USS Alfred ( 1774 ) The Alfred was a man - of - war in the Continental Navy of the United States . She was built as " Black Prince " , named for Edward , the Black Prince , and served as " Alfred " . As " Black Prince " . " Black Prince " was built at Philadelphia in 1774 . No record of her builder seems to have survived , but it is possible that John Wharton may have constructed the ship . It was owned by Willing , Morris & Co . , a merchant trading firm operated by Thomas Willing and Robert Morris . John Barry served as the ship ' s only master during her career as a Philadelphia merchantman . Launched in the autumn of 1774 as relations between the American colonies and the mother country grew increasingly tense , " Black Prince " was fitted out quickly so that she could load and sail for Bristol on the last day of 1774 . The ship did not return to Philadelphia until 25 April 1775 , six days after the Battle of Lexington and Concord . Fearing that American commerce would soon be interrupted , her owners were eager to export another cargo to England , so they again raced to load and provision her . " Black Prince " sailed on 7 May , this time bound for London . She did not reach that destination until 27 June . The ship left the Thames on 10 August but encountered contrary winds during much of her westward voyage and finally returned to Philadelphia on 4 October . While the ship had been abroad , the Battle of Bunker Hill had been fought , the other colonies acting in Congress had pledged to support Massachusetts in its struggle for freedom , and George Washington had taken command of the American Army besieging British - occupied Boston . Moreover , private correspondence , between shipowner Morris , and his trading partner , Richard Champion of Bristol , was brought from England on " Black Prince " to members of the Continental Congress . It reported that the British Government was sending to America two unarmed brig s heavily laden with gunpowder and arms . This intelligence prompted Congress on 13 October to authorize the fitting out of two American warships , of 10 guns each , to attempt to capture these ships and divert their invaluable cargoes to the ill - equipped soldiers of Washington ' s army . Congress decided , on 30 October , to add two more ships to the navy , one of 20 guns and the other slightly larger but not to exceed 36 guns . One of the ship ' s owners , Morris , was a member of the Marine Committee when that committee acquired the " Alfred " . A second ship , also owned by Willing Morris & Co . became the " Columbus " at the same time . As " Alfred " . As a result , the Naval Committee purchased " Black Prince " on 4 November 1775 , renamed her " Alfred " four days later , and ordered her fitted out as a man - of - war . Her former master , John Barry , was placed in charge of her rerigging ; Joshua Humphreys was selected to superintend changes strengthening her hull , timbers , and bulwarks as well as opening gunports ; and Nathaniel Falconer was made responsible for her ordnance and provisions . Soon four other vessels joined " Alfred " in the Continental Navy : , , " Andrew Doria " , and sloop . Esek Hopkins , a veteran master of merchantmen from Rhode Island , was appointed commodore of the flotilla . " Alfred " was placed in commission on 3 December 1775 , Capt . Dudley Saltonstall in command , and became Hopkins ' flagship . Sometime in December 1775 , the " Alfred " became the first vessel to fly the Grand Union Flag ( the precursor to the Stars and Stripes ) ; the flag was hoisted by John Paul Jones . This event was documented in Letters to Congress . . The new fleet dropped down the Delaware River on 4 January 1776 ; but a cold snap froze the river and the bay , checking its progress at Reedy Island for some six weeks . A thaw released Hopkins ' warships from winter ' s icy grasp in mid - February , and the fleet sortied on 18 February for its first operation . The Marine Committee had ordered Hopkins to sail for Hampton Roads to attack British warships which were harassing American shipping in Virginia waters ; then to render similar service at Charleston , South Carolina ; and , finally , to head for Rhode Island waters . He was given the discretion of disregarding these orders if they proved impossible and planning an operation of his own . However , by the time his ships broke free of the ice , growing British strength in the $ 3 prompted Hopkins to head for the West Indies . Knowing that the American colonies desperately needed gunpowder , he decided to attack the island of New Providence in the Bahamas to capture a large supply of that commodity as well as a great quantity of other military supplies reportedly stored there . A fortnight after leaving the Delaware capes , on the morning of 3 March Hopkins arrived off Nassau and captured Fort Montague in a bloodless Battle of Nassau , in which Continental Marines under Capt . Samuel Nicholas joined Hopkins ' sailors in America ' s first amphibious operation . That evening , Hopkins issued a proclamation which promised not to harm " . . . the persons or property of the inhabitants of New Providence . . . " if they did not resist . The following morning , Governor Montfort Browne surrendered Fort Nassau but only after he had spirited away most of the island ' s gunpowder from New Providence to St . Augustine , Florida . After Hopkins stripped the forts of their guns and all remaining ordnance , " Alfred " led the American fleet homeward from Nassau harbor on St . Patrick ' s Day , 17 March , the same day that British troops were evacuating Boston . On 4 April , during the homeward voyage , Hopkins ' ships captured the six - gun British schooner " Hawk " and the eight - gun bomb brig " Bolton " . Shortly after midnight on 6 April , Hopkins encountered the 20 - gun " Glasgow " . That British frigate — which was carrying dispatches telling of the British withdrawal — put up a fierce and skillful fight which enabled her to escape from her substantially more powerful American opponents . At the outset of the fray , fire from her cannon cut " Alfred " ' s tiller ropes , leaving Hopkins ' flagship unable to maneuver or to pursue effectively . The American ships did attempt to chase their fleeing enemy , but after dawn " Glasgow " disappeared over the horizon and safely reached Newport , Rhode Island . When " Alfred " and her consorts put into New London , Connecticut , on 8 April , the Americans were at first welcomed as heroes . However , many of the officers of the American squadron voiced dissatisfaction with Hopkins , and he was later relieved of command . " Alfred " was inactive through the summer for a number of reasons , but high on the list of her problems were want of funds and a shortage of men . On 7 August , Capt . John Paul Jones , who had helped to fit her out as a warship and had been her first lieutenant on the cruise to New Providence , was placed in command of the ship . She departed Providence , Rhode Island , on 26 October 1776 in company with " Hampden " , but that vessel struck a " sunken rock " before they could leave Narragansett Bay and returned to Newport . Her officers and men then shifted to sloop " Providence " accompanying " Alfred " to waters off Cape Breton Island which they reached by mid - November . There they took three prizes : on the 11th , the brigantine " Active " , bound from Liverpool to Halifax with an assorted cargo , the next day , the armed transport " Mellish " , laden with winter uniforms for British troops at Quebec ; and , on the 16th , the scow " Kitty " , bound from Gaspé to Barbados with oil and fish . Because of severe leaks , " Providence " sailed for home soon thereafter and " Alfred " continued her cruise alone . On 22 November boats from the ship raided Canso , Nova Scotia , where their crews burned a transport bound for Canada with provisions and a warehouse full of whale oil , besides capturing a small schooner to replace " Providence " . Two days later , " Alfred " captured three colliers off Louisburg , bound from Nova Scotia to New York with coal for the British Army and , on 26 November captured the 10 - gun letter - of - marque " John " of Liverpool . On the homeward voyage , " Alfred " was pursued by HMS " Milford " but managed to escape after a four - hour chase . She arrived safely at Boston on 15 December and began a major refit . Captain Elisha Hinman became " Alfred ' s " commanding officer in May 1777 , but she did not get underway until 22 August when she sailed for France with to obtain military supplies . En route , they captured four small prizes . They reached L ' Orient on 6 October , and on 29 December sailed for America . They proceeded via the coast of Africa , where they took a small sloop , and then headed for the West Indies , hoping to add to their score before turning northward for home . On 9 March 1778 , near Barbados , they encountered British warships " Ariadne " and " Ceres " . When the American ships attempted to flee , " Alfred " fell behind her faster consort . Shortly after noon the British men - of - war caught up with " Alfred " and forced her to surrender after a half an hour ' s battle . After surrendering , " Alfred " was taken to Barbados where she was condemned and sold . She was purchased and taken into the Royal Navy as H . M . armed ship " Alfred " ( 20 guns ) and was sold in 1782 .