The
Bergen Prizes were three
BritishThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
merchantmenMerchantman may mean:*A cargo ship.**ST Merchantman, a tug in service with United Towing Co Ltd from 1946 to 1962.*The British name for the freighter conversion of the Vickers Vanguard airliner....
(Betsy, Union, and Charming Polly) that were captured by Captain Pierre Landais of the
USS AllianceThe first USS Alliance of the United States Navy was a 36-gun sailing frigate of the American Revolutionary War, notable for having fired the last shot of the war....
and
John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones was the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among the American ruling class, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to this day.During his...
of the
USS Bonhomme RichardThe first USS Bonhomme Richard, formerly Duc de Duras, was a frigate in the Continental Navy. She was originally an East Indiaman, a merchant ship built in France for the French East India Company in 1765, for service between France and the Orient...
in 1779. Landais, who had had numerous disagreements with Jones over the command of the squadron in European waters, sent the vessels to Bergen, Norway. Once there, they were repaired and handed back to the British consul, depriving their captors of the satisfaction of having hurt the enemy and of any hope of being rewarded for their efforts..
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The
Bergen Prizes were three
BritishThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
merchantmenMerchantman may mean:*A cargo ship.**ST Merchantman, a tug in service with United Towing Co Ltd from 1946 to 1962.*The British name for the freighter conversion of the Vickers Vanguard airliner....
(Betsy, Union, and Charming Polly) that were captured by Captain Pierre Landais of the
USS AllianceThe first USS Alliance of the United States Navy was a 36-gun sailing frigate of the American Revolutionary War, notable for having fired the last shot of the war....
and
John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones was the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among the American ruling class, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to this day.During his...
of the
USS Bonhomme RichardThe first USS Bonhomme Richard, formerly Duc de Duras, was a frigate in the Continental Navy. She was originally an East Indiaman, a merchant ship built in France for the French East India Company in 1765, for service between France and the Orient...
in 1779. Landais, who had had numerous disagreements with Jones over the command of the squadron in European waters, sent the vessels to Bergen, Norway. Once there, they were repaired and handed back to the British consul, depriving their captors of the satisfaction of having hurt the enemy and of any hope of being rewarded for their efforts.. However, the subject of
indemnityAn indemnity is a sum paid by A to B by way of compensation for a particular loss suffered by B. The indemnifying party may or may not be responsible for the loss suffered by the indemnified party...
was broached by Jones, who turned up in person at
CopenhagenCopenhagen ; ) is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban area with a population of 1,167,569 and a metropolitan area with a population of 1,875,179...
. Ultimately, no payment was made by the Danish government due to the existence of a treaty signed between the English and Danish governments in 1660 that obligated Denmark to England. As a result, no reward was given to the captains or crew of the United States vessels responsible for the capture of the merchantmen until the
United States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election....
ratified reimbursement to Landais in 1806 and the heirs of Jones in 1848.
Source
- Dictionary of American History by James Truslow Adams
James Truslow Adams was an American writer and historian.Born in Brooklyn, New York, Adams took his bachelor's degree from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1898, and a master's degree from Yale University in 1900...
, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1940
- Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships is the primary reference work for the basic facts about every ship ever used by the United States Navy. Although called a dictionary, it is more accurately described as a specialized encyclopedia...
, United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
, 1959