A Short History of the
Continental Frigate
Confederacy
An introduction by Naval Historian
Russell Barnes
Among the frigates built for the American
Continental Navy was a 36 gun frigate built at
Norwich Connecticut during 1777-78. On
January 23, 1777, Congress "Resolved, That two
frigates, one of 36, and the other of 28 guns, be
immediately undertaken in the state of
Connecticut." Construction began in February
1777 with Joshua Huntington overseeing the
building of the new frigate. On February 18,
Huntington's papers note "began to work".
Although the designer is unknown, it is possible
to speculate who actually built the ship. Three
names have been mentioned over the years.
Howard Chapelle credited Jedidiah Willets,
although he did not quote a source for that claim.
Douglas Robinson believed that Joshua
Huntington was the builder, because it was his
shipyard where the ship was built. However, a
1779 Continental Congress Marine Committee
report refers to a "Mr. Tolman who built the
Confederacy…." Dr. Robinson also mentioned
that Benjamin Talman's widow credited him as
the builder. Although Robinson gave no source
for the widow's claim, a Rhode Island shipbuilder
named Benjamin Tallman was possibly the "Mr.
Tolman" in the Marine Committee report, building
the ship under Joshua Huntington's supervision.
As construction continued into the summer and
fall of 1778, Congress made several decisions
regarding the new ship. Congress declared "That
the new frigate building at Norwich, in
Connecticut, and now nearly ready to be
launched, be named the Confederacy." The
choice of captain followed quickly. In late
September, Richard Henry Lee wrote
Connecticut Governor Trumbull that his friend,
Seth Harding, was chosen "for the command of
the Continental ship of war building at Norwich,
in Connecticut." In early November, the Norwich
Packet reported, "The ship CONFEDERACY, of
36 guns, built at Norwich River, was launched on
Saturday last. By the best judges she is pro-
nounced the finest ship yet built on the conti-
nent." The ship was launched on November 7,
1778, after nearly two years of construction.
Modern observers have studied the
Confederacy's design and agree that she was an
