Revolutionary War shipwrecks at Newport

A bit of interesting local news:

The remains of four ships sunk by the British during the American Revolution have been found in Newport Harbor, according to an announcement made yesterday by researchers from the University of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project.

The research team said the ships were part of a fleet of 13 British transport ships that brought troops and supplies into the American Colonies.

The British deliberately sank their own vessels in 1778 . . . to prevent a planned French bombardment and amphibious landing in Newport. . .

So far, nine 18th century shipwrecks have been found off the Rhode Island coast, according to Mather, who said the state is home to the largest fleet of Revolutionary War shipwrecks in the world.

AND this adds a fascinating twist:

One of four 18th-century ships found on the sea bed off Rhode Island could be the Endeavour, the vessel Captain Cook commanded on his first epic voyage across the Pacific Ocean, according to US archaeologists. . .

"Archaeology is a slow and meticulous process but maybe a few years down the line, we might find out [which ship] is the Endeavour," Rod Mather, a professor of maritime history and underwater archaeology at the University of Rhode Island, told the Guardian. "We have quite good construction details for her, so the best chance is finding a very close match."

Posted by David on May 18, 2006 9:47 AM