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Pirates vs. privateers—what is the difference between these mariners and what do they have to do the American Revolution? These questions will be answered by best-selling author Eric Jay Dolin and Captain Donald Peacock, when they take the stage of the Hommocks Middle School on Thursday, October 15th at 6:30 for a conversation focused on Privateers, Long Island Sound and the American Revolution. The free program is suitable for middle, high school and college students and adults, and is sponsored by the Westchester County Historical Society and Revolutionary Westchester 250 (RW250), in cooperation with the Mamaroneck School District.

Author and historian Eric Jay Dolin will introduce his award-winning book, Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution, and demonstrate how the rag-tag assembly of ships that constituted America’s first navy was critical in winning our nation’s independence. Armed with cannons, swivel guns, muskets, and pikes, as well as government certification to seize enemy ships, scores of privateers successfully commandeered British ships out on the Atlantic Ocean and closer to shore. Dolin relates tales of daring maneuvers and deadly encounters and presents the American Revolution as we have rarely seen it before. 

Captain Donald Peacock will share his nautical experiences as the captain of Lynx, a square topsail schooner that is a replica of an 1812 American privateer of the same name.  Lynx is similar to the vessels that plied the Long Island Sound during the American Revolution. Dolin and Peacock will reveal the courageous endeavors of New England’s mariners and address questions posed by Hommocks Middle School students. 

“Residents of the Sound shore communities may be surprised to learn that the American Revolution took place right in their own communities, beginning with significant events leading up to the October 28th Battle of White Plains,” said Barbara Davis, Executive Director of the Westchester County Historical Society. “250 years later, we have the opportunity to learn about heroic actions of the privateers and residents and actually experience it through living history experiences.” 

The tall ship Lynx will be docked in New Rochelle’s Echo Bay from October 14–October 18, 2026, almost precisely 250 years after nearly 10,000 British and Hessian troops encamped in New Rochelle, many landing on Davenport Neck. Free public tours of Lynx will be available on Saturday, October 17, from 10:00 am–4:00 pm, with parking in New Rochelle’s Hudson Park. The Privateers, Long Island Sound and the American Revolution program and the ship’s visit are among multiple events under the umbrella of “Revolution on the Sound!”, made possible by Revolutionary Westchester 250 (RW250), Sound Shore municipalities, and historical organizations.  Details and a full schedule of all activities can be found at https://www.rw250.org/revolution-on-the-sound.