Naval Battles of 1776
January 12, 1776 at Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina – On January 12, Capt. ?? Smith, commander of the pilot boat Hibernia, was ordered to conduct a reconnaissance of some approaching British ships. At 7:00 A.M., the British fleet (frigate HMS Syren, sloop HMS Raven, and HMS Rittenhouse) approached the Charlestown Harbor. Capt. Tobias Furneaux, commander of the Syren, sent a small boat into the harbor to see if the HMS Tamar was still there. Not seeing the ship, the small boat headed back to the fleet when it was attacked by the Hibernia. The British boat chased the Hibernia into Sullivan’s Island. There, it was fired upon by the 2nd South Carolina Regiment. The British boat was chased away.
Conclusion: Inconclusive Victory
January 23, 1776 off Sandy Hook, New Jersey - On January 23, a Patriot force from Elizabethtown, commanded by William Alexander and Elias Dayton, managed to capture the Brtish ship, HMS Blue Mountain Valley, about 40 miles off the banks of Sandy Hook.
January 27-28, 1776 at Fort Johnson, North Carolina – On January 26, the sloop HMS Scorpion was ordered to attack the Patriots in Fort Johnson. The Scorpion managed to fire 26 rounds before retiring. The sloop HMS Cruizer tried to get close to the fort but was unsuccessful.
On January 27, the Cruizer was ordered to sail up the Cape Fear River, but turned back when they saw the impressive defensive breastworks of the city. The Cruizer tried to land a raiding party but was forced to abandon it after receiving rifle fire from both sides of the river. The ship was continually fired upon until it left the river area.
Conclusion: American Victory
February 5, 1776 at North carolina coast, North Carolina (HMS Syren vs. Hawke)- On February 5, the pilot ship Hawke was captured by the HMS Syren.
Conclusion: British Victory
February 10, 1776 at Cape Fear River, North Carolina (HMS Cruzer vs. USS America) – On February 10, the HMS Cruizer, commanded by Capt. Francis Perry, captured the USS America as it was sailing up the Cape Fear River.
Conclusion: British Victory
March 12, 1776 at Savannah, Georgia (HMS Raven vs. Georgia Packet) – The British naval fleet that had left Charlestown in January had made the mouth of the Savannah River its base of operations. They had orders to capture any American ships that appeared near their fleet.
On March 12, the Georgia Packet, loaded with food and drink supplies neared the area. The HMS Raven spotted and quickly captured the ship off the Savannah Bar.
Conclusion: British Victory
March 22, 1776 at Charlestown, South Carolina (USS Comet vs. HMS General Clinton) – On March 22, the USS Comet captured the sloop HMS General Clinton. This was the first time that the South Carolina Navy defeated a British warship.
Conclusion: American Victory
March 15, 1776 at Charlestown, South Carolina – On March 15, at sunrise, the frigate HMS Syren spotted an American ship that was carrying a Pennsylvania Artillery Company. The Syren chased the ship and soon fired a shot across its bow. The American ship stopped and surrendered without a fight.
Conclusion: British Victory
April 6, 1776 at Block Island, Rhode Island – Capt. Esek Hopkins’ naval fleet experienced a final encounter when the HMS Glasgow sailed into their midst after midnight on April 6. The ensuing pitched battle lasted for 3 hours, with British Capt. Tryingham Howe displaying superior seamanship in a series of bold moves. Though greatly outnumbered, the Glasgow inflicted 24 American casualties while only suffering 4 of her own, and its guns knocked out the USS Alfred’s wheel block and raked that ship’s deck with shot.
During the battle, Howe threw overboard dispatches he was carrying from Gen. William Howe in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Gen. Henry Clinton. Although badly damaged, the Glasgow escaped.
Conclusion: American Victory. Reported Casualties: Americans: 24k&w; British: 4k&w
April 17, 1776 off the Virginia Coast, Virginia (USS Lexington vs. HMS Edward) – On April 17, Capt. John Barry, in command of the USS Lexington, battled with the British sloop HMS Edward. Although barry’s ship had more guns than the Edward, the British had more experience. The Lexington endured heavy battering and 4 casualties but inflicted severe damage to the Edward’s sails and rigging.
The Edward finally struck her colors, and Barry thus became the first American naval captain to capture a British ship in actual combat.
A wealthy Philadelphia shipownwer, Barry had been master of the USS Alfred, now under Capt. Esek Hopkins’s command, before the Revolutionary War.
Conclusion: American Victory. Reported Casualties: Americans: 4k&w
May 8-9, 1776 at Wilmington, Delaware – On May 8-9, on the Delaware River off the mouth of the Christiana Creek (which was located near Wilmington), 13 Pennsylvania galleys attacked 2 British ships. After a skirmish which lasted until the next day, the American fleet forced the British to withdraw downriver.
Conclusion: American Victory
May 17, 1776 at Nantasket Roads, Massachusetts – On May 17, the USS Franklin, commanded by Capt. James Mugford, captured the HMS Hope, a british supply ship transporting entrenching tools and 1,500 barrels of powder to Boston.
Reacting furiosly, the British command in Boston Harbor sent out 13 boats with more than 200 men to board the Franklin during the night. Armed with muskets and spears, Mugford’s sailors drove off the British force, but Mugford himself died in the struggle.
Conclusion: American Victory
May 19, 1776 at Nantasket, Massachussetts – On May 19, the USS Franklin and the USS Lady Washington were heading toward the bay. The British saw them and sent several ships to capture the American ships. During the night, the British attacked. The Franklin was run aground with its crew getting offshore and forming up in a battle line.
About 12 British ships carrying 200 men landed and attempted to capture the Americans. The British were surprised and their attack was repulsed after a 1/2 hour fight.
Conclusion: American Victory
June 7, 1776 at Newburyport, Massachusetts (USS Yankee Hero vs. HMS Melford) – On June 7, the American privateer, USS Yankee Hero, was en route to Boston. The ship was attacked by the British frigate HMS Melford, commanded by Capt. John Burr. Outnumbered 4-to-1, the Yankee Hero’s crew couragiously battled for 2 hours before they had to surrender.
Conclusion: British Victory
August 3, 1776 at Tappan Sea, New York – Lt. Col. Benjamin Tupper, commanding 5 small boats, attacked 5 British ships that had in mid-July had passed up the Hudson River from Staten Island and anchored at the Tappan Sea. The attack failed.
Conclusion: British Victory
August 7, 1776 at Portsmouth, New Hampshire – The American privateer USS Hancock, commanded by Capt. Wingate Newman, captured the British ship HMS Reward and brought it into port to unload the ship’s cargo. The cargo included turtles intended for delivery to Lord North.
Conclusion: American Victory
September 6-7, 1776 at Governor’s Island, New York – On September 6-7, in New York harbor, Sgt. Ezra Lee attempted the first submarine attack in the history of warfare. In David Bushnell’s “American Turtle”, Lee tried to destroy the British ships in the area. The copper bottoms of the ships off Governor’s Island were too thick to be damaged by the powder charges that were released by the “Turtle”.
November 1, 1776 at Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina (HMS Aurora captured) – On November 1, the brig HMS Aurora was bound for New York along with 18 other ships that were transporting supplies. The Aurora foundered near Ocracoke Inlet and the remainder of the fleet continued on their journey. The Independent Company of Carteret County was stationed near Cape Lookout and saw the stuck ship. They sailed over to it, seized the cargo, and captured the entire crew.
Conclusion: American Victory
