Combat· American Revolutionary War
Lexington vs HMS Edward
On April 7, 1776, the Continental brig Lexington under Captain John Barry fought and captured the British sloop Edward, tender to the frigate HMS Liverpool, off Cape Charles, Virginia.
Lexington had left Philadelphia on March 28 short of Marines, leaving her captain of Marines, Abraham Boyce, ashore with the men he had recruited. With no more than several hundred yards between the two vessels, Barry opened fire, and they exchanged broadsides for an hour. The fight ended when the guns of the wrecked sloop fell silent and her captain allowed a prize crew to board. Lexington had two killed and four wounded, among them Sergeant Haslit of the Marine guard. Abel Morgan is reputed to have commanded the brig's Marines. Barry reported to the Marine Committee that his raw seamen and Marines "behaved with much courage." News of the victory cheered the public and Congress. On April 8, as both vessels neared the Delaware Capes, Edward made for Philadelphia, where she was later condemned as a legal prize.
Record no. 128