Jacob Nagle (1761-1841) was born in the American colony of Pennsylvania and fought in the American Revolution (War of Independence) in 1777 and 1778. From 1780, as a seaman, he went out on speculative cruises aboard various privateers along the east coast, before being captured by the Royal Navy in November 1781. At the end of the war in 1783 he was discharged at Plymouth, England. A few months later Nagle joined the Royal Navy and served on HMS Ganges for three and a half years spent largely in Portsmouth harbour. He transferred to HMS Sirius in March 1787 and sailed on her with the First Fleet to Sydney Cove. The Sirius, with Nagle aboard, was sent to Norfolk Island in March 1790 where the ship was lost on a reef, stranding her crew until the Supply, with a rented Dutch ship, the Waaksamheyd took them back to Sydney Cove in February 1791, and thence to England. Nagle's memoir records his travels as a seaman and quartermaster in the Royal Navy.
Jacob Nagle died in Ohio, United States of America, in 1841.

Care of Adjutant Hofner & Messed with him in a few days we encamped on the brandewine on the hight & to the Right of Shadsford, to the left of us a Cross the Road there was a Buck wheatfield opposite to a wood & the brandewine between, them the provision Waggons being Sent Away we ware Three days without provisions Excepting what was bought from the farmers that Came into Camp & Sold us besides what the Soldiers plundered from the farmers, & Receiv'd a [Neats] [?] Tongue from my father & hofner bought sum potatoes & butter the Evening before the Brittish Arived & we Concluded to have it for breekfast Hofner gave it to One of the Soldiers Wives that Remained with the Army to Cook for us She had the Camp kettle on with the whole of it, but Unfortunately while Cannonading the Enemies shot took the Kettle & all its contents away with it therefore we made another fast day. the Evening before the Infintry hove up abrest Work for the Artilery the Infintry laid in Our rear & Our Amunition Wagons Next to the Artilery We wer in front of an orchard and a brest of a plow'd field which the Brittish wis in with their artillery the Brandewine between the Enemy & us at Day Break the Brittish Apeared & hoisted a Read Flag on the top of the farm house Opposite to us