View source for Prince de Neufchatel

{{for|the sovereign prince of Neuchâtel (Neufchatel is an alternative spelling)|Louis-Alexandre Berthier}}
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| Ship image = Prince de Neufchatel 1812-P3240002-white.JPG
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| Ship caption = Aft and bow elevation of ''Prince de Neufchatel'', as recorded by her British captors in 1814.
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| Ship country = United States
| Ship flag = {{USN flag|1814}}
| Ship name = ''Prince de Neufchatel''
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| Ship builder = [[Adam and Noah Brown]]
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| Ship launched = 1813
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| Ship fate = Captured, December 1814; broken up 1815
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| Ship tons burthen = 328{{small|{{frac|22|94}}}} ([[Builder's Old Measurement|bm]])
| Ship length = *{{convert|110|ft|8|in|m|1|abbr=on}} (overall)
*{{convert|93|ft|8+1/4|in|m|1|abbr=on}} (keel)
| Ship beam = {{convert|25|ft|8|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
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| Ship armament = * Privateer: 18 guns*
* British service: 16 × 12-pounder [[carronade]]s + 2 × 6-pounder [[chase gun|bow chasers]]
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'''''Prince de Neufchatel''''' was a fast sailing United States [[schooner|schooner-rigged]] [[privateer]], built in New York by [[Adam and Noah Brown]] circa 1812. She is a fine example of the peak of development of the armed schooner. During the [[War of 1812]], ''Neufchatel'' operated mainly in [[Europe]]an waters, preying on British merchant shipping. Noted for her speed, at one time she outran seventeen [[Man-of-war|men-of-war]]. In 1813, operating in the [[English Channel]], she took nine British prizes in quick succession.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://americanhistory.si.edu/on-the-water/maritime-nation/defending-independence/keeping-privateers-afloat |title=Keeping Privateers Afloat |publisher=[[National Museum of American History]]}}</ref> On 11 October 1814, ''Prince de Neufchatel'' repelled a cutting-out party from {{HMS |Endymion |1797|6}} that attempted to capture her. The British finally captured her in December 1814; she was broken up in 1815.

== Construction ==
[[File:HermaphroditeBrig.png|thumb|A hermaphrodite brig design]]
Her design is believed to be due to [[Jacob Aaron Westervelt#Christian Bergh's shipyard (1817–1836)|Christian Bergh]]. She had a [[hermaphrodite brig|hermaphrodite rig]], i.e., she combined the rigs of a [[schooner]] and a [[brigantine]]. "She carried 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. Her spanker boom projected far beyond the stern."([http://www.1812privateers.org/Privateers/princecareer.html] ''Prince of Neuchatel''{{sfnp|McManemin|1994|pp=350-59}})

After her capture, her design caught the [[Navy Board]]'s interest and on 10 April 1815, it ordered Woolwich Dock to build a copy. However, with the end of the [[War of 1812]] and the [[Napoleonic Wars]], the copy was never built.{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=369}}

== Career ==
On 11 October 1814, under Captain [[John Ordronaux (privateer)|John Ordronaux]], ''Prince de Neufchatel'' engaged in one of the most violent privateer clashes of the war. Becalmed on the south side of [[Nantucket]], she became vulnerable. Captain [[Henry Hope (Royal Navy officer)|Henry Hope]] of {{HMS|Endymion|1797|6}} thereupon sent 111 men in five boats to cut out ''Prince de Neufchatel'', defended by 40 Americans. After 20 minutes of savage fighting, ''Prince de Neufchatel'' succeeded in driving off the cutting-out party. British casualties amounted to 28 killed, 37 wounded, and 28 taken prisoner. The Americans reported seven killed and 24 wounded. Ordronaux put most of the wounded and prisoners off at Nantucket, and "limped into Boston".{{sfnp|Ellis|2009|pp=99–100}}

On 28 December 1814, in the Atlantic, three British frigates, {{HMS|Acasta|1797|2}}, {{HMS|Leander|1813|2}}, and {{HMS|Newcastle|1813|2}}, sighted ''Prince de Neufchatel'' and began a pursuit. Under the strain of her large sail area, her masts sprung (cracked; many Baltimore clippers experienced problems due to their extremely large rigs). Unable to outrun the British frigates, ''Prince de Neufchatel'' surrendered.<ref name=LG17136>{{London Gazette|page=911|issue=17136|date=14 May 1816}}</ref> John Ordronaux was apparently not her captain at the time; her commander was Nicholas Millin.<ref>[http://www.1812privateers.org/Privateers/crew.html] Muster Roll of ''Prince of Neufchatel''</ref> At the time of her capture, ''Prince de Neufchatel'' was armed with 18 guns and had a crew of 129 men. She was eight days out of Boston.<ref>[http://www.1812privateers.org/Privateers/leandlog.html] HMS ''Leander - Captain's Log''</ref>{{efn|A first-class share of the prize money, that of a captain, was [[pound sterling|£]]108 7[[shilling|s]] 1[[pence|d]]; a sixth-class share, that of an ordinary seaman or marine, was 12s {{frac|9|3|4}}d.<ref name=LG17136/>}}

==Fate==
The British took ''Prince de Neufchatel'' back to England. There she was damaged beyond repair on the back of the sill of a dock gate as she was being undocked. As a result she was never commissioned into the [[Royal Navy]]. She was broken up in 1815.{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=369}}

== Legacy ==
The clipper ''[[Red Rover (clipper)|Red Rover]]'', built in 1830, was modeled after ''Prince de Neufchatel''.{{sfnp|Trocki|1999|p=104}}

Artist [[Roy Cross (artist)|Roy Cross]] painted a {{convert|24|in|abbr=on}} by {{convert|36|in|abbr=on}} oil on canvas of ''Prince de Neufchatel''. The painting is in a private collection.<ref>*{{Cite book|first1=Roy |last1=Cross | authorlink1=Roy Cross (artist) |first2=Derek |last2=Gardner | authorlink2=Derek Gardner (painter)|first3=John |last3=Groves| authorlink3=|first4=Geoff |last4=Hunt| authorlink4=Geoff Hunt (marine artist)|first5=Mark |last5=Myers| authorlink5=|year=2005 |title=Clippers, Packets & Men O' War |isbn=978-0753724675 |oclc= |page=18}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==Citations==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book | last1=Ellis | first1=James H. | title=A ruinous and unhappy war : New England and the War of 1812 | publisher=Algora Pub. | year=2009 | oclc=1243585361}}
* Gardiner, Robert (1999) ''Warships of the Napoleonic Era.'' (Annapolis:  Naval Institute Press).
* {{cite book | last=McManemin | first=John A | title=Captains of the privateers of the War of 1812 | publisher=Ho-Ho-Kus Pub. Co. | year=1994 | oclc=31373126}}
*{{cite book|first=Carl |last=Trocki|title=Opium Empire and the Global Political Economy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DDNvkSC26bcC&pg=PA104|access-date=31 March 2013|year=1999|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0-415-19918-6}}
* {{cite book |first=Rif|last=Winfield|title=British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793&ndash;1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates|publisher=Seaforth|year=2008|isbn=978-1-86176-246-7}}

[[Category:War of 1812 ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships built in New York (state)]]
[[Category:1813 ships]]
[[Category:Privateer ships]]