Captain John Prout Sloan, commander of the sloop "Enterprise"
********
American Genealogical-Biographical Index, under the Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors, page 232:
Kincade, William. Cook and sailor, sloop "Enterprise", commanded by Capt. John Proul Sloan; engaged May 27, 1775; discharged July 1, 1775; service, 1 mo. 7 days. Roll sworn to at New Haven.
**********
From "Sandcastle V.I.- Voyages of the Enterprise - The Fight for Independence" website owned by: Arnold E. van
Beverhoudt, Jr.

On May 18, 1775, five months before that historic beginning, Colonel Benedict Arnold and other Continental Army officers mounted a surprise attack on the British garrison at St. John's, Canada, capturing a sloop and other smaller vessels. In a letter to the Committee of Safety of the Colony of New York, dated May 19, Arnold wrote:

"My last was on the 14th instant by Mr. Romans via New Haven. I then acquainted you of the occasion of delay in not carrying your orders into execution. The afternoon of the same day being joined by Capts. Brown and Oswald with 50 men enlisted on the road they having taken possession of a small schooner at Skeenesborough, we immediately proceeded on our way to St. Johns and at 8 O'clock P.M. on the 17th instant arrived within 30 miles of St. Johns. The weather proving calm, we manned out two small batteau with 35 men and the next morning at 7 O'clock arrived at St. Johns, surprised and took a sergeant and his party of 12 men, the King's sloop of about 70 tons with 2 brass 6 pounders and 7 men without any loss on either side.... We took such stores on board as were valuable and the wind proving favorable in two hours after our arrival weighed anchor for this place with the sloop
and 4 of the King's batteau having destroyed 5 others, so that there is not left a single batteau for the King's troops, Canadians or Indians to cross the Lake if they have any such intention.... We are masters of the Lake and of that I make no doubt as I am determined to arm the sloop and schooner immediately."

The sloop was given 12 guns and the name Enterprise by Colonel Arnold, thus becoming the first American vessel to carry the name. She had previously served as the HMS George, supplying British posts in Canada.

On May 29th, Colonel Ethan Allen received an abstract of the minutes of the Continental Congress, in which it was recommended that the Continental Army and Navy withdraw from the northern portion of Lake Champlain. Colonel Allen immediately wrote to the Continental Congress, pointing out that several thousand families loyal to the colonies were settled in the tract of land, known as the New Hampshire Grant, adjacent to the northern portion of Lake Champlain. He stated that "if we should give up the sovereignty of Lake Champlain we may as well give up the whole." He continued that: "As the Colonies are now in possession and actual command of the Lake
having taken the armed sloop [Enterprise] from George the Third which was cruising in the Lake, and also seized a schooner [Liberty] belonging to Major Skeene at South-Bay and have armed and manned them both for the protection of our Country and the Constitution and Civil Privileges and Liberties thereof. By a Council of War held on board the sloop [Enterprise] the 27th instant it was agreed to advance to Point au Fore with the sloop and schooner and a number of armed boats well manned and there make a stand, and act on the defensive, and by
all means command the Lake, and defend the frontiers...."

Congress apparently agreed with his observations, because in a later letter, Allen reported that the colonies held command of Lake Champlain.

One interesting side note involving the Enterprise is contained in the Journal of the House of Representatives, Colony of Massachusetts. The payroll for the 31-man crew of the Enterprise for the period May 3 to July 1, 1775 totalled 154 Pounds, 16 Shillings, and 8 Pence, of which Colonel Arnold had already paid 55 Pounds, 3 Shillings, and 5 Pence. A resolution was passed on August 23, 1775 for the payment of the remaining 99 Pounds,
13 Shillings, and 3 Pence. The payroll lists the crew of the Enterprise as being composed of Captain John Prout Sloan, Mate Timothy Alcost, Lt. James Watson, two sergeants, 11 sailors, and 15 marines. Since the sloop
Enterprise was not captured until May 18, the payroll must have included land service from May 3 to May 8.9

Maintaining a captain for the Enterprise was, at least initially, a major problem. In a July 11, 1775 letter to John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, Major General Philip Schuyler wrote that:

The unhappy controversy which has subsisted between the officers at Ticonderoga relative to the Command has, I am informed thrown every thing into vast confusion. Troops have been dismissed - others refuse to serve, if this or that man commands - the sloop [Enterprise] is without either Captain [John Sloan] or Pilot, both of which are dismissed, or come away. I shall hurry up there much sooner than the necessary preparations here would otherwise admit, that I may attempt to introduce some kind of order and discipline among them.

In a followup letter of July 27, General Schuyler wrote to John Hancock that Captain Jeremiah Halsey was then in command of the Enterprise, and in yet another letter, dated August 2, General Schuyler notes that Captain
James Smith had just taken command of the sloop.

Regardless of the problems of maintaining a stable command, the Enterprise, along with the other ships captured by Colonel Arnold, formed the nucleus of the Lake Champlain squadron. On August 28, 1775, the Enterprise and the other ships carried over 1,000 of General Schuyler's troops for a campaign against St. John's, Montreal, and Quebec. After landing the troops ashore at St. John's, the Enterprise was kept inactive during the winter by ice on the rivers and lakes. After General Schuyler's death, General Richard Montgomery took command of the expedition and captured Montreal, while Colonel Arnold attacked Quebec.
{posted by Kelly Kincade-Lewis, Mar 2009}


Sources:
1. 1987 research of George W. Porter, 2202 Colonial Circle Gainsville Ga. 30501[parents, dpom, spouse, dod]
2. 1998 Ancestry Library, Mass. Soldiers/Sailors in Rev. War vol. 7. [Mil.]

• Married: 25 JAN 1780 in New Haven, New Haven Co. CT.

1. son Sloan b: ABT AUG 1781 in New Haven, New Haven Co. CT.

1. Title: Robinson, Scott
   Publication: WorldConnect database file: 28 Feb 2009
   Repository:
   Note: no file: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=srobin0789
   Media: Other
   Text: [dpoBaptism, burial, 1 unknown son]