ABSTRACT
Continental Navy Commodore. He was one of the original captains of the lightly armed, seven-ship fleet gathered by General WASHINGTON in 1775. In command of the armed schooner Lee in November-December 1775 he captured nine British ships, including the ordnance brig Nancy, which was loaded with arms, munitions and military equipment that quickly were diverted to Washington’s meagrely equipped army. For his achievement Washington named him Commodore of his tiny fleet. He subsequently commanded the Continental Navy’s 6-gun schooner Hancock. In April 1776 he was placed in command of the 32-gun Continental frigate, also named Hancock, and in June of that year he captured the British frigate Fox, 28. A month later HMS Rainbow, 44, and her consort the Victor, 18, captured him and his ship. It was the first of two occasions he was captured by the British. After an exchange of prisoners that followed his second capture, he became a privateer.
