Gálveztown (brig sloop) facts for kids

Gálveztown was a ship with an interesting history during the American Revolutionary War. It was originally a British ship called HMS West Florida. The American Continental Navy captured it in a battle on Lake Pontchartrain. After its capture, the ship was renamed Gálveztown. It was supposedly commanded by Bernardo de Gálvez, who was the Spanish governor of Louisiana (New Spain) at the time.

Some people claim that Gálveztown helped in the capture of Pensacola in March 1781. However, records show that the ship arrived in Philadelphia with cargo on June 1, 1780. This means it could not have been at Pensacola in March 1781.

A Ship's Story: From British to Spanish

The ship was a two-masted brigantine. This means it had square sails on its front mast and fore-and-aft sails on its main mast. The British built it in New England. They first called it West Florida and used it as a 14-gun cutter. Later, it became an armed brig-sloop. It was the only armed British ship patrolling the lakes and Mississippi Sound. Under Lieutenant John Payne, it captured several American rebel ships carrying smuggled goods.

This British ship was a threat to important supplies. Benjamin Franklin had arranged for Spain to send arms and military goods. These supplies included cannons, tents, bayonets, uniforms, musket balls, and gunpowder. Spain also provided a lot of money to buy more supplies. These goods were sent through the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to help General Washington and George Rogers Clark.

The Capture of West Florida

After learning about a secret message to the British General, Governor Gálvez planned to attack British forces. This was after Spain declared war on Britain. HMS West Florida had captured three boats that Spain said were theirs. Gálvez used this as a reason to act. He seized eleven British ships on the river, claiming they were smugglers.

One of these ships was a British vessel called Norton. It was captained by an American rebel named William Pickles. On September 10, 1779, Captain Pickles, in his ship Morris, captured the British sloop West Florida. He was helped by local American marines. West Florida had been controlling Lake Pontchartrain and attacking American ships there.

It seems the British defenders were not very strong. Another report said that an English privateer was taken on Lake Pontchartrain. Spanish gunboats also captured three schooners and a small brig near Galveston. These ships were returning to Pensacola. On the Mississippi River, two cutters carrying provisions for the English were also captured.

This suggests that the British ships might have been short on crew. Some of their guns might have been removed too. West Florida was reported to have only a few small guns and its swivels when it was captured. The British ship had only recently learned that Spain was at war with Britain. The American captain used a clever trick to get close to West Florida soon after the war was declared. Pickles ordered West Florida to surrender, but the English captain, Payne, laughed at him. Both sides fired shots at the same time. The British crew fought hard. They only surrendered after their commander, Lieutenant John Payne, was badly wounded.

Even though it was built as a sloop-of-war, the new Spanish owners changed it. They made it a square-rigged brig sloop. There is some confusion about whether this ship, the former West Florida, joined the Spanish fleet for the attack on Pensacola. It is also unclear if it later helped capture Mobile, Alabama.

The Ship's Final Days

It seems that Captain Pickles was ordered to take a cargo of tafia (a type of rum) and sugar to Philadelphia. This was his home port, and he was to go there right after capturing the ship. Soon after arriving in Philadelphia in June 1780, the ship was found to be not good enough for sailing. So, it was sold.

However, some people claim that on April 23, 1789, Gálveztown was the only foreign ship in New York Harbor. They say it saluted George Washington's first inauguration. One report says that ships in the harbor fired salutes as Washington's boat passed. But only Gálveztown, a Spanish warship, waited. Suddenly, its yards were manned, flags were raised, and it fired a salute of thirteen guns. Spain's first ambassador to the United States, Diego de Gardoqui, was with Washington at the parade. Perhaps this story was created to connect Spain's efforts in the South with the new president.

Building a Replica Ship

A new version, or replica, of the brig was started in 2009. It was built in shipyards near Málaga, Spain. It was planned to be launched in 2011. Many tons of live oak wood were sent from the U.S. to Spain for the replica. This included 17 tons from the Galveston area. This wood came from thousands of trees knocked down by Hurricane Ike.

This project is supported by groups like the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program and St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum in St. Augustine, Florida. It is part of the celebration for the city's 450th founding. Many partners are involved, including shipyards, cities in Spain, the Spanish Red Cross, and the Daughters of American Revolution. The United States Embassy in Spain and several universities are also partners.

The replica was designed to be 68 feet long on deck. The original brig was 53 feet long on deck. Two 14-foot British yawls (small boats) are being built in St. Augustine. These are based on a 1760 Royal Navy design. They will be exchanged for identical boats built in Spain to be used with the replica. The new ship will have a crew from both the U.S. and Spain. It will be used as a training vessel for trips between Málaga and St. Augustine.