USS Alliance (1778)
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The first ''Alliance'' of the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
(which served as part of the Continental Navy) was a 36-gun sailing frigate of the
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. Originally named ''Hancock'', she was laid down in 1777 on the
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at
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, by the partners and cousins, William and James K. Hackett, launched on 28 April 1778, and renamed ''Alliance'' on 29 May 1778 by resolution of the Continental Congress. Her first commanding officer was Capt. Pierre Landais, a former officer of the
French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
who had come to the
New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...
hoping to become a naval counterpart of
Lafayette Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to: People * Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette * House of La Fayette, a French noble family ** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757 ...
. The frigate's first captain was widely accepted as such in America.
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
made him an honorary citizen and the Continental Congress gave him command of ''Alliance'', thought to be the finest warship built to that date on the western side of the Atlantic.


1779

The new frigate's first assignment was to carry Lafayette back to France to petition the French Court for increased support in the American struggle for independence. Manned by a crew composed largely of
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
and Irish sailors, ''Alliance'' departed Boston on 14 January 1779 bound for :Brest, France. During the crossing, a plot to seize the ship, involving 38 members of the crew, was uncovered on 2 February before the mutiny could begin. The disloyal sailors were put in irons, and the remainder of the voyage, in which the frigate captured two
prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.
s, was peaceful. The ship reached Brest safely on the 6th. After the marquis and his suite had disembarked,
Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...
, one of the American commissioners in Paris, ordered her to remain in France despite the fact that Landais's original instructions had called for him to load the frigate with munitions and then to sail promptly for America. Instead, Franklin assigned the frigate to a squadron to be commanded by Captain
John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...
. The squadron departed Groix Roads, near
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, France, on 19 June to escort a convoy of merchantmen to
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
and other French ports. During a storm that night, ''Alliance'' collided with Jones' flagship, , damaging the rigging of both vessels. Nevertheless, each was able to continue, and the squadron successfully completed its mission before returning to L'Orient where the two damaged warships were repaired. The French planned an invasion of southern England that summer, and asked Jones to carry out a diversionary raid in the northern
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. His flotilla sortied from Groix Roads on 14 August and headed for the southwestern corner of Ireland to begin a clockwise circumnavigation of the British Isles. Not many days passed before Landais – who in Jones' opinion had been the real culprit in the collision two months before – began to show his disinclination toward obeying orders. On the 23rd, he was enraged when the commodore refused to allow him to chase a ship into shallow and unknown waters "... when there was not sufficient wind to govern a ship." The next day, Jones later reported, ''Alliance's'' unruly captain came on board the flagship and addressed the commodore "... in the most gross and insulting terms." From that point on, Landais seemed to ignore orders entirely and operated ''Alliance'' according to his own whims. Thus, the only really American warship in Jones' squadron belied her name by refusing to cooperate with the French vessels. She left her consorts during a
squall A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed lasting minutes, as opposed to a wind gust, which lasts for only seconds. They are usually associated with active weather, such as rain showers, thunderstorms, or heavy snow. Squalls refer to the ...
on the night of 26 and 27 August and did not rejoin the squadron until 1 September. ''Betsy'', a letter-of-marque ship she had just taken then accompanied the frigate. About this time, ''Bonhomme Richard'' captured a similar ship named ''Union'' off Cape Wrath at the northwestern corner of
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, and Jones allowed Landais to man both vessels. The latter again showed his complete contempt for the commodore by sending the captured ships (which would become known as the Bergen Prizes) to
Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...
, Norway, where the
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turned the ships over to the British consul, depriving their captors of the satisfaction of having hurt the enemy and of any hope of being rewarded for their efforts. In the next few days, ''Alliance'' took two more small ships prompting Jones to signal Landais to board ''Bonhomme Richard'' for a conference. The American frigate's commander refused to obey, but instead again sailed off on his own. For more than two weeks thereafter, ''Alliance'' worked her way south independently along the eastern shore of Great Britain while the remainder of the squadron followed a similar course from out of sight. A bit before midnight on 22 September, a lookout in ''Bonhomme Richard'' reported seeing two ships. Jones hoisted recognition signals which were unanswered. Landais was continuing to ignore the flagship's efforts to communicate. Nevertheless, at dawn, Jones was able to recognize ''Alliance'' and ''Pallas'', a frigate of his squadron which had recently parted from the flagship with the commodore's permission to hunt prizes. About mid-afternoon on 23 September, the squadron, off
Bridlington Bridlington is a coastal town and a civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is about north of Hull and east of York. The Gypsey Race enters the North Sea at its harbour. The 2011 ...
, sighted ships rounding Flamborough Head to the north. The oncoming vessels were part of a convoy of over 40 British merchantmen which had sailed from the
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under the escort of the 44-gun frigate and the 22-gun hired armed ship . The convoy had been warned about the American squadron and turned back northward towards Scarborough, the two escort vessels placing themselves between the merchant ships and the approaching threat. As the gap closed, Jones signaled his ships to form a line of battle, but Landais ignored the order and sailed off to one side, forcing ''Countess of Scarborough'' to do likewise. In the ensuing four-hour
Battle of Flamborough Head The Battle of Flamborough Head was a naval battle that took place on 23 September 1779 in the North Sea off the coast of Yorkshire between a combined Franco-American squadron, led by Continental Navy officer John Paul Jones, and two British e ...
off England's
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coast, Landais, after briefly engaging the ''Countess'' took little part in the action. On the way to check up on the duel which developed between the ''Countess'' and the ''Pallas'', Landais fired a broadside at ''Serapis'', which was by then immobile, and lashed firmly alongside ''Bonhomme Richard''- as a result both ships were damaged. Some time later, with ''Bonhomme Richard'' losing its duel, ''Alliance'' returned to the main battle, and Jones happily "... thought the battle was at an end ...." But, to his "... utter astonishment", Landais' ship "... discharged a broadside full into the stern of the ''Bonhomme Richard''." Jones and his crew "... called to him andaisfor God's sake to forbear firing into the ''Bonhomme Richard'', yet he passed along off the side of the ship and continued firing." This, however, was just more collateral damage, resulting from Landais' policy of keeping well out of the line of the guns on the free side of ''Serapis''. Unable to move his ship (either to escape or to aim a broadside at ''Alliance'') Captain Pearson of ''Serapis'' surrendered within a short time. Following the surrender, ''Alliance'' stood by during a desperate struggle to save the shattered, burning, leaking hulks. On the evening of the day after the battle, Jones realized that, while his flagship was doomed, her conquered opponent would probably survive. He, therefore, transferred his crew from ''Bonhomme Richard'' to ''Serapis'' and, the next morning, sadly watched the former sink. All this time, the squadron was simply drifting away from the British coast, but by 29 September, untiring labor had enabled ''Serapis'' to get underway, and, following French orders which were somewhat contrary to Jones's wishes, they headed for the coast of the Netherlands. ''Alliance'' sighted land on the evening of 2 October and, the following morning, she anchored in Texel Roads, Amsterdam's deep-water harbor, with the rest of the squadron. When word of the battle reached London, the Admiralty ordered its nearby men-of-war to search for Jones' flotilla; the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
proceeded to look in all of the wrong places. By the time a merchantman informed London that Jones was at Texel Roads, the victorious allies and their prizes had been safe at anchor there for a week. The Royal Navy then set up a tight blockade off the Dutch port to check any seaward movement that the American squadron might attempt. Meanwhile, the British ambassador pressed the government of the
Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
to return both ''Serapis'' and ''Countess of Scarborough'' to England. Failing that he demanded that Jones' squadron be expelled from Texel and thus forced to engage with the Royal Navy's blockading squadron. Indeed, on 12 November, the Netherlands Navy had moved a squadron of ships of the line to Texel, and its commanding officer had ordered Jones to sail with the first favorable wind. Nevertheless, the adroit commodore managed to stall his departure for over six weeks. By that time, he had managed to restore ''Alliance'' to top trim and to ready her for sea. Since the other ships in his squadron had by this time, for complex diplomatic and legalistic reasons, shifted to flying French colors Jones decided to leave them behind when he left Holland in ''Alliance''. He had long since relieved Landais in command of that frigate, pending an official inquiry into his conduct during the cruise. On the morning of 27 December, after foul weather had forced the British blockaders off their stations, an easterly wind sprang up and enabled ''Alliance'' to stand out to sea. She dropped the pilot an hour before noon and headed southwest along the Netherlands coast. Less than a day later the frigate transited
Dover Strait The Strait of Dover or Dover Strait (french: Pas de Calais - ''Strait of Calais''), is the strait at the narrowest part of the English Channel, marking the boundary between the Channel and the North Sea, separating Great Britain from continent ...
and entered the
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. On the night of 31 December, she was off
Ushant Ushant (; br, Eusa, ; french: Ouessant, ) is a French island at the southwestern end of the English Channel which marks the westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and, in medieval terms, Léon. In lower tiers of govern ...
, an island off the westernmost tip of
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, when 1779 gave way to 1780.


1780

For just over a fortnight thereafter, she cruised to the south looking for British shipping; but, with the exception of one small English brig which she took, the ship encountered only friendly or neutral vessels. On 16 January 1780, Jones decided to visit Corunna, Spain, for provisions and maintenance which entailed shortening the frigate's main yard and scraping her bottom. On the 27th, she got underway in company with the French frigate '' Le Sensible''. Want of winter clothing then prevented Jones from beginning an extended cruise in quest of prizes; and, instead, the ship struggled across the Bay of Biscay against head winds along a roughly northeasterly course toward L'Orient. En route, she recaptured a wine-laden French
barque A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts having the fore- and mainmasts rigged square and only the mizzen (the aftmost mast) rigged fore and aft. Sometimes, the mizzen is only partly fore-and-aft rigged, b ...
– a prize which had been taken by an English
privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...
– and saved the foundering vessel's cargo before the barque sank. She also chanced upon ''Livingston'' and escorted that tobacco-laden American merchantman to the French coast. ''Alliance'' anchored in Groix Roads on 10 February and moved into L'Orient harbor on the 19th. That day, Benjamin Franklin suggested that Jones take on a cargo of arms and uniform cloth for the American Army and promptly get underway for home. Jones agreed with Franklin's suggestion, but was kept in France for many months thereafter, attending to military, diplomatic, and social matters which he felt to be important to his country, to his crew, and to himself. Most of this time, he was away from his ship in Paris. Meanwhile, the deposed Landais had arrived at L'Orient seeking passage to America where he hoped to be vindicated in a trial by court-martial. There, he met Arthur Lee, a disaffected fellow commissioner of Franklin, who also wanted to return home. Lee – who also hated Jones – persuaded ''Alliance's'' former captain that neither Jones nor Franklin had had the authority to relieve him of command since Landais had held a Continental commission. Convinced that he had been wronged, Landais went on board the frigate and assumed command on 12 or 13 June. Jones arrived at L'Orient, where he heard of this coup. He journeyed to Paris and obtained support from Franklin and Antoine de Sartine, the French
Minister of Marine One of France's Secretaries of State under the Ancien Régime was entrusted with control of the French Navy ( Secretary of State of the Navy (France).) In 1791, this title was changed to Minister of the Navy. Before January 1893, this position als ...
. When Jones returned to L'Orient on 20 June, he found that ''Alliance'' had already weighed anchor and moved to Port-Louis, Morbihan, where a recently emplaced boom blocked her path. The batteries that guarded the port, as well as three French warships, had received orders to fire on the frigate if she attempted to stand out to sea. Surprisingly, Jones then interceded with the French authorities asking them to allow the ship to pass. He justified this action as springing from a desire to avoid wasting lives, losing the fine frigate, and straining Franco-American friendship by having French forces attack an American warship. The hero of Flamborough may have been rationalizing to conceal less lofty motives.
Samuel Eliot Morison Samuel Eliot Morison (July 9, 1887 – May 15, 1976) was an American historian noted for his works of maritime history and American history that were both authoritative and popular. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1912, and tau ...
strongly endorsed this hypothesis: "The conclusion is inescapable, that Jones was not particularly eager to regain command of ''Alliance''. He had to pretend that he was, of course, but actually he felt well rid of her, and of Landais too". ''Alliance'' was allowed to leave France unmolested. Her homeward voyage proved to be anything but routine. Landais quarreled with his officers, abused his men, and made life miserable for his passengers. The ship had hardly lost sight of land when he locked up Capt. Matthew Parke because the commanding officer of the embarked
Marine Corps Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...
contingent refused to swear unconditional obedience under all possible circumstances. Any seamen who had joined the frigate after ''Bonhomme Richard'' had sunk were suspected of disloyalty, many were shackled and imprisoned in the ship's rat-infested hold. Even Arthur Lee, who had urged the Frenchman to take command, came close to being stabbed with a carving knife for taking the first slice of roast pig at dinner. In operating and navigating the ship Landais gave orders which violated the rules of safe and sensible
seamanship Seamanship is the art, knowledge and competence of operating a ship, boat or other craft on water. The'' Oxford Dictionary'' states that seamanship is "The skill, techniques, or practice of handling a ship or boat at sea." It involves topics a ...
. The fearful and exasperated officers and passengers finally agreed that the commanding officer must be insane, and they forcibly relieved him of command on 11 August. ''Alliance'' continued on to America in a happier and more orderly fashion under the command of Lt. James A. Degge. She arrived at Boston on 19 August 1780. The
Navy Board The Navy Board (formerly known as the Council of the Marine or Council of the Marine Causes) was the commission responsible for the day-to-day civil administration of the Royal Navy between 1546 and 1832. The board was headquartered within the ...
at that port promptly gathered information on the events of the voyage and sent a hasty report to Philadelphia where the Board of Admiralty immediately ordered a thorough investigation of the whole affair. At the same time it appointed Capt. John Barry to take command of the ship and make her ready for sea with great dispatch. Barry arrived at Boston on 19 September with orders stripping Landais of all claim to command of the frigate. By that point the recalcitrant Landais had shut himself up in the captain's cabin and refused to leave, and he was now forcibly carried off the ship by a party of marines led by his first adversary of the voyage, Capt. Parke. Trials of Landais and Degge resulted in the ousting of both men from the service.


1781

Meanwhile, efforts to restore ''Alliance'' to fighting trim progressed slowly – when they moved at all – because of a dearth of both men and money. Funds for the necessary yard work and for provisioning and manning the ship were slow in reaching Boston until Col.
John Laurens John Laurens (October 28, 1754 – August 27, 1782) was an American soldier and statesman from South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War, best known for his criticism of slavery and his efforts to help recruit slaves to fight for thei ...
– a former aide-de-camp to General
George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
, a successful battlefield commander, and an exchanged prisoner of war – appeared there on 25 January 1781. Congress had appointed Laurens as its envoy extraordinary to France because his military experience seemed to fit him to become a convincing spokesman for Washington's needy army. It had also selected ''Alliance'' as the speediest and safest ship to carry the dashing young officer to Europe. The urgency of ''Alliance's'' new mission made the funds and crew available so that the ship was ready to sail by the end of the first week of February. A favorable wind came up on the 11th enabling her to depart Nantasket Roads and stand out to sea. Five days later, she entered crowded ice fields and suffered "considerable damage" as she forced her way through. Her crew contained many British sailors, a group of whom plotted to take over the frigate and to kill all her officers but one who would be spared to navigate the vessel to an English port. However, Barry took careful precautions to prevent the mutiny from erupting. While she sailed eastward Barry followed the orders of the Naval Committee to not pursue any shipping which would delay his progress. Yet, on 4 March, the frigate encountered a ship and a British cruiser.The Story of Commodore John Barry, Father of the American Navy, Martin I. J. Griffin . One shot brought both vessels to. The cruiser proved to be the English privateer ''Alert'' and her consort was ''Buono Campagnia'', a prize which the Britisher had recently taken. Barry took ''Alert'' as a prize, but released the merchantman. Five days later, on 9 March, the frigate anchored in Groix Roads and disembarked her important passenger and his three companions:
Thomas Paine Thomas Paine (born Thomas Pain; – In the contemporary record as noted by Conway, Paine's birth date is given as January 29, 1736–37. Common practice was to use a dash or a slash to separate the old-style year from the new-style year. In th ...
, whose writings had exerted great influence in persuading the colonies to seek independence, Major William Jackson, a Continental Army officer from
South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
, and the vicomte de Noailles, a cousin of Lafayette. After almost three weeks in port, ''Alliance'' headed home on the afternoon of 29 March, escorting ''Marquis De Lafayette'', an old, French East Indiaman which an American agent had chartered to carry a valuable cargo of arms and uniforms for the Continental Army. Before the month was out, Barry discovered and investigated a mutiny plot and punished the conspirators. At dawn on 2 April a lookout sighted two ships to the northwest, Barry headed toward the strangers and ordered the Indiaman to follow. Undaunted, the distant vessels – which proved to be two British brigs – continued to approach the little American
convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
and fired a broadside at the frigate as they passed abreast. Two answering salvoes from ''Alliance'' robbed the larger of the two English vessels of her rigging and forced her to strike her colors. Barry ordered ''Marquis De Lafayette'' to attend to the captured foe while he pursued and took the second brig. The first prize, a new and fast privateer from Guernsey named ''Mars'' though badly damaged, was repaired and sent to
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under an American crew. ''Marquis De Lafayette'' provided the prize crew for the smaller vessel, a
Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the l ...
privateer named ''Minerva''. Barry ordered the prizemaster of this vessel to head for Philadelphia but ''Marquis De Lafayette's'' captain had secretly ordered him to head for France if he had a chance to slip away. On the night of 17 April, foul weather separated ''Mars'' from the convoy. Nevertheless, that prize dutifully continued on toward the Delaware capes. ''Minerva'' slipped away during the next night and apparently set course for the Bay of Biscay. ''Marquis De Lafayette'' dropped out of sight during a fierce storm on the night of the 25th. After spending two days looking for her lost charge, ''Alliance'' continued on toward America alone. On 2 May, she took two sugar-laden Jamaicamen. Off Newfoundland Banks later that day, ''Alliance'' sighted but escaped the attention of a large convoy from
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
and its Royal Navy escorts. Ironically, a few days before, the missing ''Marquis De Lafayette'' and her treacherous master had fallen prey to this same British force. Almost continuous bad weather plagued Barry's little force in the days that followed until ''Alliance'' permanently lost sight of her two prizes on 12 May. During a tempest on the 17th, lightning shattered the frigate's main topmast and carried away her main yard while damaging her
foremast The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall spar, or arrangement of spars, erected more or less vertically on the centre-line of a ship or boat. Its purposes include carrying sails, spars, and derricks, and giving necessary height to a navigation ...
and injuring almost a score of men. Jury-rigged repairs had been completed when Barry observed two vessels approaching him from windward 10 days later but his ship was still far from her best fighting trim. The two strangers kept pace with ''Alliance'' roughly a league off her starboard beam. At first dawn, the unknown ships hoisted British colors and prepared for battle. Although all three ships were almost completely becalmed, the American drifted within hailing distance of the largest British vessel about an hour before noon; Barry learned that it was the sloop of war . Her smaller consort proved to be , also a sloop of war. The American captain then identified his own vessel and invited ''Atalanta''s commanding officer to surrender. A few moments later, Barry opened the inevitable battle with a broadside. The sloops immediately pulled out of field of fire of the frigate's broadsides and took positions aft of their foe where their guns could pound her with near impunity in the motionless air, ''Alliance'' – too large to be propelled by
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s – was powerless to maneuver. A
grapeshot Grapeshot is a type of artillery round invented by a British Officer during the Napoleonic Wars. It was used mainly as an anti infantry round, but had other uses in naval combat. In artillery, a grapeshot is a type of ammunition that consists of ...
hit Barry's left shoulder, seriously wounding him, but he continued to direct the fighting until loss of blood almost robbed him of consciousness. Lieutenant Hoystead Hacker, the frigate's executive officer, took command as Barry was carried to the cockpit for treatment. Hacker fought the ship with valor and determination until her inability to maneuver out of her relatively defenseless position prompted him to seek Barry's permission to surrender. Indignantly, Barry refused to allow this and asked to be brought back on deck to resume command. Inspired by Barry's zeal, Hacker returned to the fray. Then a wind sprang up and restored ''Alliance''s steerage way, enabling her to bring her battery back into action. Two devastating broadsides knocked ''Trepassey'' out of the fight. Another broadside forced ''Atalanta'' to strike, ending the bloody affair. The next day, while carpenters labored to repair all three ships, Barry transferred all of his prisoners to ''Trepassey'' which – as a cartel ship – would carry them to St. John's, Newfoundland, to be exchanged for American prisoners. HMS ''Charlestown'' recaptured ''Atalanta'' in June and sent her into Halifax. Temporary repairs to ''Atalanta'' ended on the last day of May, and the prize got underway for Boston. After more patching her battered hull and rigging, ''Alliance'' set out the next day and reached Boston on 6 June. While Barry recuperated, her repairs were again delayed by want of funds.
Lord Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...
surrendered his army at Yorktown, ending the war's last major action on land, but not the war, well before she was ready for sea. As had happened before, her restoration to service was hastened by decision to use the frigate to carry an important person to France. Lafayette – who had completed his work in America with a major role in the Yorktown campaign – arrived in Boston on 10 December 1781, wanting to return home. Even with the aid of the Marquis' great influence, a full fortnight passed before she could put to sea on Christmas Eve 1781.


1782

The ship arrived off L'Orient on 17 January 1782 and disembarked Lafayette and his party. Barry wanted to make a cruise in European waters to capture British shipping which would yield crewmen to be used in freeing American prisoners by exchange. ''Alliance'' got underway in February and headed for the Bay of Biscay. Accompanying her out was the American letter-of-marque brig ''Antonio'' which was bound for home. Three days later, she chased and overhauled an American brigantine which jettisoned her guns in an effort to escape. ''Antonio's'' commander offered to escort the unfortunate, and now defenseless, merchantman to Philadelphia and they parted from Barry the next day. ''Alliance'' encountered only friendly and neutral shipping before putting in at L'Orient on February. Barry remained in port more than two weeks awaiting dispatches from Paris containing Franklin's observations on the diplomatic scene and on prospects for England's recognition of American independence and negotiations for peace. The messages arrived on 15 March, and the following day ''Alliance'' headed home. Wretched weather and contrary winds plagued the ship for much of the voyage. The almost incessant northerly blasts forced her south into hot, unhealthful climes. Eight men died before the end of April when she managed to turn north with the trade winds and head for the Delaware River. The frigate reached
Cape Henlopen Cape Henlopen is the southern cape of the Delaware Bay along the Atlantic coast of the United States. It lies in the state of Delaware, near the town of Lewes, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. Off the coast on the bay side are t ...
on 10 May, but found it guarded by a Royal Navy ship of the line which – in company with a tender – gave chase. Fleeing south and eluding her pursuers, ''Alliance'' turned north around Montauk Point and across Long Island Sound to
New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decade ...
, where she arrived on 13 May. Although hopeful of soon beginning another cruise, Barry again was frustrated by the inevitable shortages of men, money, and material. Almost three months passed before ''Alliance'' was finally ready for sea. She reentered Long Island Sound on 4 August and almost immediately took ''Adventure'', a
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
brigantine which had fallen prey to an English privateer. Barry sent the prize back to New London and unsuccessfully sought her captor. On the 10th, while sailing toward
Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...
, the frigate captured the schooner ''Polly'' and sent her to Boston. On the 25th, she retook ''Fortune'', a Connecticut sloop which the British privateer ''Hawk'' had seized on the 16th. At the end of August, Barry headed north in quest of stragglers from a convoy which had sailed from Jamaica a bit over a month before. A week later he made a prize of ''Somerset'', a Nantucket
whaler A whaler or whaling ship is a specialized vessel, designed or adapted for whaling: the catching or processing of whales. Terminology The term ''whaler'' is mostly historic. A handful of nations continue with industrial whaling, and one, Japa ...
that had been sailing under a British pass. On 18 September ''Alliance'' captured a damaged British brig and learned that a storm had scattered the Jamaica convoy sinking or crippling both escorts and merchantmen. Making temporary repairs to this prize, Barry sent her to Boston and then began looking for the Jamaicamen. On the 24th he captured ''Britannia'' and ''Anna'', carrying coffee, logwood, sugar, and rum. On the 27th the
snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...
''Commerce'' became his prize. The next day he captured the dismasted ''Kingston''. Though he would have preferred to take his prizes home Barry was now closer to Europe. Prevailing westerly winds clinched the matter, prompting him to head for France. The eastward passage was slow and stormy, but the convoy reached Groix Roads on 17 October. ''Alliance'' got underway again on 9 December 1782 for the
West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...
.


1783

At the end of a largely uneventful passage, she anchored off
Saint-Pierre, Martinique Saint-Pierre (, ; ; Martinican Creole: ) is a town and commune of France's Caribbean overseas department of Martinique, founded in 1635 by Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc. Before the total destruction of Saint-Pierre by a volcanic eruption in 1902, ...
, on 8 January 1783. There Barry found orders to sail to
Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.
to pick up a large quantity of gold and to deliver it to Congress at Philadelphia. After brief repairs, ''Alliance'' resumed her voyage on the 13th, touched at St. Eustatius and Cape Francois, and reached Havana on the last day of January. Another American warship, , was already in port on the same mission. The
specie Specie may refer to: * Coins or other metal money in mass circulation * Bullion coins * Hard money (policy) * Commodity money Commodity money is money whose value comes from a commodity of which it is made. Commodity money consists of objects ...
had already been loaded on ''Duc de Lauzun'' and Barry decided to escort her home. The inevitable delays kept both ships in port until 6 March. The next day, they encountered two Royal Navy frigates that gave chase. Barry chose not to fight these warships rather than risk losing the funds his consort carried, and the American vessels successfully eluded their pursuers. Three days later they encountered the same pair – and – in company with the sloop-of-war HMS ''Tobago''. Still striving to avoid risk to the desperately needed money he was carrying to Congress, Barry again headed southwest to escape from these unidentified strangers and ordered her consort to follow. Far off in that direction, the rigging of another ship appeared over the horizon, sailing away from the others. Soon ''Alliance'' was noticeably pulling away from the pursuers but ''Duc de Lauzun'' – second in line – was losing ground to ''Alarm''. In the distance, the newcomer was seen to change course and head toward ''Alliance''. ''Alarm'' evidently gave up the chase and headed away. ''Sybil'' pressed on and soon began firing at ''Duc de Lauzun''. Confident in both ''Alliance's'' speed and her fighting ability, Barry maneuvered her between ''Sybil'' and ''Duc De Lauzun'' to demand the full attention of the former so that the latter might slip away to safety. ''Sybil'' then turned her fire toward ''Alliance'' and managed to send one shot from her
bow chaser A chase gun (or chaser), usually distinguished as bow chaser and stern chaser, was a cannon mounted in the bow (aiming forward) or stern (aiming backward) of a sailing ship. They were used to attempt to slow down an enemy ship either chasing (p ...
into the American frigate's cabin, mortally wounding a junior officer and scattering many splinters. Yet Barry held ''Alliance's'' fire until she was within a "pistol's shot" of her opponent. At that point, a broadside from the American warship opened some 40 minutes of close-in fighting which finally forced ''Sybil'' to flee in the wake of ''Alarm'' and ''Tobago''. Ships' logs indicate that this battle was fought south of Cape Canaveral on 10 March 1783. Captain Vashon, commander HMS Sybil, is recorded as saying "he had never seen a ship so ably fought as the Alliance." Captain Vashon is further quoted as saying of Barry, "every quality of a great commander was brought out with extraordinary brilliancy". Meanwhile, the
Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris may refer to one of many treaties signed in Paris, France: Treaties 1200s and 1300s * Treaty of Paris (1229), which ended the Albigensian Crusade * Treaty of Paris (1259), between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France * Trea ...
which ended the war and recognized the independence of the United States had been ratified on 3 February 1783, some five weeks before the battle. The two American ships again headed home on the day following their brush with the British, 11 March, but separated off
Cape Hatteras Cape Hatteras is a cape located at a pronounced bend in Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina. Long stretches of beach, sand dunes, marshes, and maritime forests create a unique environment where wind and waves shap ...
a week later. On the 19th, ''Alliance'' met a British ship of the line as she headed in toward the Delaware capes. She gave chase and forced ''Alliance'' back out to sea. This created a diversion which allowed ''Duc De Lauzun'' to slip into the Delaware unmolested and ascend the river to Philadelphia. ''Alliance'' continued on northward and arrived at
Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New Yor ...
, at midafternoon on 20 March 1783. Since that port could easily be raided by British men-of-war, she soon proceeded up
Narragansett Bay Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound covering , of which is in Rhode Island. The bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor and includes a small archipelago. Sm ...
and anchored just below Providence. There, her crew was reduced to peacetime needs, and she was thoroughly overhauled. Ordered to proceed to
Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...
to take on a cargo of tobacco for shipment to Europe, the frigate got underway on 20 June, but, headed for sea, she struck a rock and was stranded until high tide. Upon floating free, ''Alliance'' still seemed to be tight and resumed her voyage via the Virginia Capes and the lower Chesapeake Bay to the
Rappahannock River The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the entir ...
. She then moved up that river where she began taking on tobacco. When completely loaded, she headed downstream on 21 August and sailed into the Atlantic three days later. Soon after the ship entered the open sea, water rose rapidly in her hold. A hasty investigation revealed that a leak had developed where she had struck the rock weeks before. The crew's attempts to stem the influx failed, forcing Barry to head for the Delaware. Further examination of the ship at Philadelphia ruled out any quick remedy and caused Congress to cancel the voyage. Her tobacco was transferred to other ships and her crew was further reduced to the bare minimum necessary to keep her in reasonably satisfactory condition. When the survey board reported that the necessary repairs would be quite expensive, no funds were available for the task.


1785–1788

It seems that the work was never done before ''Alliance'' – the last ship left in the Continental Navy – was sold in Philadelphia on 1 August 1785 to John Coburn and a partner named Whitehead. These gentlemen subsequently sold her to Robert Morris who converted the vessel to an East Indiaman. Her new owner – who, as the guiding spirit on naval matters in the Continental Congress and that body's Agent of Marine in the later years of the American struggle for independence, had directed her operations – selected Thomas Read as her master during her first merchant service. That former captain in the Continental Navy took her to China by a new route through the Dutch East Indies and the
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capit ...
. She departed Philadelphia in June 1787 and arrived at Canton on 22 December of that year. While passing through the Carolines on the outward voyage Read found two islands which were not on his chart and named the first – probably Ponape – Morris, and the second, Alliance. At Canton he loaded the ship with tea which he delivered back at Philadelphia on 17 September 1788, ending a record voyage. "On her voyage to China, she had for her commander, Thomas Reed ; first- mate, the late Commodore Dale ; and for supercargo, the late George Harrison, of Chestnut street. It is recorded thus: "September 19, 1788, the ship ' Alliance,' Thomas Reed commander, and George Harrison supercargo, arrived from Canton, consigned to Isaac Hazlehurst & Co.," of which Robert Morris was the company. The ship was seven hundred and twenty-four tons register: a very large ship in those days."


After 1788

An 1860 source states, "Mr. obertMorris bought the United States frigate "Alliance," and fitted her up and out for the East Indies, in which she made but one voyage to China, and was condemned on her return as unseaworthy, dismantled, and drifted to Petty's Island— where 'tis said some of her ribs yet perpetuate the fact of her existence." Abraham Ritter's book Philadelphia and her merchants: as constituted fifty @ seventy years ago (Philadelphia, 1860), p. 38 At low tide, some of her timbers could be seen in the sands there until her remaining hulk was destroyed during dredging operations in 1901.


References

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Bibliography


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External links

* Th
USS ''Alliance'' Ledger 1782–1783
which chronicles prize money distributed to the crew in the wake of the capture of ''Britannia, Anna, Commerce, and Kingston'', is available for research use at the
Historical Society of Pennsylvania The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is a long-established research facility, based in Philadelphia. It is a repository for millions of historic items ranging across rare books, scholarly monographs, family chronicles, maps, press reports and v ...
. {{DEFAULTSORT:Alliance (1778) Ships of the Continental Navy Sailing frigates of the United States Navy Ships built in Amesbury, Massachusetts 1778 ships