Dramatic accounts of privateer captains patrolling the coast of North America.
In war, disrupting and depleting the enemy's supply of goods is the way to victory. During the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, armed merchant ships were licensed to cruise the seas, alone or in small convoys to chase and capture enemy cargo vessels and to attack coastal forts. This collection of fascinating stories of the era's notorious privateers begins with Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville who led a campaign against the Hudson's Bay Company posts in the Far North, and a few years later against east coast strongholds. Author Roger Marsters uncovers the exploits of French, English and American privateers. One of the cleverest and most successful was, Enos Collins who launched his legendary schooner, Liverpool Packet, in 1811. Collins picked off dozens of vessels bound for Boston, sending each one with its cargo, to Halifax where the booty was sold in the Court of Vice-Admiralty. These accounts of privateer captains, their fortunes and failures, reveals the importance of booty hunting during war.
Contents
Introduction
New France's Champion
A Corsair on the Border
Baron of the Wilderness
The Ancient Warrior
A Privateer's Misfortune
A Privateer in the Navy
Sea Ranger
Nova Scotia Besieged
Nova Scotians on the Spanish Main
New England's Scourge
Nova Scotia's Man O' War
Bibliography
Index
"Marsters' prose is lively, evocative, and, at times, moving. This is also an absolutely gorgeous book, beautifully put together ... it really is a small work of art."
- David Pitt The Chronicle Herald
"... it is an excellent introduction to the subject for a general reader and a worthwhile addition to the library of the enthusiast."
- Anne Marie Lane Jonah The Northern Mariner
"Marsters has interspersed these romantic sea stories and historical accounts with a generous number of illustrations. The result is a visually captivating book, well deserving of its place on the shortlist in the non-fiction category of the Atlantic Book Awards."
- New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal
Customer Reviews:
Publication Details:
Binding: Paperback, 128 pages Publication Date: 1st October 2004 ISBN: 9780887806445 Format: 8.25in x 10.5in
150 b&w and colour visuals