USS Congress vs. HMS Savage
September 6, 1781 off the coast of Charlestown, South Carolina

Americans Commanded by Capt. George Geddes Forces Killed Wounded Captured 215 11 30 - British Commanded by Capt. Charles Stirling Forces Killed Wounded Captured 40 8 26 - *Killed or Wounded Conclusion: American Victory

On September 6, the British naval sloop, HMS Savage, was cruising off the coast of Charleston. The Savage was commanded by Capt. Charles Stirling. He noticed an approaching ship that they thought was a privateer. He let the ship get close to the Savage. By the time he realized what the ship was, it was too late. The supposed privateer was actually the USS Congress. The Congress was a Philadelphia privateer, commanded by Capt. George Geddes, which contained 20 12-lb. cannon on the main deck and 4 6-lb. cannon above.
The Savage began the naval battle. The fierce battle lasted over 4 hours before the Savage was forced into submission. The Savage had hermizenmast shot away, the main mast was torn, and the ship was on fire in several places. The crew of the Congress boarded the Savage in 3 different places with only 40 British sailors on deck to defend against the Congress.
Around 2:45 P.M., Stirling had no choice but to surrender the Savage to Geddes and the Congress. Not too much later, the Savage was captured by the Britsh frigate, HMS Solebay.