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THB[NAVAL HISTORY] Ship's Log of Privateer "Betsy"
![[NAVAL HISTORY] Ship's Log of Privateer "Betsy"](https://s1.img.bidsquare.com/item/xl/3545/35450793.jpeg?t=1VTrTJ)
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LiveApr 24, 2026
Day one of Fleischer's 2026 Spring premier auction includes early American artifacts, documents, signatures, ephemera, and weaponry. Rare material relating to African American history is featured, as well as fine examples of antique photography. Fleischer's Auctions info@fleischersauctions.com
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- Lot Description
Ship's Log of the Betsey Cutter Privateer. 17 August 1805 to 6 November 1805. 34 pages of writing, folio. Marble paper binding. WITH custom slipcase. Frontispiece which reads: "Edward Matthews Journall Books / Of the Betsey Cutter Privateer / Captain William Prowse Commander."
An excellent record, kept by Edward Matthews, perhaps the ship's First Mate, logging the activities of the Betsey Cutter Privateer during the months of August through November of 1805 in great detail.
Written in a small, precise hand, the journal’s entries are full of details of the ship’s travels, positions and weather conditions, as well as detailed descriptions of the ships and cargoes they encountered.
They took their first prize on August 28,:”…a ship under American Colours, the Dispatch of New York from Cadiz…On Inspection, detained the said ship. Wm Ghent and 4 men aboard to take charge…”
On August 31, Matthews:”…took charge of the Two Brothers, brought to, boarded and detained them…Captain Pearce sent me on board with 6 men to take charge of the vessel and conduct her into port…”. For the next few days, while Mathews takes the prize into port, he keeps the Journal from on board the “Two Brothers”.
Of course, privateering carries risk, and the crew of the Betsy did not always have things their own way. On September 27th, when they boarded and seized the Gustave Adolph, a Swedish vessel they met with unexpected and fierce resistance: ”… At 10 went on board with 7 men of our crew…After 6 PM walking the quarter deck in company with Captain Prouse we observed the ships course was altered…found the Swedish Captain had given orders to his people to lay the ship to sea…Their people had got possession of some of our arms. Many blows passed on both sides. Captain Prouse and myself fully engaged in forcing the captain into his cabin, which we did with some trouble. I came upon deck immediately and found the 2nd Mate laying on deck wounded and one of our men wounded also. Thus situated [I] instantly sent on board the Betsy for four more men and more arms…”.
Privateers were little different from pirates, except that they had ” Letters of Marque” from a host nation authorizing them to attack enemy shipping. In times of war, nations would often use privateers as a cheap and efficient means of destroying enemy shipping. At this time Britain, who was then at War with Napoleon, used privateers to attack ships trading with France and her allies. Like pirates, the captured ships and cargo were sold with most of the proceeds being divided among the crew of the Privateer.
A sailor on a Privateer could earn more than 10 years of a regular sailor’s pay from the capturing of a single prize, and many seamen naturally preferred serving onboard a privateer to the brutality and poverty of being pressed in a regular naval vessel. The voyage recorded in this logbook was extremely profitable, for the Betsy routinely boarded three or more ships a day, and she captured several prizes.
This fascinating and detailed Privateer’s Log is in excellent condition.
[Navy, Naval History]
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