USS Confederacy-- Part 4: Captured By the British

Captain Nicholson replaced Seth Harding on 20 October 1780.

The Confederacy was homeward bound on  from Cape Francois in the West Indies in 1781 with military stores and other supplies and escorting a fleet of 37 merchantmen on 14 April when she encountered the HMS Roebuck (44 guns) and HMS Orpheus (32 guns) off the Delaware Capes.

The British ships forced the Confederacy to strike her colors.

Most of the merchantmen she was escorting escaped.  Many of her crew were sent to the old prison hulk ship Jersey, though some ended up in Mill and Forton prisons.

The Royal Navy took her into service as the HMS Confederacy, under the command of Captain James Cumming.  He paid her off in September 1781.  She was broken up at Woolrich in March 1782.

--Cooter

USS Confederacy-- Part 3: Convoy Duty and Almost Lost in a Storm

Can you imagine a ship in the U.S. Navy  with that name today.  Certain people would not be able to handle it.

From 1 May to 24 August 1779, she cruised the  Atlantic coast under the command of Captain Seth Harding.  While convoying a fleet of merchant ships on 6 June, she and the frigate USS Deane captured three ships, drove off two British frigates and brought the convoy safely into Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

On September 1779, the 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, the ship was completely dismasted and almost lost in a storm  except for the seamanship and ability of Captain Harding to reach Martinique early in December.  After repairs, the ship returned to convoy duty.

--Brock-Perry

USS Confederacy-- Part 2: General Characteristics

 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

959 tons

153 feet

35 feet 6 inches beam

Complement:  260 officers and men

Armament:

Twenty-eight 12-pdr. guns

Six 6-pdr. guns

She was launched  8 November 1778 at Chatham (Norwich), Connecticut, and towed to New London to be prepared for sea.

--Brock-Perry

USS Confederacy?

From Wikipedia.

I came across this name while doing research for something else and the name just sort of jumped out at me for some reason.  Exactly why would the U.S. Navy name a warship after the hated Confederates?  Well, as it turns out, there was a story.

The definition of confederacy is a league or alliance.  Turns out, that was what the Americans had going during the American Revolution.

The Confederacy was a  36-gun sailing frigate on the Continental Navy during the American Revolution.  The British Royal Navy captured her  in Match 1781 and took her into their service as the HMS Confederate for a half year before breaking her up in 1782.

Betcha Never Heard of This Ship.  --Cooter