Betsy (Brig) logbook

Logbook kept by Charles M. Rockwell, a crew member of the brigantine Betsy, dated 1795-1796. The ship, captained by Jonathan Lester, voyaged from New London, Connecticut, to Dutch colony Surinam. In a February 22, 1796, entry, Rockwell wrote that the crew was preparing to celebrate George Washington's birthday. He also remarked on his own duties, including unloading cargo and killing hogs for food. On April 18, 1796, he wrote that a fellow crew member "threatened my life with the end of a point & I gave him his change in full." According to a May 9, 1796, entry, a crew member was whipped for selling beef from the ship's stores. Cargo acquired in Surinam included molasses, sugar, coffee, cotton, and rum. The ship was delayed by an embargo, and departed Surinam for New London on July 21, 1796.