For other ships with the same name, see USS Merrimack.
USS Merrimack, was a ship launched by an Association of Newburyport Shipwrights and presented to the Navy in 1798. She was the first ship of the Navy to be named for the Merrimack River. She saw action in the Quasi-War.
Captain Moses Brown commanded Merrimack when she was placed in service in December 1798. She departed Boston on 3 January 1799 for the Windward Islands to protect American merchantmen in the Caribbean during the naval war with France. She arrived Prince Rupert Bay on the 20th, and, for the next two years, cruised in the West Indies and escorted convoys to the United States.
On 26 March, 1799 she recaptured American brig "Harmony" that had been captured by French privateer schooner "La Resolue" and escorted her to Martinico.[1] On 28 June 1799, she took her first prize L'Magicienne, the former American naval schooner Retaliation, captured on 20 November 1798 and taken into the French Navy. She took French letter-of-marque schooner Bonaparte 7 August and, with Ganges and Pickering, recaptured American schooner John on the 15th, after that ship had struck her colors to French privateer Revelleiu the day before.
Merrimack freed American brig Ceres, 6 June 1800, after it had been taken by L'Hazard on 18 May 1800. On arriving off Curaçao, 22 September, she found that a French force of 16 ships from Guadeloupe was besieging the city with 1,400 men. That evening, with Patapsco, Merrimack stood into the harbor through heavy fire from French cannon and muskets. The American gunners replied with great spirit driving the enemy troops from their guns, but from time to time, during the night, the French soldiers renewed the cannonade. The next morning, the French troops reembarked in confusion and fled.
Merrimack captured French privateer sloop Phoenix on 20 October 1800, and later in the year took French brig Brilliant. A list of American prizes credits Merrimack with recapturing British schooner Godfrey, but gives no details about the action.
She was stripped of naval equipment and sold in 1801. Subsequently, while operating in merchant service under the name Monticello, the ship was lost off Cape Cod, Massachusetts the same year.[2]
Referencesedit
^"Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France Volume 2 Part 3 of 3 Naval Operations November 1798 to March 1799" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
^"Monticello (+1801)". wrecksite. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
merrimack, 1798, other, ships, with, same, name, merrimack, merrimack, ship, launched, association, newburyport, shipwrights, presented, navy, 1798, first, ship, navy, named, merrimack, river, action, quasi, historyunited, statesnameuss, merrimackbuilderassoci. For other ships with the same name see USS Merrimack USS Merrimack was a ship launched by an Association of Newburyport Shipwrights and presented to the Navy in 1798 She was the first ship of the Navy to be named for the Merrimack River She saw action in the Quasi War HistoryUnited StatesNameUSS MerrimackBuilderAssociation of Newburyport Shipwrights Newburyport MassachusettsLaunched12 October 1798CommissionedDecember 1798DecommissionedApril 1801FateSold 1801NotesSubsequently lost as merchant ship MonticelloGeneral characteristicsTonnage460PropulsionSailsComplement220 officers and enlistedArmament20 9 pounder guns 8 6 pounder gunsService history editCaptain Moses Brown commanded Merrimack when she was placed in service in December 1798 She departed Boston on 3 January 1799 for the Windward Islands to protect American merchantmen in the Caribbean during the naval war with France She arrived Prince Rupert Bay on the 20th and for the next two years cruised in the West Indies and escorted convoys to the United States On 26 March 1799 she recaptured American brig Harmony that had been captured by French privateer schooner La Resolue and escorted her to Martinico 1 On 28 June 1799 she took her first prize L Magicienne the former American naval schooner Retaliation captured on 20 November 1798 and taken into the French Navy She took French letter of marque schooner Bonaparte 7 August and with Ganges and Pickering recaptured American schooner John on the 15th after that ship had struck her colors to French privateer Revelleiu the day before Merrimack freed American brig Ceres 6 June 1800 after it had been taken by L Hazard on 18 May 1800 On arriving off Curacao 22 September she found that a French force of 16 ships from Guadeloupe was besieging the city with 1 400 men That evening with Patapsco Merrimack stood into the harbor through heavy fire from French cannon and muskets The American gunners replied with great spirit driving the enemy troops from their guns but from time to time during the night the French soldiers renewed the cannonade The next morning the French troops reembarked in confusion and fled Merrimack captured French privateer sloop Phoenix on 20 October 1800 and later in the year took French brig Brilliant A list of American prizes credits Merrimack with recapturing British schooner Godfrey but gives no details about the action She was stripped of naval equipment and sold in 1801 Subsequently while operating in merchant service under the name Monticello the ship was lost off Cape Cod Massachusetts the same year 2 References edit Naval Documents related to the Quasi War Between the United States and France Volume 2 Part 3 of 3 Naval Operations November 1798 to March 1799 PDF U S Government printing office via Imbiblio Retrieved 28 March 2024 Monticello 1801 wrecksite Retrieved 28 March 2024 This article incorporates text from the public domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships The entry can be found here External links editUSC Merrimack 1799 3decks 42 07 34 N 69 44 56 W 42 126 N 69 749 W 42 126 69 749 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title USS Merrimack 1798 amp oldid 1216996428, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
