Wednesday, February 7, 2007

At Sea with Captain Seaver - Part 2

In my search for data on Benjamin Franklin Seaver, I ran across many articles concerning Captain James Sever/Seaver in the 1798 to 1801 time frame. Five of the articles were posted yesterday here.

I found several more articles about Captain Seaver by accessing the Newsbank's America's Historical Newspapers, 1690-1876 on the NEHGS web site, www.newenglandancestors.org, which are transcribed below.

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"New Hampshire Gazette," dated 22 May 1798, Volume XLII, Issue 2164, Page 3:

Headline: Important Appointments

Text:

Winthrop Sargent, Governor of the Mississippi Territory
John Steel, of Virginia, Secretary
Peter Bryan Bruin, Second Judge
Daniel Tilton, of New Hampshire, 3d Judge.

Thus it appears that government and order will soon be established in this flourishing part of the United States, and an opportunity offer for a rapid and extensive settlement.

Richard Dael, Stephen Decatur, of Pennsylvania, Silas Talbot, of New York, and James Sever, of Massachusetts, to be Captains in the Navy.

John Ruth, of Pennsylvania, Surgeon.

Daniel Carmeck, do. 2d Lt. Marines.

Capt. Dale commands the Ganges and Capt. Decatur the Hamburg packet, 20 gun ships.

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"Salem Impartial Register," dated 23 October 1800, published in Salem MA, Volume I, Issue 48, page 3:

Headline: Ship News

Text: The British ship Thunderer of 74 guns, fell in with the fleet which latety left the Havana, under convoy of the U.S. frigate Constellation -- The First Lieutenant of the British ship went on board the American frigate, and on returning with assurances that the vessels and their cargoes were American property, no attempt was made to examine or molest them.

The U.S. frigate Congress, Capt. Seaver, was at Porto Rico, Sept. 1 -- She had recaptured the American brig Experiment, with a valuable cargo, which had been three days in possession of the French.

The rendezvous for the U.S. frigate New York has closed. Her crew is entirely composed of Americans, and none exceeding 35 years of age.

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"Newburyport Herald," published at Newburyport MA, dated 7 April 1801, Volume IV, Issue 49, Page 3:

Headline: Boston, April 5.

Text: Arrived here on Friday last, the U.S. frigate Congress, Capt. Seaver, from Cape Francois, 26 days. The following vessels sailed under his convuy, Sch'rs Ann, Smith; Hannah, Lombard; & Union, Boroughs, for boston; brig Mentor, Gerrard, and Sch. Favorite Erichson, for Philadelphia; Sch. Good Intent, Rowland, for Newyork; Sch. Sally, Bartlett, for Plymouth.

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So it appears that the US frigate Congress survived the disaster in early 1800, and went to sea again under Captain James Sever.

The next set of articles will deal with Benjamin Franklin Seaver.

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