Vittoria (1813 ship)
Vittoria was a schooner launched at Baltimore in 1811 under another name. British owners acquired her in 1813, probably as a prize, and renamed her. She became a privateer sailing out of Guernsey and captured at least three vessels trading between the united States and France. She disappears from online records circa 1814, though she remains listed to 1818 with data unchanged from 1813. A French privateer may have captured her in 1814. Origins. It would require original archival research to determine ""Vittoria"s origins. One source states that she was the American warship , which captured on 14  August 1813, but that is highly improbable. "Argus", of 299 tons (bm), was launched in 1802 at Boston; "Vittoria", of 258–276 tons (bm), was launched in Baltimore in 1811. "Vittoria" first appeared in "Lloyd's List"s ship arrival and departure data as arriving in Guernsey on 19 August. There were American letters of marque named "Argus". One, from Newburyport, Massachusetts, was a schooner of 275 tons (bm), but there is nothing beyond her name and size that would suggest that she might have become "Vittoria". There is no report in either the "London Gazette" or "Lloyd's List" of a  capture of an "Argus" in 1813 that might have become "Vittoria". Career. "Vittoria" first appeared in "Lloyd's Register" ("LR") in 1813. ""Victory"", de Putron, master, arrived in Guernsey on 19 August 1813. Captain William de Putron acquired a letter of marque on 29 September. Thereafter, the Guernsey privateer "Vittoria" captured several French vessels that she sent into Guernsey. The same source that stated that "Vittoria" had been the American sloop USS "Argus", reported that the "Vittoria" privateer, of Guernsey, had taken the Baltimore schooner "Eliza". There is no mention of such a capture in "Lloyd's List". Fate. "Lloyd 's List" reported than the privateer had captured "Vittoria", sailing from Jersey to Newfoundland, but had given up her and some other British vessels that "Invincible Napoleon" had captured. It is not clear that the captured "Vittoria" was the "Vittoria" of this article. However, although "Lloyd's Register" continued to carry "Vittorio" until 1819 with unchanged data, she does not appear again in "Lloyd's List"s ship arrival and departure data. Note. There was a report in "Lloyd's List" in December 1813 that two French frigates had captured and destroyed the privateer "Vittoria" of Guernsey. However, the next issue  stated that the report was in error. The vessel had been captured was the Falmouth Post Office Packet Service packet ship "Little Catherine", which the Royal Navy had recaptured. Notes, citations, and references. Notes Citations References