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Table of Captains and Vessels
BATTLE OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN
at Valcour Island
American Revolution
October 11-13, 1776
American Continental Forces on Lake Champlain

Part 2
(Click here for Part 1)

by Stephen Darley

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Name of Vessel Enterprise1 Royal Savage Trumbull Washington Liberty Revenge Congress Lee
Type Sloop Schooner Galley Galley Schooner Schooner Galley Cutter
Date Capt/Launch 5/18/75 Dec 1775 9/10/76 10/6/76 May 1775 Early Aug 1776 10/6/76 9/6/76
Guns 12- 4 lb 12- 8 4;
4 6		 10- 18; 12;
2 9; 6 6		 10 8- 4 4 lb;
4 2 lb		 8- 4 4 lb;
4 2 lb		 8- 2 12;
2 18; 4 6		 6- 1 12; 1 9; 4 4
Swivels 10 10 10 16 8 10 16 10
Men Authorized 75 60 80 80 35 50 80 86
Men Actual 10/22 75 60 70 70 35 35 70 45
Length 70' 50' 72' 4" 72' 4"" 48'   72' 4" 43' 9"
Disposition of Vessel Escaped to Fort Ti, sunk 7/6/77, wreck destroyed 19th century Sunk by Brit. 10/11/76, Guns saved, raised 1934 Escaped to Fort Tt, Captured 7/6/77, Reused Brit., Sunk 1783 Surrender 10/13/76, Reused Brit. Sunk 1783 Not in battle, Captured 7/6/77, Reused Brit. Sunk 1783 Escaped to Fort Ti, Sunk 7/6/77, Destroyed in 19th Century Burned 10/13/76, Ferris Bay. Guns saved, raised 1891 Abandoned 10/13/76, Reused Brit. Sunk 1783
List of Vessels and Captains
List of 8/5 Dickson Wynkoop     Primmer Seamon    
List of 8/15 Dixon Wynkoop     Primer Laman    
List of 8/18 Dickson Wynkoop     Premier Seaman   Davis
List of 8/22 Dickson Arnold     Premier Seamon   Davis
List of 10/12 Dickenson Hawley Warner Thatcher Premier Seaman James Arnold Daviss
List from FTMB Dickson Wynkoop Wigglesworth Warner Plummer Seamon James Arnold Davis
Townsend 10/22 Dickson Wynkoop Warner Thatcher Primer Simmons Arnold Davis
List in Bratten Dickenson Hawley Warner Thatcher   Seaman James Arnold Davis
Name of Captain Reuben Dickenson David Hawley Seth Warner John Thatcher Mathias Premier (Primer) Isaac Seaman James Arnold Robert Davis
Hometown Amherst Stratford Saybrook New Haven Unknown Albany Haddam Boston
State MA CT CT CT   NY CT MA
Disposition Escaped Escaped Escaped Captured2 Not in Battle Escaped Escaped Escaped
Source of  Captain's First Name Darley research Arnold letter to Gates 9/21/1776 Arnold letter to Gates, 9/12/1776 John Thatcher Pension Application Name listed in Isaac Seaman Pension Application Isaac Seaman Pension Application Bratten, 204/Darley, Co. Roll 7/20/76 Bratten/Darley Research
Officer's other than Captains Stephen McCrea None Edward Wigglesworth David Waterbury None None Benedict Arnold None
Rank Surgeon   Colonel Brig Gen     Brig Gen  
Town Ft. Edward   Newburyport Stamford     New Haven  
State NY   MA CT     CT  

 

  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Name of Vessel Boston Connecticut Jersey New Haven (Success) New York3 Philadelphia Providence Spitfire
Type Gondola Gondola Gondola Gondola Gondola Gondola Gondola Gondola
Date Capt/Launch Aug 1776 8/20/76 Aug 1776 Early Aug 1776 Aug 1776 Aug 1776 Early Aug 1776 Early Aug 1776
Guns 3- 12; 2 9 3- 12 lb;
2 9 lb		 3- 12;
2 6 lb		 3- 12;
2 9 lb		 3-12 lb;
2 9 lb		 3- 1 12;
2 9 lb		 3- 12 lb;
2 9 lb		 3- 12 lb;
2 9 lb
Swivels 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
Men Authorized 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45
Men Actual 10/22 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45
Length 54' 54' 53' 4" 54' 54' 53' 2" 54' 54'
Disposition of Vessel Burned 10/13/76 by crew, Ferris Bay Burned 10/13/76 by crew, Ferris Bay Captured 10/11/76 Reused Brit. Sunk 1783 Burned 10/13/76 by crew, Ferris Bay Escaped to Fort Ti, Burned 7/6/77. Lost 19th Cent., Stem at LCMM Sunk 10/11/76, Raised 1935, Hagglund, Smithsonian Blown up by crew, 10/12/76, Schuyler Island Sunk 10/13/76 during battle, Wreck found LCMM 1997
List of Vessels and Captains
List of 8/5 Sumner     Mansfield     Simmons Ulmer
List of 8/15 Sumner     Mansfield     Simmons Ustins
List of 8/18 Sumner Grant Graham Mansfield   Rice Simmons Ulmer
List of 8/22 Sumner Grant Grimes Mansfiled   Rue Simmonds Ulmer
List of 10/12 Sumner Grant Grimes Mansfield Reed Rice Simonds Ulmer
List from FTMB Sumner Grant Grimes Mansfield Lee Rue Simmons Ulmer
Townsend 10/22 Sumers Grant Grimes Mansfield Reed Rue Simmons Ulmer
List in Bratten Sumner Grant Grimes Mansfield Reed Rue Simmonds Ulmer
Name of Captain Job Sumner Joshua Grant Moses Grimes Samuel Mansfield John Reed Benjamin Rue Isaiah Simmons Philip Ulmer
Hometown Milton York County Londonderry New Haven Topsham Lebanon Boston Waldoboro
State MA MAINE NEW HAMP CT MAINE PA MA MAINE
Disposition Escaped Escaped Escaped Escaped Escaped Escaped Escaped Escaped
Source of  Captain's First Name Arnold to Bd. of War 1/26/1779 8/14/24 Ltr, Joshua Grant Pension App Darley Research/Co. Roll 7/76 Arnold to Washington 1/13/1777 Dan'l McCay Pension App/Darley Research Benj. Rue Pension App/ Muster Roll Arnold Lt. 7/8/76 Philip Ulmer Pension App.
Officer's other than Captains None None None None None None None None
Rank                
Town                
State                

TOTALS:
98 GUNS
154 SWIVELS
906 MEN AUTHORIZED
820 MEN ACTUAL

1 Enterprise was the hospital ship which Is why Dr. McCrea was on it.
2 Thatcher was wounded prior to being captured. Waterbury was also captured along with crew of the Washington Galley.
3 New York Gondola was originally named Success. It escaped destruction in 1776. It was at Fort Ticonderoga in 1777 but is not listed as being captured or sunk by either the British or the Americans. No specific record of its ultimate disposition has been found.
See Bellico, p. 201.

The Gates Gondola was still being constructed when the battle occurred so it was not a factor.


The actual number of men who served aboard the various vessels is not available in one master roll. The only complete muster roll for any of the vessels is the Payroll for the Philadelphia Gondola that was discovered in 1973. The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum tried to develop a roster of the men who served in the Battle of Valcour Island. Their consultant had identified over 400 men but the consultant and the museum ended up in a disagreement and the project was never completed. The lack of a comprehensive roster of the participants is a major missing piece of information on an important maritime engagement that ought to be a priority for someone to undertake. The difficulty of developing such a roster that includes all of the more than 800 men who were participants cannot be over emphasized.

Click here for a PDF version of this document (107 kb)

Date this page was last edited: 08/14/2011

 

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