Pirates, Privateers, and Picaroons

Picaroons considered themselves Colonial Loyalist Privateers, who prey uponed only those tidewater vessels and plantations from those regions of the Colonies of Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware engaged in open rebellion against the Crown. There being no formal Admiralty Court to apply to for official recognition of their prizes, they would frequently simply retain them outright, to be used or sold as best for their purposes and to the detriment of the rebellion. In addition, some earned contracts to procure food stuffs for the British troops in the Chesapeake region under Admiral Howe (1777 invasion of Elk Neck) Admiral  Sir George Collier (1779, portsmouth Suffolk and Elizabeth River) or  Benedict Arnold (1780-81 for the Richmond Petersburg invasions,  destruction of Virginia State Navy)

Privateers

The purpose of a Privateer was to disrupt the commerce of the enemy, and make money for her Captain, crew, and investors. They were, in reality, Pirates legalised by international law.  There was not often a big difference between pirates and privateers. The main difference or distinction between the two was that privateers possessed a piece of paper from a government and was called a Letter of Marque and Reprisal Sometimes they were required to fly the Union Jack or the flag of the commissioning country in a corner of their flag and at other times they were not. Of course since the whole business bordered outside the law, some ships would fly a Union Jack illegally Governments would commission privateers to attack merchant ships of the country they felt wronged by. In general the rouges were out to gain in booty and plunder sailing their privately owned vessel, attacking whoever they wished, not always sticking to the merchant boats of the nation they were supposed to. This letter of marque could be given out by any government, colonial, royal or both but not everyone recognized it as a legal profession.

After the English and French fought again in Queen Anne's War (1702-1713), the privateer force that had been again built up was out of business. This was still during the Golden Age of Piracy, said to end by 1720. Pirates rallied to set up base on the Bahamas island of New Providence where operations branched out up the North American coast.  As Peter Rankin says of the former privateers put out of business: "Poverty drove them to crime and experience drove them to piracy."  After the start of the rebellion, the privateers gained income from contracts to supply british troops with food stuffs, taken from tidewater rebel plantations, and merchant shipping owned by rebel merchants.

Vessels seized were then judged by an Admiralty Court and then if the Prize was condemned by this court, in some cases bought into service by the british navy, or in other cases, the Privateer could then appropriate a Prize for his own use, if it was not to be sold outright. The court also named the sum to be paid to each member of the crew for each enemy vessel taken or destroyed.  In the case of British privateers, the crown would get ten percent of the booty, the Colonial government (pre American Rebellion), a share of the remaining and the privateers would split up the rest. Some North American Colonials looking for a way to make profit would even invest, outfit or buy shares in privateer ventures because they turned out so successfully.

Pirates

Those vessels or persons operating as, but without benefit of a Letter of Marque. Often throughout history, Those acting as Privateers for one government may have been viewed as pirates by another government. Much of the history of the Chesapeake region suffers from this argument over purpose, as can be evidenced by various colonies arguing over local sovereignty, even though both were operating under British sovereignty.  There is more detailed information regarding these disputes on our 1600s page.

Picaroon - A rogue, thief brigand or pirate. The original source helps shed light on how seriously and in what light they were actually judged by the colonials. Coming from the Spanish, picaro, meaning rogue or thief, it was applied to a prose literature form which originated in Spain, which depicted these men in a humorous or satirical light. The novels often depict in detail the daily life of the common people.

Admiralty        - The administrative department at the head of the British Royal Navy.

Prize              - An enemy vessel captured at sea by a warship or Privateer. Technically, these ships belonged to the crown, but after review by the Admiralty Court and condemnation, they were sold and the and the prize money shared by proscribed formula (in the case of the Royal Navy, or divided as agreed by the owners and crew, in the case of a Privateer.

Letter of Marque and  Reprisal - Originally a license granted by asovereign government authorizing the Captain of a privately owned andarmed vessel to make reprisals on the subjects of a hostile state forinjuries allegedly committed against the holder of the letter. Also itbecame an alternative term for a Privateer vessel, to refer her as being a Letter of Marque.

There are references to privateer problems in the chesapeake region, such as this, a letter from George Washington to Arthur Lee, March 9, 1783 with a reference to "picaroons," and their cessation of actions.

Newburgh, March 29, 1783.

Dear Sir: I have been honoured with your favor of the 13th. and thank you for the information; your Corrispondent at Paris had good ground for his opinion, and we have abundant reason to be pleased at the event, which he predicted the near approach of. I heartily congratulate you on the conclusion of the War, and hope the Wisdom of the States will point to that line of policy which will make them a great, a happy People; to accomplish this, local politics, and unreasonable jealousies should yield to such a constitution as will embrace the whole and make our Union respectable, lasting, without it, I think we have spent our time, spilt our blood, and wasted our treasure to very little purpose.

The Picaroons in Chesapeake and the Waters of it, have now met their quietus; but previously to the News of Peace, a representation of their conduct had gone into New York, and orders, I believe, were sent for the recall of them.

Mrs. Washington unites with me in Complimts. to you and I have the honor etc.

Crossbones-Although many pirate ships hoisted a black flag bearing a white skull and crossbones, no one flag was ever adopted by all pirates. Many pirates designed their own banners. For example,  Bartholomew Roberts held so much hatred for the people of the islands of Martinique and Barbados, that he created his black flag to illustrate it.  On it was an image of himself holding a flaming sword in one hand, and dagger in the other.  His feet resting on two human skulls. Under one the initials A.M.H., for A Marinican's Head, and beneath the other, A.B.H., for A Barbadian  Head.

Prisoners- Prisoners were assigned to him until the crew decided what their fate would be. A pirate sailed with the understanding that the rule was "no prey, no pay." Because they were more interested in loot than in prisoners, pirates set many crews free with their ships after taking their plunder, killing killed few people, though prisoners were sometimes held for ransom or were set ashore.

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