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Samuel Smedley (fl. c. 1770) was a ship captain and privateer during the American Revolutionary War from Fairfield, Connecticut.[1]
At age 15, Smedley was the captain of the Defence as a lieutenant of the marines.[2] He was best known for capturing the British ship Cyrus.[3] He also started the "ships' papers collection" currently located at Fairfield Historical Society's library that contains letters by Smedley dating back to the early 19th century.[4]
In his career, he captured or aided in capturing more than a dozen prizes, survived shipwreck,[5] battled Loyalists off the shore of Fairfield, twice captained privateers, and was twice captured by the British, yet was able to escape from the infamous Mill Prison in England.[6]
References
edit- ^ Landrigan, Leslie (2020-08-03). "Samuel Smedley, Fairfield's Boy Commander of the Connecticut Navy". New England Historical Society. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
- ^ "The Milwaukee Sentinel - Google News Archive". News.google.com. 1955-01-30. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
- ^ Landrigan, Leslie (2020-08-03). "Samuel Smedley, Fairfield's Boy Commander of the Connecticut Navy". New England Historical Society. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
- ^ "Ships' Papers Collection 1786–1866 (MS 36)" (PDF). FAIRFIELD HISTORICAL SOCIETY LIBRARY, 636 Old Post Road, Fairfield, Conn. 06430. 2 August 2007. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
- ^ "Samuel Smedley, Connecticut Privateer". Goodreads. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
- ^ Kuhl, J. (2011). Samuel Smedley: Connecticut Privateer. History Press. p. 15. ISBN 9781609492281. Retrieved 2015-04-01.[dead link]