The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-12-05
OUR FIRST NAVAL VESSEL.
Story Of the Construction Of the Ran.
doiph and Her Fate.

Story Of the Construction Of the RAN
doiph and Her Fate.
"Our first warships furnish an in
tefesting and glorious chapter" said
one of the oldest officials of the navy
department. $50 much has been print
ed about II new war vessels that
the frail crafts built by the United
Colonies in 1775 have been entirely
overlooked. The very first provision
for a truly national navy was made
in October, Its, when congress au-
thorized the purchase and fitting out
OF -four small vessels for the defense
OF the Delaware. 1t is true, however.
that at the commencement of the war
OF the Revolution each colony, acting
independently, fitted out a number of
small armed vessels to prey upon
British commerce., and history says
that they did good service through
out the war as privateers, but were
v a part of the national forces,
were never commanded by naval Of
fcers, o did they fly the national
ensign. After the first provision was
made by congress for a national naval
force it did not take long to have the
four vessels ready, o was it long
before it was shown that the four ves-
sells were entirely inadequate, and con
gress passed a bill authorizing the
construction of thirteen vessels car
I. ing from twenty-four to thirty-four
guns. Such was the authority for
the first battleships of the country.
They were to be named the Wash
ington, Raleigh, Hancock, Randolph,
Warren, Virginia, Trumbull, Efing-
ham, Congress, Providence, Boston,
Delaware and Montgomery. Congress
further stipulated that they were to
be laid down in the colonies Of New
England, New York, Pennsylvania and
Maryland.
Building a ship was by no means
the task it is today, and in three
months after the passage of the act,
in the spring of 1875, the Randolph,
the first of the thirteen, was launch
ed from the banks of the Delaware,
somewhere near the site of Kensing-
ton.
Delays in the armament and equip
ment of the Randolph caused a holdup
until early in the year 1777, when she
finally sailed from the Capes of the
Delaware under the command of Capt.
Nicholas Biddle, of Philadelphia, who
had previously been in the service
OF the colony navy of Pennsylvania,
where he had rendered such efficient
service that he had been among the
original five captains named by con
gress for the regular navy by act
of December, 1775. Capt. Biddle
headed the Randolph southwark in
search Of the enemy's vessels. He
made several prizes, carrying them
safely into Charleston, S. c., and so
fired the people Of that colony by his
audacity, courage and success that
they promptly fitted out a squadron
CT small vessels to act against the
enemy in that vicinity and placed
them at Capt. Diddle's disposal. With
the Randolph as flagship he made
several cruises along the coast and
to the Bahama banks, sending in prize
after prize of transports, merchant
vessels and smaller cruisers of the
enemy. On the night of the 7th of
March,'177S, his little squadron being
then twenty days out of Charleston,
and some 200 miles off the coast, fell
in with the enemy's sixty-four gun
Yarmouth. The Randolph re.
the full force of the enemy's
fire, and after a hard engagement
of more than a half hour she caught
fire and blew up. Biddle refused to
surrender, and though severely wound
ed early in the action, fought to the
and went down with his ship.
Such was the end of our first naval
vessel, and such was the fate of her
brave commander. He was only %
years old at the time of his death,
but he made in his brief span of life
nlme for enterprise, courage, au-
and perseverance that has
been handed down in the annals Of
our naval history as one of the bravest
Of the brave, and it will last through
all time. The Randolph, though one
Of the largest vessels authorized by