1776. Nov. 13 American 74-gun ship Alfred, Capt Hoysted Hacker, captured English transport Mellish and with valuable supplies for General Burgoyne's army then at Montreal. Among the stores were 10,000 suits 'of uniform.
1776. Dec. 31 During the year 1776 the Americans captured 342 English vessels. An English account says that the damage to the West India trade alone was nearly $2,000,000.
1777. March English 28-gun frigate Milford captured 14-gun American brig Cabot, C,apt. Joseph Olney.
1777. April 9 28gua American frigate Trumbull, Capt. Dudley Saltonstall, captured two English armed trans ports off New York laden with military stores.
1777. May 7 American cruiser Surprise, Capt. Gus tavus Conyngham, in the English Channel, captured , British packet Prince of Orange. So unexpected was the presence of Yankee warships in this part of the world that Captain Conyngham had entered the English cabin, where he interrupted the latter's breakfast, before the presence of an enemy was known.
1777. May About the middle of May the 32-gun frigate Hancock captured the English 28-gun frigate Fox. American casualties, 8 killed or wounded; the English. 32.
1777. June I American frigate Hancock captured by English squadron off Halifax.
1777. June 14 Design of present American flag adopted: She 13 stripes the original 13 States and Star for each State in the Union, 1777. Aug. - - In this month the first submarine boat ever invented made an attack on the British frigate Cerberus, which had It not been for imperfect mechanism, the craft would have been totally destroyed. Four of her crew were killed.
1777. Sept. 3 - On the night of this day the 32-gun frigate Raleigh, Capt. Thomas Thompson. stole into a fleet of English merchantmen and attacked the convoying war ship Druid. The Druid was reduced to a sinking con dition before Americans were driven off by superior forces.
1777. Sept. 20 - The 16-gun cruiser Lexington, Capt. Henry Johnson, captured the British 10-gun cruiser Alen, after two hours' spirited fighting and a chase of four hours. The English commander, Lieutenant Basely, afterward became an admiral.
1777. Nov. 13 - Capt. John Paul Jones, in 18-gun American
cruiser Ranger, while in Quiberon Bay, France, received the first salute to the Stars and Stripes in Europe.
1777. Dec. 31 - In 1777 tne Americans captured 467 vessels from the Englisn.
1778. Jan. 1 - At the beginning of the year 1778 the British had on the North American station 89 warships with a total of 2,576 guns, while the Americans had 14 vessels with 332 guns.
1778. Jan. 27 - Sailors from the United States 12-gun ship Providence landed on the island of New Providence, captured the forts and seven vessels in the harbor and carried away a large quantity of military supplies.
1778. March 7 - Our 32-gun frigate Randolph, Capt. Nicholas Biddle, in order to protect a convoy of merchantmen, attacked the 74-gun ship of the line Yarmouth. The Randolph was blown up. all but four of her 315 people perished.
1778. March 9 - The 24-gun ship Alfred captured by two English warships.
1778. April 22 - Capt. John Paul Jones lands at Whire haven, England, and sets fire to the shipping in the harbor.
1778. April 24 - Action between the Ranger, Captain Jones, and the Drake, Captain Burdon, in the Irish Sea. The Americans captured the Drake after an action of one hour. Casualties: Americans 8; English 42.
1778. Sept. 27 - Our 32-gun frigate Raleigh, after a chase of several days, captured by English after being run ashore on the coast of Maine; all the crew escaped.
1779. Feb. 2 - First and only serious mutiny in the United States navy occurred in the 32-gun frigate Alliance at sea, while under a French commander, Pierre Laniinis, General Lafayette being on board as a passenger.
1779. May 7 - Our 12-gun brig Providence, after desperate action of one hour, captured English warship of about the same force. The enemy lost 27 out of a crew of only 53. The Americans had 4 killed and 10 wounded.
1779. Sept. 23 - Famous action between Bonhomme Richard, Capt. John Paul Jones, and English frigate Seraphs off eastern coast of England. Early in the battle the ships anchored side by side. The Englishman was carried by boarding. Shortly afterward the Bonhomme Richard sank.