Browsing: Papers of John Adams, Volume 6

1. Gustavus Conyngham, captain of the Continental cutter Revenge and earlier of the lugger Surprize, both fitted out by William Hodge Jr. at Dunkirk in 1777, had terrorized the Irish and North Sea coasts of Britain since May 1777. Forced to avoid French ports because of British protests and France's desire not to provoke Britain too far, Conyngham at the time of this letter was cruising out of Spanish ports. Between July 1777 and Feb. 1779, when Conyngham returned to America, the Revenge captured 27 English vessels and burned 33 more, making it one of the most successful American naval vessels of the Revolution ( Cruises of Conyngham, ed. Neeser, p. xxx–xlvi). No letter from the crew has been found, but see the Commissioners to John Hodge, 19 April, and William Hodge Jr. to the Commissioners, 10 July (both below).