Revolutionary War Continental Navy Officer. He led the first act of naval aggression by the American colonists against the British when on June 9, 1772 he commanded a force of fifty men from Rhode Island that captured and burned the British customs schooner "HMS Gaspee", which had run aground at Warwick, Rhode Island while chasing an American packet ship. Three years after the incident, and after the Revolutionary War began, he was commissioned as a Commodore in the fledgling Continental Navy. On June 15, 1775 he led an expedition that captured the "HMS Katy", which was a tender ship for the 20-gun British frigate "HMS Rose", (the "Katy" would become the American warship "USS Providence"). In July 1779 he led a small squadron of Continental Navy ships that encountered a British convoy, and captured eleven vessels. He was in Charleston, South Carolina, when it was laid siege by the British in 1780, and was made a prisoner-of-war when the city surrendered in May of that year. He was later paroled, and the hostilities ended before the could participate further in the patriot cause. He later was one of the first Colonial pioneers to setting in Ohio, where he passed away in 1819. Three United States Navy ships were named in his honor-the "Truxtun"-class destroyer "USS Whipple" (DD-15), the "Clemson"-class destroyer "USS Whipple" (DD-217), which saw service during World War II, and the "Knox"-class frigate "USS Whipple" (FF-1062).
Revolutionary War Continental Navy Officer. He led the first act of naval aggression by the American colonists against the British when on June 9, 1772 he commanded a force of fifty men from Rhode Island that captured and burned the British customs schooner "HMS Gaspee", which had run aground at Warwick, Rhode Island while chasing an American packet ship. Three years after the incident, and after the Revolutionary War began, he was commissioned as a Commodore in the fledgling Continental Navy. On June 15, 1775 he led an expedition that captured the "HMS Katy", which was a tender ship for the 20-gun British frigate "HMS Rose", (the "Katy" would become the American warship "USS Providence"). In July 1779 he led a small squadron of Continental Navy ships that encountered a British convoy, and captured eleven vessels. He was in Charleston, South Carolina, when it was laid siege by the British in 1780, and was made a prisoner-of-war when the city surrendered in May of that year. He was later paroled, and the hostilities ended before the could participate further in the patriot cause. He later was one of the first Colonial pioneers to setting in Ohio, where he passed away in 1819. Three United States Navy ships were named in his honor-the "Truxtun"-class destroyer "USS Whipple" (DD-15), the "Clemson"-class destroyer "USS Whipple" (DD-217), which saw service during World War II, and the "Knox"-class frigate "USS Whipple" (FF-1062).
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