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''Alfred'' was the merchant vessel ''Black Prince'', named for Edward, the Black Prince, and launched in 1774. The Continental Navy of what would become the United States acquired her in 1775, renamed her ''Alfred'', and commissioned her as a warship. She participated in two major actions, the battle of Nassau, and the action of 6 April 1776. The Royal Navy captured her in 1778, took her into service as HMS ''Alfred'', and sold her in 1782. she then became the merchantman ''Alfred'', and sailed between London and Jamaica. ==''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 to Bristol on the last day of 1774. The ship did not return to Philadelphia until April 25, 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 June 27. The ship left the Thames on August 10 but encountered contrary winds during much of her westward voyage and finally returned to Philadelphia on October 4. 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 brigs heavily laden with gunpowder and arms. This intelligence prompted Congress on October 13 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 October 30, 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. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「USS Alfred (1774)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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