to tack, and I should have profited much by it had the man of war not been so close; who now opened a heavy fire upon us with round and grape, which we returned; having now the whole force to contend with, I stuck as close as possible to the English vessels, they frequently separating to give the man of war a chance, and I as frequently poured whole broadsides into them, and at times, at the man of war; about 11 PM, the ship surrendered, being all cut to pieces and rendered unmanageable; directly after the brig Bowes, our present prize, surrendered; she was also very much disabled; I then proceeded to take possession of her, and as the boat was passing, the man of war gave us a broadside, and was near sinking the boat, which was obliged to return; I then began again at the man of war, who sheered off to some distance; I followed a little and then made the third surrender, she being also cut to pieces: I was now again proceeding to take possession of the Bowes, when I again spoke the ship, the captain of which I ordered to follow me, who informed me his ship was in sinking condition, having many shot holes between wind and water, not a rope but was cut away; however, for his own safety, he would, if possible, follow my orders; at half past 1 AM took possession of the Bowes and manned her out—after this the man of war fired a broadside into her and passed her; the moon was now down, and it became quite dark and squally, which caused us to separate, except the man of war, with whom we were frequently exchanging broadsides; at 2 AM he stood to the south; it being dark we were out of sight of the other brig and ship, which were in a south direction; I now thought it prudent to take care of the prize till day light, the captain of which informed me that the ship and other brig were loaded with wheat—at day light we wore close to the prize, the man of war standing for us; I immediately hove about and stood for him, or rather for the ship and brig; he tacked likewise, and made signals for the convoy to make the first port—knowing the situation of the ship and brig, I determined not to take possession of them, but to watch their maneuvers—they both bore up before the wind for the land, in company with the man of war, which appeared also much damaged—I followed for sometime, taking particular notice of them—it appeared to me that great exertions were made to keep the ship from sinking, which, with the brig, settled in the water; the man of war appeared at times to render them assistance—the ship was called the George of Liverpool, Captain Wilson; and the brig the Gambler of Hull, Captain Smith—at 10 AM went in pursuit of the Bowes, and at the meridian spoke her.
I have since learned from several vessels which I boarded from Pernambuco, that the man of war brig was damaged very much, besides having her first lieutenant and five men killed, and a number wounded; amongst the latter was the captain, who had his thigh shot off, and has since died of his wound; the ship's masts scarcely lasted to carry her to Pernambuco; her cargo was nearly all damaged; she was dismantled and obliged to get new topsides put to her—the brig was nearly in the same situation, the greater part of her cargo being damaged and it was with difficulty they kept her from sinking before they reached Pernambuco harbor."
The Portuguese brig was the Libra under the command of Captain Vascouselos de Millo. Before Captain de Millo died of his wounds, he sent a report to Lisbon commenting on the superior qualities of Captain Thomas Boyle. According to the Portuguese report, the Comet with 100 men and 14 guns had engaged a force carrying 34 guns (54, including the brig of war) and over 200 men. Americans, who later saw the Libra in Lisbon, commented that she was a very large vessel with high bulwarks and appeared large enough "to hoist the Comet on her decks."
For ten days after his engagement with the Libra, Boyle cruised the waters between Pernambuco and San Salvador. Boyle's log states that on January 17,1813, he was chased by an unidentified frigate and schooner which were outrun after a four-hour chase. On January 26th, Boyle reported that a British squadron consisting of a 74-gun ship, a sloop of war, a man-of-war brig, and a schooner, had been sighted but that the Comet had escaped in the cover of darkness.
On January 29, 1813, at 5 A.M., Captain Boyle sighted a sail to his leeward and tacked in pursuit. By 8 A.M., the Comet was close enough to determine that the ship was rather large. All sail was crowded on and by 11 A.M. the ship hoisted her English colors. Boyle continued the pursuit and waited until 12:15 P.M. before hoisting his colors and firing off a bow gun. The Comet's next maneuver was to yaw off and let loose with a full broadside. Boyle's fire was accurate and the English ship's sails and halyards were cut away. As the ships closed, both fired broadsides. At 12:30 Boyle's marines began musket fire. By 12:40 the English struck their colors. The Comet's crew had one man killed (John Dent), and two wounded (one seriously with the loss of a leg). Boyle boarded his prize immediately and discovered she was the Adelphi of Aberdeen, from London bound to Bahia, Brazil, with a cargo of salt and dry goods. The Adelphi was commanded by David Raitt and carried eight 18-pounders as armament. Boyle sent a repair party aboard the Adelphi under the direction of his first lieutenant, Clement Cathell. After repairs were made, the prize was given over to the command of prizemaster William Bartlett and ordered to sail for the United States. This was the last Boyle was to see of the Adelphi, as she was retaken by the British before she could reach a friendly port.
The lookout on the masthead spotted the Comet's third and fourth possible prizes at dawn on February 6, 1813, two leagues north-northwest of St. John Island. The quarry proved to be two armed merchant brigs. As Boyle approached the first brig, she hoisted her colors, fired off a gun, and lowered the colors. Boyle boarded his prize immediately and discovered she was the Alexis of Greenock, from Demerara, with a cargo of sugar, rum, cotton, and coffee. Boyle immediately took off the Alexis' crew and sent aboard his own prize crew of six men under Mr. Ball. Boyle then sailed off in pursuit of the second brig. At 8 A.M. the lookout sighted a man-of-war brig to the southeast of the Comet. The former crew of the Alexis told Boyle that they had been part of a nine-ship convoy headed for St. Thomas and that the man-of-war brig was the Swaggerer, which had been assigned to protect the convoy.
Keeping on eye on the Swaggerer, Boyle continued to pursue the second merchant brig. When the Comet was within range, he fired a broadside, which shot away the brig's rigging. After a short exchange of fire, the Englishman struck his colors. Mr. Cashell was sent aboard the prize to repair the damage. As soon as the rigging was repaired, Boyle put his prize crew under Mr. Gilpin into a longboat taken earlier from the Alexis and ordered them to relieve Mr. Cashell. Unfortunately the longboat was swamped (without losing anyone), and Cashell had to remain aboard the prize-ship. Boyle ordered Cashell to sail as best he could between St. John and St. Thomas while Boyle and the Comet would try to decoy the man-of-war brig away from Cashell.
Boyle soon realized that he could easily out-sail the Swaggerer. The Comet played "cat & mouse" with her opponent until around noon. By this point, Boyle figured that Cashell should have made good his escape. Boyle called off his game with the Swaggerer and sailed north around St. John in an effort to meet Cashell on the other side. The Swaggerer gave chase, but by two hours later, the Comet had left the brig four miles behind. As the Swaggerer slowly dropped behind, Boyle spotted a small schooner coming before the wind. In an hour, the Comet had closed with the schooner and needed only a few musket shots to convince the schooner to surrender. The schooner was the Jane, from Demerara to St. Thomas, with a load of rum, sugar, and coffee. Mr. Wild and a prize crew of six were put aboard the Jane and ordered to sail for the United States. Boyle sailed around St. John but never did meet up with Cashell. The lieutenant's prize-ship had been the Dominica Packet of Liverpool, from Demerara to St. Thomas, with a cargo of rum, sugar, cotton, and coffee and with an armament of ten guns. Both the Jane and the Dominica Packet were re-captured by the British.
By February 12, 1813, the Comet was running low on her supply of fresh water and wood, and put in at Fernando de Noronha Island. The sea was rough and the weather so bad that Boyle raised his anchor on the next day without having refilled his supplies. On February 28th, the Comet was to the windward of the Island of St. Barthelemy. The Comet was sighted by the British frigate Surprise, which chased the Comet for six hours but was unable to match the schooner's speed. On March 1, 1813, Boyle returned and entered St. Barthelemy harbor. The island's governor refused to supply the Comet with either wood or water. Captain Boyle informed the governor that the foremast of the Comet appeared to be sprung and requested a few hours in which to conduct an inspection. In the meantime, arrangements were made with Americans living on the island, so that the Comet would leave the harbor, then return late at night and the island's American residents would get him the needed supplies.
The Comet cruised outside the harbor mouth until dark. Boyle then ran into the mouth of the harbor after first dispersing two small British privateers with a well-placed shot. Once inside the harbor, signals were made to the American residents of St. Barthelemy who ferried out wood and water to the Comet. The schooner's deck was filled with supplies. At eleven that night, boats from St. Barthelemy put out and the Americans on the island refused to haul out any more supplies. Two American brigs, one the Newton of Baltimore, were also in the harbor's mouth. The Newton agreed to take the remainder of the Comet's supplies on her deck if the Comet would protect both brigs during the night. Boyle's main problem was in going slow enough that he would not out-distance the two American brigs. Boyle saw a large British privateer schooner, the Luisa of St. Kitts, on a parallel course with the Comet and her convoy. Boyle fired a broadside into the enemy to convince him to alter his course. Boyle left the enemy behind as he continued escorting his small convoy. By March 2nd, the little convoy had reached the island of Sombrero in the Anegada Channel.
Before the extra supplies of wood and water could be transferred from the Newton to the Comet, a man-of-war brig appeared and attempted to cut out the Newton. Boyle slowed down the British brig with some shots from his long nine. The brig managed to overtake the merchantmen. Boyle followed the brig with its two American prizes until noon and then sailed away. By March 4, 1813, Boyle was off the northwest tip of St. Croix when the lookout sighted a well-built Bermuda sloop. Within an hour, Boyle had driven his quarry close to the breakers. He ordered out the longboat with Lt. Cathell and eleven armed crew. Boyle hoped to take the sloop either by gunfire from the Comet or by boarding. Since the sea was rough, the longboat could not work its way in toward the sloop and she escaped by running close in to the shore—her draught being less than that of the Comet. The next morning at sunrise, the Comet sighted another English merchantman and set off in pursuit. Since the merchantman was running with the wind and the Comet against the wind, Captain Boyle was unable to reach his quarry before she made it safely inside the harbor of Basse-Terre.
The Comet had been at sea for almost four months. Captain Boyle turned the Comet northward and arrived off the Virginia Capes on March 17, 1813. He was unaware that since February the English had maintained a tight blockade of the Chesapeake Bay and that few American ships had made it in or out of the Bay. Fortunately for Boyle a thick fog had covered the mouth of the Bay, and the Comet successfully ran the blockade and sailed into Baltimore.
Unfortunately there was nothing to show for the four months at sea. None of the prize-ships had ever reached an American port. Boyle and other privateersmen did cause the British Admiralty to assign more naval ships to convoy and pursuit duty in order to protect its merchant shipping. These ships had to be taken from the squadrons blocking the United States.
During the spring and summer of 1813, Tom Boyle and the Comet became members of the regular United States Navy. The British fleet had successfully blockaded the Virginia Capes and had moved up the Bay using small craft to attack American shipping and to raid coastal settlements. At this time, the regular United States Navy did not have craft of appropriate size, speed, and maneuverability to challenge the British fleet. Prompted by Baltimore insurance underwriters and by Captain Charles Gordon, U.S.N., commanding the naval forces in the Bay, the Navy Department authorized Gordon to hire four privateers to protect trade in the Bay and to keep the citizens of Baltimore and the Bay area informed as to the movements of the enemy. In addition to the Comet, Gordon hired the Wasp, the Revenge, and the Patapsco. Gordon informed the Secretary of the Navy on April 23,1813, that the Comet had recruited her crew.
On May 5, 1813, Boyle was given a warrant as Sailing Master in the U.S. Navy, to date from April 16, 1813. On May 13th, Gordon reported that he was employing the Comet and the Revenge to move channel buoys. Captain Gordon noted on July 17th that the Comet and the Revenge were in the lower reaches of the Chesapeake observing the movements of the British fleet. On August 26, 1813, Gordon received orders from the Navy Department to cancel the contracts and return the privateers to the owners. The owners of the Comet filed a claim against the Navy Department for $2,000 for the use of the ship. Although the Navy Department objected to what it considered an excessive claim, the amount was finally paid. The final separation of the officers and crew from the regular Navy came on Sept 4, 1813.
Boyle left Baltimore on his third cruise aboard the Comet in mid-October of 1813. On October 20th, he cleared Cape Henry having run past the blockading British fleet during the night. Once clear of the Capes, Boyle sighted the Revenge, commanded by Job West. The two Baltimore schooners cruised together for three days but only sighted two Spanish ships. The Revenge and the Comet parted company on November 1st and Boyle headed for the Leeward Islands. On November 3rd, after having boarded a neutral Prussian ship Dei Biene near St. Barthelemy, Boyle lost a crewman overboard. By November 6th, the Comet was north of Saba Island and went in chase of a sail. As he approached his prey, Captain Boyle realized he was chasing a British frigate. The Comet veered off and easily out-sailed the frigate.
On the night of November 9, 1813, Boyle sailed the Comet into the mouth of St. Thomas harbor and took the English sloop Experiment, and destroyed her. A man-of-war brig was sent out from St. Thomas to run down the Comet. Boyle spotted his opponent on November 11th and easily out-sailed her.
On November 13th, off Sail Rock Passage, Boyle sighted the St. Thomas convoy made up of about 60 large ships. As a result of the activities of the American privateers during the first year of the war, the convoy was escorted by the Marlborough, a 74-gun ship of the line, the frigate Venus, and three large man-of-war brigs. As soon as the Comet was sighted, the frigate and the brigs left the convoy in an effort to chase off the Comet. The British ships pursued the Comet for two hours in the direction of Tortola. When the enemy ships broke off the chase, Boyle put the captain of the sloop Experiment and part of her crew ashore on Tortola and then went back to hunting the convoy.
The Comet continued to track the convoy until December 3rd. The frigate and the brigs chased the privateer away every day. Boyle commented in his journal that the chase sometimes covered a distance of 40 miles. Boyle did not miss the chance to take other prize-ships while dogging the convoy. On November 21st, Captain Boyle boarded the Swedish schooner Carlescrona, sailing from St. Barthelemy to Bath. Boyle let the schooner go, thinking that she was a neutral. He missed finding her British trading license, which would have made her fair game for seizure. The Comet took the English schooner Messenger, sailing from St. Vincent to St. John, with a cargo of rum and molasses on November 27th. A prize crew was put on board and the Messenger eventually made it into port at Wilmington, North Carolina. The next day Boyle boarded the neutral Russian ship Hazard, sailing from Liverpool to Amelia Island. On December 3rd, Boyle took his third prize of this cruise, the schooner Industry of New York. When he boarded the prize-ship, Captain Boyle discovered she was manned by a British prize crew from the man-of-war brig Recruit. Boyle ordered the Industry to sail back to the United States.
The Comet next sailed southeastward of Bermuda for some time before turning southwest. Boyle raised the coast of Surinam December 28th, and chased a brig into the Surinam River but could not capture her, as she had found protection under the guns of a shore battery. The small British sloop Little Cherub became the Comet's next prize on December 29th. Boyle took some of her cargo of bananas and then put all of his prisoners on board the Little Cherub and sent them into Surinam. Later on, the same day, Boyle captured the English brig Hannah, of Bermuda, with a cargo of lumber and ransomed her. By January 2, 1814, the Comet was sailing off Barbados, and took the English schooner Jackman, of Barbados, with a cargo of lumber and a few cases of wine. Boyle took the wine, and ordered the Jackman to follow the Comet. The next day Boyle was to the leeward of Martinique. He captured the English sloop Industry, of St. Lucia. Boyle was now faced with the problem of guarding two ships of little value, plus dealing with his prisoners. He solved his problem by ransoming the Jackman and putting the prisoners aboard her on parole. The sloop Industry was burned.
The English brig Enterprise became the Comet's next prize on January 4th. The Enterprise had been bound from Grenada to Guadaloupe with a cargo of bread and specie. Captain Boyle took the cargo and then ransomed the brig because she had yellow fever on board. The Comet's journal states, "I wish to make publicly known that the commander of the English vessel is an American, named John Howe, a man, I believe, well known to be unfriendly to his native country, and not long from it—a native of the State of Connecticut, I understand, and is to all appearances a great scoundrel."
Two days later, Boyle boarded the English sloop Mary, of St. Kitts, carrying a cargo of plantation stores. A prize crew was put aboard, but the Mary foundered at sea. On January 8, 1814, Boyle captured the British schooner Vigilant, John Benson captain, and sent her in to the United States. The Vigilant, which was the tender to British Admiral Laforey, eventually arrived in Wilmington, N.C. Boyle also paroled the crews of the Mary and the Vigilant to St. Barthelemy. The next evening Boyle sighted what he thought to be a heavily laden merchant brig. The Comet chased her prey all night, firing her guns whenever the brig came within range. At daylight, as the Comet began to close on her quarry, the brig rounded to and hauled on the wind. Boyle suddenly realized he had been decoyed by a British man-of-war brig. After exchanging several shots, the Comet, owing to her great ability to sail to the windward, easily outdistanced the brig.
At 3 P.M. on the afternoon of January 11, 1814, Boyle sighted a large ship running before the wind and carrying a great spread of canvas. The Comet made all necessary sail and went in chase. Boyle's journal records the ensuing engagement as follows:
"At 6 PM coming up with the chase fast, called all hands to quarters, and got all clear for action. Could discover yellow sides and ports, which I took to be false ports. At 7 PM the ship began to take in sail. She took in her sky sails, royals, topgallant and lower studding sails. I took in sail also and furled the square sail, going so directly before the wind had not an opportunity of seeing his broadside, distinctly. At half past 7 luffed up and gave him one of our bow guns, which he immediately returned with his stern chasers. We then closed and in a few minutes the action begun and was warmly contested on both sides—at 20 minutes before 10 PM we had all the running rigging, with the boom top-in-lift, shot away—was compelled to haul off to repair—at this time we had one killed and a number wounded. The ship had boarding nettings, reaching nearly up to her tops.
In a very short time we had repaired the damages and recommenced close action again, within half pistol shot, when he again shot away the boom top-in-lift. I was compelled to work the main boom with the peake haulyards. Made several attempts to board him but was not able to effect it. We kept up a continual fire on both sides; I shot across his bows and raked him several times, within 20 yards of him, but his tremendous height prevented much execution. At half past 12, midnight, fresh breeze; he now attempted to run us down, and so far succeeded as to run his jib-boom into our mainsail, a little below the gaft, and come with his bows against our stern, without doing any damage to our hull, though, he tore our mainsail all to pieces, broke the main gaft and unshipped the main boom. In this situation we attempted to board him, but could not succeed, he having quick way, and her height so great our men could scarcely touch the bobstays from our taffil rail; though not withstanding we had several of our men almost on her bobstays. We shot several of his men who were on his bowsprit and forecastle, and took two of their boarding pikes from them as they reached down at us. He appeared to have many men on his forecastle, and splinter nets from his mainmast aft; hauled off again to repair, and bend another mainsail. At 1 AM had completely repaired and commenced close action again, which lasted until 3 AM at which time we had our jib stay, main shrouds, boom top-in-lift and fore gaft haul-yards shot away—his fire appeared considerably slackened, our braces, topsail haulyards and main topsail sheets were also shot away, and the schooner was rendered almost unmanageable, many of the breechings of the guns parted. I thought proper to haul off till daylight; began repairing but found we were much more cut than I expected. The ship was about two miles from us at daylight, could count 14 ports on one side distinctly, guns in most of them. I determined to refit completely before I would again renew the action. The Islands of St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John and Tortola in sight and at very little distance, I found the ship running before the wind, would drive me close to the harbour of St. Thomas, before I could refit, and renew the action, and my not being in a situation to stand a chase, should any men of war make their appearance, and from information I understood several were at St. Thomas, I very reluctantly abandoned the idea of again renewing the action.
We had three men killed and 16 wounded, myself among the number at the commencement of the action, (though slightly). Mr. Edward Black, prize-master, Mr. John Baney, master's mate and Thomas Selma, carpenter, were the three killed. Six men badly wounded, the master of marines amongst them, and 10 slightly wounded."
Niles' Register of February 26,1814, reported that the Comet's adversary was the English letter of marque ship Hibernia, John Lannon master, carrying 22 guns, a large complement of men, and having a burthen of approximately 800 tons. Niles states that the battle lasted eight hours and the Hibernia's great height was the principal factor in preventing her capture by Boyle. After the battle, the Hibernia, badly damaged, put into St. Thomas for repairs. Although his ship was heavily damaged, Boyle was still a privateer and on January 13,1814, he sent an armed longboat into the harbor of Virgin Gorda to cut out several small vessels riding at anchor. Although the Comet's longboat received heavy musket fire from the shoreline, the privateersmen were able to sink one ship at anchor and capture two others. Since both ships were in ballast, one was burned and the other was sunk.
On January 15, 1814, Boyle guided the Comet into the neutral harbor of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The governor extended every kindness to Boyle and his crew and permitted the Comet to refit and take on water and provisions. After eight days of much needed rest and recuperation, the Comet returned to the hunt.
Boyle sailed from Puerto Rico on January 23, 1814, and took a prize on January 27th. His prey was the English schooner Venus of St. Thomas, sailing from Laguira, with a cargo of coffee, cotton, and cocoa. The Venus was manned with a prize crew and sent back to the United States. On the same day, Boyle sighted the English sloop General Spooner standing close to the shore of St. Croix. He sent out the armed longboat and boarded her. The General Spooner's crew had deserted her when the Comet's longboat approached. The sloop was manned and sent to the United States. Like several other of Boyle's prizes on this cruise, the General Spooner was re-captured by the British. The next day the Comet was cruising near Virgin Gorda when a 20-gun English man-of-war brig sighted the Comet and tried to chase her. The Comet out-sailed the brig with ease and returned at midnight to Virgin Gorda. During the night Boyle cut out a small sloop lying in the harbor, paroled the crew of the Venus, put them in the sloop, and sent them to St. Thomas.
On the first day of February, Boyle spotted two sails in the distance. A heavy gale began to blow, but the Comet dogged its prey for two more days. On the morning of February 3rd, Boyle was close enough to the two ships to determine that one was a packet guarded by a man-of-war brig. Boyle ran up his colors and fired off a gun. Both the packet and the brig returned fire. After exchanging several shots, Boyle bore away and headed south. The brig had been the British Wasp.
The Comet met with the American privateer Mars of New York, commanded by Captain Josiah Ingersoll, on February 6th off Saba and the two sailed together for six days. The two privateers were chased by English men-of-war twice, but always out-sailed the pursuing enemies. Boyle and Ingersoll did capture one English sloop, the Endeavour of Anguilla. Since the sloop was in ballast and of little value, it was destroyed. The two privateers parted company on February 12th. The next evening Boyle spotted a brig and gave chase. As the Comet chased after her prey, the foremast sprung and the chase had to be abandoned until repairs could be made. Four days later Boyle boarded the English sloop General Wale of Antigua with a cargo of dry goods and wines. The dry goods were offloaded to the Comet and a prize crew was sent aboard with orders to head for New Orleans. Again the British patrols were able to re-capture one of the Comet's prizes.
With the foremast still very badly damaged, Boyle sailed for Puerto Rico, arriving in San Juan on February 19th. While the mast was being repaired, the British frigate Pique sailed past the mouth of the harbor searching for the Comet. The Comet refitted in five days and sailed for Curacao. On February 28, 1814, off Curacao, the Comet took the English schooner St. John loaded with salt, cocoa, hides, and goatskins. Boyle took the cocoa and hides and ordered the St. John to accompany the Comet. The following day Boyle boarded the English schooner Enterprize. Since the Enterprize was in ballast, Boyle sank her, ransomed the St. John, and paroled the crews of both vessels.
The Comet was in the Mona Passage on March 5th, when Boyle's journal records that he was chased by a large man-of-war brig, which the Comet out-sailed with ease. The Comet had been at sea for approximately five months and Boyle decided it was time to head for home. With the Chesapeake Bay under a heavy blockade by the British, Boyle put into Beaufort, North Carolina, on March 19, 1814. Boyle's comments in his log say that he was chased 34 times by frigates and man-of-war brigs but always managed to out-sail them. The Admiral on the Leeward Island station offered a large reward for the Comet and also ordered his smallest class of gun vessels and schooners to always run from Boyle, and not stand to fight. The merchants of St. Thomas, according to the April 1,1814, issue of the Baltimore Patriot, had raised a large reward for the capture of the Comet.
Thomas Boyle and the Comet were to soon part ways. Of the 20 vessels taken by the Comet on her third cruise, only three ever reached the United States. A fourth put in at Puerto Rico for supplies and was claimed by an English agent. The governor returned the prize-ship to the agent. The owners directed Boyle to sail the Comet up to Wilmington, N.C. Here Boyle turned the Comet over to his lieutenant, Clement Cathell. The Comet was sold at auction to a New York syndicate. Cathell then sailed the Comet to New York. During this voyage, Cathell had to outrun a British ship of the line and four frigates before reaching safety at New York. Meanwhile, Boyle had returned to Baltimore on a small coastal vessel. The Comet's builder, Thomas Kemp had built a new ship of a very different design than any previously built, and Captain Thomas Boyle would become her new Master. That ship was the Chasseur. The Chasseur's hull had a sharper profile with an angular bow (whereas the Comet's bow had been "apple-nosed"), and would become the prototype of what became known as the Baltimore Clipper type ship. The Boyle legend was just beginning!
The Comet's two visits to Puerto Rico had caused diplomatic notes to be exchanged between London and Madrid. The governor of Puerto Rico was censored and ordered that he should never again violate Spain's neutrality by permitting American privateers to re-supply and refit in his harbors.
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