One of the more interesting and all encompassing locations in Halifax is the waterfront boardwalk, known locally as The Harbourwalk. It stretches for about 1½ kilometres along the Halifax waterfront. On the harbourwalk one will find active warships, the
ONLY - Ship to serve the Royal Canadian Navy in Both World Wars, the
ONLY - Remaining Royal Canadian Navy Corvette, ferry rides across the bay, sculpture, monuments and memorials to historic persons and war veterans, the
OLDEST and LARGEST Maritime Museum in Canada, the
OLDEST - Working Clock in Canada, a
Segway Rental Business, seafood restaurants, historic sites and buildings and, of course historic markers. The historical markers tell the story of the city of Halifax and its people.
This marker deals with the seamier side of nineteenth century naval warfare, privateering.
During the War of 1812, privateering was a common maritime practice wherein private ships were licensed to seize enemy vessels and cargoes as "prizes." Above, the American privateer schooner Snap Dragon is captured by the British Royal Navy, after which she served as an armed merchant vessel in New Brunswick, under a different flag.
Image: The Manners' Museum, Newport News, VA
From the marker
Privateering During the War of 1812
Privateering refers to government licensing of private vessels to wage war. In Canada, privateering dated back to Samuel Argall's attack in 1613 on PORT-ROYAL, Acadia. From 1756 to 1815 British privateers sailed from Halifax, Liverpool and other Atlantic ports, cruising as far south as Venezuela. The Napoleonic Wars presented ample opportunity for privateers, as did the War of 1812.
Privateering began with a business transaction when merchants invested risk capital. Occasionally, a ship was built for the express purpose, but more often a merchant vessel was converted. A privateering licence (letter of marque) was acquired from the governor and the vessel was armed appropriately. Privateersmen signed aboard in the hope of sharing prize money. A captured vessel and its cargo were sent before the Court of Vice Admiralty in Halifax and, if judged to have been taken legally, were sold at public auction.
Some businessmen, such as Enos Collins, got very rich from privateering.
The War of 1812 was the last major war in which private armed vessels played an important role. Unlike naval vessels, privateers were looking for prizes and profits and almost invariably fled from hostile warships. The advantages a privateer had over a merchant vessel were not only its armament but also a large crew of up to 50, compared to the crew of 3 or 4 that might be carried by a small merchant ship.
The privateers of Nova Scotia played an integral role in closing American ports during the War of 1812. They were a valuable source of intelligence for the Royal Navy on American strength and ship movements. While 15 commissioned ships from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia failed to capture any prizes and another 10 only took one each, the remaining privateers made fortunes for their owners.
Canadian privateers preferred to rely on small, lightly armed vessels and cruised fairly close to home. Halifax teemed with ships either preparing for cruises, or guarding their prizes. Of some 40 privateers the most successful were the Sir John Sherbrooke, the Retaliation and the Liverpool Packet. The schooner Liverpool Packet [
owned in part by Enos Collins] was the most successful privateer of the whole War of 1812, with some 50 prizes valued at between $264 000 and $1 000 000. A former slaver captured by the Royal Navy, it carried a crew of 40 men and 5 carriage guns. The vessel's owners bought the schooner for £420.
From the Canadian Encyclopædia