David Hawley David Hawley ( 1741 – 1807 ) was a captain in the Continental Navy and a privateer during the American Revolutionary War . He commanded the " USS Royal Savage " in the 1776 Battle of Valcour Island , which is generally regarded as one of the first naval battle s of the American Revolutionary War , and one of the first fought by the United States Navy . Biography . Hawley was born into a Connecticut seafaring family in 1741 . His parents were James and Eunice Hawley who lived in the Stratfield section of Stratford , Connecticut now Bridgeport . Hawley ' s grandfather was Gideon , his great grandfather was Ephraim and his great great grandfather was Joseph Hawley , a shipbuilder and the first of the name in America . Commission . David Hawley was appointed a lieutenant on July 11 , 1776 to serve on the state man of war " Oliver Cromwell " . At a meeting with the Governor of Connecticut and Council of Safety on August 16 , 1776 , it was voted to draw an order in favour of Captain David Hawley for 180 pounds to enable Hawley to raise a crew of seamen for the Naval Service of the United States of America on the Lakes to the northward , to which he was appointed Captain . Battle of Valcour Island . 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 battle s 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 . Revolutionary War service . He was taken prisoner several times , and after being taken with the State sloop USS " Schuyler " in 1777 , he was again exchanged , and continued his service as a privateer in Long Island Sound , bringing several prizes into Black Rock Harbor . He commanded the USS " Guilford " , until she fell prey to the British in New Haven harbor in July 1779 , when he escaped capture and fitted out a flotilla of armed boats by warrant authority , before being commissioned . Daring raid . In November 1779 he commanded a voluntary force of 20 men from Stratford , Connecticut and the vicinity , crossed the Sound in a daring raid and brought back from Long Island , Thomas Jones , Esq , of Suffolk County , one of the Judges of the Ministerial Supreme Court of the Crown , and delivered him up as a hostage to exchange for General Gold Selleck Silliman who had been taken prisoner earlier that year . The daring raid and subsequent prisoner exchange were made into the film Mary Silliman ' s War produced by Heritage Films , under the auspices of The Institute for Early American History in Colonial Williamsburg , VA . It is based on the biography by Richard and Joy Day Buel , " The Way of Duty " ( Norton , 1984 ) . Protecting the Connecticut shore . The next spring , on April 20 , 1780 he went from Fairfield , Connecticut with three armed boats under his command to Blue Point , Long Island and captured eleven British and Tory vessels , all of which he either destroyed or ransomed , except four which he brought back to Fairfield and libeled . One of the latter was richly laden with West India goods . On April 6 , 1780 , in company with Capt . Ebenezer Jones , he took a Tory sloop commanded by Jared Bell . On Oct 15 1780 , he partook in the capture of the sloop " Dorset " . Under his last commission he was especially active in the Sound and performed important naval service in the prevention of illicit trade , seizing and libeling many boats and cargoes in the Fairfield Court . During his several exploits , first and last Captain Hawley is credited with the capture of over 20 sail of enemy craft during the American War for Independence . Private life . It is believed by some that Captain Hawley built the first brick house within the city limits of Bridgeport , Connecticut from bricks that may have been supplied by Nero Hawley . The home was located at the corner of Water and Gilbert Streets and was used , after Hawley ' s death as a saddle factory by Seth B . Jones and was the arena of great theological discussions among the workmen , especially ; Joshua Lord , William Wright , Edwin B . Gregory and Alexander S . Gordon .