USS Confederacy

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USS Confederacy was a 36-gun frigate of the Continental Navy. The British Royal Navy captured her in March 1781. The British renamed her Confederate but never commissioned her. She reached England in about half-a-year and was broken up in 1782.

Career

She was launched on 8 November 1778 at Chatham (Norwich), Connecticut, and towed to New London to be prepared for sea. From 1 May to 24 August 1779 she cruised on the Atlantic coast under the command of Captain Seth Harding. While convoying a fleet of merchantmen, on 6 June, she and Template:USS captured three prizes, drove off two British frigates and brought the convoy safely into Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

On 17 September 1779 Confederacy was ordered to carry the French Minister and his family back to France. Later John Jay, the first American Minister to Spain, his secretary, and family were added to the passenger list. During the passage on 7 November 1779 Confederacy was completely dismasted and almost lost, but managed through the skillful seamanship of Captain Harding to reach Martinique early in December. After repairs, she returned to convoy duty.

Captain Nicholson replaced Harding in on 20 October 1780.

Confederacy, back under Harding's command, was homeward bound from Cap-Francois, Saint-Domingue in 1781 with military stores and other supplies and escorting a fleet of 37 merchantmen, when on 14 April she encountered the British warships Template:HMS and Template:HMS off the Delaware Capes. Harding ordered his crew to strike the colors to the British.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> Most of the merchantmen she was escorting escaped. Many of her crew were sent to the old prison hulk Template:HMS, though some ended up in Mill and Forton prisons.

Fate

Confederacy, captured and drawn in 1781

The Royal Navy sent her to England, under the command of Captain James Cumming. He paid her off in September 1781. She was never commissioned and was docked on 18 November 1781 at Woolwich. She was broken up there in March 1782.<ref name="NMM-WH-382667">Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• List of sailing frigates of the United States Navy
• Bibliography of early American naval history

References

• Template:DANFS
• Template:WarshipHist

External links

• The Frigate Confederacy Papers, including correspondence, bills, receipts and other materials pertaining to the construction of USS Confederacy, are available for research use at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.