(add image here)
Career
Built:	1774
Launched:	1774
Purchased:	November 1775
Fate:	captured March 1778
General Characteristics
Displacement:	440 tons
Length:	140 Feet
Beam:	32 Feet
Depth:	15 Feet
Complement:	220 officers and men
Armament:	20 x 9-pounder 10 x 6-pounder guns

USS Alfred was a man-of-war in the Continental Navy of the United States. She was built as Black Prince, named for Edward, the Black Prince, and served as Alfred. Image File history File links Grand_Union_Flag. ... Image File history File links Naval_Jack_of_the_United_States. ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1778 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... A man of war (also man-of-war, man-o-war or simply man) is an armed naval vessel. ... Continental Navy Jack The Continental Navy was authorized by the Continental Congress on October 13, 1775. ... Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, KG, known as the Black Prince (June 15, 1330 – June 8, 1376) was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. ...

As Black Prince

Black Prince was built at Philadelphia in 1774. No record of her builder seems to have survived, but it is possible that John Wharton may have constructed the ship. Philadelphia is a village located in Jefferson County, New York. ... 1774 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... John Austin Wharton (July 23, 1828 – April 6, 1865) was a lawyer, plantation owner, and Confederate general during the American Civil War. ...

John Barry served as the ship's only master during her career as a Philadelphia merchantman. Launched in the autumn of 1774 as relations between the American colonies and the mother country grew increasingly tense, Black Prince was fitted out quickly so that she could load and sail for Bristol on the last day of 1774. The ship did not return to Philadelphia until 25 April 1775, six days after the Battle of Lexington and Concord. John Barry (1745 – 13 September 1803) was an officer in the Continental Navy and later in the United States Navy Barry was born in County Wexford, Ireland and appointed a Captain in the Continental Navy 7 December 1775. ... 1774 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The united Kingdom of Great Britain was created by the merger of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England in 1707 (see Act of Union 1707). ... Bristol is a unitary authority with city and ceremonial county status in South West England. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 was the first battle of the American Revolutionary War and was described as the shot heard round the world in Emersons Concord Hymn. ...

Fearing that American commerce would soon be interrupted, her owners were eager to export another cargo to England, so they again raced to load and provision her. Black Prince sailed on 7 May, this time bound for London. She did not reach that destination until 27 June. The ship left the Thames on 10 August but encountered contrary winds during much of her westward voyage and finally returned to Philadelphia on October 4. May 7 is the 127th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (128th in leap years). ... The Houses of Parliament and the clock tower containing Big Ben Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London (see Wiktionary:London for the name in other languages) is the capital of the United Kingdom and England. ... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... Several places exist with the name Thames, and the word is also used as part of several brand and company names Most famous is the River Thames in England, on which the city of London stands Other Thames Rivers There is a Thames River in Canada There is a Thames... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

While the ship had been abroad, the Battle of Bunker Hill had been fought, the other colonies acting in Congress had pledged to support Massachusetts in its struggle for freedom, and George Washington had taken command of the American Army besieging British-occupied Boston. Moreover, private correspondence which Black Prince had brought from England to members of the Continental Congress reported that the British Government was sending to America two unarmed brigs heavily laden with gunpowder and arms. Combatants Province of Massachusetts Bay Kingdom of Great Britain Commanders Major General Israel Putnam and Colonel William Prescott Major General William Howe Strength 1,500 2,600 Casualties 140 dead 271 wounded 30 captured {20 POWs Died} 226 dead 828 wounded {{{notes}}} Bunker Hill was a battle of the American... The Continental Congress is the label given to three successive bodies of representatives: The First Continental Congress met from September 5, 1774 to October 26, 1774. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 44th 10,555 mi²; 27,360 km² 183 mi; 295 km 113 mi; 182 km 13. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was the successful Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1783, and later became the first Elected President of the United States, an office to which he was elected, unanimously, twice and remained in... Illustration depicting uniforms and weapons used during the 1779 to 1783 period of the American Revolution by showing four soldiers standing in an informal group General George Washington, was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army on June 15, 1775. ... Nickname: City on a Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Solar System), Athens of America Motto: Official website: www. ... In sailing, a brig is a vessel with two masts at least one of which is square rigged. ...

This intelligence prompted Congress on 13 October to authorize the fitting out of two American warships, of 10 guns each, to attempt to capture these ships and divert their invaluable cargoes to the ill-equipped soldiers of Washington's army. Congress decided, on 30 October, to add two more ships to the navy, one of 20 guns and the other slightly larger but not to exceed 36 guns. Alfred undoubtedly was the latter ship. October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years). ... October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ...

As Alfred

As a result, the Naval Committee purchased Black Prince on 4 November 1775, renamed her Alfred four days later, and ordered her fitted out as a man-of-war. Her former master, John Barry, was placed in charge of her rerigging; Joshua Humphreys was selected to superintend changes strengthening her hull, timbers, and bulwarks as well as opening gunports; and Nathaniel Falconer was made responsible for her ordnance and provisions. November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 57 days remaining. ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A man of war (also man-of-war, man-o-war or simply man) is an armed naval vessel. ... Joshua Humphreys (June 17, 1751 – January 12, 1838) was an influential and successful ship builder in the United States. ...

Soon four other vessels joined Alfred in the Continental Navy: Columbus, Cabot, Andrew Doria, and sloop Providence. Esek Hopkins, a veteran master of merchantmen from Rhode Island, was appointed commodore of the flotilla. Alfred was placed in commission on 3 December 1775, Capt. Dudley Saltonstall in command, and became Hopkins' flagship. Sometime in December 1775, the Alfred became the first vessel to fly the Grand Union Flag (the precursor to the Stars and Stripes); the flag was hoisted by John Paul Jones. This event was documented in Letters to Congress. [1]. The first USS Columbus was a ship in the Continental Navy. ... The first USS Cabot of the United States 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. ... Two vessels of the United States, one in the Continental Navy and one in the United States Navy, have been named Andrew Doria, the anglicized name of Italian admiral Andrea Doria. ... A sloop-rigged J-24 sailboat In sailing, a sloop is a vessel with a single mast on which is hoisted a fore-and-aft rigged mainsail and a single jib, plus extras such as a spinnaker. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... French portrait of Commodore Esek Hopkins Esek Hopkins (26 April 1718 – 26 February 1802), was Commander in Chief of the Fleet throughout the American Revolutionary War. ... Official language(s) None Capital Providence Largest city Providence Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 50th 4,005 km² 50 km 65 km 32. ... December 3 is the 337th (in leap years the 338th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Dudley Saltonstall was commander of the Penobscot Expedition in 1779 against a British army fort in Maine, during the Revolutionary War, which is generally acknowledged as the worst naval defeat in United States history. ... A flagship is the ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships. ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Grand Union flag The Grand Union Flag (also known as the Congress flag, The First Navy Ensign, The Cambridge Flag, and The Continental Colors) is the first true Flag of the United States. ... Flag ratio: 10:19; nicknames: Stars and Stripes, Old Glory The flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars... John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (July 6, 1747–July 18, 1792) was Americas first well-known naval hero in the American Revolutionary War. ...

The new fleet dropped down the Delaware River on 4 January 1776; but a cold snap froze the river and the bay, checking its progress at Reedy Island for some six weeks. A thaw released Hopkins' warships from winter's icy rasp in mid-February, and the fleet sortied on 18 February for its first operation. The Marine Committee had ordered Hopkins to sail for Hampton Roads to attack British warships which were harassing American shipping in Virginia waters; then to render similar service at Charleston, South Carolina; and, finally, to head for Rhode Island waters. He was given the discretion of disregarding these orders if they proved impossible and planning an operation of his own. Delaware River Watershed The Delaware River is a river on the Atlantic coast of the United States. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1776. ... Reedy Island is a small island in the middle of the channel of the Delaware River near its mouth on Delaware Bay in the U.S. state of Delaware. ... February 18 is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Hampton Roads, from state map of pre-civil war Virginia circa 1858 Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia in the United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 35th 110,862 km² 320 km 690 km 7. ... This article is about the city in South Carolina. ...

However, by the time his ships broke free of the ice, growing British strength in the Chesapeake prompted Hopkins to head for the West Indies. Knowing that the American colonies desperately needed gunpowder, he decided to attack the island of New Providence in the Bahamas to capture a large supply of that commodity as well as a great quantity of other military supplies reportedly stored there. Chesapeake is the name of various places in the United States of America: Chesapeake, Ohio Chesapeake, Virginia There are also: Chesapeake Academy, an independent PK-Gr 5 school located in Arnold, Maryland near Annapolis. ... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... (This article is about the island in the Bahamas. ...

A fortnight after leaving the Delaware capes, on the morning of 3 March Hopkins arrived off Nassau and captured Fort Montague in a bloodless Battle of Nassau, in which Continental Marines under Capt. Samuel Nicholas joined Hopkins' sailors in America's first amphibious operation. March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... // Nassau may mean the following: Place names: Nassau, Germany: a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, after which all the following are named: Nassau, Bahamas: the capital of the Bahamas Burg Nassau: Nassau Castle, ancestral seat of the House of Nassau Nassau (duchy): an extinct German duchy Hesse-Nassau: the Prussian province... Map of the Bahamas The Battle of Nassau (March 2 – March 3, 1776) was a naval action and amphibious assault by American forces against British-occupied Nassau, The Bahamas during the American Revolutionary War. ... The Continental Marines were the colonial Marine force of the American Revolutionary War. ... Samuel Nicholas (circa 1744 - August 27, 1790) was the first officer commissioned in the United States Continental Marines (now the United States Marine Corps), and by tradition is considered to be the first Commandant of the Marine Corps. ...

That evening, Hopkins issued a proclamation which promised not to harm ". . . the persons or property of the inhabitants of New Providence . . ." if they did not resist. The following morning, Governor Montfort Browne surrendered Fort Nassau but only after he had spirited away most of the island's gunpowder from New Providence to St. Augustine, Florida. The name Fort Nassau was used by the Dutch in the 17th century for several fortifications, mostly trading stations, named for the House of Orange-Nassau. ... St. ...

After Hopkins stripped the forts of their guns and all remaining ordnance, Alfred led the American fleet homeward from Nassau harbor on St. Patrick's Day, 17 March, the same day that British troops were evacuating Boston. On 4 April, during the homeward voyage, Hopkins' ships captured the six-gun British schooner Hawk and the eight-gun bomb brig Bolton. Shortly after midnight on 6 April, Hopkins encountered the 20-gun Glasgow. That British frigate--which was carrying dispatches telling of the British withdrawal--put up a fierce and skillful fight which enabled her to escape from her substantially more powerful American opponents. At the outset of the fray, fire from her cannon cut Alfred's tiller ropes, leaving Hopkins' flagship unable to maneuver or to pursue effectively. The American ships did attempt to chase their fleeing enemy, but after dawn Glasgow disappeared over the horizon and safely reached Newport, Rhode Island. March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in Leap years). ... April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... Two-masted fishing schooner A schooner (IPA: ) is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts. ... In sailing, a brig is a vessel with two masts at least one of which is square rigged. ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... Eight ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Glasgow after the city in Scotland. ... Frigate is a name which has been used for several distinct types of warships at different times. ... A side street in Newport, Rhode Island, showing the historic buildings near the waterfront Newport is a city located in Newport County, Rhode Island, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Providence. ...

When Alfred and her consorts put into New London, Connecticut, on 8 April, the Americans were at first welcomed as heroes. However, many of the officers of the American squadron voiced dissatisfaction with Hopkins, and he was later relieved of command. View of New London from across the Thames River New London, Connecticut is a city in New London County, at the mouth of the Thames River and on the northeastern shore of Long Island Sound. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ...

Alfred was inactive through the summer for a number of reasons, but high on the list of her problems were want of funds and a shortage of men. On 7 August, Capt. John Paul Jones, who had helped to fit her out as a warship and had been her first lieutenant on the cruise to New Providence, was placed in command of the ship. She departed Providence, Rhode Island, on 26 October 1776 in company with Hampden, but that vessel struck a "sunken rock" before they could leave Narragansett Bay and returned to Newport. Her officers and men then shifted to sloop Providence accompanying Alfred to waters off Cape Breton Island which they reached by mid-November. There they took three prizes: on the 11th, the brigantine Active, bound from Liverpool to Halifax with an assorted cargo, the next day, the armed transport Mellish, laden with winter uniforms for British troops at Quebec; and, on the 16th, the snow Kitty, bound from Gaspé to Barbados with oil and fish. August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ... Nickname: Beehive of Industry Motto: Official website: http://www. ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... Narragansett Bay, shown in pink Narragansett Bay is a fjord on the north side of Rhode Island Sound, forming an expansive natural harbor as well as a small archipelago. ... Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada Cape Breton Island (French: île du Cap-Breton, Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Cheap Breatuinn, Mikmaq: Unamakika), almost always just Cape Breton, is a large island on the Atlantic coast of North America. ... Description In sailing, a brigantine is a vessel with two masts, at least one of which is square rigged. ... Liverpool waterfront by night, as seen from the Wirral. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = E Mari Merces (Wealth from the Sea) Logo: City Symbol: Kingfisher Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canadas Location. ... Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Official languages French Capital Quebec City Largest city Montreal Lieutenant-Governor Lise Thibault Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 75 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 2nd 1,542,056 km² 1,183,128 km² 176,928... The Gaspé Peninsula or just the Gaspé (la Gaspésie in French) is a North American peninsula on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, in Quebec. ...

Because of severe leaks, Providence sailed for home soon thereafter and Alfred continued her cruise alone. On 22 November boats from the ship raided Canso, Nova Scotia, where their crews burned a transport bound for Canada with provisions and a warehouse full of whale oil, besides capturing a small schooner to replace Providence. Two days later, Alfred captured three colliers off Louisburg, bound from Nova Scotia to New York with coal for the British Army and, on 26 November captured the 10-gun letter-of-marque John of Liverpool. On the homeward voyage, Alfred was pursued by HMS Milford but managed to escape after a four-hour chase. She arrived safely at Boston on 15 December and began a major refit. November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Canso (2001 population: 992) is a small Canadian town in Guysborough County, on the north-eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia. ... Collier may refer to: a bulk cargo ship that carried coal. ... Louisburg is the name of some places in the United States of America and Canada: Louisburg, Nova Scotia, Canada Louisburg, Kansas, United States of America Louisburg, Minnesota, United States of America Louisburg, Missouri, United States of America Louisburg, North Carolina, United States of America (See also Lewisburg. ... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (Latin: One defends and the other conquers) Official languages None Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Lieutenant-Governor Myra Freeman Premier Rodney MacDonald (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 11 10 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 12th 55,283 km² 53,338... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Captain Elisha Hinman became Alfred's commanding officer in May 1777, but she did not get underway until 22 August when she sailed for France with Raleigh to obtain military supplies. En route, they captured four small prizes. They reached L'Orient on 6 October, and on 29 December sailed for America. They proceeded via the coast of Africa, where they took a small sloop, and then headed for the West Indies, hoping to add to their score before turning northward for home. 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... August 22 is the 234th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (235th in leap years), with 131 days remaining. ... USS Raleigh was one of thirteen ships that the Continental Congress authorized for the United States Navy in 1775. ... Lorient is a commune and a seaport of Brittany, France, in the Morbihan département, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in Leap years). ... December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. ...

On 9 March 1778, near Barbados, they encountered British warships Ariadne and Ceres. When the American ships attempted to flee, Alfred fell behind her faster consort. Shortly after noon the British men-of-war caught up with Alfred and forced her to surrender after a half an hour's battle. March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... 1778 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

After surrendering, Alfred was taken to Barbados where she was condemned and sold. She was purchased and taken into the Royal Navy as H.M. armed ship Alfred (20 guns) and was sold in 1782. 1782 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

External links

• Schooner Man

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS for short) is the primary reference work for the basic facts about every ship ever used by the United States Navy. ...