interesting vessel. Chapelle called her "a
remarkable vessel", noting she was "very long
for her rate" with a "narrow beam and shoal draft
"and was "an ornate ship, profusely carved." She
measured nearly 160 feet on the gun deck, 23
feet longer than a comparable British 36. John F.
Millar wrote, "Although the hull form was quite
sharp, making her potentially fast, she still
retained the beakhead bulkhead which had been
discarded by other frigate designers a long time
previously." Robert Gardiner called "this highly
unusual ship" a "throwback to the galley-frigates
of the previous century" because of her numer-
ous lower deck row ports.
Confederacy 's active career did not begin until
the spring of 1779. In May, Captain Clarke of the
brig Joseph reported seeing Confederacy and
that "the frigate sails admirably well." Although
her fitting out had been delayed, Confederacy
was given a series of important missions
throughout the remainder of the year. In August,
she was ordered to meet the American brig
Eagle and escort her into port, the brig carrying
a cargo "of much consequence to the public." In
October, she was tasked with carrying a political
delegation to Europe on an important diplomatic
mission. John Jay and his family sailed in
Confederacy only to see the ship dismasted by a
hurricane near Newfoundland on November 7.
Captain Harding managed to work the ship
southward. She made Martinique in mid
December with six feet of water in the hold and
"in the midst of perils." She would remain at
Martinique for several months trying to make
repairs.
The following year proved difficult for Captain
Harding and his ship. After an extended stay at
Martinique, on March 17, 1780, the ship's chap-
lain reported to Benjamin Franklin that "the
frigate Confederacy is now sparred, and rigged,
and almost ready for sea." However, even after
making jury repairs at Martinique, Confederacy
was hardly in condition for any further action.
Upon reaching Philadelphia on April 20, it
became obvious that she would need extensive
repairs. She did not return to sea for several
months. She was reported in action in August
when she captured several vessels near
Newfoundland. In October, she was damaged in
a collision with the newly launched ship Shelaly,
"having her head carried away" in Philadelphia
harbor
