John Selman (privateer)

Captain John Selman (1744–1817) was a privateer who served in the Marblehead Regiment and commanded the USS Franklin for George Washington's first expedition of the American Navy, which was ordered to interrupt the shipping of British armaments off Nova Scotia.

Washington sent Selman with Nicholson Broughton to lead an expedition off Nova Scotia to interrupt two British ships full of armaments bound for Quebec.

Selman wrote the Vice President of the United States that they were, “supposing we should do essential service by breaking up a nest of [loyalist] recruits.”[13] As a result, Broughton headed for Charlottetown.

[13] There were three prisoners: the Acting Governor Phillips Callbeck, the Surveyor General Mr. Thomas Write and senior naval commander on the island Captain David Higgins.

[13] While George Washington censored Selman and Broughton and released their prisoners, John Adams supported the privateers stating that they may “deserve censure for going counter to [their] orders, but I think in justice to ourselves we ought to seize every [Loyalist] officer in the service of goverment [sic] wherever they may be found.

"[18] When Selman was retired, Vice President of the United States Elbridge Gerry favourably re-evaluated his contribution to the war effort and signed his letter, "with much esteem and respect, E.