page_title: David Hawley
section_title: Battle of Valcour Island
hierarchical_section_title: David Hawley / Career / Battle of Valcour Island
caption_attribution_description: Battle of Valcour Island in the American Revolutionary War.
context_page_description: David Hawley was a captain in the Continental Navy and a privateer during the American Revolutionary War. He commanded Royal Savage in the 1776 Battle of Valcour Island, which is generally regarded as one of the first naval battles of the American Revolutionary War, and one of the first fought by the United States Navy.
context_section_description: He served under Benedict Arnold at the Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain on October 11, 1776. The battle is generally regarded as one of the first naval battles of the American Revolutionary War, and one of the first fought by the United States Navy.  Hawley commanded the two-masted schooner USS Royal Savage with a crew of 50 men. His cousin Ephraim Hawley (1746–1777) served as his lieutenant and his young nephew Samuel Hawley was also a seaman. The ship ran aground during the battle and was burned by the crew to prevent it from falling into British hands. The Royal Savage had been Arnold's flagship until he went aboard the USS Congress. All of Arnold's personal belongings were destroyed when the Royal Savage was burned. This naval battle delayed for one year the British attempts to cut the colonies in half.
caption: 1925 watercolor painting showing Royal Savage run aground and burning while British ships fire on her during the Battle of Valcour Island near Lake Champlain, New York on October 11, 1776
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