More Displacement? ... Local Partnerships?

THE MEN OF THE “MOSQUITO FLEET”         

Rewritten and revised by Auzheal ‘KC’ Oubre’

  Colonial Charleston’s fishing industry was heavily dependent on the work of enslaved boatmen who were allowed by law to own their own vessels. These skilled boatmen brought fish-catching and boat handling skills from West Africa. Many early boats were cut from large cypress logs 20-35 feet in length and were propelled by sail made of hand-made blankets and quilts. Fishing gear was simple but efficient. Hand lines with hooks were used in near offshore waters while lines with 10 to 12 hooks were used in deeper waters. Shrimp was the most common used bait. The term “Mosquito Fleet ” was derived from the appearance of the vessels multicolored patchwork sails on the distant horizon which resembled a swarm of mosquitos.

   The origin of Charleston’s Mosquito Fleet is obscure. The devastating hurricane of 1752 destroyed many fishing crafts. During the Revolutionary War, American and British troops obtained provisions from entrepreneurial enslaved fishermen who were allowed by their masters to leave the plantation to fish. In 1770, the South Carolina Legislature acknowledged that the business of fishing was principally carried on by Negros, Mulattoes, and Mestizos. On March 29,1788 Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, a state legislator and property owner along with others, agreed to deed to the City Council of Charleston land between the channel of the Cooper River and Meeting Street for construction of a 100 feet wide street. It was to establish a public market for the purpose of vending all sorts of poultry, game, fish, vegetables, and other provisions. The market was built and its location was an open passage point to the Copper River.

   In 1796, an enslaved boatman named Will Lining saved St. Philips Church and was rewarded with his freedom along with a boat and nets. Will became one of the early fleet captains. Launching from areas along the Cooper River near the public market, these black men sailed miles out to sea without compasses or maps. The fishermen would go out together as what became known as the “Mosquito Fleet”. The fishermen welcomed the treachery of the open sea which offered an unparalleled sense of freedom and accomplishment.

   By the mid-18th century, prior to the Civil War, the Mosquito Fleet was comprised of freed Negros, enslaved men who purchased time from their owners and enslaved men fishing for their owners. After the Emancipation Proclamation came into effect in 1865, a large number of Freed Black Men were in a position to choose their own profession and fishing became a way of life for many. By 1880, as many as 50 vessels made up the Mosquito Fleet which consisted of over 300 fishermen who organized a union to care for the sick and to bury the dead.

  Throughout history, the Mosquito Fleet experienced many disasters. Storms often appeared too quickly for boats to reach safe harbor. In 1901, an unexpected storm caught the fleet of the Isle of Palm and resulted in the loss of 3 boats and 15 souls. Between 1900 to1935, a total of 57 crew members loss their lives to the sea pursuing their love and livelihood. A 1940 hurricane destroyed nearly the entire Fleet as well as the Market Street Wharf. The Market was rebuilt but the Mosquito Fleet never recovered.

   In 1930, the US Government recognized the Mosquito Fleet as a Unit and addressed it’s oldest Captain, William Johnson, as Commodore. World War ll resulted in a number of younger black fishermen accepting high paying employment opportunities at the South Carolina States Port Authority and the Charleston Navy Shipyard. Bigger and more efficient refrigerated vessels were constructed after the war and states started commercial fisheries. Some of the fishermen were hired on those vessels as crew members. By 1950, the Mosquito Fleet no longer existed although individual fleet men continued to fish and trade.   

The ‘Mosquito Fleet’ was an integral part of the fishing community and contributed substantially to Charleston’s appeal and charm. The fishermen were a respected and appreciated segment of the community because their way of life was a microcosm of American values and attitudes. Collectively they represented a highly reputable group of intrepid fishermen who toiled for an honest living, loved their families and simply enjoyed living their life. It’s important to note that, at a time when Black Men were first property, counted only as 3/5 of a person, the Men of the Mosquito Fleet were not only respected but acknowledged as great fishermen and businessmen by the American and British troops, the South Carolina Legislature and the United States Government.

Listen to the story of the Mosquito Fleet as told by Captain Joyner (the blue seat). And hear a little bit about the women who supported the fishermen.