Career
Laid down:	1777
Launched:	28 April 1778
Fate:	sold 1785
Specifications
Displacement:	900t
Length:	151 ft (46m)
Beam:	36 ft (11.0m)
Depth:	12.5 ft (3.8m)
Armament:	28-12pdr (5kg), 8-9pdr (4kg)
Complement:	300 officers and men

The first USS Alliance of the United States Navy was a 36 gun sailing frigate of the American Revolutionary War, notable for having fired the last shot of the war. the United States naval jack File links The following pages link to this file: USS Indianapolis (CA-35) USS Monitor USS Peleliu (LHA-5) USS Oregon (BB-3) USS Akron (ZRS-4) USS Housatonic (1861) USS Holland (SS-1) USS S-1 (SS-105) USS R-14 (SS-91) USS... 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... 1785 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Sailing frigates were 4th, 5th, or 6th-rated ships in the rating system of the Royal Navy. ... The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was a war fought primarily between Great Britain and revolutionaries within thirteen of her North American colonies. ...

Originally named Hancock, she was laid down in 1777 on the Merrimack River at Salisbury, Massachusetts, 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 who had come to the New World hoping to become a naval counterpart of Lafayette. The frigate's first captain was widely accepted as such in America. Massachusetts made him an honorary citizen and the Continental Congress gave him command of Alliance, the finest warship built to that date on the western side of the Atlantic. 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Merrimack River, formed by the confluence of the Pemigewasset River (left) and Winnipesaukee River (right) is shown on a map of the northeastern United States The Merrimack River (sometimes spelled Merrimac River, an earlier name that is sometimes, although unofficially, used today) is a 110-mile-long (177-kilometer... A view down the main street of Salisbury towards the beach Salisbury is a town located in Essex County, Massachusetts. ... April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... 1785 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ... In May 1775 over 50 men arrived in Philadelphia, called the Continental Congress, their purpose was to represent the interest of colonist in America. ... Navy officers on the bridges of the frigate La Motte-Picquet French Navy summer uniforms Frigate division of the French Navy in Toulon harbour (Marine Nationale) is the naval arm of the French military and is the second-largest Western European navy (the largest being the Royal Navy). ... The New World is one of the names used for the continents of North and South America and adjacent islands collectively, in use since the 16th century. ... Lafayette or La Fayette is the name of several places in the United States of America, generally named for the French hero of the American Revolution, the Marquis de Lafayette (sometimes referred to as the Marquis de la Fayette), as are most places named Fayette, or Fayetteville: La Fayette, Alabama... State nickname: Bay State Other U.S. States Capital Boston Largest city Boston Governor Mitt Romney Official languages English Area 27,360 km² (44th)  - Land 20,317 km²  - Water 7,043 km² (25. ...

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 Britishers and Irishmen, 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 prizes, was peaceful. The ship reached Brest safely on the 6th. A true colour image of Ireland, captured by a NASA satellite on January 4, 2003. ... Alternative meanings: Boston (disambiguation) The 18th-century Old State House in Boston is surrounded by tall buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries. ... January 14 is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1779 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Location within France Brest, at the tip of Brittany Brest (population of the city: 146,000 inhabitants as of 2004 estimates; population of the metropolitan area: 303,484 inhabitants as of 1999 census) is a city in the Bretagne région, north-west France, subprefecture of the Finistère d... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... A prize is an award given to a person or a group of people to recognise and reward actions or achievements. ...

After the marquis and his suite had disembarked, Benjamin Franklin, one of the American commissioners in Paris, ordered her to remain in France despite the fact that Landais' 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. Franklin, an engraving from a painting by Duplessis Dr. Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was an American printer, journalist, publisher, author, philanthropist, abolitionist, public servant, scientist, librarian, diplomat, and inventor. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... (disputed — see talk page) 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 squadron departed Groix Roads, near L'Orient, France on 19 June to escort a convoy of merchantmen to Bordeaux and other French ports. During a storm that night, Alliance collided with Jones' flagship, Bonhomme Richard, 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 injured warships were repaired. Lorient is a commune and a seaport of Brittany, France, in the Morbihan département, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... City motto: Lilia sola regunt lunam undas castra leonem. ... The first USS Bonhomme Richard, formerly Duc de Durae, was a east indiaman, a merchant ship built in France for the French East India Company in 1765, for service between France and the Orient. ... This article is about the rigging of ships, and is based on the detailed article in the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica, now in the public domain. ...

The French planned an invasion of southern England that summer, and asked Jones to carry out a diversionary raid in the northern British Isles. 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. Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... British Isles is also an old name for the Great Britain, Great Britain Ireland The Isle of Man The Isle of Wight The Northern Isles, including Orkney, Shetland and Fair Isle The Hebrides, including the Inner Hebrides, Outer Hebrides and Small Isles Rockall The islands of the lower Firth of... August 14 is the 226th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (227th in leap years), with 139 days remaining. ...

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 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, and Jones allowed Landais to man both vessels. The latter again showed his complete contempt for the commodore by sending the prizes to Bergen, Norway, where the Danish Government 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. A squall or squall line is a line of thunderstorms with a common leading convection line, or mesocyclone, which tends to create a powerful gust front. ... August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... Cape Wrath lighthouse Cape Wrath is a cape in northern Scotland. ... Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Alba) is a country in northwest Europe, occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain. ... County Hordaland Landscape Midhordland Municipality NO-1201 Administrative centre Bergen Mayor (2004) Herman Friele (H) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 215 465 km² 445 km² 0. ... The Kingdom of Denmark is geographically the smallest Nordic country and is part of the European Union. ... A consulate (or consular office) is a form of diplomatic mission in charge of issues related to individual people and businesses, in other words issues outside inter-governmental diplomacy. ...

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 Palloc, a frigate of his squadron which had recently parted from the flagship with the commodore's permission to hunt prizes. September 22 is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years). ...

About mid-afternoon on 23 September, the flagship sighted a large number of ships approaching from the north-northeast. The oncoming vessels were part of a convoy of British merchantmen which had sailed from the Baltic Sea under the escort of the 44-gun frigate HMS Serapis and the 20 gun sloop of war HMS Countess Of Scarborough. When the English vessels realized that strange warships were bearing down on them, the merchant ships turned shoreward while their two escorts headed toward the American force challenging it to battle. September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ... The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Eastern Europe and Central Europe, and the Danish islands. ... Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Serapis, after the god Serapis of Hellenistic Egypt. ...

Jones signaled his ships to form a line of battle, but Landais ignored the order and remained aloof from the action. During most of the ensuing four-hour Battle of Flamborough Head off England's Yorkshire coast, Alliance kept her distance from the action which lasted well into the night. Some two hours after the first guns were fired, Alliance entered the fray. When he saw her approach, 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 [Landais] for God's sake to forbear firing into the Bonhomme Richard, yet he passed along off the side of the ship and continued firing." However, Capt. Richard Pearson, who commanded Serapis, reported that Alliance was also firing into his ship. Thus, it appears that Landais was indiscriminately attacking both combatants. Yorkshire as a traditional county. ...

Ignoring incredible damage to hull and rigging, as well as appalling loss of life, limb, and blood, each side continued to fight with unflagging determination and unshaken valor. Then, when it seemed that neither ship could remain much longer afloat, Serapis finally struck her colors. A hull is the body or frame of a ship or boat. ...

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. A flagship is the ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships. ...

By 29 September, untiring labor had enabled Serapis to get underway, and the squadron 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. September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years). ... October 2nd is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 90 days remaining. ... Municipality of Amsterdam Alternate meanings: See Amsterdam Amsterdam  listen is the capital of the Netherlands. ...

When word of the battle reached London, the Admiralty ordered its nearby men-of-war to search for Jones' flotilla; the Royal Navy 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 Allied squadron might attempt. Meanwhile, the British ambassador - hoping to win for his country by diplomacy the victory and vindication it had been denied in ordeal by combat pressed the Government of the Dutch Republic to return both Serapis and Countess Of Scarborough to England. Failing that he demanded that Jones' squadron be expelled from Texel and thus forced into the jaws of the Royal Navy's blockading squadron. Old Admiralty House, Whitehall, London, Thomas Ripley, architect, 1723-26, was not admired by his contemporaries and earned him some scathing couplets from Alexander Pope The Admiralty was historically the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. ... A man of war (also man-of-war, man-o-war or simply man) is an armed naval vessel. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... This article is about the Dutch United Provinces. ...

Indeed, on 12 November, the Netherland 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. November 12 is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 49 days remaining. ... Ships of the line were 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-rated ships in the rating system of the Royal Navy. ...

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 and entered the English Channel. On the night of 31 December, she was off Ushant, an island off the westernmost tip of Brittany, when 1779 gave way to 1780. December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The Strait of Dover (Fr. ... The English Channel ( French:La Manche) is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. ... December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The Ile dOuessant (in English Ushant, in Breton Enez Eusa) is an island in the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of European France. ... Traditional coat of arms This article is about the historical duchy and French province, as well as the cultural area of Brittany. ... 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

1780

For a bit 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. In sailing, a brig is a vessel with two masts at least one of which is square rigged. ... January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Corunna is the name of two towns in the United States: Corunna, Indiana Corunna, Michigan and one town in Canada: Corunna, Ontario A Coruña, or La Coruña, is the name of a province in Spain, as well as the name of its capital. ... This article is about the rigging of ships, and is based on the detailed article in the 1911 Encyclopedia Brittanica, now in the public domain. ...

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 prize which had been taken by an English privateer - 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. The Bay of Biscay (French: Golfe de Gascogne; Spanish: Mar Cantábrico) is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean. ... A barque, sometimes spelled bark, originally referred to a particular type of ship-rigged sailing vessel with a plain bluff bow and a full stern with windows. ... A privateer was a private ship (or its captain) authorized by a countrys government to attack and seize cargo from another countrys ships. ... Species N. glauca N. longiflora N. rustica N. sylvestris N. tabacum Ref: ITIS 30562 as of 2002-08-28 Tobacco () is a broad-leafed plant of the nightshade family, indigenous to North and South America, whose dried and cured leaves are often smoked (see tobacco smoking) in the form of...

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. February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

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. Arthur Lee (1740-1792), was an American diplomat during the American Revolutionary War. ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ...

Jones arrived at L'Orient, where he heard of this coup. He journeyed to Paris and obtained support from Franklin and M. de Sartine, the French Minister of Marine. When Jones returned to L'Orient on 20 June, he found that Alliance had already weighed anchor and moved to Port Louis, 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 it she attempted to stand out to sea. June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... The purpose of a ships or boats anchor is to attach the vessel to the ground at a specific point. ... See also Port Louis, Falkland Islands. ... There are several meanings of the word boom: a sound such as a sonic boom - onomatopoeia the sound of an explosion. ...

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.

It must be noted that the hero of Flamborough may have been rationalizing to conceal less lofty motives. Samuel Eliot Morison 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." Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison, USNR (July 9, 1887 - May 15, 1976) was an American historian, notable for producing both authoritative scholarship and highly readable, an ability recognized with two Pulitzer Prizes. ...

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 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. United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States armed forces. ... This article is in need of attention. ...

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. August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

The Navy Board 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. For the international law of the sea, see Admiralty law. ... Old Admiralty House, Whitehall, London, Thomas Ripley, architect, 1723-26, was not admired by his contemporaries and earned him some scathing couplets from Alexander Pope The Admiralty was historically the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. ... 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. ...

Barry arrived at Boston on 19 September with orders stripping Landais of all claim to command of the frigate. That unfortunate officer 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. September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ...

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 - a former aide-de-camp to General George Washington, 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. John Laurens (October 28, 1754 - August 27, 1782) was an American soldier and statesman from South Carolina during the Revolutionary War. ... An aide-de-camp (French: camp assistant) is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state. ... Order: 1st President Vice President: John Adams Term of office: April 30, 1789 – March 3, 1797 Preceded by: None Succeeded by: John Adams Date of birth: February 22, 1732 Place of birth: Westmoreland, Virginia Date of death: December 14, 1799 Place of death: Mount Vernon, Virginia First Lady: Martha Washington... January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1781 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

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 refused to pursue any shipping which would delay his progress. Yet, on 4 March, the frigate encountered a ship and a schooner. One shot brought both vessels to. The schooner 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, whose writings had exerted great influence in persuading the colonies to seek independence, Major William Jackson, a Continental Army officer from South Carolina, and the vicomte de Noailles, a cousin of Lafayette. March 4 is the 63rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (64th in leap years). ... A ship is a large, usually decked watercraft. ... Two-masted fishing schooner A schooner is a type of sailing ship characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... Thomas Paine Thomas Paine (January 29, 1737 – June 8, 1809) was an intellectual scholar and idealist, widely recognized as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. ... The Continental Army was the unified command structure of the thirteen colonies fighting Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. ... State nickname: Palmetto State Other U.S. States Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Governor Mark Sanford Official languages English Area 82,965 km² (40th)  - Land 78,051 km²  - Water 4,915 km² (6%) Population (2000)  - Population 4,012,012 (26th)  - Density 51. ... Louis-Marie, vicomte de Noailles (April 17, 1756–January 9, 1804) was the second son of Philippe, duc de Mouchy, and a member of Mouchy branch of the famous Noailles family of the French aristocracy. ...

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. March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... An East Indiaman was a ship belonging to the British East India Company. ...

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 and fired a broadside at the frigate as they passed abreast. Two answering salvoes from Alliance robbed the larger English vessel 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 Philadelphia under an American crew. Marquis De Lafayette provided the prize crew for the smaller vessel, a Jersey 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. April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... A convoy is a group of vehicles or ships traveling together for mutual support. ... A broadside is the side of a ship; the battery of cannon on one side of a warship; or their simultaneous (or near simultaneous) fire in naval warfare. ... Striking the colors was and is the universally recognized indication of surrender. ... Philadelphia is a village located in Jefferson County, New York. ... April 17 is the 107th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (108th in leap years). ...

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, the frigate sighted, but escaped the attention of a large convoy from Jamaica 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. May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ...

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 and injuring almost a score of men. May 12 is the 132nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (133rd in leap years). ... Multiple cloud-to-ground and cloud-to-cloud lightning strokes are observed during a night-time thunderstorm. ... The mast of a sailing ship is a tall vertical pole which supports the sails. ...

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, they hoisted British colors and prepared for battle. Although all three ships were almost completely becalmed, the American drifted within hailing distance of larger vessel about an hour before noon; Barry learned that was the sloop of war Atalanta. Her smaller consort proved to be Trepassey, also a sloop of war. The American captain then identified his own vessel and invited Atalanta's commanding officer 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 as of their foe where their guns could pound her with near impunity In the motionless air, Alliance - too large to be propelled by sweeps - was powerless to maneuver. USS Constellation, a United States Navy sloop-of-war. ... Sweep may be any of the following: For the series of books by Cate Tiernan, see Sweep (book series). ...

A grapeshot hit Barry's left shoulder, seriously wounding him, but he continued to direct the fighting until loss of blood almost robbed him of consciousness. Capt. 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, the wounded captain refused to allow this and asked to be brought back on deck to resume command. Grapeshot was a kind of anti-personnel ammunition used in cannons. ...

Inspired by Barry's zeal, Hacker returned to the fray. Then a wind sprang up and restored the battered frigate'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. St. ... Newfoundland (French: Terre-Neuve; Irish: Talamh an Éisc; Latin: Terra Nova) is a large island off the north-east coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ...

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 surrendered his army at Yorktown, ending the war's last major action on land, 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. June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (December 31, 1738-October 5, 1805) was a British general and colonial governor. ... Yorktown is the name of several places in the United States of America: Yorktown, Arkansas Yorktown, Illinois Yorktown, Indiana Yorktown, Iowa Yorktown, Kentucky Yorktown, Maryland Yorktown, New Jersey Yorktown, New York Yorktown, Ohio Yorktown, Texas Yorktown, Virginia - site of the Battle of Yorktown Yorktown, Philadelphia, a neighborhood in Philadelphia. ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... See also Christmas Christmas Eve, December 24, the day before Christmas Day, is treated to a greater or a lesser extent in most Christian societies as part of the festivities. ...

1782

The ship arrived off L'Orient on 17 January 1782 and disembarked Lafayette and his party. January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1782 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

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 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. Description In sailing, a brigantine is a vessel with two masts, at least one of which is square rigged. ...

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. March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (75th in Leap years). ...

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 Delaware River at New Hope, Pennsylvania The Delaware River is a river on the Atlantic coast of the United States. ...

The frigate reached Cape Henlopen 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, where she arrived on 13 May. Cape Henlopen is the southern cape of the Delaware Bay along the United States. ... May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... Tender may mean: one of several types of boat or ship, all sharing the general function of servicing another type of air or sea vessel: seaplane tender - supplies and services seaplanes submarine tender - resupplies submarines motor torpedo boat tender - resupplies motor torpedo boats ships tender - used to transport people... Long Island Sound near Guilford, Connecticut Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean and various rivers in the United States. ... 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. ... May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (134th in leap years). ...

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 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, 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. August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ... State nickname: The Ocean State Other U.S. States Capital Providence Largest city Providence Governor Donald Carcieri Official languages None Area 4,005 km² (50th)  - Land 2,709 km²  - Water 1,296 km² (32. ... Important notice: This article is about the modern civilian boat type. ...

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 that had been sailing under a British pass. Nantucket is an island south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, formed of glacial moraine. ... The crew of the oceanographic research vessel Princesse Alice, of Albert Grimaldi (later Prince Albert I of Monaco) pose while flensing a catch Whaling is the hunting and killing of whales. ...

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 Commerce became his prize. The next day he captured the dismasted Kingston. September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... This page is about the form of precipitation. ...

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. October 17 is the 290th (in leap years the 291st) day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. ...

Alliance got underway again on 9 December 1782 for the West Indies. December 9 is the 343rd day (344th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1782 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ...

1783

At the end of a largely uneventful passage, she anchored off Saint-Pierre, Martinique, on 8 January 1783. There Barry found orders to sail to Havana 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. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1783 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Havana (Spanish: San Cristóbal de La Habana) is the capital of Cuba and, with a population of 2. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11 (IB), 6, d Density, Hardness 19. ... Map showing location of Sint Eustatius relative to Saba and Sint Maarten/Saint Martin Sint Eustatius (also Saint Eustace and Statia), pop. ...

However, another American warship, Duc De Lauzun, was already in port on the same mission. The specie had already been loaded on that ship, 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 which 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 - Alarm and Sybil - in company with sloop-of-war Tobago. A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of goods and services. ... March 6 is the 65th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (66th in Leap years). ...

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 fight, 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 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 stone's throw 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. The chase guns, usually distinguished as bow chasers and stern chasers (or just chasers for short) were cannons mounted in the bow or stern of a sailing ship. ...

Meanwhile, the Treaty of Paris 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 in which Alliance fired the last shot of the American Revolutionary War. Painting by Benjamin West depicting John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, and William Temple Franklin. ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1783 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was a war fought primarily between Great Britain and revolutionaries within thirteen of her North American colonies. ...

The two American ships again headed home on the day following their brush with the Britishers, 11 March, but separated off Cape Hatteras 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. March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (71st in Leap year). ... An aerial view of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Cape Hatteras is a cape on the coast of North Carolina. ...

Alliance continued on northward and arrived at Newport, Rhode Island, at midafternoon on 20 March 1783. Since that port could easily be raided by British men-of-war, she soon proceeded up Narragansett Bay and anchored just below Providence. There, her crew was reduced to peacetime needs, and she was thoroughly overhauled. A side street in Newport, Rhode Island, showing the historic buildings near the waterfront Newport is a city located in Newport County, Rhode Island. ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). ... 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. ... Providence is the capital and largest city in Rhode Island, a state of the United States of America. ...

Ordered to proceed to Chesapeake Bay 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. 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. Chesapeake Bay - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... For the river in New Zealand, see Rappahannock River, New Zealand The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia in the United States, approximately 184 mi (294 km). ... August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

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. 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. August 1st is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 1785 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Robert Morris, Jr. ... The Dutch East Indies, or Netherlands East Indies, (Dutch: Nederlands Indië) was the name of the colonies set up by the Dutch East India Company, which came under administration of the Netherlands during the 19th century (see Indonesia). ... 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Location within China CITIC Plaza Guangzhou fireworks display at night Guangzhou (Simplified Chinese: 广州; Traditional Chinese: 廣州; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kuang-chou; Jyutping: Gwong2zau1; Yale: Gwóngjaū) is the capital of the Guangdong Province in southern China. ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The Caroline Islands should not be confused with Caroline Island, part of Kiribati (Southern Line Islands), also in the central Pacific. ... District center of Pohnpei Map of Pohnpei Pohnpei (also spelled Ponape and earlier Bonabee) is one of the islands in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and is one of the Senyavin Islands. ... A tea bush. ... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ... 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

After 1788

Apparently, no details of Alliance's subsequent career have survived. However, when she was no longer seaworthy, the former frigate was abandoned on the shore of Petty Island across the Delaware from Philadelphia. 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. A dredge is a small waterborne craft used to remove sediment from the bottoms of rivers and harbors. ... 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

See USS Alliance for other Navy ships of the same name. Two United States Navy ships have been named USS Alliance. ...

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. ...