USS Enterprise ( 1775 ) Enterprise was a Continental Navy sloop - of - war that served in Lake Champlain during the American Revolutionary War . She is the first of a long and prestigious line of United States Navy ships to bear the name " Enterprise " . " Enterprise " was originally a British sloop named " George " , built at St . Johns ( now Saint - Jean - sur - Richelieu ) in Quebec , Canada . In May 1775 , a small American force under Colonel Benedict Arnold sailed up the Richelieu River on the recently captured " Liberty " . At 07 : 00 on 18 May , Arnold and 35 raiders captured the fort and shipyards at St . Johns , along with the newly launched " George " , with no loss of life . The unlaunched schooner " Royal Savage " was also at the shipyard , and would be captured by the Americans later that year . Two hours later Arnold ' s raiders left with the newly captured sloop , which was later armed with 12 guns and renamed " Enterprise " . " Enterprise " was , at first , the most significant warship in the Lake Champlain squadron — which was charged with maintaining American control of the lake early in the war — and at times she acted as flagship for Colonel Arnold . Control of Lake Champlain and the adjoining Hudson River would have enabled the British to cut off vital supply routes between New England and the other colonies , and it would have allowed British troops to cross and attack Albany . On 28 August 1775 , " Enterprise " and other vessels embarked with more than 1 , 000 troops as part of an expedition against St . Johns , Montreal , and Quebec . Though St . Johns and Montreal were captured , and Quebec was besieged , the arrival of strong British reinforcements forced the Americans to withdraw from Canada in the spring of 1776 . " Enterprise " and the other craft sailed to Isle aux Noix in the Richelieu River , where they waited while Arnold directed the building of a fleet at Fort Ticonderoga and Skenesboro ( now Whitehall ) . The battle was finally joined in the Battle of Valcour Island on 11 October 1776 at Valcour Island , near Plattsburg , New York , a site of Arnold ' s choosing . Markedly inferior in firepower , much of Arnold ' s fleet was sunk or damaged by nightfall . However , he managed to slip the remaining ships , including " Enterprise " , past the British fleet that night towards Fort Crown Point . A running battle took place over the next two days , and resulted in the loss of all but five of the American ships . " Enterprise " and four others escaped to Crown Point , then sailed on to Ticonderoga . Although a tactical defeat , the battle was a strategic victory for the Americans , as they had disrupted the British invasion into New York such that it couldn ' t be mounted before the onset of winter . It was nearly a year before the advance could be renewed , eventually resulting in a decisive American victory in the Battle of Saratoga . During the British advance prior to the Battle of Saratoga , " Enterprise " was one of five vessels assigned to duty convoying bateau x in the evacuation of Ticonderoga . The small American force was no match for the British fleet on Lake Champlain , and after two ships had been captured , " Enterprise " and the other two were run aground on 7 July 1777 , and burned to prevent their capture .