December 14, 2005

Food & History

(John) Brown versus the British navy

Jeff Cheek

A canny Yankee merchant named John Brown hoodwinked the British navy in the years leading up to the American Revolution, but he is remembered for his support of a small college that would grow into a famous Ivy League university. Both achievements are worth remembering.

The British passed the London Acts of Trade and Navigation which gave them control of all commerce between their 13 American colonies. John Brown owned a fleet of coastal traders. By defying the act and continuing to trade with other colonies, his sailors were classified as smugglers. First Sea Lord John Montagu, fourth Earl of Sandwich, dispatched a warship HMS Gaspee to patrol Narragansett Bay. Her captain vowed to catch the smugglers and “treat them for what they are … pirates!”

Brown found a solution. “Outfit the fastest packet in these waters, and man her with veterans who know every reef and cove. On a day when the weather is right, move into the bay cautiously, as though loaded with contraband. When the “Gaspee” gives orders to drop anchor for a search, let the packet take off like a sea gull. Follow a zigzag course. It can lead the warship into waters where she is sure to run aground.” He gave his most trusted captain. Abraham Whipple, command of the decoy packet.

Conditions were perfect on June 9, 1772. Whipple steered a zigzag course, carefully staying out of range of the warship’s cannons. Late that afternoon HMS Gaspee ran aground. She hit so hard there was no way to refloat her. They would have to wait for the next high tide.

That night, 90 Colonials boarded the stranded warship, captured and released the crew, then burned the Gaspee. John Montagu was furious. He offered a huge reward for the name of the rebel who had led the raiding party and sent a fleet of warships to enforce British rule. When one of his officers, Sir James Wallace, learned Whipple’s identity, he sent this message: “You, Abraham Whipple, on June 9, 1772 burned His Majesty’s vessel the Gaspee, and I will hang you at the yard-arm.”

Whipple sent this reply: “Sir, always catch your man before you hang him.” Thanks to close-mouthed Yankee patriots, no one was ever punished for the crime. John Brown and Abraham Whipple had successfully defied the powerful British navy and the government that backed it.

Brown’s seafaring company, which he owned with his brother Nicolas, was headquartered in Providence, R.I. In 1764 Rhode Island College was founded in Warren, R.I. In 1770 the college relocated to Providence. The brothers helped finance the new college and John served as treasurer for two decades. In 1804 the board of regents renamed the college Brown University, in honor of the Brown family which had contributed so much to its growth. John Brown would be proud of this: In September 2005 Brown University began providing free tuition to New Orleans students whose institutions of higher learning were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

John Brown, the pirate, would probably enjoy Pirate Steak.

Ingredients:

1 12-oz can beer

1/2 cup chili sauce

1/4 cup salad oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 pounds beef tenderloin, about 2 inches thick

Preparation

Mix all ingredients except steak. Bring to boil then simmer for 30 minutes. Brush steak with pirate sauce, grill 12 to 15 minutes per side, basting frequently. Serve with remaining sauce.