The Docks in NY 1800s – New York History Walks
John McEwen's first mention of being shipped is when he was part of the crew of the Privateer Vengeance out of New York at 19 years old. The construction or conversion of ships into privateers in 1812 was efficient; this was shown in their ability to attack and take many merchant prizes, especially in the first months of the war (Rutstein, 43). The ship that McEwen was on was 180 Tons and shipped across the North Atlantic. It carried an American Letter of marque. While serving on the Ship Vengeance McEwen helped capture 20 British Ships (McEwen’s Registration page).
In January of 1813, the 36-gun fifth-rate frigate HMS Phoebe captured the Privateer Vengeance. The 15-man crew of the Vengeance was sailing from New York to Bordeaux with a cargo of cotton, coffee, sugar, and indigo. She arrived in Plymouth, England on January 8, 1813. The Vengeance then became the HMS Telegraph (HMS Telegraph).
Destruction of the Flibustier by the Telegraph Oct 13th, 1813. From a sketch by Capt. Timothy Scriven, National Maritime Museum Greenwich.
The last ship that McEwen would sail on was Ship Roman. There is a Ship Roman (1836) that was a whaler that sailed out of New Bedford, Mass. This ship was purchased and became part of the US Navy during the Civil War (Heritage and Navy Command). McEwen served as the captain of the Ship Roman in the 1850s.
John McEwen was a widower and had two sons, John and James, who lived in Washington DC. McEwen would enter Sailors Snug Harbor at 64 years old on November 19, 1857. He would remain at the Harbor for 20 years, dying at the age of 84. He is buried in plot 2 of the Sailors Snug Harbor Cemetery; see Cemetery Map.