FWIW, in Songs of American Sailormen, Joanna C. Colcord, Bramhall House, New York, 1938, Colcord says the following:—

"This was the era when Baltimore stood third of all American ports is a shipping center, but neither the Flying Cloud nor Captain Moore has been identified through the literature of the times. The ship should not, of course, be confused with the famous American clipper of the same name, which was not built until 1851.

The name of the British vessel mentioned in the twelfth stanza was imperfectly recalled by the singer, Joseph McGinnis. I have since found a reference to a raid on the Chesapeake region by a privateer squadron under Admiral Collier during the war of 1812, which did severe damage to tidewater plantations and coastal shipping. One of the British vessels was named the Dunmore. The discovery adds to the probability that this was a genuine contemporary ballad based on fact.

There follows an excellent version of the ballad, complete with tune.

I first heard it sung by Dick Wilder, Pirate Songs and Ballads, Elektra EKL 18, (19" LP), 1954. He sang it without accompaniment, which is the way I do it. With this song, I think an accompaniment actually detracts from the impact of the story.

The only time I ever heard anything about Dick Wilder was that one very good record.

Don Firth