Alliance (Frigate)

Dates:

Active 1782

Active 1783

Biographical notes:

The USS Alliance was a 36-gun frigate built in 1777 by Massachusetts shipbuilders William and James Hackett. Initially named Hancock, the ship was launched in April 1778, then renamed a month later to recognize the newly-formalized alliance between France and the United States. The first mission of the Alliance, initially under the command of Captain Pierre Landais, was to carry the Marquis de Lafayette back to France. Once there, the Alliance was assigned to a squadron commanded by John Paul Jones.

In September 1779 several vessels belonging to Jones's squadron were involved in a battle with the HMS Serapis and the HMS Countess of Scarborough. During the battle, Landais, in command of the Alliance, disobeyed orders and missed most of the fight, returning to the action only to indiscriminately fire upon the other American ships. Jones's flagship, Bonhomme Richard, was severely damaged, largely by the Alliance, and foundered the next morning. Not long after, Landais, who had frequently been insubordinate, was relieved of duty. Jones himself assumed command of the Alliance after the battle. The ship spent much of that winter cruising European waters looking for prizes. In June 1780, she set sail for Boston. After her arrival, John Barry was appointed her new commander.

Now under the command of Commodore Barry, the Alliance set sail in early 1781 and quickly began capturing prizes in the Atlantic waters near Europe. In May the ship was again engaged by British sloops of war, and Barry was wounded during the battle. The ship returned to the United States for repairs, and was made ready for a December voyage to again transport Lafayette to France. After making the round trip, the Alliance set sail for Europe again, first sailing south to cruise the waters around the West Indies. On the way there, Barry and his crew captured several prizes. During the last days of September 1782, near the coast of Jamaica, the Alliance captured the British merchant ships Britannia, Anna, Commerce, and Kingston. The ship and its prizes reached France in mid-October, then returned to the West Indies. In March of 1783, Barry encountered a number of British ships in West Indian waters. After the ensuing battle, Alliance sailed for Newport, Rhode Island, where most of the crew was released so that the ship could be overhauled.

In 1785, the Alliance was sold to John Coburn in Philadelphia. She was subsequently sold to Robert Morris, who converted her to a merchant ship and made her ready for sailing to the Orient. The ship arrived in Canton in 1787. Little is known of the subsequent voyages of the Alliance. She was eventually abandoned on Petty Island in the Delaware River, and the last of her hulk was destroyed in 1901.

From the description of USS Alliance ledger, 1782-1783. (Historical Society of Pennsylvania). WorldCat record id: 61662581