52nd Annual Delaware Show

down and placed on the gunwales, which righted the ship about two feet. The crew then spent the remainder of January securing the wreckage, cutting ice from the hull, and battling leaks. On February 17, the ship finally broke free from the ice, and pilots maneuvered her to Greenwich, New Jersey. 3 Carpenters and supplies then arrived from Philadelphia to begin repairs, and within two months, the entire vessel was re-rigged. After taking on passengers, cargo, ammunition, and cannon, the Revolution set sail to meet a gathering fleet at Reedy Island, Delaware, on April 1, and travel south. She reached Bermuda on April 8, and eight days later the crew took their first prize vessel, the British brig Basquis . 4 After sending a “prize master” aboard to captain the brig into port for appraisal and disbursement, the Revolution continued south. On May 11, the ship narrowly escaped capture by a large British frigate and finally reached its destination, Martinique. But trouble followed even there. Port officers delayed the offloading of the cargo, and payment for the goods was also delayed. Fig. 3. William Birch, Arch Street Ferry. From William Russell Birch, The City of Philadelphia . . . as it appeared in the year 1800 (Philadelphia: W. Birch & Son, 1804). Printed Book & Periodical Collection, Winterthur Library Birch’s well-known views of Philadelphia highlight the importance of shipbuilding in the city for commerce as well as naval protection. — 153 —