Yuku free message boards

Doug..the battles were really amazing back in those days.Those ships used to pull up next to each other and just hammer away with cannons blazing and see who was left when the smoke cleared.If anything was left they would swing over and board the prize and fight hand to hand with cutlasses and tomahawks (Axes) Man that had to be a gory mess and yet the men all wanted to be on a ship that went 'looking' for trouble,because they got prize money for it.You are right about Captain MNeill....he should have stayed and helped the other ship (Hancock).I believe the Brits captured the Hancock as a prize.
Ray

Doug..Hector and Daniel were brothers!they also had a brother named Robert...all in the service! I see that Daniel was Captain of the Hancock ,I hope Hector didn't abandon his brother!

the Massachusetts Naval Board issued "a warrant for £1635. 18s. I 1d. to be paid to Captain Hector McNeill, commander of the Continental ship Boston, to enable him to put said vessel to sea," and on May 22, 1780, on the petition of John Tracy and other merchants of Newburyport, the Naval Board commissioned Hector McNeill as commander of the privateer Pallas, and in the following November he received the command of the privateer Adventure.
Captain McNeill's brother, Robert, was a lieutenant of marines on the Boston and in November, 1777, the records show that while in command of a body of marines on the frigate Fox, Lieutenant McNeill was captured and imprisoned at Halifax, but was afterwards exchanged. There is a long account of him in Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolutionary War* Captain Daniel McNeill was also a brother of Hector. On November 30, 1776, he was appointed captain of the privateer Hancock of Boston and in the following year he commanded the schooner America. In 1779, he was commissioned captain of the brigantine America, and in 1780 to the command of the privateer Eagle, and later of the Ulysses and the Wasp, all American vessels and in the service of the patriot forces. I also find a reference to a William McNeill, who was engaged as lieutenant of the privateer Rising States, on November 18, 1776, and who was a relative of the three Irish brothers, McNeill, who served the country of their adoption so well in the days when many "Exiles from Erin" fought for American freedom.

Meanwhile the Boston escaped and found her way to Wiscasset. In his report to the Marine Committee, which was dated at that place July 16, Captain McNeill relates his proceedings since losing sight of his consorts on the 7th: "In a few hours we saw two more of the Enemy about two points on our weather bow; from these we were obliged to tack to the Southwd . . . After Standing two hours to the Southwd we espied another Ship bearing S. W. of us, who appeared to be in chace towards us. I then hove about to the Northwd again & stood on untill Nine o'Clock the Evening; the chace coming down upon us very fast all the time. As soon as the Moon was down I tack'd and Stood to the Southwd and in less than an hour saw the Lights of the Chacing Ship Standing athwart our Stern about 3/4 of a Mile from us. On Tuesday Morning the 8th Current I saw five Sail of the Enemy to the Leward of me, three on the Lee bow and two on the Lee Quarter, at the same time saw Cape Sable bearing N.N.E., five leagues. The Wind coming to the Southwd I stood across the Bay of Fundy, determin'd to Shelter myself in the first port I could make and get intellegence, which happened to be this river where I arriv'd on Thursday the 10th Instant. On my arrival here I found that the Milford Frigate had been in about fourteen days past & that she had penetrated up as far as we now are, Namely at Wichcasset point. There is scarce a day, but one or two of the Enemys Ships are Seen off the Mouth of this river and the Coasting Vessells are very much distress'd. In this my present Situation I am much at a Loss what to do, my Ship's Company are so diminished by Manning the Fox & the Men otherwise Lost since we Sail'd from Boston; my Ship is very Fowl . . . and besides that, we cannot make her Sail fast, trim which way we will . . . We have certain Accounts of twelve Sail of the Enemys Cruisers between Cape Ann & Cape Sable, severall of whom are large Ships." (N. H. Geneal. Rec., January, 1907.) Perhaps the size of the British fleet cruising in eastern waters was magnified in McNeill's imagination. In due time he brought his ship back to Boston, where his reception was not cordial. He was severely blamed for not having come to the Hancock's rescue and was held by public opinion in large degree responsible for the loss of that ship. He was tried by court-martial and suspended (Mar. Com. Letter Book, 109 (November 12,1777); Adams MSS., October 9, 1777, McNeill to John Adams, complaining of conditions in the navy.)