USS Boston ( 1777 ) The second USS " Boston " was a 24 - gun frigate , launched 3 June 1776 by Stephen and Ralph Cross , Newburyport , Massachusetts , and completed the following year . In American service she captured a number of British vessels . The British captured " Boston " at the fall of Charleston , South Carolina , renamed her HMS " Charlestown " ( or " Charles Town " ) , and took her into service . She was engaged in one major fight with two French frigates , which she survived and which saved the convoy she was protecting . The British sold " Charlestown " in 1783 , immediately after the end of the war . American service . " Boston " was commissioned under the command of Captain Hector McNeill . On 21 May 1777 , " Boston " sailed in company with for a cruise in the North Atlantic . The two frigates captured three prizes including the 28 - gun frigate ( 7 June ) . On 7 – 8 July , " Boston " , " Hancock " , and " Fox " engaged the British vessels , , and . The British captured " Hancock " and " Fox " , but " Boston " escaped to the Sheepscot River on the Maine coast . McNeill was court - martialed in June 1779 for his failure to support " Hancock " and was dismissed from the Navy . During the period 15 February - 31 March 1778 , " Boston " , now under the command of Samuel Tucker , carried John Adams to France , capturing one prize en route . She then cruised in European waters taking four prizes before returning to Portsmouth , New Hampshire , 15 October . In 1779 she made two cruises ( 29 July – 6 September and 23 November – 23 December ) in the North Atlantic capturing at least nine prizes . " Boston " then joined the squadron sent to assist in the defense of Charleston , South Carolina . There the British captured her when the town surrendered on 12 May 1780 . British service . The British took " Boston " into service as a frigate and armed her with 28 guns and six carronade s . In June 1781 Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot sent " Charlestown " and several other vessels to attempt to intercept some French reinforcements from entering Boston . On 7 July , the squadron that Arbuthnot sent to Boston recaptured the British sloop - of - war , which the American frigate had captured on 27 May . " Charlestown " , under Captain Henry Francis Evans , and , brought " Atalanta " into Halifax . Then " Charlestown " sent in two American privateers that she had taken , " Flying Fish " and " Yankee Hero " . Next , " Charlestown " took part in the Action of 21 July 1781 . She was one of five Royal Navy ships escorting a convoy of 13 colliers and merchant vessels . The escorts also included the two sloop s " Allegiance " and " Vulture " , the armed transport " Vernon " , and " Jack " , another small armed merchant ship . The convoy was off the harbor of Spanish River , Cape Breton , Nova Scotia ( present - day Sydney , Nova Scotia ) , or Île Royale , when it came under attack from two French frigates " Astrée " , commanded by La Pérouse , and the " Hermione " , commanded by Latouche Tréville , resulting in the Naval battle of Louisbourg . The French captured " Jack " . " Charlestown " struck to the French frigates but they were unable to take possession of her ; French accounts state that she escaped in the dark . The French lost six men killed and 34 wounded ; the British lost some 17 or so men killed and 48 wounded . " Charlestown " alone lost 8 men killed , including Evans , and 29 men wounded . The merchant vessels and their cargoes of coal entered Spanish River safely . " Charlestown " and the sloops sailed back to Halifax . Lieutenant Rupert George of " Vulture " replaced Evans as captain of " Charlestown " . He was posted on 29 November 1781 and remained her captain . Fate . The Royal Navy sold " Charlestown " in 1783 .