Just What Happened To All The American Impressed Sailors During War of 1812?

[Dd714]

Yes, American's weren't impressed, it was Bristish Sailors that were AWOL and serving on American ships that were impressed. But in the US's opinion they were naturalized US citizens.

But it wasn't only US sailors that were impressed. The press gangs reached througout Britian, and British citizens were literally yanked from English port city streets and brought aboard ship. Service in the British Navy was pretty brutal (eased a bit after the Spithead mutinies), with the lash being common punishment.

It was easy enough for a deserting or mustered out sailors to get home. Private merchant fleets, wailers, traders, etc, were common enough and crews were always in demand, one can simply wait to join a crew going in there direction (so one leaving the service in Java could get back to North America relatively easy in maybe a year).

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by Dd714

Yes, American's weren't impressed, it was Bristish Sailors that were AWOL and serving on American ships that were impressed. But in the US's opinion they were naturalized US citizens.

I remember reading an a diary entry where the Captain was complaining about two of his crew members being impressed by the British. One was his own nephew, on his first voyage.

He described them both as "so wet behind the ears they were still tied to their mother's apron strings."

It's possible there was truth-stretching there, but I'd be hard pressed to believe that the British didn't make any mistakes, or get a little over-zealous in their duties.

[jd1811]

I am currently researching this topic with a concentration on a particular individual. Does anyone know if there is a register of American sailors who may have been impressed by the British during 1800 to 1815?

[kevxu]

Originally Posted by NJGOAT

This is one of the overlooked facts. The British never intentionally impressed "Americans". They were looking for deserters and later any British subjects. What the British did not recongize was naturalized American citizenship. To them if you were born in Britain, you were a British subject. If you were born in America, then you were an American. ....

The highlighted part of the quote is something that we were never taught in H.S., and as my college education never included more U.S. history; and until I began reading for myself years later I was unaware of the naturalization issue.

[Six Foot Three]

Originally Posted by jd1811

I am currently researching this topic with a concentration on a particular individual. Does anyone know if there is a register of American sailors who may have been impressed by the British during 1800 to 1815?

Looks like they (NARA) have a listing of records however it's still on microfilm and not online as of yet in my searching of it.

Records About Impressed Seamen, 1793-1814