ADDENDUM: PIRACY
March 2, 1825, USS Grampus Engages Pirate Roberto Cofresí in Battle
Cofresi's Domain
Anthony Finley, A New General Altas, Comprising
a Complete Set of Maps, representing the Grand Divisions of the Globe,
Together with the several Empires, Kingdoms and States in the World;
Compiled from the Best Authorities, and corrected by the Most Recent Discoveries,
Philadelphia, 1827.
Introduction: The era of piracy in the Caribbean began in the 1500s and phased out in the 1830s after the navies of the United States and Great Britain began systematically combating pirates. In the early 19th century, piracy along the East and Gulf Coasts of North America as well as in the Caribbean increased again. Pirates operated in the Caribbean and in American waters from havens in Texas and Louisiana during the 1810s. Naval records indicate that hundreds of pirate attacks occurred in American and Caribbean waters between the years of 1820 and 1835. One of the primary duties of the West Indies Squadron and for the establishment of Pensacola Navy Yard was to provide a safeguard to American commerce in the region and the suppression of piracy, hence the assignment of the USS Grampus to guard American shipping.
On the evening of January 25, 1825, Lt. John Drake Sloat (1781-1867) directed anti-piracy operations by scouting the coast of Porto Rico on schooner USS Grampus. A small group of pirates intercepted it1. Led by noted pirate Roberto Cofresí they made a bold attack, threatening the naval crew with musket fire and demanding that it drop sails.2 The Grampus fired on the pirates, however the pirates out sailed the schooner and docked at Naguabo, Puerto Rico, where they continued their plundering streak. Sloat and crew of Grampus tried to track them, but after failing to locate anyone in hours, abandoned the area. Lt. Sloat met with representatives of the Spanish and Danish movements whose shipping and citizens had suffered much from pirate activity. Together they formed an alliance between the Spanish Empire forces in Puerto Rico, the Danish government in Saint Thomas and the United States Navy. Their target was to stop and destroy Roberto Cofresí's pirate flotilla.1 Knickerbocker Commodore: The Life and Times of John Drake Sloat, 1781-1867 by Bruce A. Castleman, (State University of New York Press, 2016) 75 -87
2 Roberto Cofresí y Ramírez de Arellano (June 17, 1791, to March 29, 1825), better known as El Pirata Cofresí, was a pirate from Puerto Rico.
The Grampus sailed under the authorization of the Danish West Indies, and as part of a coalition employed two local ships, including a former victim of the pirates named San José y las Animas and USS Grampus of the West Indies Squadron. A ship from Gran Colombia, named La Invencible, also provided support during the initial stages. The final naval engagement took place on March 2, 1825, and began with a trap set at Boca del Infierno, a passage off Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico. The flagship of Cofresí's flotilla, the sloop Anne (otherwise known as Ana), was baited by the setup. Surprised and outnumbered, the pirates abandoned the ship and escaped to shore, where they were captured by Puerto Rican authorities and placed on military trial. With the execution of Roberto Cofresí, by firing squad, the West Indies Anti-Piracy Operations were considered a success and he came to be known as "the last of the West India pirates".3 Lt. Sloat retired as a Commodore in 1861 and was promoted to Rear Admiral in July 1866. He died 28 November 1867 and is buried in Brooklyn’s Green wood Cemetery.
3 Edwin A. Sherman (1902)."The life of the late Rear-Admiral John Drake Sloat". Retrieved May 30, 2019.
The following are two transcribed letters from then Lt. John Drake Sloan to the Secretary of the Navy Samuel L. Southard.
John G. Sharp 30 May 2019
U S Schooner Grampus
St. Thomas 12th March 1825Sir,
I have the honor to report for the information of the Department, that having learned that several vessels had been robbed by Pirates near Pensacola & that the Sloops of this place and one of Santa Cruz had been taken by them, and two of them were equipped and cruising as pirates, I obtained two small sloops at this place free of expense, by the very cordial cooperation of His Excellency Governor von Scholten of St. Thomas who promptly ordered the necessary documents to be issued & imposed a temporary embargo to prevent the transmission of intelligence to the pirates which sloops I mentioned & armed under the command of Lieutenant Pendergrast and Wilson for the purpose of examining all the small harbors of Crab Island & South Coast of Porto Rico.4
4 Frederik von Scholten (8 April 1796 to 22 December 1853) was a Danish naval officer, customs inspector and amateur artist who is today mostly remembered for his drawings and watercolors from the Danish West Indies where he worked as customs inspector from 1834. His works are frequently used as illustrations for articles and in books on the Danish colony. He was the brother of Peter von Scholten, Governor-General of the islands from 1827 to 1848.
Garrett J. Pendergrast, Midshipman, 1 January, 1812. Lieutenant, 3 March, 1821. Commander, 8 September, 1841. Captain, 24 May, 1855. Commodore, Retired List, 16 July, 1862. He died 7 November, 1862.
Stephen B. Wilson, Midshipman, 1 January, 1812. Lieutenant, 13 January, 1825. Commander, 8 September, 1841. Captain, 14 September, 1855. Died 15 March, 1863
We sailed on the on the first of March and examined every place as far as the Westward of Ponce without success all the while got frequent information of them. We anchored at Ponce on the evening of the 3rd and took our men and officers on board, the next morning at ten o’clock a sloop was seen off the harbor beating to the Eastward which was very confidently supposed to be one of those fitted out by the Pirates, I again got one of the sloops and manned her under the command of Lieutenant Pendergrast, accompanied by acting Lt. Magruder, Doctor Biddle & Midshipman Stone with twenty three men,5 who sailed in pursuit. The next day at 3 o’clock they had the good fortune to fall in with her, in the harbor of “Boca del Infierno” which is very large and has many hiding places when an action commenced that lasted forty-five minutes, when the Pirates ran their Sloop on shore, and jumped overboard, two of them were found killed & ten of those which escaped to the shore were taken by Spanish soldiers, five or six of whom were wounded and amongst them the famous piratical chief Cofrecinas who has long been the terror of the coast and the rallying point of the pirates in this vicinity.6 As far as can be ascertained, he [Cofrecinas] had fifteen or sixteen men on board and was armed with one four pounder and muskets & pistols, cutlasses and knives for his men. The sloop was got off and arrived safe with our tender at this place last evening and I am happy to add that none of our people received any injury and all have returned in good health not withstanding their exposure to the sun and rain for eleven days without the possibility of getting below. I have much pleasure in stating to you that I received every assistance of Ponce whilst there and that they showed every desire to promote the success of the expedition. I have the honor to enclose to you a copy of a letter sent by them to Lt. Pandergrast, thanking him the other officers & men for the service rendered the country in the capture of the Pirate.
5 Samuel Biddle Surgeon's Mate, 10 July 1824, died 14 February1826. Francis Stone Midshipman, 1 May 1822. He resigned 17 November 1828. George A.. Magruder, Midshipman, 1 January 1817. Lieutenant, 28 April 1826, Commander, 14 February 1843, Captain, 14 September 1855, dismissed 22 April 1861.
6 Roberto Cofresí y Ramírez de Arellano (June 17, 1791 to March 29, 1825), better known as El Pirata Cofresí, was a pirate from Puerto Rico.
The success of the enterprise against skillful & cunning adversaries is the best proof I can offer of the good conduct of the officers and men in it, and renders superfluous any eulogium from me. I have the honor to be very respectfully your obedient servant.
John D. Sloat
To the Honorable Samuel L. Southard Secretary of the Navy
Washington
Captain John D. SloatU S Schooner Grampus
St. Thomas 19th March 1825Sir,
On the 12th of the month I had the honor to report the capture of the piratical vessel in the South side of Porto Rico by an expedition fitted out from this vessel and her safe arrival at this place also having given her over to the Governor to be returned to her former owner an inhabitant of St. Thomas. I subsequently learned that the pirates who swam onshore had been taken and sent to the city of St. Johns the seat of the Government of Porto Rico and which place I called to offer our testimony against them; enclosures No 1 is his reply which I have forward for the information of the Department, our testimony was not required as they have confessed sufficient to convict them.
The Capture of the vessel I find is considered of much more importance by the government of Porto Rico, St. Croix and St. Thomas than I had any idea of, as the leader Cofrecinas has for years been the terror of this vicinity and his career has been marked by the most horrible murders and piracies and for some time a large reward has been offered by the government of Porto Rico for his head. Although wounded when he got ashore, he would not surrender until he received the contents of a blunderbuss which shattered his left arm and he was brought to the ground with the butt of it. I have seen him in prison and he declared that he has not robbed any American vessel for the last eighteen months, only however for want of any opportunity. Several persons on shore heretofore respectable have been arrested as accomplices of the gang. Six of them were brought to St. Thomas and committed to the prison whilst I was there, the Captain General has promised me these desperados shall receive summary justice, that he will not wait for a civil court but will order a Court Martial immediately to try them. I have the great pleasure in stating to you that the Captain General appeared to have disposition to prevent all persons from the coast of Porto Rico and to cooperate with me by all means in his power and for which he gave me a circular letter to all civil and military officers on the Coast requesting them to give me every assistance and information in their power whenever the Grampus or her boats may make their appearance on the coast or of the harbors of the island, a copy of whichis enclosed
N.B.I have also the honor to enclose a note from Governor von Scholtten of St. Thomas No.4 requesting him to you the necessary orders to receive the Sloop have her restored to her original owner and his reply No.5 Also a letter from James Atkinson Esq. in behalf of the Alcalde and Military commandant of Ponce No.6. When I left St. Johns the Fiscal was taking declarations of Cofrecinas and the Captain General promised me a copy of it but having a large convoy to take to sea on Sunday (tomorrow ) from this place I could not wait for it, it will be sent to me in a few days when I shall send it to you for information of the Government as I have no doubt it will throw much light on the subject of piracies.
John D. Sloat
To the Honorable Samuel L. Southard Secretary of the Navy
Washington
1824 wanted poster in Spanish for pirate Roberto Cofresi* * * * * * * * * *
U S Schooner Shark
Thompson’s Island April 3rd 1825Sir
The enclosed report from Lieut. Comt Isaac Mc Keever of the U.S. Steam Galliot Sea Gull, which I have the honor to transmit, giving an account of the successful result of expedition, on which I had sent that vessel, with the larger Gallinipper on the 20th ult –
On the 21st ult Lieut Mc Keaver fell in with a part sent Mund of H.B.M Frigate Dartmouth for a similar purpose and having made an arrangement to act in concert they thus united, proceeded to he accomplishment of their object viz the capture or destruction of a piratical schooner and boat which I have been confidentially informed had committed a piracy but a short time before and was then equipping for another cruise. –
Although the schooner when captured, had on board a paper professing to be a license for as cruiser of the coast; yet from the want of a Captain General of Cuba signature, or that of the General of the Marine to this document her complete state of preparation for action, the training of her guns on the boats as they approached, the abortive attempt to fire on them, several times repeated, the actual commencement of a fire of musketry and the quantity of American property found on board, and in their lurking places on shore with the erasure of all marks by which either its owners or the vessels in which it had been embarked could be ascertained, I had not the least doubt of her piratical character –
The vessel and a boat which was the next day captured (all the crew escaped on shore) were on the 30th ult lost in a violent squall on the beach I have directed the prisoners to be sent to Havana, then be delivered up to his excellency, the Captain General with all the papers which were found and succinct account of the circumstances attending the capture –
Before closing this I must be allowed to express the great satisfaction I feel at the distinction of these vessels and the capture of so many persons prepared to prey upon the commerce and sport with the lives of our unprotected fellow county men, engaged in the pursuit of a lawful and peaceable occupation.-
To Lieut. McKeever and the officers and crew of the Sea Gull, great credit is due for their consistent and committed exertions in defiance of fatigue and hunger – The ability of the first named officer has been conspicuously displayed on this occasion and we are under no small obligations to H.B. M. Ship Dartmouth for their efficient cooperation and their strenuous endeavoring to affect our common object –
Nineteen prisoners have been brought in of whom six are wounded - eight or ten were killed and the remainder escaped to the shore, when they effectively concealed themselves from pursuit –
I am with great respect your obedient and very humble Servant
L Warrington
Pensacola Files:
* * * * * * * * * *
John G. “Jack” Sharp resides in Concord, California. He worked for the United States Navy for thirty years as a civilian personnel officer. Among his many assignments were positions in Berlin, Germany, where in 1989 he was in East Berlin, the day the infamous wall was opened. He later served as Human Resources Officer, South West Asia (Bahrain). He returned to the United States in 2001 and was on duty at the Naval District of Washington on 9/11. He has a lifelong interest in history and has written extensively on the Washington, Norfolk, and Pensacola Navy Yards, labor history and the history of African Americans. His previous books include African Americans in Slavery and Freedom on the Washington Navy Yard 1799 -1865, Morgan Hannah Press 2011.
History of the Washington Navy Yard Civilian Workforce 1799-1962, 2004.
https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/browse-by-topic/heritage/washington-navy-yard/pdfs/WNY_History.pdf
and the first complete transcription of the Diary of Michael Shiner Relating to the History of the Washington Navy Yard 1813-1869, 2007/2015 online:
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/d/diary-of-michael-shiner.html
His most recent work includes Register of Patients at Naval Hospital Washington DC 1814 With The Names of American Wounded From The Battle of Bladensburg 2018,
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/r/register-patients-naval-hospital-washington-dc-1814.html
The last three works were all published by the Naval History and Heritage Command. John served on active duty in the United States Navy, including Viet Nam service. He received his BA and MA in History from San Francisco State University. He can be reached at sharpjg@yahoo.com
