In Newburyport, Massachusetts, just south of the New Hampshire southern border, two frigates were being built to fight the British Navy. The larger frigate "Hancock", of 32 guns, was named after John Hancock, the signer of the Declaration of Independence, and was being built by his friend Thomas Cushing. The other vessel being built was a smaller frigate, called the "Boston". Originally designed to carry 24 guns, she actually was armed with 28 to 30 carriage guns and her dimensions were length on deck, 114' 3"; length on keel, 94' 3"; beam, 32'; depth of hold, 10' 3" and was 562 tons. The frigate was the equivalent of today's cruisers, and could carry up to 44 guns on one deck. Frigates were used as escort vessels and raiders, usually only fighting ships of their size or less. The length and sail plans were similar to the larger ships of the line that carried 74 guns and often, at a distance, the two were hard to tell apart.

    The Boston was the first ship completed of the two and was launched "in view of a great number of spectators" on June 3, 1776. A month later the Hancock was launched. Of the 13 ships authorized on December 13, 1775, and due to completed and sailed in three months, only four the Randolph (32 Guns), Boston (24 Guns), Hancock (32 Guns), and Raleigh (32 Guns) ever got to sea in 1777.

    From Newburyport, the Boston and Hancock were brought around to Boston, Massachusetts and went out to sea on May 21, 1777 at the head of a group of ships including nine privateers. Their task was to destroy the British ship Milford who had captured the American brig Cabot (14 Guns), a few weeks before. In command of the Hancock was Captain John Manley and Captain Hector McNeill commanded the frigate Boston. Both were well known in Massachusetts but neither had ever commanded a Continental ship at sea before. These captains had a hard time finding men to man their vessels as desertion was constant. With every American victory men joined and with each defeat, they quit. Manley personally paid many of the wages advanced to his crew as did Capt. McNeill.

    Captain Manley was placed in charge of the flotilla with his ship, the Hancock, in the lead. After six days, of their intended twenty-five day cruise, all nine privateers had abandoned the group leaving just the Boston and Hancock to engage the British. Privateers were an unruly lot and not respectful of the military discipline of their Continental counterparts. Now with just the two ships, and animosity between McNeill and Manley, the success of the mission was in doubt.

    On May 30, the Hancock and Boston spotted the British vessel Somerset, a 64-gun warship, along with three transports. Hoping for the capture of the transports, the Hancock sailed towards her prey. Thinking that they had found just another frigate, the Hancock sailed close until Captain Manley "was within Shott of him", related McNeill. "Very luckily for him the Hancock's Heels saved his Bacon." For the next six hours the Somerset chased the two American ships until night fell and the Continental Frigates headed northeast looking for less powerful adversaries.

    On June 7th, they found the 28-gun British frigate Fox. The Fox tried to escape but the Hancock quickly overtook her. Side by side the two opposing frigates pounded each other with their guns. By the time the Boston reached the dueling ships, both the Fox and the Hancock were heavily damaged. Manley had his pumps going while the British lowered their flag in surrender; the Fox had her wheel shattered and her masts wrecked. The Boston, taking advantage of the situation, sent McNeill's first lieutenant over to take command of the vessel. After angry protests from Manley, McNeill withdrew the lieutenant "for the sake of peace."

    On June 27th the two frigates barely missed colliding with each other in the darkness of the night. Heated words were passed between the two captains and the trio of ships headed back towards Boston. On July 6th, the early morning revealed a British sloop laden with coal which was captured and taken in to tow by the Hancock. Later that evening, the captured Fox signaled to the group that two enemy ships were closing from the rear. The British Rainbow (44 guns) and the brig Victor (10 guns), commanded by Commodore Sir George Collier, were attempting to intercept the American vessels. Manley showed little concern for their pursuers and continued to tow the coal sloop until dawn when a third English frigate named the Flora (32 guns) joined the pursuit. Manley ordered the sloop cut loose and burned to prevent its' recapture and they prepared to do battle with the oncoming enemy ships.

    The Flora intercepted the Boston and a broadside gun battle began. "Her Shott was so well aim'd that some of them pass'd through our Ship," McNeill noted. With the Boston dropping out of the fight to make some repairs, Capt. Manley fled the engagement after mistaking the Rainbow for a more powerful 64-gun warship. The three vessels of the American group fled in different directions, the Boston to the north, the Hancock to the south and the captured Fox to the east.

    The Rainbow went after the Hancock while the Flora endeavored to recapture the Fox from the Americans. The Boston made good its' escape to the north and sailed to the mouth of the Sheepscott River on the Maine coast. By July 8th both the Hancock and Fox were in British hands. After a bitter fight the Flora recaptured the Fox and several hours later in another portion of the ocean, the Rainbow ended her 39 plus hour chase with the Hancock. Manley, fired on by the Rainbow, decided to strike his colors and surrender to the British ship. He was surprised to find that his enemy was a ship of his own strength and that he probably could have fought his way clear. Instead, he blamed Capt. McNeill and the Boston for not coming to his aid. Ultimately, McNeill would be the one the public saw as the coward instead of Manley.

    The Hancock was given the name Iris by the British and was to go on to serve well as an English warship. Manley was imprisoned as a prisoner of war and Capt. McNeill was suspended pending court-martial charges. His ship, the Boston, lay idle at her mooring after sailing south from Maine to Boston. Increase Leadbetterr was among the seaman captured by the British. Joel Philbrook survived, with the crew of the Boston, leaving service at the latter part of 1777. The following year he married Increase's sister, Mary, at Deer Isle on April 28, 1778.

Joel Philbrook's Veteran's Records, National Archives

Nathan Miller. Sea of Glory

Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center

John F. Millar. Early American Ships

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. 1.