1749 -

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• Suffix	Captain
  Birth	12 Feb 1748/1749	E. Haddam, Connecticut
  Gender	Male
  Person ID	I96391	Brainard (Brainerd) / Foster / Fish
  Last Modified	20 Oct 2005 00:00:00
  Father	Jonathan OLMSTED, b. 14 Nov 1706, East Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
  Mother	Hannah MEAKINS, b. 10 Apr 1717
  Family ID	F41729	Group Sheet
  Family	Mabel ROBERTS, b. 1767
  Family ID	F41956	Group Sheet

• Notes

  Name Suffix: Captain !He marched with the East Hartford Company for therelief of Boston, April 1775. Six other Olmsteds also went with the company.He afterwards commanded the privateers Raven and Sea Flower, the sloop Hawk, of12 guns and 60 men, and the brig Gen. Green, of 16 guns and 100 men. In 1778he was captain of a French privateer and was captured by the English sloop Ostrich and taken to Jamaica. Here, with three compatriots, he was put upon the sloop Active, Capt. Underwood, bound for New York, with stores for the British Army. On arriving at New York the prisoners were to be sent to the infamous prison ships at that port. The crew consisted of the captain, mate, and two sailors. There were three male passengers and a negro servant on board. On Sunday night, Sept. 12 about 12 o'clock, Olmsted and two of his friends were on deck, an old sailor being at the wheel. The watch being called, the other prisoner and the sailor came on deck. Capt. Underwood and the mate were about to follow when Olmsted and Clark (the prisoner) drew up the ladder and told them they would kill them if they came on deck. They the coiled a cable around the companionway, Olmsted being wounded by a pistol ball from below while doing so. The course of the vessel was changed toward Egg Harbor, NJ. Towards daylight those below began to fire their pistols through the chinks of the cabin. Capt. Olmsted ordered them to desist or he would fire a four pounder into the cabin. Capt.Underwood retorted, "Fire and be d___d". And they did, damaging, however, only a puncheon of rum, and a barrel of coffee. Underwood, in a rage, cried out that he would blow up the vessel. Olmsted told him he might do it and be d____d; he was no more afraid of going to the bottom than they. Underwood was aboutto fire his pistol into the powder barrel, when the mate stopped him, and one of the passengers offered to pay all their losses if they would cease firing their pistols. But they would not, and another four pounder was sent through thebulkhead. The foresail was then unbent and lashed around the companion to screen those on deck; but, finding that the rudder had been wedged, they cut a holein it and fired a swivel, loaded with thirty musket balls into the cabin. Thiswas the last shot fired. Capt. Olmsted and his comrades now began to tear upthe deck to get at the rudder, when those below gave up the contest, hoping theYankees would take a boat and leave when near the shore, or that an English cruiser might relieve them. They unwedged the rudder in this hope and things became more "friendly", and a quarter of mutton was passed into the cabin. EarlyTuesday morning the captors made Cape May and hauled down their sails to avoiddiscovery by any chance cruiser. They were discovered however, by the Americanbrig Convention, which showed British colors, and fired upon them. Thesloop was taken in charge by the Convention and her consort, the Girard, and taken toPhiladelphia. The cargo was sold for $98.80. The U.S. Commissioners of Appealsawarded the entire amount to Olmsted and his associates. The following advertisement appeared in the Conn. Courant: "The privateer Raven, Gideon Olmsted, commander, now lying at Rocky Hill in Wethersfield,CT, will sail for a six weeks' cruise within five days. A few gentlemen seamen are wanted, if they apply tothe Commander on board, within the above time. Sept. 11, 1780."

• Sources

  [S718] GEDCom File from Cassandra Olmstead [CassandraO@msn.com], with information from"Genealogy of the Olmsted Family in Americ, 10 Jun 2002.