USS Lexington ( 1776 ) The first USS " Lexington " of the Thirteen Colonies was a brigantine purchased in 1776 . The " Lexington " was a 86 - foot two - mast wartime sailing ship for the fledgling Continental Navy of the Colonists during the American Revolutionary War ( 1775 – 1783 ) . History . Originally named the " Wild Duck " , Abraham van Bibber purchased her for the Maryland Committee of Safety , at St . Eustatius in the Dutch West Indies in February 1776 . She soon got underway for the Delaware Capes and reached Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 9 March with a cargo of sorely needed gunpowder for the patriot forces . Four days later the Marine Committee purchased " Wild Duck " , renamed her " Lexington " after the Battle of Lexington ( the first battle of the war ) , and turned her over to Wharton and Humphry for fitting out . Commanded by Capt . John Barry , " Lexington " dropped down the Delaware River 26 March and slipped through the British blockade 6 April . The following day she fell in with British sloop " Edward " , a tender to the frigate . After a fierce fight which lasted about an hour " Edward " struck her colors . " Lexington " took her prize into Philadelphia and as soon as the ship was back in fighting trim , Barry put to sea again . On 26 April " Lexington " encountered Sir Peter Parker ' s fleet sailing to attack Charleston , South Carolina . Two of the British ships gave chase on 5 May off the Delaware Capes . and chased " Lexington " for eight hours and came close enough to exchange fire with the American ship before Barry managed to elude his pursuers and reach Philadelphia safely . " Lexington " and dropped down the Delaware to Cape May on the 20th , there joining and . " Liverpool " stood off the Delaware Capes preventing the American ships from escaping to sea . On 28 June Pennsylvania ' s brig " Nancy " arrived in the area with 386 barrels of powder in her hold and ran aground while attempting to elude British blockader " Kingfisher " . Barry ordered the precious powder rowed ashore during the night leaving only 100 barrels in " Nancy " at dawn . A delayed action fuse was left inside the brig , which exploded the powder just as a boatload of British seamen boarded " Nancy " . This engagement became known as the Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet . On 10 July " Lexington " slipped to sea . On the 27th she captured " Lady Susan " , a ship of Lord Dunmore ' s Tory Fleet which operated out of the Chesapeake Bay . This privateer was commanded by William Goodrich , a member of the notorious Tory family which had plagued the shipping of Virginia and Maryland . ( Richard Dale , one of seven members of the " Lady Susan " crew who signed on Lexington , later won fame under John Paul Jones . ) Early in September , " Lexington " took another sloop , " Betsy " . About a fortnight later lightning struck " Lexington " forcing the brigantine home for repairs . " Lexington " anchored off Philadelphia 26 September , and two days later Barry relinquished command . With repairs completed , " Lexington " , Capt . William Hallock in command , got underway for Cape Francois to obtain military cargo . On the return voyage , British frigate overhauled the brigantine just short of the Delaware Capes 20 December and captured her . The commander of the frigate removed " Lexington " ' s officers , but left 70 of her men on board under hatches with a prize crew . But by luring their captors with a promise of rum , the Yankee sailors recaptured the ship and brought her to Baltimore . " Lexington " , now with Capt . Henry Johnson in command , sailed for France 20 February 1777 and took two prizes before reaching Bordeaux in March . In France , the brigantine joined " Reprisal " and for a cruise seeking the Irish linen fleet scheduled to leave Dublin early in June . The American ships , commanded by Capt . Lambert Wickes , got underway 28 May and were carried far to westward by heavy winds . Approaching Dublin from the north they entered the north channel 18 June and hove to off the Mull of Kintyre . During the next four days they captured nine prizes , sinking three , releasing one , and retaining five . Heading south again on the 22nd , they took and scuttled a brig before arriving off Dublin Bay . The next morning they took another brig and released a ship bringing sugar , rum , and cotton from Jamaica . After placing prize crews on both vessels , they resumed their voyage around Ireland . On the 24th they stopped and released a smuggler and the next day took their last prize , a snow . When they sighted ship - of - the - line near Ushant on the 26th , the American ships scattered and made their way individually to safety in France . " Lexington " remained at Morlaix , a Brittany fishing village , throughout the summer , hemmed in by British warships . However , France , under strong British diplomatic pressure , ordered the American ships out of French waters 12 September . " Lexington " got underway the next morning but made little headway because of light wind . She lay becalmed near Ushant on the morning of 19 September when British 10 - gun cutter , commanded by John Bazely , came into view . In the ensuing fight , " Lexington " ' s rigging was seriously damaged precluding flight . When the American brigantine ran out of powder Captain Johnson reluctantly struck his colors .