On October 3rd, 1744 the ruthless privateer, Captain John Joseph Le Grofs of the ship the Experience, boarded the Rover captained by Frances Frewen off of Cape Henlopen. Grofs had 12 swivel guns aboard and a 130 men crew. Prior to this capture Captain Groff had overtaken a Bermuda sloop, Captain Dickinson's handicapped ship that had lost a mast, Captain Spencer's ship full of rum and Captain David Ellinwood's ship. All the men taken prisoner pleaded to be put on the shore of the cape however the merciless captain resisted. Finally Grofs sent 17 of the captives in 2 boats into the water with nothing but a compass. The wind and surf was extremely rough and although they were within eyesight to shore, it took them a little under 12 hours to reach it, after drifting 9 miles south of the Cape. The men crawled up onto shore with only what they had on their backs, falling tirelessly on the land of Captain William Faucitts.