The capture of the sloop Ranger was a naval battle which occurred on June 10, 1723 near Block Island in the Atlantic Ocean. Two pirate ships under the command of Englishmen Edward Low and Charles Harris attacked HMS Greyhound, a post ship of the British Royal Navy which they mistook for a civilian whaler. The resulting engagement lasted for several hours and ended with Harris' sloopRanger being captured by Greyhound while Low's schoonerFancy escaped. All surviving crew of Ranger were captured and brought to Newport, Rhode Island, where they were placed on trial, sentenced to death and executed.
Edward Low was an eighteenth-century English pirate known for his extreme cruelty. He personally killed over fifty men and committed several atrocities such as forcing prisoners he captured to eat human flesh. By the summer of 1723, Low commanded the eighty-ton schooner named Fancy and was the most feared pirate in the Atlantic Ocean. Fancy was armed with ten guns and had a crew of forty-four, many of whom were conscripted. Accompanying Fancy was the sloopRanger under fellow Englishman Charles Harris. Ranger was a former French sloop that was captured by Low near Grenada in 1723. Her armament and number of crew is not known. Some accounts cite Low as having commanded the sloop Fortune during this period instead of Fancy. In response to Low's activities, the British Royal Navy dispatched several warships on anti-piracy patrols. One of the Royal Navy warships carrying out such patrols was the post shipHMSGreyhound under Captain Peter Solgard. The sixth rate mounted a twenty gun armament and a complement of about 120 officers and crewmen.[1]
Capture
A 1936 postcard depicting Edward Low
Low was headed due northwest from the Azores to attack merchant shipping off the British North American coastline. Meanwhile, Greyhound embarked on a search for Low. While cruising off the Delaware Bay's mouth, Low and his crew sighted the post ship and gave chase. Low hoisted his Jolly Roger, believing that his prey was a British civilian whaler, but when the pirates drew near, Greyhound revealed herself with by raising of colors and fired a broadside into the Fancy as the pirates were preparing to board.[2]
Low's schooner sustained damage and began returning fire while Ranger maneuvered into firing position. The sloop opened fire briefly with her guns but after only a few minutes both the pirate ships chose to flee. A running battle then continued for several hours. Fancy was dismasted by well-placed cannon fire but escaped, while Ranger was unable to do so. Prevented from fleeing due to unfavorable wind conditions, the crew of Ranger used oars to help steer their ship away from post ship. The use of oars proved to be pointless when the faster Greyhound came alongside Ranger and the crews of two ships began skirmishing with small arms. Grappling hooks were thrown and the crew of Greyhound boarded the sloop. After a few more moments of intense close-quarters combat the pirates surrendered and were taken prisoner. Fancy was said to have carried around £150,000 worth of gold during the engagement.[3]
Aftermath
Thirty-seven white men and six Black men onboard Ranger were captured. Twenty-five of these, including the young Harris, were subsequently transported to Newport, Rhode Island, where they were put on trial, sentenced to death and executed on June 19, 1723. Solgard became famous in both North America and England, receiving prize money for the sloop he captured, which was found to be transporting a cargo of gold. He eventually rose to the rank of admiral before retiring. Low continued his life of piracy and captured several more ships, including a 22-gun French Navy warship. Depictions of his later career give the impressions that he grew more cruel after his defeat, particularly to his British captives. Circumstances of his death are unknown, though he died sometime in 1724.[4]
Bartholomew Roberts, born John Roberts, was a Welsh pirate who was, measured by vessels captured, the most successful pirate of the Golden Age of Piracy. During his piratical career, he took over 400 prize ships, although most were mere fishing boats. Roberts raided ships off the Americas and the West African coast between 1719 and 1722; he is also noted for creating his own pirate code, and adopting an early variant of the Skull and Crossbones flag.
The third USS Alligator was a schooner in the United States Navy.
Edward Low was a pirate of English origin during the latter days of the Golden Age of Piracy, in the early 18th century. Low was born into poverty in Westminster, London, and was a thief from an early age. He moved to Boston, Massachusetts, as a young man. His wife died in childbirth in late 1719. Two years later, he became a pirate, operating off the coasts of New England and the Azores, and in the Caribbean.
George Lowther was an English pirate who, although little is known of his life, was reportedly active in the Caribbean and Atlantic during the early 18th century. His first mate was Edward Low.
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Francis Spriggs was a British pirate who, associated with George Lowther and Edward Low, was active in the Caribbean and the Bay of Honduras during the early 1720s.
Charles Harris was an English pirate active in the 1720s. He is best known for his association with George Lowther and Edward Low.
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John Phillips was an English pirate captain. He started his piratical career in 1721 under Thomas Anstis, and stole his own pirate vessel in 1723. He died in a surprise attack by his own prisoners. He is noted for the articles of his ship, the Revenge, one of only a few complete sets of pirate articles to survive from the so-called Golden Age of Piracy.
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The West Indies Squadron, or the West Indies Station, was a United States Navy squadron that operated in the West Indies in the early nineteenth century. It was formed due to the need to suppress piracy in the Caribbean Sea, the Antilles and the Gulf of Mexico region of the Atlantic Ocean. This unit later engaged in the Second Seminole War until being combined with the Home Squadron in 1842. From 1822 to 1826 the squadron was based out of Saint Thomas Island until the Pensacola Naval Yard was constructed.
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The Battle of Doro Passage was a naval engagement during the United States Navy's operation against Greek pirates in the Aegean Sea. On October 16, 1827 a British merchant ship was attacked by pirates in Doro Passage off the islands of Andros and Negroponte but was retaken by American sailors.
The West Indies Anti-Piracy Operations were a series of military operations and engagements undertaken by the United States Navy against pirates in and around the Antilles. Between 1814 and 1825, the American West Indies Squadron hunted pirates on both sea and land, primarily around Cuba and Puerto Rico. After the capture of Roberto Cofresi in 1825, acts of piracy became rare, and the operation was considered a success, although limited occurrences went on until slightly after the start of the 20th century.
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