Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Crawford ya fara zuwa teku a kan jiragen ruwa na kasuwanci, cinikayya tare da Arewacin Amirka, kafin ya shiga rundunar sojan ruwa a lokacin yakin Amurka na Independence. Ya ga aiki a bakin teku a lokuta da dama, ya bambanta kansa a cikin kare Savannah
da kuma kewaye Charleston. Da yake dawowa daga Arewacin Amirka tare da sakonni, an ba shi jirgi mai haya kuma ya yi aiki don tallafawa masu kare Birtaniya a lokacin Babban Siege na Gibraltar. A lokacin wannan rikici ya yi aiki sosai a lokuta da dama tare da jiragen ruwa na Mutanen Espanya, kuma ya zo ga Roger Curtis, daga bisani ya zama babban jami'in sojan ruwa. Bayan wani lokaci na rashin aikin yi bayan karshen yakin Amurka na Independence, Curtis ya ga cewa an ba Crawford matsayi a cikin jirgin ruwa a lokacin Spanish Armament. Lokacin da aka kauce wa yaki, Crawford ya tafi Gabas ta Gabas don shekaru da yawa a kan kasuwanci na sirri.