text: Continental Navy: Wikis
  Continental Navy Captain William Pickles' ship, the Morris, was destroyed by a hurricane and replaced shortly before the 1779 Battle of Lake Pontchartrain?
  More interesting facts on Continental Navy
  On 3 December, the USS Alfred (24), Andrew Doria (14), Cabot (14), and Columbus (24) were commissioned. On 22 December 1775, Esek Hopkins was appointed the naval commander-in-chief, and officers of the navy were commissioned. With this small fleet, complemented by the Providence (12), and Wasp (8), and Hornet (10), Hopkins led the first major naval action of the Continental Navy, in early March 1776, against Nassau, Bahamas, where stores of much-needed gunpowder were seized for the use of the Continental Army. However, success was diluted with the appearance of disease spreading from ship to ship. On 6 April 1776 the squadron, with the addition of the Fly (8) unsuccessfully encountered the 20-gun HMS Glasgow in the first major sea battle of the Continental Navy. Hopkins failed to give any substantive orders other than the order to recall the fleet from the engagement, a move which Captain Nicholas Biddle described as, "away we all went helter, skelter, one flying here, another there."
  Most of the eight frigates that went to sea took multiple prizes and had semi-successful cruises before their captures, however there were exceptions. On 27 September 1777, Delaware participated in a delaying action on the Delaware River against the British army pursuing George Washington's forces. The ebb tide arrived and left the Delaware stranded, leading to her capture.
  Warren was blockaded in Providence, Rhode Island, shortly after her completion, and did not break out of the blockade until 8 March 1778. After a successful cruise under Captain John Burroughs Hopkins, she was assigned to the ill-fated Penobscot Expedition under Captain Dudley Saltonstall, where she was trapped by the British and burned on 15 August 1779 to prevent her capture.
  Hancock, captained by John Manley, managed to capture two merchantmen as well as the Royal Navy vessel HMS Fox. Later on 8 July 1777, however, the Hancock was captured by HMS Rainbow of a pursuing squadron, and became the British man of war Iris.
  Randolph took five prizes in her early cruises. In 7 March 1778, she was escorting a convoy of merchantmen when the British 64-gun ship HMS Yarmouth bore down on the convoy. Randolph, under the command of Captain Nicholas Biddle came to the defense of the merchantmen and engaged the heavily superior foe. In the ensuing engagement, the two ships were both severely manhandled but in the course of the action, the magazine of the Randolph exploded causing the destruction of the entire vessel and all but four of her crew. The falling debris from the explosion severely damaged the Yarmouth enough that she could no longer pursue the American ships.
  On 23 September 1779, Jones' squadron was off Flamborough Head when the British men-of-war HMS Countess of Scarborough and Serapis bore down on the Franco-American force. The lone Continental frigate, Bonhomme Richard engaged the Serapis. In a particularly bloody, destructive fight, the English captain called out to inquire if the Bonhomme Richard had struck her colors. Jones cried out, "I have not yet begun to fight!" Upon raking the Serapis, the crew of the Bonhomme Richard led by Jones boarded the English ship and captured her. Likewise, the French frigate Pallas captured her prize the Countess of Scarborough. Two days later, the Bonhomme Richard sank from the overwhelming amount of shock she took from the struggle.
  On 1 August 1785 the financially strapped Congress auctioned off the last remaining Continental Navy vessel, Alliance, for $26,000.
  Categories: Continental Navy | Military history of the United States | 1785 disestablishments
  (nautical) The name of the United States Navy between 1775 and 1794
  Dictionary of American Fighting Ships. Naval Historical Center - Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships