Action of 6 April 1776
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Block Island (April 6, 1776) was a nighttime naval encounter between the Continental Navy
, returning from a successful raid
on Nassau in The Bahamas
on its maiden voyage, and , a Royal Navy
dispatch boat
. Glasgow successfully escaped capture by a fleet of seven ships under the command of Commodore Esek Hopkins
, although she sustained significant damage in the encounter.
Several of the ship captains of the Continental fleet were criticized for their actions in the engagement, and one was dismissed as a result. Commodore Hopkins was criticized for other actions pertaining to the cruise, including the distribution of seized goods, and was eventually also dismissed from the Navy.
20-gun frigate
of the Royal Navy
. In early April 1776, under the command of navy captain Tryingham Howe, she was carrying dispatches from Newport, Rhode Island
to the British
fleet off Charleston, South Carolina
. (This fleet had been assembled to launch an assault on Charleston, which ultimately failed in the June Battle of Sullivan's Island
.)
The Second Continental Congress
had established the Continental Navy
in late 1775. By February 1776 the first ships of the fleet were ready for their maiden voyage, and Commodore Esek Hopkins
led a fleet of eight ships on an expedition to the Bahamas
, where the British were known to have military stores. In early March, the fleet (reduced by one due to tangled riggings en route) landed marines on the island of New Providence
and captured
the town of Nassau
. After loading the fleet's ships, enlarged to include two captured prize
ships, with military stores, the fleet sailed north on March 17, with one ship dispatched to Philadelphia, while the rest of the fleet sailed for the Block Island
channel. The fleet's cruise was marked by outbreaks of a variety of diseases, including fevers and smallpox
, resulting in significant reductions in crew effectiveness.
By April 4 the fleet had reached the waters off Long Island
, and captured a prize, , which was also laden with supplies. The next day brought a second prize, the Bolton. Hoping to catch more easy prizes, Hopkins continued to cruise off Block Island that night, forming the fleet into a scouting formation of two columns. The right, or eastern, column was headed by the , followed by Hopkins' flagship, the , at 20 guns the largest ship of the fleet, and the left column was headed by the , followed by the . Behind these came the , with and trailing further behind as escorts for the prizes. The need to provide crews for the prizes further reduced the fighting effectiveness of the fleet's ships.
That night was an exceptionally clear night with a nearly full moon. Between 1 and 2 am on April 6, with the fleet headed in a generally southerly direction, Andrew Doria and Glasgow spotted each other about 8 league
s (20 to 24 nautical miles) southeast of Block Island
. Glasgow was heading westerly, destined for Charleston. Captain Howe came about to investigate the fleet, and over the next 30 minutes closed to within hailing distance. Commodore Hopkins gave no signals during this time, so the fleet formed no battle line which resulted in a battle that Captain Nicholas Biddle
of the Andrew Doria later described as "helter-skelter".
Howe first came upon the Cabot, whose captain was Esek Hopkins' son, John. The younger Hopkins, when hailed for identification, replied, "The Columbus and Alfred, a 22-gun frigate." An overzealous seaman on his ship then tossed a grenade
onto the Glasgow deck, and the battle was engaged. Cabot, a lightly armed brig
, fired one ineffective broadside of six-pounders. Glasgow countered with two broadsides with its heavier weaponry, killing Cabot master, wounding Hopkins, and disabling her steering. As she drifted away, the Alfred came up to engage Glasgow, and the two engaged in a broadside duel. A shot from Glasgow early in the action broke the lines to Alfred tiller; her temporary loss of steering exposed her to raking fire
. Her drift also made it difficult for the Andrew Doria to join the action, who also had to maneuver to avoid the drifting Cabot. The Providence held back, and Columbus was eventually able to join the action late, but her fire was so wild that little to no damage was done to Glasgow.
With Glasgow now exposed to fire from three ships, Howe decided to break off the battle in order to avoid being boarded, and made sail for Newport. Despite extensive damage to sail and rigging, he pulled away from the pursuing fleet, which was fully laden with its captured goods. After several hours of chase, lasting into daylight, Hopkins called off the chase to avoid an encounter with the British squadron at Newport. His only prize was Glasgow tender
, which the fleet brought to anchor in New London, Connecticut
on April 8.
fire. Aboard the Cabot there were four killed and seven wounded, and the Alfred had six each killed and wounded; Andrew Doria drummer was also wounded.
Although Continental Congress President John Hancock
praised Hopkins for the fleet's performance, its failure to capture the Glasgow gave opponents of the Navy in and out of Congress opportunities for criticism. Nicholas Biddle wrote of the action, "A more imprudent, ill-conducted affair never happened." Abraham Whipple
, captain of the Columbus, endured rumors and accusations of cowardice for a time, but eventually asked for a court martial to clear his name. Held on May 6 by a panel consisting of officers who had been on the cruise, he was cleared of cowardice, although he was also criticized for errors of judgment. John Hazard, captain of the Providence, was not so fortunate. Charged with a variety of offenses by his subordinate officers, including neglect of duty during the Glasgow action, he was convicted by court martial and forced to surrender his commission.
Commodore Hopkins came under scrutiny from Congress over matters unrelated to this action. He had violated his written orders in sailing to Nassau instead of Virginia and the Carolinas, and he had distributed the goods taken during the cruise to Connecticut and Rhode Island without consulting Congress. He was censure
d for these transgressions, and dismissed from the Navy in January 1778 after further controversies, including the fleet's failure to sail again (a number of its ships suffered from crew shortages, and also became trapped at Providence, Rhode Island
by the British occupation of Newport late in 1776).
Glasgow, suffering from the battle and having dumped her dispatches, returned to Newport. She was found to be in bad enough shape that she was made as seaworthy as possible and sent to Portsmouth
for repairs. Her mission was reassigned to , another ship in the Newport squadron.
Continental Navy
The Continental Navy was the navy of the United States during the American Revolutionary War, and was formed in 1775. Through the efforts of the Continental Navy's patron, John Adams and vigorous Congressional support in the face of stiff opposition, the fleet cumulatively became relatively...
, returning from a successful raid
Battle of Nassau
The Battle of Nassau was a naval action and amphibious assault by American forces against the British port of Nassau, Bahamas during the American Revolutionary War...
on Nassau in The Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
on its maiden voyage, and , a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
dispatch boat
Dispatch boat
Dispatch boats were small boats, and sometimes large ships, tasked to carry military dispatches from ship to ship or from ship to shore or, in some cases from shore to shore...
. Glasgow successfully escaped capture by a fleet of seven ships under the command of Commodore Esek Hopkins
Esek Hopkins
Commodore Esek Hopkins was the first and only Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. He was also an accomplished merchant captain and privateer.-Early life and career:...
, although she sustained significant damage in the encounter.
Several of the ship captains of the Continental fleet were criticized for their actions in the engagement, and one was dismissed as a result. Commodore Hopkins was criticized for other actions pertaining to the cruise, including the distribution of seized goods, and was eventually also dismissed from the Navy.
Background
was a sixth-rateSixth-rate
Sixth rate was the designation used by the Royal Navy for small warships mounting between 20 and 24 nine-pounder guns on a single deck, sometimes with guns on the upper works and sometimes without.-Rating:...
20-gun frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. In early April 1776, under the command of navy captain Tryingham Howe, she was carrying dispatches from Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
to the British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
fleet off Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. (This fleet had been assembled to launch an assault on Charleston, which ultimately failed in the June Battle of Sullivan's Island
Battle of Sullivan's Island
The Battle of Sullivan's Island or the Battle of Fort Sullivan was fought on June 28, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence. It took place near Charleston, South Carolina, during the first British attempt to capture the city from American rebels...
.)
The Second Continental Congress
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met briefly during 1774,...
had established the Continental Navy
Continental Navy
The Continental Navy was the navy of the United States during the American Revolutionary War, and was formed in 1775. Through the efforts of the Continental Navy's patron, John Adams and vigorous Congressional support in the face of stiff opposition, the fleet cumulatively became relatively...
in late 1775. By February 1776 the first ships of the fleet were ready for their maiden voyage, and Commodore Esek Hopkins
Esek Hopkins
Commodore Esek Hopkins was the first and only Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. He was also an accomplished merchant captain and privateer.-Early life and career:...
led a fleet of eight ships on an expedition to the Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
, where the British were known to have military stores. In early March, the fleet (reduced by one due to tangled riggings en route) landed marines on the island of New Providence
New Providence
New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total population. It also houses the national capital city, Nassau.The island was originally under Spanish control following Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World, but the Spanish government showed...
and captured
Battle of Nassau
The Battle of Nassau was a naval action and amphibious assault by American forces against the British port of Nassau, Bahamas during the American Revolutionary War...
the town of Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
. After loading the fleet's ships, enlarged to include two captured prize
Prize (law)
Prize is a term used in admiralty law to refer to equipment, vehicles, vessels, and cargo captured during armed conflict. The most common use of prize in this sense is the capture of an enemy ship and its cargo as a prize of war. In the past, it was common that the capturing force would be allotted...
ships, with military stores, the fleet sailed north on March 17, with one ship dispatched to Philadelphia, while the rest of the fleet sailed for the Block Island
Block Island
Block Island is part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately south of the coast of Rhode Island, east of Montauk Point on Long Island, and is separated from the Rhode Island mainland by Block Island Sound. The United States Census Bureau defines Block...
channel. The fleet's cruise was marked by outbreaks of a variety of diseases, including fevers and smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
, resulting in significant reductions in crew effectiveness.
By April 4 the fleet had reached the waters off Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, and captured a prize, , which was also laden with supplies. The next day brought a second prize, the Bolton. Hoping to catch more easy prizes, Hopkins continued to cruise off Block Island that night, forming the fleet into a scouting formation of two columns. The right, or eastern, column was headed by the , followed by Hopkins' flagship, the , at 20 guns the largest ship of the fleet, and the left column was headed by the , followed by the . Behind these came the , with and trailing further behind as escorts for the prizes. The need to provide crews for the prizes further reduced the fighting effectiveness of the fleet's ships.
Battle
League (unit)
A league is a unit of length . It was long common in Europe and Latin America, but it is no longer an official unit in any nation. The league originally referred to the distance a person or a horse could walk in an hour...
s (20 to 24 nautical miles) southeast of Block Island
Block Island
Block Island is part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately south of the coast of Rhode Island, east of Montauk Point on Long Island, and is separated from the Rhode Island mainland by Block Island Sound. The United States Census Bureau defines Block...
. Glasgow was heading westerly, destined for Charleston. Captain Howe came about to investigate the fleet, and over the next 30 minutes closed to within hailing distance. Commodore Hopkins gave no signals during this time, so the fleet formed no battle line which resulted in a battle that Captain Nicholas Biddle
Nicholas Biddle (naval officer)
Nicholas Biddle was one of the first five captains of the Continental Navy, which was raised by the Americans during the American Revolutionary War.-Early life:Nicholas Biddle was born in Philadelphia....
of the Andrew Doria later described as "helter-skelter".
Howe first came upon the Cabot, whose captain was Esek Hopkins' son, John. The younger Hopkins, when hailed for identification, replied, "The Columbus and Alfred, a 22-gun frigate." An overzealous seaman on his ship then tossed a grenade
Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
onto the Glasgow deck, and the battle was engaged. Cabot, a lightly armed brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
, fired one ineffective broadside of six-pounders. Glasgow countered with two broadsides with its heavier weaponry, killing Cabot master, wounding Hopkins, and disabling her steering. As she drifted away, the Alfred came up to engage Glasgow, and the two engaged in a broadside duel. A shot from Glasgow early in the action broke the lines to Alfred tiller; her temporary loss of steering exposed her to raking fire
Raking fire
In naval warfare, raking fire is fire directed parallel to the long axis of an enemy ship. Although each shot is directed against a smaller target profile than by shooting broadside and thus more likely to miss the target ship to one side or the other, an individual cannon shot that hits will pass...
. Her drift also made it difficult for the Andrew Doria to join the action, who also had to maneuver to avoid the drifting Cabot. The Providence held back, and Columbus was eventually able to join the action late, but her fire was so wild that little to no damage was done to Glasgow.
With Glasgow now exposed to fire from three ships, Howe decided to break off the battle in order to avoid being boarded, and made sail for Newport. Despite extensive damage to sail and rigging, he pulled away from the pursuing fleet, which was fully laden with its captured goods. After several hours of chase, lasting into daylight, Hopkins called off the chase to avoid an encounter with the British squadron at Newport. His only prize was Glasgow tender
Ship's tender
A ship's tender, usually referred to as a tender, is a boat, or a larger ship used to service a ship, generally by transporting people and/or supplies to and from shore or another ship...
, which the fleet brought to anchor in New London, Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
on April 8.
Aftermath
The Glasgow suffered only four casualties, one killed and three wounded. This count demonstrated the poor quality of the Continental fleet's gunnery: all of the casualties were due to musketMusket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
fire. Aboard the Cabot there were four killed and seven wounded, and the Alfred had six each killed and wounded; Andrew Doria drummer was also wounded.
Although Continental Congress President John Hancock
John Hancock
John Hancock was a merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
praised Hopkins for the fleet's performance, its failure to capture the Glasgow gave opponents of the Navy in and out of Congress opportunities for criticism. Nicholas Biddle wrote of the action, "A more imprudent, ill-conducted affair never happened." Abraham Whipple
Abraham Whipple
Abraham Whipple was an American revolutionary naval commander in the Continental Navy. Whipple was born near Providence, Rhode Island and chose to be a seafarer early in his life. He embarked upon a career in the lucrative West Indies trade, working for Moses and John Brown...
, captain of the Columbus, endured rumors and accusations of cowardice for a time, but eventually asked for a court martial to clear his name. Held on May 6 by a panel consisting of officers who had been on the cruise, he was cleared of cowardice, although he was also criticized for errors of judgment. John Hazard, captain of the Providence, was not so fortunate. Charged with a variety of offenses by his subordinate officers, including neglect of duty during the Glasgow action, he was convicted by court martial and forced to surrender his commission.
Commodore Hopkins came under scrutiny from Congress over matters unrelated to this action. He had violated his written orders in sailing to Nassau instead of Virginia and the Carolinas, and he had distributed the goods taken during the cruise to Connecticut and Rhode Island without consulting Congress. He was censure
Censure
A censure is an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism. Among the forms that it can take are a stern rebuke by a legislature, a spiritual penalty imposed by a church, and a negative judgment pronounced on a theological proposition.-Politics:...
d for these transgressions, and dismissed from the Navy in January 1778 after further controversies, including the fleet's failure to sail again (a number of its ships suffered from crew shortages, and also became trapped at Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
by the British occupation of Newport late in 1776).
Glasgow, suffering from the battle and having dumped her dispatches, returned to Newport. She was found to be in bad enough shape that she was made as seaworthy as possible and sent to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
for repairs. Her mission was reassigned to , another ship in the Newport squadron.