author

Timothy Boardman

1754–1838

Best known for a vivid Revolutionary War sea journal, this early Vermont settler left behind a firsthand account of life aboard the privateer Oliver Cromwell. His surviving log blends plainspoken observation, danger at sea, and the everyday texture of 1778.

1 Audiobook

Log-book of Timothy Boardman Kept on Board the Privateer Oliver Cromwell, During a Cruise from New London, Ct., to Charleston, S. C., and Return, in 1778; Also, a Biographical Sketch of the Author.

Log-book of Timothy Boardman Kept on Board the Privateer Oliver Cromwell, During a Cruise from New London, Ct., to Charleston, S. C., and Return, in 1778; Also, a Biographical Sketch of the Author.

by Timothy Boardman

About the author

Born in 1754, Timothy Boardman is remembered through Log-book of Timothy Boardman, a firsthand narrative of his service aboard the privateer Oliver Cromwell during the American Revolution. Modern editions and library records consistently identify him as the author of the journal and date him to 1754–1838.

The work follows a cruise from New London to Charleston and back in 1778, and it has lasted because it captures naval warfare at close range without losing sight of ordinary shipboard life. Project Gutenberg describes it as a personal account of maritime engagements and daily experience at sea, which helps explain why the book appeals to both history readers and anyone who enjoys an authentic voice.

Later bibliographic descriptions also note that he was regarded as one of the pioneer settlers of Rutland, Vermont. Beyond that, the safest confirmed picture is a modest but compelling one: a Revolutionary-era sailor whose journal preserves a direct, human view of the war.