Prince de Neufchatel

Type

Brigantine

Period

19th Century

Nation

United States

Overview: Prince de Neufchatel was one of the most famous and successful American privateers of the War of 1812, renowned for her extraordinary speed and a bloody, celebrated defense against a British boarding attempt. Built in New York around 1812-1813 by Adam and Noah Brown (design possibly attributed to Christian Bergh), she represents the pinnacle of the Baltimore Clipper type and a rare hermaphrodite brig/schooner hybrid rig, making her a distinctive subject for scale modelers. Specifications: The ship measured roughly 110 ft 8 in overall (93 ft 8 in on the keel), with a beam of about 25 ft 8 in and 11 ft 6 in depth of hold, variously logged at 310-320 tons. She carried 18 guns as a privateer (later refitted by the British with 16 x 12-pounder carronades and 2 x 6-pounder bow chasers) and a crew that ranged from 35-129 men depending on the cruise. She had a hermaphrodite rig combining schooner and brigantine elements: four sails on the foremast, one square sail on the main, and a large fore-and-aft sail with gaff abaft the fore, with large staysails over and three jibs. This was a rare and short-lived rig from the early 19th century, and modern scholars disagree on its exact layout. Her recorded top speed was an impressive 13-13.5 knots. Service History: Fitted out as a privateer under Captain John (Jean) Ordronaux, she sailed for France in late 1813/early 1814 and began a highly destructive cruise. After fitting out as a privateer in France, she went to sea in March 1814 and took nine prizes in the Channel. Again in June, she took another six in as many days. Noted for her speed, at one time she outran seventeen men-of-war. Her most famous action came on 11-12 October 1814 off Nantucket, when, becalmed, Captain Henry Hope of HMS Endymion sent 111 men in five boats to cut out Prince de Neufchatel, defended by 40 Americans; after 20 minutes of savage fighting, the Americans drove off the cutting-out party, with British casualties amounting to 28 killed, 37 wounded, and 28 taken prisoner, while the Americans reported 7 killed and 24 wounded. She was finally captured on 28 December 1814 after three British frigates, Acasta, Leander, and Newcastle, sighted her and began a pursuit; having lost some spars by pressing on too much canvas, the little Neufchâtel was finally overtaken. Vessel Fate: The British took Prince de Neufchatel back to England, where she was put into dock and her lines taken off, but in taking her out of dock, she hung fast on the sill of the dock gates, broke her back, and was later sold off. As a result, she was never commissioned into the Royal Navy and was broken up in 1815. Before this, her design had caught the Navy Board's interest, and on 10 April 1815 it ordered Woolwich Dock to build a copy, though with the end of the war the copy was never built. Notable Facts: A rigged contemporary model is held by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, whose lines were redrawn by the Smithsonian's Howard I. Chapelle from the original line drawings by the British Admiralty, making it a valuable reference for modelers seeking accurate hull lines. Estate/prize records suggest the prizes she took were valued around $3 million in period dollars, reflecting her remarkable success rate before her capture. A period painting of the ship by marine artist Charles J. Lundgren also exists, offering another visual reference point for modelers alongside the Smithsonian model and British Admiralty draughts.