The Second Five of the First 13 Frigates
When the Continental Congress authorized the building of 13 frigates, the second tranche – Effingham, Montgomery, Providence, Trumbull, and Virginia – were each to have 28 guns, a mix of twelve and 6-pounders.
At the time the war broke out, the Royal Navy had 34 frigates in nine different classes – Gibraltar (3), Seaford (3), Squirrel (2), Bideford (1), Sphinx (1), Lowestoffe (1), Coventry (14), Mermaid (3), and Enterprise (3) – listed in their order of battle as sixth-rated ships of the line. More were being built, and the Royal Navy was switching to the 12-pounder as the frigate’s main armament when the American Revolution broke out.
The thinking of the members of the Marine Committee of the Continental Congress was that by arming our frigates with 12-pounders, they would have a firepower advantage over one armed with 9-pounders. And, by designing them to have excellent sailing qualities as well as being fast, they could run from larger, more heavily armed frigates and ships-of-the-line.
As they did with the first five ships with 32 guns (Hancock, Raleigh, Randolph, Warren and Washington), builders in five different yards were given contracts. So, what happened to these ships?
Effingham – construction began in Philadelphia in 1776 and was to be when finished, commanded by John Barry. However, with the British capture of Philadelphia imminent, the ship was towed up the Delaware River, stripped of all useful equipment, and scuttled on November 2nd, 1777. Its crew was seconded into the Continental Army. Later, the British Army burned her on May 8th, 1778.
Montgomery – The Lancaster Burling shipyard in Poughkeepsie, NY, was tasked with building the frigate named after General Robert Montgomery, who died during the abortive invasion of Quebec. Washington’s defeat on Long Island and the British capture of New York City meant that Montgomery could not sail into the Atlantic. To avoid capture, it was burned on October 6th, 1777.
Providence – Not to be confused with the sloop Providence which took part in the Continental Navy’s raid on Nassau in March 1775, this vessel was built in Providence, RI under the supervision of shipwright Silvester Bowes. On the night of April 30th, 1778, Providence ran the British blockade, damaging two British frigates en route to the Atlantic.
Once there, Providence made it to Brest and, along with Boston, returned in October 1778. Under Captain Whipple, she again set sail from Boston with Ranger and a French merchant ship fitted out as a frigate and named Queen of France. They snuck into a convoy of approximately 150 British ships and quietly took 11 prizes before returning to Boston.
Providence, Queen of France, and Boston were sent to Charleston, SC to help with its defense. After the fall of Charleston, Providence was taken into the Royal Navy as H.M.S. Providence until it was sold in 1783.
Trumbull – John Cotton’s yard in Chatham, CT built Trumbull. But once completed, the ship’s draft prevented her from passing over the sandbar at the mouth of the Connecticut River. In 1779, Trumbull was floated over the sandbar and fitted out in New London, CT.
Under Captain James Nicholson, Trumbull fought H.M.S. Watt, 32 guns to a draw. Both battered ships survived, and Nicholson took his frigate to Philadelphia. A lack of money to repair and pay for a crew kept her at a pier until early 1781.
Back at sea and sailing with two privateers, one mounting 24 guns and the other 14, encountered a convoy of 28 vessels escorted by H.M.S. Iris (the former Hancock) and the 14-gun General Monk (the former U.S. privateer, the General Washington). Half of Nicholson’s crew fled below, and Trumbull was battered into submission, captured, and ultimately broken up.
Virginia – completed in 1777 by George Wells shipyard in Fells Point, MD, she was captained by James Nicholson. Manning problems, conflicts, and politics kept the ship in Baltimore. The frigate left Baltimore in March 1778, and during his attempt to evade the British blockade, Virginia ran aground and was captured by the British. Renamed H.M.S. Virginia served in the Royal Navy until she was sold in 1782.
1969 painting of Trumbull vs. Watt by William Nowland Van Powell.