Ned Myers

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Ned Myers (born 1793) was an American sailor. Born in Quebec as a British subject, Myers grew up in Halifax after being abandoned by his father. He moved to New York City at the age of eleven, cherishing the dream of becoming a sailor. [1] Two years later, while serving aboard the merchant ship Sterling, Myers would meet James Fenimore Cooper, who would later write a biography of him titled Ned Myers, or, a Life Before the Mast (1843). [2] Myers rejected his status as a British subject and became an American citizen, something that would cause him trouble when he was captured by a Royal Navy warship in the summer of 1812. [1] He was a survivor of the sinking of USS Scourge. However, Myers would live through the War of 1812, meeting with Cooper in 1843 for the authoring of his biography. [3]

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References

  1. 1 2 Taylor, pp. 3-4
  2. Taylor, p.106
  3. Keese

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