George Wait Babcock (b.

Exeter, Rhode Island Exeter is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. Exeter extends east from the Connecticut border to the town of North Kingstown. It is bordered to the north by West Greenwich and East Greenwich, and to the south by Hopkinton, ...

. January 25, 1751- d. Hopewell, Ontario, New York, United States 18 Mar 1816) was one of the most successful American privateers of the American Revolution, capturing 28 British vessels while in command of the ''Marlborough''. He also led the land forces in the

Raid on Lunenburg (1782) The Raid on Lunenburg (also known as the Sack of Lunenburg) occurred during the American Revolution when the US privateer, Captain Noah Stoddard of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, and four other privateer vessels attacked the British settlement at Lu ...

during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

Career

Babcock was commissioned to the Rhode Island privateer ''Marlborough'' on 11 December 1777. Babcock made an extended cruise on the African coast, capturing or destroying twenty-eight vessels and destroying the British trading station on the

Îles de Los Îles de Los are an island group lying off Conakry in Guinea, on the west coast of Africa. Their name is derived from the Portuguese: ''Ilhas dos Ídolos'', "Islands of the Idols". They are located about off the headland limiting the southern ...

. Upon returning to Boston, Babcock fell in with the British vessel ''Hope'', under the command of Joseph Browne. The fight lasted for two hours and Babcock destroyed the mast, rigging and sails of the ''Hope''. Despite the damage, the ''Hope'' was able to escape to Halifax and arrived on 26 September 1778. On 18 January 1779, Babcock ransacked the brigantine ''Lord Clare'' and the brig ''Nautilus'' under the command of Hawson. In March 1779, Babcock was commissioned to the Massachusetts privateer ''General Mifflin'' (20 guns, 100 men). Babcock fell in with the ''Tartar'' (26 guns, 160 men). The attack killed the captain of the ''Tartar'' and twenty-two others, while Babcock only lost two men. The ''Mifflin'' had taken two other prizes a store ship named ''Elephant'' and the brig ''Betsey''. He had captured about 200 prisoners, which he traded for Americans taken prisoner by the British. On 7 September 1779 Babcock fell in with a sloop of war and fought her for 1.5 hours. The Americans had three killed and seven wounded and were much shot up in the masts and rigging and so bore away. In 1780 Babcock took command of the ''Mifflin'' with an uncle of

Oliver Hazard Perry Oliver Hazard Perry (August 23, 1785 – August 23, 1819) was an American naval commander, born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. The best-known and most prominent member of the Perry family naval dynasty, he was the son of Sarah Wallace A ...

as a member of his crew. On 11 June 1781, Babcock took command of the ''Venus'' (16 guns, 83 men) Babcock and crew were captured on 16 July 1781 by frigate HMS ''Danae'' (Captain Thomas Lloyd) and (Captain

Samuel Reeve Vice-Admiral Samuel Reeve (c. 1733 – 5 May 1803) was an officer of the British Royal Navy who saw service in the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. in 1779 he was captain of HMS ''Surprize'', seizing American priv ...

) off of Cape Race, Newfoundland. Babcock and the Venus were taken into Halifax where ''Venus'' was condemned. Babcock was exchanged, arriving in Boston in a prisoner cartel on 13 August 1781, with most of his crew. Babcock and the other prisoners on the cartel reported that they were :" . . . used with uncommon humanity and kindness, not only when on board, but also on their arrival at Halifax, both by the Captain and the Governor ir Andrew Snape Hamond, aboard the Danaeand they take this method of publicly testifying their gratitude to those gentlemen for the same." Babcock’s final command was of the schooner ''Hero'' (9 guns, 25 men), commissioned 28 May 1781. RAR, 335/ref> While on the ''Hero'', Babcock was involved in gathering intelligence at

Chester, Nova Scotia Chester is a village on the Chester Peninsula, Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada. The nearby waters of Mahone Bay and its numerous islands are well known for yachting and have made the Chester Yacht Club into a cruising destination. A provi ...

, and the following day, he led the land forces in the Raid on Lunenburg.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Babcock, George Wait History of Nova Scotia 1751 births 1816 deaths People of colonial Rhode Island People from Washington County, Rhode Island American privateers