Patriot
Schooner · United States · Lost 1813 · The Outer Banks
A fast former privateer schooner vanished in a January 1813 storm off Cape Hatteras, carrying Theodosia Burr Alston, daughter of Aaron Burr.
Become Captain of Record
The Vessel and Her Loss
Patriot was a schooner originally built as a pilot boat and later commissioned as a privateer during the War of 1812. On 30 or 31 December 1812 she sailed from Georgetown, South Carolina, for New York carrying Theodosia Burr Alston, daughter of former Vice President Aaron Burr and first lady of South Carolina. A severe storm battered the Carolina coast on 2 January 1813, and the schooner, likely then off Cape Hatteras, was never heard from again. Her fate has inspired two centuries of legend, though a storm loss remains the best-documented explanation.
Vessel
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- Wood
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- Sail
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Loss
- January 2, 1813
- Storm
- At sea off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
- Atlantic Ocean
- Georgetown, South Carolina → New York, New York
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- All aboard were lost, including South Carolina's first lady Theodosia Burr Alston, daughter of Aaron Burr; exact number aboard is not established.
- William Overstocks (reported)
The Wreck Today
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Position
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- Position not established
- Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (60/100)
The wreck site has never been found, and theories of piracy or capture, though widely circulated, are not supported by primary evidence; a storm loss is the best-documented explanation.
Theodosia Burr Alston, Wikipedia (drawing on historical biographies)
Voyage details, disappearance date, and historical context.
Teaching American History, 'The Mysterious Disappearance of Theodosia Burr Alston'
Narrative account of the voyage and disappearance.
