Timothy Peirce and The Gamecock Affair
While serving as a privateer, Timothy Peirce accidentally captured an American ship on returning with supplies.
Please note: The ‘Gamecock Affair’ is a term I made up. I have not come across it in any of my research, but since it sounds like something the Founders would have said I am running with it.
Timothy Peirce
Documentation regarding the life of Timothy Peirce is hard to come by.
He was certainly from Providence, Rhode Island and evidence indicates he was from a long line of Peirce’s in that city dating back at least through King Philip’s War.
Additionally, by the time the Revolutionary War broke out, Peirce had established himself as a sea Captain.
He was placed in charge of the sloop Gamecock and tasked with privateering in the name of the Patriots.
Hancock and Adams
Hundreds of miles away, a ship named Hancock and Adams was sent by Blair McClenachan to Spain.
This vessel was chartered by the Continental Congress’ Secret Committee which was covertly negotiating support from European nations.
The Hancock and Adams brought American goods to the Iberian Peninsula and began to journey back with supplies for the Continental Army.
Before it reached the United States, Hancock and Adams ran into Gamecock.
The Incident
From Peirce’s point of view, determining what Hancock and Adams was doing might not be so straightforward.
This was a ship filled with weapons heading for the United States.
Since it was chartered by the Secret Committee its activities were...well...secret. Therefore, Timothy was probably wholly unaware that there was any trade with Spain happening.
Furthermore, in order to protect it from the British, the Hancock and Adams were given multiple sets of papers. Peirce, however, found this to be very suspicious and determined that this was a British ship.
He therefore captured Hancock and Adams as a prize and sailed it to Bedford, Massachusetts.
The Gamecock Affair
With hindsight, it is easy to see why Timothy Peirce could make such a mistake.
His contemporaries, however, were not so kind.
The member of the Secret Committee accused Peirce of falling victim to “the love of Plunder” and Congress passed a resolution demanding that the Committee of Correspondence in Bedford send every piece of equipment to George Washington.
What the owners of the Gamecock might see as ‘profit’, the Continental Congress viewed as ‘stolen’.
If you’d like to learn more about controversy at sea during the American Founding, check out this article:
James Barron and the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair
The American Revolution at sea is a much underappreciated part of the War of Independence.
To learn more about this important aspect of Early Republic history, check out ‘Give Me A Fast Ship.’
If you’d like a copy you can pick one up through the Amazon affiliate link below (you’ll support this site, but don’t worry, Amazon pays me while your price stays the same).
Want to get fun American Revolution articles straight to your inbox every morning?
Subscribe to my email list here.
You can also support this site on Patreon by clicking here.
