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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

Royal Savage

Schooner:

Built as a two masted schooner, date and location unknown

Royal Savage was damaged and sunk by American forces under Richard Montgomery during the siege of St. Johns (St. Jean-Iberville), Quebec, in the fall of 1775

Raised and repaired after the capture of that fort on 2 November

Royal Savage with the small schooner Liberty and the sloop Enterprise (ex-HMS George III), formed the nucleus of the American Lake Champlain squadron commanded by Benedict Arnold

Arnold pressed his force to complete a shipbuilding program before the British completed their squadron

In late August, 10 of his ships were finished and he moved north with Royal Savage as his flagship

23 September he moved his fleet into an anchorage at Valcour Island, separated from the western shore by a half-mile channel, to await the remainder of his squadron , and the British

On 11 October the north wind carried the British past the island. American ships, including Royal Savage, appeared; fired on the enemy, and beat back into the southern entrance to the channel, where the remainder of Arnold's force was positioned

Coming in from the south, the British force was handicapped by the wind. Arnold's planning and the British acceptance of the bait had given the Americans a chance to carry out their mission

Royal Savage, however, ran aground on returning to the American line, and, undefendable, was abandoned. Despite attempts to reboard her, she was taken by the British and burned

Royal Savage was raised from Lake Champlain in 1934

The city of Harrisburg PA. formally presented the remains of Continental Navy schooner Royal Savage to the U.S. l July 2015

Specifications:
Displacement 70 t.
Length 50' (estimated)
Beam 15'
Depth of Hold unknown
Draft unknown
Speed unknown
Complement 40-50

Armament

eight 4-pdr guns

four 6-pdr guns

ten swivel guns

Propulsion sail

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
098655804	101k	A Sketch of the New England Armed Vessels, in Valcure Bay on Lake Champlain as seen in the morning of 11 October 1776. Contemporary artwork by C. Randle, depicting the Continental squadron, under Brigadier General Benedict Arnold, just before the Battle of Valcour Island. The vessels shown include schooner *Royal Savage* (center) and (from left to right around *Royal Savage): schooner Revenge (I), galley Washington (II), gondola Philadelphia (I), galley Congress (I), gondola Jersey, galley Lee (II), gondola Boston (I)* (in the middle, largely hidden behind *Royal Savage's sails), galley Spitfire, gondola New Haven (I), gondola Providence (I), gondola Connecticut (I), gondola New York (I)* , sloop *Enterprise (I)* and galley *Trumbull (I). U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 92864*	Robert Hurst
	56k	Illustration of *Royal Savage* under full sail.	Tommy Trampp
	40k	The bones of *Royal Savage* raised from the bottom of Lake Champlain in 1934 by by marine salvor and amateur archaeologist Lorenzo Hagglund. Hagglund’s family held onto the remains of the ship and associated artifacts until being purchased by the city of Harrisburg in 1995. AP photo via Burlington Free Press.	Tommy Trampp
	144k	The storage situation of *Royal Savage* in a Capital Region Water warehouse in Harrisburg, PA., whose mayor acknowledged the city did not have the means to properly preserve the ship remains. Photo courtesy PennLive.com.	Tommy Trampp

Royal Savage
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Remains of Revolutionary War Schooner Presented to Navy

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 6 May 2022