USS ''Lee'' was a 6-gun
schooner
A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...
of the
Continental Navy
The Continental Navy was the navy of the United Colonies and United States from 1775 to 1785. It was founded on October 13, 1775 by the Continental Congress to fight against British forces and their allies as part of the American Revolutionary ...
during 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 the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
. She was named for General
Charles Lee.
Service history
1775
In October 1775, Colonel
John Glover, acting for General
George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
, chartered the schooner ''Two Brothers'' from Thomas Stevens of
Marblehead, Massachusetts
Marblehead is a coastal New England town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, along the North Shore (Massachusetts), North Shore. Its population was 20,441 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The town lies on a small peninsu ...
, as a replacement for . Her complement complete, 28 October, Captain
John Manley
John Paul Manley (born January 5, 1950) is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the eighth deputy prime minister of Canada from 2002 to 2003. He was Liberal Member of Parliament for Ottawa South from 1988 to 2004.
...
dropped her down with the tide, lay to off
Tuck Point, and headed out to sea the next morning.
On 27 November, the vessel, now known as ''Lee'', took her first prize, the 80-ton sloop ''Polly'' carrying turnips and Spanish-milled dollars from
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...
, to the British troops at
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
. After sending ''Polly'' into Beverly under a prize crew, ''Lee'' sailed off Boston, and at dusk the next day gave chase to the 250-ton
brig
A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...
''Nancy'', then beating her way into Boston. Mistaking ''Lee'' for a pilot boat, ''Nancy'' laid her sails aback and sent up a string of signal flags. Captain Manley dispatched a boat with carefully picked men, ordering them to conceal their weapons as they rowed to and boarded ''Nancy''. Taken by surprise, the brig surrendered without resistance, providing the Americans with a precious cargo of ordnance and gunpowder. Manley placed a prize crew in ''Nancy'' and accompanied her to Beverly.
Early in December, ''Lee'' was again giving chase intercepting the 200-ton ship ''Concord'' laden with drygoods and coal. After capture, ''Concord'' was escorted into
Marblehead Harbor
Marblehead Harbor is a harbor located in Marblehead, Massachusetts, 17 miles northeast of Boston. It is considered the birthplace of the Continental Navy, forerunner of the United States Navy, and of United States Marine Corps Aviation.
Descrip ...
. The next month Capt.
Daniel Waters relieved Captain Manley.
1776
On 29 January 1776, while operating with , ''Lee'' took the 60-ton sloop ''Rainbow'', carrying wood, potatoes, spruce beer, and meat. The next day the American schooners and their prize were sighted by the British
frigate
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
. After a fast chase, the Americans eluded the frigate and, with their prize, reached safety in
Cape Ann Harbor. ''Lee'' and ''Franklin'' soon slipped out to sea again, taking the 300-ton, Boston-bound brigantine ''Henry'' and ''Esther'', carrying military cargo, northeast of Cape Ann on 1 February.
Early in March, and joined ''Lee'' and ''Franklin'' off Cape Ann. On the night of the 4th, the schooners drove off British brig ''Hope'' in a spirited engagement. The next day they took ''Susannah'', a 300-ton British merchantman laden with coal, cheeses, and porter for General
William Howe's beleaguered army in Boston. After escorting their prize to
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on ...
, the squadron, commanded by Captain Manley in ''Lee'', returned to Cape Ann, where on the 10th they captured another ship, the 300-ton transport ''Stokesby'', bound for Boston with porter, cheese, vinegar, and hops. En route to
Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...
, the prize ran aground. After much of her cargo had been removed, British brig ''Hope'' arrived and put the torch to the hulk.
While Manley's squadron was at Gloucester, General Howe evacuated Boston and General Washington ordered his ships to dog the
British Fleet
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from th ...
, pouncing on any stragglers. The patriot schooners departed Gloucester, 21 March, and sighted a merchant brig off
Boston Light
Boston Light is a lighthouse located on Little Brewster Island in outer Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. The first lighthouse to be built on the site dates back to 1716, and was the first lighthouse to be built in what is now the United States. The ...
that afternoon. They chased their prey and by evening were close enough to open fire. Their quarry then hove to, but two British men-of-war, ''Savage'' and ''Diligent'', arrived to compel the American schooners to abandon their prize.
Soon afterwards, Manley divided his squadron, keeping ''Lynch'' and ''Lee'' with ''Hancock''. On the afternoon of 2 April, they sighted the brig ''Elizabeth''. This prize, an American vessel captured by the British the previous October, was filled with loot plundered from the warehouses of patriot Bostonian merchants and carried a number of
Tory
A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...
refugees. Many of the Tories were transferred to ''Lee'', while their leaders were taken on board ''Hancock'', and the captive crew imprisoned in ''Lynch'', which accompanied ''Hancock'' into Portsmouth.
On 13 May, ''Lee'', operating with off Cape Ann, was joined by ''Lynch''. A fortnight later pursued the schooners, but they escaped in fog. On 7 June, they captured the British transport ''Anne'', carrying a light infantry company of the
71st Regiment and some forty sailors sent out as fleet replacements. Sixty of the Highlanders were transferred to ''Lynch'' and taken to Plymouth, the remainder and the sailors were divided between ''Lee'' and ''Warren'', which then escorted ''Anne'' toward Marblehead, outrunning the British frigate ''Milford'' to safety.
''Lee'' next cruised alone off
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
without success until recapturing ''Betsy'', after that sloop had fallen prey to ''Milford'' in
Massachusetts Bay
Massachusetts Bay is a bay on the Gulf of Maine that forms part of the central coastline of Massachusetts.
Description
The bay extends from Cape Ann on the north to Plymouth Harbor on the south, a distance of about . Its northern and sout ...
. ''Lee'' scored again in early November by taking the brig ''Elizabeth'', escorting her into Boston on the 7th. While ''Lee'' was in port, Captain Waters left the ship to journey to
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
as a Member of
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
. He was succeeded by Capt.
John Skinner John Skinner may refer to:
Politicians
* John Skinner (MP for Maldon), 1391–1393, MP for Maldon 1391 and 1393
* John Skinner (fl.1395-99), MP for Reigate 1395, 1397 and 1399
* John Skinner (fl.1414-20), MP for Reigate 1414, 1415 and 1420
*John Sk ...
.
1777
Early in the spring of 1777, ''Lee'' was again underway from Boston. She took the schooner ''Hawke'', 13 April, captured the fishing sloop ''Betsy'', 3 May, and, a week later, caught the
Irish brigantine ''Charles''. The latter, laden with fish, was recaptured en route to Boston under a prize crew. Soon the brigantines ''Capelin'' and ''Industry'' were added to the list of prizes and escorted to
Casco Bay
Casco Bay is an bay, open bay of the Gulf of Maine on the coast of Maine in the United States. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's chart for Casco Bay marks the dividing line between the bay and the Gulf of Maine as running from ...
to be libeled. ''Lee'' then continued on to Boston, arriving 25 June.
Meanwhile, the ranks of the
Continental Navy
The Continental Navy was the navy of the United Colonies and United States from 1775 to 1785. It was founded on October 13, 1775 by the Continental Congress to fight against British forces and their allies as part of the American Revolutionary ...
were being thinned by captures. When ''Lynch''
struck her colors on 19 May 1777, ''Lee'' was the only schooner of the little fleet left in operation. She pushed out into the Atlantic, 24 July. On 29 August she caught the brig ''Industrious Bee'' and sent her into Boston. The next day, she took the snow ''Lively'', but that prize was recaptured by the frigate ''Diamond'', 23 September. ''Lee'' next turned south and took her final prize, the brigantine ''Dolphin'', before returning to Marblehead, 26 October 1777. A few days later, she was returned to her owner.
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee (1775)
1770s ships
Schooners of the Continental Navy