Reference:
Captains of the privateers of the War of 1812
John McManemin
1994-pages 350-59

The Prince de Neufchatel was built in New York in 1812-13 by the firm of Adam & Noah Brown. Her design is attributed to Christian Bergh.
She measured 110 ft. 8 in. long on deck, had an extreme beam of 25 ft. 8 in., and was of 320 tons burthen. She had a hermaphrodite rig and was thus a combination schooner and brigantine. She carried four sails on the foremast, one square sail on the main, and a large fore-and-aft sail with gaff abaft the fore, with large staysails over and three jibs. Her spanker boom projected far beyond the stern.
Eleven gun ports were cut in each side of her high bulwarks and two in her stern. Besides a couple of long chase guns, her main armament consisted of 12-pound carronades.

Following completion, the Neufchatel for some unknown reason lay inactive in New York for many months. It was not until October 28, 1813 that a commission was issued with Ordronaux as master and one Le Compte as lieutenant. Sureties for her bond were Madame Charreton, J. Ordronaux, C. G. Fontaine, and Stephen Perpignon, probably all French-Americans.
Captain Ordronaux took the vessel to sea virtually unarmed, and sailed to Cherbourg, France, arriving January 27, 1814. There she was fitted out as a privateer over the winter.
Papers filed with the District Court at Boston indicate that she captured the Hazard, Capt. John Anderson, from Rio de Janeiro for Greenock, with a cargo of barrels of beer on January 18th. This would indicate that the capture was made on the way over.
However, the first war cruise against they British originated from Cherbourg in early March 1814. Sailing into the English Channel six British vessels were captured, some of which were sent into French ports, and the others, not deemed valuable enough, were burned.
Lloyd's of London on May 2 reported-

The Achilles, 74 and Sybille frigate returned to Spithead --- The A. chased the American privateer Prince of Neufchatel (she had been several days cruising in the Channel) into Cherbourg on, Saturday the 23d ult. and we understand our new friends there immediately employed themselves in preventing her from breaking the peace in the Channel in future; they took out her guns, dismantled her, and released a prize which she had. sent into the port.


Despite the above report, the Prince de Neufchatel next sailed in early July 1814, first down the coast of Portugal, and then, about the 1st of August, back to the English Channel. It proved to be a very successful raid.


The Baltimore Patriot of October 24, 1814 gave extracts from her log:
Boston, Oct. 15, Saturday Evening

Arrived, the privateer brig Prince of Neufchatel, Ordonaux, commander, of N. York, of 310 tons and 17 guns from a cruize, the particulars of which are taken from her journal, and follow, viz.
Sailed from Cherbourg, France, 4th July.
[July] 9th, captured sloop Jane, Bowen, (John Brown) of Cardigan, from St. Jean de Lux for Falmouth, cargo lumber, 70 tons burthen, 5 men -- burnt her.
[July] 11th, captured brig Steady, (Richard) Bulley, of Hull, from Bordeaux for St. Johns, NF cargo provisions (barley, pork, hams) and bale goods (9 bales), took out the latter and some of the former articles and burnt her--107 tons burthen, 11 men and 4 guns.
[July] 22nd, captured brig Triton, (James) Blance, of Peter Head, 127 tons, 8 men, 2 guns, from Cadiz for London, cargo coffee and wine, took out part of the cargo and then scuttled her.
(Ed. Note: subsequently fallen in with off Cape St. Vincents by the Tuscan sloop of war, almost under water, and towed to Gibraltar with about 65 pipes of wine still on board)
[July] 24th, captured transport brig Aaron, (Jacob) Pindall, of Scarborough, 142 tons, 8 men, 4 guns, from Gibraltar for Lisbon, in ballast, and scuttled her.
July 26th, spoke under English colors, (and kept in co. for some time) an English brig of 8 guns. and 30 men, from Lisbon for Gibraltar, in ballast, and ascertaining from her that she had parted a short time before with several men of war, which were looking after several American privateers said to be in the neighborhood, and knowing we should have to put all our prisoners on board and let her go, by which the enemy might get information of us, let her proceed undeceived of our being an American.
[July] 27th, captured brig Apollo, (William) Hardy, of Hull, 135 tons, 7 men, from St. Ubes for Riga, cargo salt, and burnt her.
August 9th, captured the cutter General Doyle, (Henry) Simpson, of Bristol, from Leghorn for Bristol, 83 tons, 7 men, 6 guns, coppered, cargo oil, took out most of the cargo, and burnt her.
[August] 14th, captured brig Barwick Packet, Crosby, from Cork, of and for Bristol, coppered, 94 tons, 7 men, 4 guns, with 50 passengers, and ballast, put on board a number of prisoners and gave her up. Same day captured sloop George, (William) Barber, of Ramsgate, 50 tons, 5 men, from Milford Haven for Plymouth, cargo coals, scuttled her.
[August] 16th, captured brig Sibson, (Michael) Clark, of Whitehaven, 200 tons, 4 men, 4 guns, from Greencock for Cork, in ballast, scuttled her.
[August] 18th, captured brig Nymphe, (James) Hutchinson, of Whitehaven, 150 tons, 10 men, from St. Jean de Luz for Cork, cargo whiskey and dry goods (350 cases), took out the latter, threw overboard the former, put on board a number of prisoners and gave her up. Same day, captured brig Albion, (John) Farquar, of Whitehaven, 185 tons, 8 men, 4 guns, from Greencock for Cork, cargo wine, gin, brandy and dry goods, took out the latter, and then burnt her.
[August] 20th, captured brig Harmony, (John) Wilson, of Greencock, 295 tons, 8 men, 4 guns, from Greencock for Cork, cargo dry goods, rum, and an assortment of other articles, took out part of the cargo, manned her, kept co. till the 24th, and saw her recaptured on that day by a sloop of war, then 8 leagues south of the Land's End.
(Ed. Note: Ordronaux now turned southwestwards, for his next capture was made far north of the Azores, on his way home)
August 30th, lat. 45.12, lon 27 captured brig Charlotte, (William) Edwards, of London, 9 men, 8 guns, 190 tons, from Rio Janeiro for Greencock, cargo hides (100 dozen; removed) and brazil wood, burnt her. -- Same day boarded Russian ship Austrian fr. Havana--.
Sept. 2d, lat. 44, lon. 35.12 (far off Nfld.) spoke and boarded brig William, prize to the York of Baltimore, and supplied her with bread.
Sept. 6th, lat. 41.12, long 45, (off Nfld.) captured ship Douglas, (Duncan) Cameron, of and for Liverpool, fr. Demerara with a cargo of 421 hhds sugar, 190 puncheons of rum, 6 hhds molasses, 254 bales cotton, 412 bags coffee, 3 bags ginger and 28 logs of mahogany, Of 420 tons, 21 men, and 4 guns, manned her to keep company.

All of the goods taken from the above captured vessels were libeled by the owners of the Neufchatel and Ordronaux in the District Court of Boston in early November. The decree was in favor of the libellants, and on December 2nd James Prince, agent for the owners, acknowledged receipt of $8,436, being one half of the proceeds of the sale of the various goods, the other half going to the officers and crew of the Neufchatel. With the prize Douglas still in company, on the 10th of September he ran into the British 40-gun frigate Endymion, off the southeastern tip of Martha's Vineyard. A most desparate battle followed...