19th Century Watercolor painting of the American Pilot Boat Thomas H. Smith, No. 6., ca. 1814.
History
United States
NameThomas H. Smith
NamesakeThomas H. Smith
OwnerNew York Pilots
OperatorOwen Callanan, Theophilus Beebe
In serviceabout 1820
Out of serviceAugust 31, 1857
HomeportNew York
FateWrecked
General characteristics
Class and typeSchooner
Propulsionsails
Sail planSchooner-rigged

The Thomas H. Smith, or T. H. Smith, was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built for the New York pilots around 1820. She helped transport maritime pilots between inbound or outbound ships coming into the New York Harbor. In 1840, she was one of only eight pilot boats in the New York fleet. In 1857, she went ashore and sank six miles from Barnegat.

Construction and service

The Pilot boat Thomas H. Smith was reported as early as November 23, 1820, when she reported that the ship America, from Calcutta, was stranded a few miles from Sandy Hook, and had washed up.[1]

On January 28, 1822, the pilot boat Thomas H. Smith was on a cruise off Sandy Hook, where she helped vessels in need of assistance. She supplied vessels with fresh provisions, and brought the passengers into town, from the ship Cotton Plant from Savannah, that was anchored near Prince's Bay.[2]

On March 26, 1827, the pilot boat Thomas H. Smith brought to the city a skiff with two exhausted African American men, ten miles outside Sandy Hook. They had run away from Middletown, N. J., with the intention of coming to New York.[3]

In 1840, there were only eight pilot boats in the New York fleet. They were the Phantom, No. 1; Washington, No. 2; New York, No. 3; Jacob Bell, No. 4; Blossom, No. 5; T. H. Smith, No. 6; John E. Davidson, No. 7; and the Virginia, No. 8.[4]

On December 14, 1840, Owen Callanan, of the pilot boat T. H. Smith, along with other pilots from the port of New York, stated that they had never been employed by J. D. Stevenson and no compensation has been offered or demanded.[5]

On February 8, 1846, the pilot boat Thomas H. Smith rescued a small boat containing three exhausted men by bringing them on board the Smith. They had left Gibbet Island on a fishing party and were caught in a storm.[6]

Richard Brown served as pilot on the Thomas H Smith, along with Theophilus Beebe, John Ward, Benjamin Chase, Henry Beebe, and Daniel C. Chapman.[7]

End of service

On August 31, 1857, the pilot boat Thomas H. Smith driven ashore in a gale six miles from Barnegat Inlet, and was broken in pieces. The crew was rescued and brought back to the city.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "New York, Nov. 23". The National Gazette. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 24 Nov 1820. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  2. ↑ "Evnning Post". The Evening Post. New York, New York. 28 Jan 1822. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  3. ↑ "For The United States Gazette". The United States Gazette. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 27 Mar 1827. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  4. ↑ "A New Pilot Schooner". The New York City Herald. New York New York. 22 Jan 1840. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  5. ↑ "To the Public". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 16 Dec 1840. p. 2.
  6. ↑ "Fortunate Rescue". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 10 Feb 1846. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  7. ↑ "Captain "Dick" Brown. Sailing-Master and Pilot for Half a Century-In Charge of the Yacht America When She Won the Queen's Cup". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. 5 Jul 1885. p. 13. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  8. ↑ "The Losss of the Pilot Boat Thomas H. Smith". New-York Tribune. New York, New York. 31 Aug 1857. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
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