USS ''Pickering'' was the first

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 ...

built for the

United States Revenue Cutter Service The United States Revenue Cutter Service was established by an Act of Congress () on 4 August 1790 as the Revenue-Marine at the recommendation of the nation's first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. The federal government bod ...

which later served with the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

during the

Quasi-War The Quasi-War was an undeclared war from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic. It was fought almost entirely at sea, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States, with minor actions in ...

with

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. She was named for

Timothy Pickering Timothy Pickering (July 17, 1745January 29, 1829) was the third United States Secretary of State, serving under Presidents George Washington and John Adams. He also represented Massachusetts in both houses of United States Congress, Congress as ...

, then the Secretary of State. USRC ''Pickering'' was built at

Newburyport Newburyport is a coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, northeast of Boston. The population was 18,289 at the 2020 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island. The m ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

in 1798 for the

Revenue Cutter Service The United States Revenue Cutter Service was established by an Act of Congress () on 4 August 1790 as the Revenue-Marine at the recommendation of the nation's first United States Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Alexand ...

. Captain Jonathan Chapman was her first commander. Taken into the Navy in July at the outbreak of the Quasi-War, she departed

Boston 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 ...

on her first cruise on 22 August.

Service history

In 1799 and early 1800, she was part of

Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (India), in India ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...

Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 195 ...

's squadron in the

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

. Lieutenant

Edward Preble Edward Preble (August 15, 1761 – August 25, 1807) was an American naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the First Barbary War, leading attacks on Tripoli and forming the officer corps that would go on to command ...

commanded ''Pickering'' from January through June 1799, when he was promoted to captain and took command of the frigate . On 21 April 1799 she exchanged fire with Fort Dup Vieux and Fort Royall,

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...

. On 29 April 1799 she and USS George Washington recaptured American brig "Fair American" captured by 3 French letters of marque the previous day. On 1 May 1799 she, and USS George Washington recaptured American brig "Francis", captured by a French privateer. "Francis" was Captained by Joshua Preble, Lieutenant Edward Preble's brother. ''Pickering'' was permanently transferred to the Navy on 20 May and re-designated USS ''Pickering''. She arrived at New York 12–13 June 1799 from her deployment to the Caribbean. Master Commandant Benjamin Hillar, U.S. Navy, assumed command in June, and continued command of the ship for its final years. She, USS Ganges, and

USS Merrimack USS ''Merrimack'', or variant spelling USS ''Merrimac'', may be any one of several ships commissioned in the United States Navy and named after the Merrimack River The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a r ...

recaptured American merchant schooner "John" on 15 August 1799. On 16 September 1799 she captured (recaptured?) schooner Atalanta, condemned by prize court and sold in August, 1800. ''Pickering'' fought a notable engagement with the French

privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

''L'Egypte Conquise'' on 18 October 1799. The Frenchman was well fitted out and manned and should have been able to capture ''Pickering''. While the French ship carried fourteen 9-pounders, four 6-pounders, and crew of 250, the American cutter had only fourteen 4-pounders and seventy men. After a nine-hour battle, however, the French ship was forced to surrender. A few days earlier she had a running battle with a French lugger that escaped due to springing of the Pickering's masts. Sometime in October she and USS Delaware recaptured brig "Henrich". On 27 December 1799 she captured a French privateer, possibly "Voltiguese". ''Pickering'' continued to cruise in the West Indies, and before her return to the United States had captured four French privateers, including ''Atalanta'', ''L'Active''(sometime before 24 April), and ''Fly'',. Between 2 August to 31 December 1799 she recaptured schooner "Cynthia", Unknown English sloop, French schooner "Helen", recaptured Danish brig "Helen", recaptured brig "Brothers" sometime in November, recaptured schooner "Harriet" in January, 1800. On 2 February 1800 she recaptured armed merchant ship "Portland" in the Sale Rock Passage, she had been captured by a privateer on 25 January (). In April she recaptured brigs "Mary" and "Eliza", and captured an unknown schooner. She arrived in Boston on 17 May 1800. She departed Boston 10 June to patrol between

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

and

Cape Hatteras Cape Hatteras is a cape located at a pronounced bend in Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina. As a temperate barrier island, the landscape has been shaped by wind, waves, and storms. There are long stretches of beach ...

. She returned to New Castle, Delaware on 21 July. Ordered to join Commodore

Thomas Truxton Commodore Thomas Truxtun (February 17, 1755 – May 5, 1822) was a United States Navy officer and politician. During the American Revolutionary War, he served as a privateer. Truxtun eventually rose to the rank of Commodore in the late eighteenth ...

's squadron on the Guadeloupe Station in the West Indies, she sailed from New Castle,

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

on 20 August, and was never heard from again. She is presumed to have been lost with all hands in a gale in September, but this was never proven. This storm is also thought to have sunk , which likewise vanished without a trace. The exact cause of the cutter's disappearance remains a mystery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pickering Ships of the United States Revenue Cutter Service Cutters of the United States Navy Quasi-War ships of the United States Missing ships Ships built in Newburyport, Massachusetts 1798 ships Maritime incidents in 1800 Ships lost with all hands Shipwrecks