. The history of our Navy from its origin to the present day, 1775-1897. , it is found thatconsiderable losses were sustained, though thestory is not by any means wholly depressing. For instance, there is the «tory of Biddle. Liberty never had a moreintrepid defender than Nicholas Biddle. Itwill be remembered that he was one of theoriginal captains of the navy, and was ap-pointed to the hrig Ajidrea Dorm, in whichhe gained reputation. So, when the first ofthe thirty-two-gun frigates, which Congressordered in 1775, was completed, Captain Bid-dle was placed in command. She was call
. The history of our Navy from its origin to the present day, 1775-1897. , it is found thatconsiderable losses were sustained, though thestory is not by any means wholly depressing. For instance, there is the «tory of Biddle. Liberty never had a moreintrepid defender than Nicholas Biddle. Itwill be remembered that he was one of theoriginal captains of the navy, and was ap-pointed to the hrig Ajidrea Dorm, in whichhe gained reputation. So, when the first ofthe thirty-two-gun frigates, which Congressordered in 1775, was completed, Captain Bid-dle was placed in command. She was calledthe Randolph, and she sailed from Philadel-phia in February, 1777. Off Hatteras shesprung her masts in a gale, and put into Char-leston for repairs. Then she §ailed again, andwithin a week brought in six prizes, includinga twenty-gun ship called the Tr2ie , a blockading squadron ap-peared off Charleston at this-, time, and untilMarch, 1778, he was held there. Meantime, however, his success had firedthe hearts of the South Carolinians, and while. i62 THE HISTORY OF OUR NAVY he was there he had the satisfaction of seeingthem fit out four State cruisers carrying, alltold, sixty-four guns. This Work Biddle, with the State fleet as con-sorts, sailed out to look for the blockadingsquadron, but it had sailed away. So Captain Biddle took his* little squadrondown along the Caribbean coasts. Here,east of the Barbadoes, they happened to fallin with the British ship-of-the-line Yarmoiith,Captain Vincent. To properly understand what followed, itmust be known that a ship-of-the-line was builtof such heavy timbers that nothing smallerthan a twelve-pounder could seriously damageits hull. The only guns in Biddles squadronthat could hope to penetrate her hull wereBiddles own, and his ship had but thirty-twoguns to the YarinontJis sixty-four, and theywere smaller at that ; so Captain Biddle sig-nalled the State cruisers to run for it while he,in spite of
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