USS Ganges ( 1794 ) USS " Ganges " was a man - of - war in the United States Navy during the Quasi - War with France . She was originally a fast sailing merchantman , built in Philadelphia in 1794 for the East Indies trade and named for the Ganges , India ' s principal river , which flows into the Bay of Bengal . " Ganges " regularly sailed to Calcutta and Canton . Apparently she returned to civilian service after serving in the U . S . Navy between 1798 and 1801 . Service history . She retained her merchant name when the U . S . Navy purchased her from the firm of Willing and Francis of Philadelphia on 3 May 1798 . She cost $ 58 , 000 or $ 80 , 665 , depending on the source . With hostilities with France imminent , the Navy hastily fitted her out , making her the first man - of - war to fit out and get to sea under the second organization of the Navy . In Navy service she is described as being of 504 tons , and carrying 24 guns and a crew of 220 men . Her first captain was Captain Richard Dale , who had returned in her from a voyage to China . 1798 . " Ganges " sailed from Philadelphia on 24 May 1798 under Richard Dale , whose orders directed him to " seize , take and bring into a port of the United States " French armed ships " committing depredations " within one marine league of the coast between the Capes of Virginia and Long Island . On 13 July , further orders authorized her to take any French armed ship wherever found , but she continued patrol between Cape Henry and Long Island for the protection of the large seaport cities . On 30 July , " Ganges " was directed to return to Philadelphia for refitting , but put into New York City instead because of fever and plague at Philadelphia . In mid - September 1798 , Captain Thomas Tingey relieved Captain Dale and , on 7 December , his ship was ordered to the Windward Passage between Cuba and Hispaniola to join the squadron protecting the Jamaican trade . Cruising in these waters with " General Pinkney " and " South Carolina " , she guarded American merchantmen from seizure by French naval vessels , privateers , and " all armed vessels acting without commission . " 1799 . On 6 January 1799 , off the Island of Tortuga , " Ganges " fell in with the sloop " Ceres " , off her course for no apparent reason and suspected of heading for illegal trade at Cap Français . Tingey detained the captain of " Ceres " , questioned him , and reported to intelligence . The incident occasioned the following passage from Tingey ' s letter of concern to Benjamin Stoddert , the Secretary of the Navy : On 21 February , officers of the 28 - gun English frigate boarded " Ganges " off Cape Nichola Mole , Hispaniola , and demanded all Englishmen aboard . Tingey firmly replied : The crew gave three cheers , ran to quarters , and called for " Yankee Doodle " . " Surprise " departed . Having returned home for repairs in March , " Ganges " convoyed " Kingston " , carrying American Consul General Dr . Edward Stevens , to talk with Toussaint Louverture in Haiti . She then cruised the Caribbean from Havana to Puerto Rico , St . Thomas , St . Kitts , St . Bartholomew ' s , Santo Domingo , Barbuda , and Jamaica . On 21 April off Cape Isabella she seized the American sloop " Mary " , of Norwich , for illegal trading . That same day she recaptured the American ship " Eliza " of Charleston . The French privateer " Telemaque " , Captain Arnault , had captured her and she was sailing under a prize crew . " Ganges " sent the two vessels together to Philadelphia . On 16 June , " Ganges " , with " Norfolk " , captured the 8 - gun French privateer " Vainquere " ( formerly British " Harlequin " ) off Saint Bartholomews after a 90 - mile chase lasting more than eight hours and requiring the expenditure of some 40 cannon shot . The privateer ' s crew numbered some 85 men . The prize sailed to Norfolk under Captain Pitcher . The hurricane season approached and it was thought " Ganges " should return to the United States , but Tingey proudly reported his ship could withstand the Caribbean storms : On 5 August , " Ganges " captured the 6 - gun schooner " La Rabateuse " after a 12 hour chase in which the privateer threw overboard all her guns and endured 13 cannon shot before surrendering . On 16 August Ganges retook the American schooner " John " , laden with sugar and cotton , from the French . Three days later , " Ganges " captured a small French " letter of marque " off St . Thomas . She later captured " L ' Eugene " with 28 men and on 2 October recaptured the American schooner " Laurel " , which the French had renamed " L ' Esperance " . " Ganges " returned to Philadelphia in the fall and Captain John Mullowny relieved Captain Tingey on 16 November . That December , she sailed for the West Indies , again convoying American merchantmen until May 1800 , when she returned to the States . 1800 . On 25 May 1800 , Captain Mullowny received orders to proceed to Havana , and " Ganges " shortly departed Philadelphia for another eventful cruise . On 19 July , she captured the schooner " Prudent " off the coast of Cuba ; on the 20th recaptured American brigantine " Dispatch " ; and the 21st , the third successful day in a row , took schooner " Phoebe " . On 28 July , " Ganges " captured French privateer " La Fortune et Louis " . In September , her crew ridden with fever , she returned to the United States . The " Phoebe " and the " Prudent " were two illegal U . S . slave schooners . " Ganges " brought them to Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia as prizes . Mullowny chose Philadelphia because of the city ' s strong anti - slavery sentiments . The 135 Africans on board were detained at the Lazaretto for 31 days while their legal status was established . During their stay , the staff of the Lazaretto nursed the emaciated and diseased slaves back to health . The Pennsylvania Abolition Society took guardianship of the Africans , gave them the last name " Ganges " and dispersed them locally via indentures . Apparently most eventually became part of Pennsylvania ' s population of free blacks . 1801 . Sailing again 31 January 1801 , " Ganges " proceeded with a convoy for Havana . En route she was severely damaged by a storm and put into Basseterre , St . Christopher . Here , Commodore John Barry surveyed the ship on 2 March and found her " unfit for sea . " Being unable to continue her voyage , " Ganges " remained on the Guadeloupe station until May , then proceeded north with a convoy that reached Philadelphia early in June . On 10 June 1801 , under provision of the Peace Establishment Act , the Navy agent at Philadelphia prepared " Ganges " for sale . She was sold prior to 8 December for $ 21 , 000 . The Navy was reduced to thirteen vessels and the " Ganges " again became a merchant ship . People associated with " Ganges " . One of the passengers abroad the " Ganges " when it arrived at Philadelphia on 31 March 1806 had an Indian surname , Singh . Officers and midshipmen of " Ganges " included several future heroes such as Thomas Macdonough , James Lawrence , Jacob Jones , and Daniel Carmick .