USS Philadelphia ( 1799 ) USS " Philadelphia " was a 1240 - ton , 36 - gun sailing frigate of the United States Navy . Originally named " City of Philadelphia " , she was built in 1798 – 1799 for the United States government by the citizens of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . Funding for her construction was the result of a funding drive which raised $ 100 , 000 in one week , in June 1798 . She was designed by Josiah Fox and built by Samuel Humphreys , Nathaniel Hutton and John Delavue . Her carved work was done by William Rush of Philadelphia . She was laid down about November 14 , 1798 , launched on November 28 , 1799 , and commissioned on April 5 , 1800 , with Captain Stephen Decatur , Sr . in command . Service history . Putting to sea for duty in the West Indies to serve in the Quasi - War with France , she arrived on the Guadeloupe Station in May 1800 and relieved the frigate . During this cruise she captured five French armed vessels and recaptured six merchant ships that had fallen into French hands . Returning home in March 1801 , she was ordered to prepare for a year ' s cruise in the Mediterranean in a squadron commanded by Commodore Richard Dale . At his own request , Decatur was relieved of the command of " President " by Captain Samuel Barron . The squadron arrived at Gibraltar on July 1 , with Commodore Dale in the frigate . " Philadelphia " was directed to cruise the Straits and blockade the coast of Tripoli , the Pasha Yusuf Karamanli having threatened to wage war on the United States . " Philadelphia " departed Gibraltar for the United States in April 1802 , arriving in mid - July . In ordinary until May 21 , 1803 when she recommissioned , she sailed for the Mediterranean on July 28 . She arrived in Gibraltar on August 24 with Captain William Bainbridge in command , and two days later recaptured the American brig " Celia " from the Moroccan ship - of - war " Mirboka " ( 24 guns and 100 men ) , and brought them both into Gibraltar . Destruction . During the First Barbary War the " Philadelphia " cruised off Tripoli until October 31 , 1803 , when she ran aground on an uncharted reef off Tripoli Harbor . Under fire from shore batteries and Tripolitan gunboat s , the Captain , William Bainbridge , tried to refloat her by casting off all of her guns in order to make her lighter , when this failed they tried to get rid of all other unnecessary equipment on the ship , but this too failed . They then sawed off the foremast in one last desperate attempt to lighten her . All of these attempts failed and Bainbridge decided to surrender ; and her officers and men were made slaves of the Pasha . The " Philadelphia " was too great a prize to be allowed to remain in the hands of the Tripolitans , so a decision was made to recapture or destroy her . Under the guise of a ship in distress in need of a place to tie up after having lost all anchors in a storm , on February 16 , 1804 a volunteer assaulting party of officers and men under Lieutenant Stephen Decatur , Jr . boarded her from the ketch and after making sure that she was not seaworthy burned her where she lay in Tripoli Harbor . Horatio Nelson , known as a man of action and bravery , is said to have called this " the most bold and daring act of the age . " Her anchor was returned to the United States on April 7 , 1871 , when the Pasha presented it to the captain of the visiting .