Charles Hansford, Revolutionary Privateer
Calhoun, McLean County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Charles Hansford. A privateer in Virginia's Navy during the American Revolution, Hansford sailed off eastern coast of U.S., West Indies, and Spain. He was captured three times by the British. Only he and one other of 36 prisoners survived a three-month confinement on the prison ship Jersey, nicknamed "Hell Afloat." Presented by Descendants of Charles Hansford. (Reverse) Charles Hansford (1759-1850) - This Revolutionary War soldier enlisted in Virginia in 1775 and served six months; enlisted in 1777 and discharged in nine months. Charles Hansford then ran away and went to sea as a privateer. Buried NW of here on Mayo Hill, Scotts Bridge Road. Presented by Descendants of Charles Hansford.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
Charles Hansford (1759–1850) enlisted in Virginia in 1775 and again in 1777 before going to sea as a privateer in Virginia's navy during the Revolution, sailing off the American coast, the West Indies, and Spain. Captured three times by the British, he endured a brutal three-month confinement aboard the prison ship Jersey—nicknamed "Hell Afloat"—which he survived along with only one of thirty-six fellow prisoners. He later settled in Kentucky and is buried on Mayo Hill near Calhoun.
Why it matters
Hansford's ordeal on the Jersey, where thousands of American captives died, is a stark reminder of the Revolution's naval war and the terrible cost borne by ordinary sailors.
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Related people
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