HMS ''Vulture'' was a 14 to 16-gun

ship sloop During the 18th and 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship of the Royal Navy with a single gun deck that carried up to 18 guns. The rating system of the Royal Navy covered all vessels with 20 or more guns; thus, the term encompassed all u ...

of the ''Swan'' class, launched for the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

on 18 March 1776. She served during both the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

and the

French Revolutionary War The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted France against Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, Russia, and several other countries ...

, before the Navy sold her in 1802. ''Vulture'' is perhaps best known for being the warship to which

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold (#Brandt, Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American-born British military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of ...

fled on the

Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...

in 1780 after unsuccessfully trying to surrender the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

fort at

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York (state), New York, General George Washington stationed his headquarters in West Point in the summer and fall of 1779 durin ...

to the British.

Career

''Vulture'' was commissioned in April 1776 under Commander James Featios. She then sailed for North America on 9 September. In May 1777, she captured ''Hannah'' in the Bay of Fundy. On 16 October 1777 she captured ''Polly'' in the River St. Johns. On 5 May 1779, ''Vulture'' and shared in the proceeds of the capture of ''General Gates''. ''General Gates'' was a Massachusetts privateer brig or schooner of eight guns and 40 men, under the command of Captain William Carleton. ''Hope'' took ''General Gates'' into Halifax where she was condemned and sold. On 29 May 1779, ''Vulture'' was part of Admiral

George Collier Vice-Admiral Sir George Collier (11 May 1732 – 6 April 1795) was a Royal Navy officer and politician who saw service during the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary Wars. As commander of the fourth-r ...

's small flotilla that sailed up the

and captured Stony Point, two months later the site of the American victory in the

Battle of Stony Point A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

. After dark, Collier sent ''Vulture'' and the

galley A galley is a type of ship optimised for propulsion by oars. Galleys were historically used for naval warfare, warfare, Maritime transport, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe. It developed in the Mediterranean world during ...

further up the river past Fort Lafayette to prevent the Americans from escaping by water, in which task the British were successful. ''Vulture'' shared with ''Iris'', , and in the proceeds from the capture on 21 April 1780 of the American privateer ''General Reed''. ''Vulture''s captain at the time was Andrew Sutherland. ''General Reed'' was a Philadelphia brig armed with 16 guns, with a crew of 120 men under the command of Samuel Davidson. The highpoint of ''Vulture''s career occurred in the

action of 21 July 1781 The action of 21 July 1781 (, or ) was a naval skirmish off the harbour of Spanish River, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia (present-day Sydney, Nova Scotia), during the War of American Independence. Two light frigates of the French Navy, captained by ...

. ''Vulture'' was one of three Royal Navy ships and two armed vessels escorting a convoy of 13 unarmed merchant vessels carrying coal. The escorts comprised

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

''Charlestown'', the two sloops ''Vulture'' and , the armed transport , and ''Jack'', another small armed ship. ''Vernon'' was carrying troops from the 70th Regiment of Foot, who were to work in the coal mines. Two French frigates ''Astrée'' (38), commanded by La Pérouse, and ''

Hermione Hermione most commonly refers to: * Hermione (given name), a female given name * Hermione (mythology), only daughter of Menelaus and Helen in Greek mythology and original bearer of the name * Hermione Granger, a character in ''Harry Potter'' Hermi ...

'' (34), commanded by Latouche Tréville, attacked the convoy. The French severely damaged ''Charlestown'', which lost her mainmast and a number of her officers, including Captain Francis Evans. The French also significantly damaged ''Jack'', which also lost her captain, and subsequently struck her colors. The engagement ended at nightfall. Captain

Rupert George Captain Sir Rupert George, 1st Baronet (16 January 1749, St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin, Ireland – 25 January 1823, Willesden, London Borough of Brent, Greater London, England) was a British naval officer in the American Revolution, became the C ...

of ''Vulture'' led the damaged escorts into a safe harbor. Six French sailors were killed. Among the British, Captain Evans and seven sailors were killed, 14 were wounded on ''Charlestown''. ''Vulture'' had one man killed and two wounded, and ''Vernon'' had six killed and seven wounded.

Engagement at Teller's Point (1780)

''Vulture'' is famously remembered as the warship upon which American traitor Benedict Arnold escaped. But it also brought British spy Major Andre to Haverstraw Bay and later abandoned him there due to an exchange of fire with two American soldiers, John "Jack" Peterson and Moses "George" Sherwood The engagement took place at a spot called Teller's Point, known today as Croton Point, on September 21 and 22. A plaque commemorating ''Vulture''s battle with American rebels was erected in 1967 and reads "Commemorating the defense of Teller's Point by George Sherwood and Jack Peterson who repulsed the landing of British troops from the "Vulture" September 21, 1780, aiding in the capture of Major Andre."

Other battles

''Vulture'' and captured the brig ''Granada'' on 28 November 1781. On 21 April 1782, , ''Vulture'', and captured the Virginia privateer brig ''Grand Turk'', of 12 guns and 75 men. ''Vulture'' was under the command of Lieutenant John Laugharne. After her service on the North American Station, ''Vulture'' was paid off at Portsmouth in November 1783. At that time she received

copper sheathing Copper sheathing is a method for protecting the hull of a wooden vessel from attack by shipworm, barnacles and other marine growth through the use of copper plates affixed to the surface of the hull, below the waterline. It was pioneered and d ...

, but was laid up. In May 1790, Lieutenant Timothy Bird commissioned ''Vulture'' as a storeship. Lieutenant Samuel Short recommissioned her as slop ship in April 1791, but she was not fitted for that role until December 1792. Lieutenant William Crosbe recommissioned her that month. In 1799 Lieutenant Jeffrey Gawen replaced Crosbe.

Disposal

The Principal Officers and Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy offered the "Vulture, 304 Tons, laying at Portsmouth" for sale on 11 August 1802. She sold in August.

Citations

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vulture (1776) Vulture (1776) 1776 ships Swan-class ship-sloops Benedict Arnold