“We have brought in here a French Privateer of six Carriage Guns, 14 Swivels, and 50 Men; also a French Sloop loaded with Wheat and Peas; and a Brig from Bourdeaux to Nantz, laden with Wine and Flour, and six 12 Pounders, Guns and two Anchors for a Privateer; we took a Brig we had just Time to ransom; we afterwards chased three large Ships going into Bourdeaux River, who run up the Bank, called the Olive, two of which, in less than an Hour after were lost, and the Men went ashore in their Boats; the third, being about 400 Tons, our Boats were manned, and got her off the Bank, and proved to be a St. Domingo Man, laden with Sugar, Coffee, Cotton, and Indigo; but she was so damaged with striking on the Banks, that our Men could not possibly keep her free; upon which we brought her to an Anchor, and took out about 50 or 60 Hogsheads of Indigo; soon after which she sunk. And in the Interim a French Bark, taking us for a Man of War of the same Nation, that was assisting this Ship, came in close to us, tho’ we had English Colours, which she took for a Signal: This Bark we also made a Prize of; she is laden with fine Wine, Hams, Pitch, Oars, &c. All for the French King’s Account.

The Pennsylvania Gazette, June 2, 1757.

Connecticut Gazette, 21 June 1755.

The London Evening-Post, March 8, 1755.

‘The 20th of November his majesty’s ship Assistance chaced a French privateer of 18 guns, and a schooner privateer with a prize, into Tiberon bay, on the west end of Hispaniola, where the French had a battery of five guns. The vessels hauled close to the shore, under cover of the battery; but it falling calm, capt. Weller, was obliged to tow in with his boats. The 21st he burnt the snow and schooner, sunk the prize, and dismounted all the guns on the shore. He had two men killed in the action, and his masts and rigging much damaged. The privateer snow was late the Duke Pacquet, taken in January last, commanded by one Palanqui, who has done great prejudice to our trade in this and the late war.

The 24th of November the Princess Mary returned from cruizing off Monte Christi, and brought in a Dutch ship loaded with sugar, coffee, and indigo, one of the fleet that sailed from Cape François under convoy of the French ships on the 13th of November. It appears by the confession of her men, that she carried out from Holland to Cape François, cannon, powder, shot, and other military stores, and was returning freighted with their produce. I have ordered her to be tried in the Admiralty court.

I sailed from Port-Royal, the 6th of December, with his majesty’s ships the Augusta and Princess Mary. The 13th I made the Augusta’s signal to chace off Cape Tiberon, who took a small French sloop loaded with sugar; and the French set fire to a large ship in the bay, to prevent her falling into our hands. She blew up before the Augusta’s boat could get on board. I have since been informed she mounted 16 guns, and had 65 men on board.

The 14th we took two French privateers with our boats, one of eight carriage and 12 swivel guns, the other of four carriage and eight swivels: Most of their men swam ashore.

By the prisoners I was informed, that a rich fleet was ready to sail from Port au Prince, under convoy of two armed merchant ships of 24 guns each. I directly sent a good sailing small sloop, that I have hired for a tender, to look into that port, who returned with an account, that eight loaded ships were come out of the harbour into the road, and lay, with their mizen top-sails loose, unmoored.

I immediately ordered the Augusta to stretch to the southward to guard the passage between the island of Guanava and Petit Guava, and I kept to the northward with the Princess Mary between the Guanava and Cape Nicolau. The 24th, in the night, the Augusta fell in with the French fleet, consisting of eight ships, a snow, and a brigantine, and by noon, next day, had taken the eight ships and the brigantine; the snow only escaped. I have sent capt. Forrest, with the prizes, to Jamaica, with orders to return to me directly, as I hope to meet the fleet that is expected at Cape François from Europe. The prisoners say the ships we have taken are the richest that ever sailed from Port au Prince.

The Hornet sloop has drove ashore and destroyed a French snow of 12 carriage guns, and taken a small schooner privateer off Cape Rose.’”

The London Magazine: Or, Gentleman’s Monthly Intelligencer, February 1758.

Cork Evening Post, 19 June 1760.

Cape Francois, 1759

“Kingston [Jamaica], June 4.  Tuesday Evening arrived at Port-Royal, Mr. Perin Trott, late Surgeon’s Mate of the Greenwich, from Cape-Francois.  He escaped by breaking the Goal there, on the 18 ult. in Company with two other Gentlemen; they seized a Fishing Canoe on the Beach, in which they immediately embarked.

Mr. Trott says, there were at the Cape, when they came away, one Frigate of 30 Guns, together with the Greenwich, which lay there as a Guard-ship, though more resembling a Hulk, she having lost her Top-mast, and most of her standing Rigging, in the late Engagement, which began at 10 in the Morning, and lasted ‘till 9 at Night, during which Engagement the gallant Capt. Rhoddam [Robert Roddam, 1719-1808)] was the whole Time upon Deck, notwithstanding being attacked by two 74, one 64, and one French Frigate of 36 Guns: The Enemy fired wholly at his Rigging, and as they fired high, he had only a few Men wounded; but the Greenwich killed and wounded many of the French.  Capt. Rhoddam, we hear, will soon be sent down to this Island.

There has been a Duel between Mr. Perkins, late Captain of the Marines, and Mr. Wallace, late Third Lieutenant of the Greenwich, at Cape Francois: The Gentlemen, to shew their Courage, agreed to fight with Pistols, Toe to Toe; by which Resolution, a Ball entered the lower Part of Capt. Perkin’s Belly, which went through his Body; Mr. Wallace received another, which passed under the lower Rib, and went through his Body also; they were immediately conveyed to the French Hospital, but no Englishman was suffered to come near them; so we fear the Lives of those brave young Officers, will be unfortunately lost.

There are upwards of 500 English Prisoners in that small and most wretched deplorable Goal of Cape-Francois, and what with their close Confinement, (not one being allowed the least Privilege of walking out) together with other cruel Treatment, short Allowance of bad Provisions, and uncommon barbarity to the Sick, render them Objects of the greatest Pity and Compassion; and if some Method is not speedily taken for their Relief, they will all inevitably perish.”

—Pennsylvania Gazette, 4 August 1757.

Letters and Pacquets for England, or other Parts of Europe, will be taken in at several Post-Offices on this Continent.  Those taken in at the Offices distant from New-York, will be forwarded thither by Post, and from thence to London, whence they will be sent to their respective Places as they are directed to.

The full Postage from New-York to London, of all Letters and Pacquets sent by the Pacquet Boat, must be paid at they Time they are put into the Post-Office, according to the Rates settled by Act of Parliament, viz. For a single Letter, for Penny Weight of Silver, and so in proportion for double and treble Letters, and for Pacquests.  And all such as are put into the several Post-Offices on this Continent, different from New-York, must over and above the Rates paid from New-York to London, pay the full Inland Postage to New-York, without which they cannot be forwarded.

By Command of the Postmaster-General,  William Franklin, Comptroller.”

—New-York Mercury, 16 February 1756.

TMT: From early in the Seven Years’ War, transatlantic mail service linked Great Britain to New York City, headquarters of the British Army in North America.  For an earlier attempt to establish a transatlantic packet, see John J. McCusker, “New York City and the Bristol Packet: A chapter in eighteenth-century postal history,” in John J. McCusker, Essays in the Economic History of the Atlantic World (London, 1997), 177-189.

Abroad whatever we Dispense is among our own Countrymen, and after circulating a little, and thereby answering many excellent Purposes in our Colonies, at length finds its Way back to Great-Britain.  Industry recovers what Necessity obliged us to lay out; and the Inhabitants of North-America, thus assisted by their Mother Country, will be enabled to resume their old, and very probably to strike out new Means of accumulating Wealth to themselves, and consequently enriching us.

Could there be once a Means found out of raising Money within the Year, or of reimbursing what was borrowed upon a settled Peace, we should scarce feel the Weight of such Disbursements, which, in Reality, are rather a Variation of Property, than any Consumption of it.   A Variation that has its Advantages, and raises many active, intelligent, and publick spirited Persons into a Sphere, which may give them an Opportunity of being as useful to the Common-weal, as the present Circumstances of Society has been to them.”

New York Mercury, 16 February 1756.

TMT: This portrayal of the circulation of wealth and the impact of the national debt on Great Britain’s imperial economy comes early in the Seven Years’ War.