The first USS ''Cabot'' of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

was a 14-gun brig, one of the first ships of the Continental Navy, and the first to be captured in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

in the

Battle off Yarmouth (1777) The Battle off Yarmouth took place on 28 March 1777 during the American Revolutionary War off the coast of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. The battle is the first American armed vessel to engage the British Navy. The British vessel forced the American ...

. On 13 October 1775, acting on intelligence received concerning the dispatch of supply vessels from Britain, the Continental Congress authorized the acquisition of two ships and the appointment of a three man Naval Committee to oversee their acquisition and fitting out. At that time, one vessel was specified as being of 10 guns while the other was not of a specified size. On 30 October 1775, The issue was again revisited by Congress and the second vessel was specified as being of 14 guns while two more, larger vessels were authorized. Even though the first vessel was specified as 10 guns, the footnotes in for the entry on the 30th from the compilation known as "Naval Documents of the American Revolution" specifies the first authorization as being the Cabot while the second is the

Andrew Doria (1775 brig) ''Andrew Doria'' was a brig purchased by the Continental Congress in November 1775. She is most famous for her participation in the Battle of Nassau—the first amphibious engagement by the Continental Navy and the Continental Marines—and ...

. The newly authorized ships are identified as the

USS Columbus (1774) The first USS ''Columbus'' was a ship in the Continental Navy. Built as a merchant ship at Philadelphia in 1774 as ''Sally'', she was purchased from Willing, Morris & Co., for the Continental Navy in November 1775, Captain Abraham Whipple was g ...

and the USS Alfred (1774). The brig Cabot was purchased in

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Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, during November 1775, outfitted there by Wharton and Humphreys, and placed under the command of Captain J. B. Hopkins. Sailing with Commodore Esek Hopkins' fleet, ''Cabot'' joined in the expedition against the

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in March 1776, taking part in the amphibious operations against New Providence on 3 March. By this bold stroke, men of the fleet seized large quantities of desperately needed military supplies which they carried back to the Continental Army. Upon the return of the fleet north, ''Cabot'' was first to fire in the engagement with HMS ''Glasgow'' on 6 April. The next month, she made a short cruise off the New England coast, during which she took her first prize. In September and October, again sailing in New England waters, she seized six more prizes. Under the command of Captain Joseph Olney, ''Cabot'' stood out of

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weeks before on 28 March 1777 the vessel (140 men) encountered HMS ''Milford'' (32), under the command of Captain John Burr, in the

. The vastly more powerful British ship chased ''Cabot'' and forced her ashore near the mouth of the

Chebogue, Nova Scotia Chebogue () (formerly spelled Jebogue) is a small fishing village situated above the marshes of the Chebogue River in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. Farming and fishing are the two main resources in the area. History The Mi'kmaq people, Mi'kmaq ...

. A History of the United States Navy, from 1775 to 1893, Volume 1 By Edgar Stanton Maclay, p.85
/ref> While ''Cabot's'' captain and crew escaped into the woods unharmed, the British were later able to get the brig off, and refitted her for service in 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 ...

. She stands out as the first American armed vessel to engage an enemy. According to Brigadier General Edwin H. Simmons' research, the act was initiated by a Continental Marine in the tops of the Cabot throwing a hand grenade at the feet of the British officer, who at that point was still waiting for a reply from the American vessel. Combat naval sur les côtes de France en 1779

Combat naval sur les côtes de France en 1779

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cabot Ships of the Continental Navy 1770s ships Brigs of the United States Navy