Background
Gideon Olmsted was born on February 12, 1749, at East Hartford, Connecticut, the son of Jonathan and Hannah (Meakins) Olmsted and a descendant of James Olmsted or Olmstead, who came to Boston in 1632.
(Book by Olmsted, Gideon)
Book by Olmsted, Gideon
https://www.amazon.com/journal-Gideon-Olmsted-Adventures-Revolution/dp/0844402516?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=0844402516
Gideon Olmsted was born on February 12, 1749, at East Hartford, Connecticut, the son of Jonathan and Hannah (Meakins) Olmsted and a descendant of James Olmsted or Olmstead, who came to Boston in 1632.
In youth Gideon Olmsted shipped on vessels engaged in the West Indies trade, and in 1775-76 served with Connecticut militia around Boston. Back at sea later in 1776, he became master of the sloop Seaflower, but returning from Guadeloupe was captured April 6, 1778, by the British privateer Weir. Upon his release at Cape François he took command of the French privateer Polly (16 guns). Off Jamaica on July 8 the Polly engaged H. M. S. Ostrich (16 guns) and had fairly beaten her when the British Lowestoffe's Prize (10 guns) entered the action and after three hours' hard fighting forced the Polly to surrender, with a loss of fifty-five of her 102 men. While still a prisoner Olmsted was sent from Jamaica to New York as second mate in the British sloop Active, with three other Americans in his watch. About midnight on September 6, off Long Island, he and his watch confined the remaining nine officers and men below, overcame resistance (in which struggle Olmsted suffered a pistol wound) by firing a four-pounder into the cabin, and steered for the Delaware. They were escorted in by the Pennsylvania state brig Convention, which subsequently laid unjustified claim to the Active as prize. In the litigation over ship and cargo, the latter alone worth $98, 800, the Pennsylvania Admiralty court granted Olmsted only a fourth part, but with the support of Gen. Benedict Arnold he secured in December 1778 a wholly favorable decision in the court of appeals established by Congress. Because of the dangerous conflict between state and union, no immediate action was taken, and the state's share was retained by the Pennsylvania treasurer, David Rittenhouse, as stakeholder. Olmsted's prosecution of his claim in state and federal courts during the next thirty years made his case celebrated but not until 1809 did he gain substantial restitution; then a peremptory mandamus from the United States Supreme Court was served on the Rittenhouse heirs, despite a guard of Pennsylvania militia.
Olmsted returned to Connecticut in June 1779 and commanded successively the privateers Gamecock (August 1779), Hawk (spring of 1780), Raven (September 1780 - June 1781), and General Green (spring of 1782), cruising chiefly off Long Island and taking numerous prizes. The General Green was captured in May 1782 by the much larger enemy privateer Virginia, and Olmsted probably remained prisoner in New York till the peace. Thereafter he commanded vessels in the Caribbean and European trade. His last privateering adventure began at Charleston in June 1793, when he converted his schooner Hector into a French privateer, taking out French citizenship papers and narrowly escaping prosecution when he entered Wilmington, North Carolina, in July with a British prize. Evidence suggests that he continued in this activity until 1795. Until about 1809 he resided in Philadelphia, and later at East Hartford, where he was buried.
(Book by Olmsted, Gideon)
Gideon Olmsted was married in 1777 to Mabel, daughter of Capt. Eliphalet Roberts of Hartford, but had no children.