Douglas Ryder (died November 1777) was a privateer captain in the service of the Continental Congress during the American Revolutionary War. He was killed in a raid by Robert Rogers and his Queen's Rangers on his hideout in 1777.
Biography[]
Douglas Ryder was from Connecticut, and he became the captain of the sloop Revenge, effectively being a pirate captain in the Long Island Sound. When the American Revolutionary War broke out, the Continental Congress hired him as a privateer, employing him to attack Great Britain's Royal Navy and allowing him to keep whatever loot he could find; however, Ryder was motivated only by coin, and he contemplated siding with the British at times. In 1777, Ryder attacked HMS Margaretta and looted it, including a bust of King George III of Britain that contained a message from American spy Patience Wright. Lieutenant Caleb Brewster of the Continental Army visited his cove and attempted to barter for the bust, but the deal went sour when Ryder took note of Brewster's anxiety (which he claimed was due to Robert Rogers and the Queen's Rangers being sent to retrieve the bust), and Ryder grew suspicious of Brewster. Rogers and his men did arrive, ambushing the pirates and allowing for Brewster to flee with the bust. Ryder was stabbed to death by Rogers in the raid, and his pirates were wiped out.