&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:The_life_of_Benjamin_Franklin_(1848)_(14762116714).jpg) The Reprisal, chased by a British cruiser (wood engraving by Alexander Anderson, c. 1848)
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Reprisal |
| Acquired | March 28, 1776 |
| Fate | Sunk, October 1, 1777 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Brig |
| Length | 100 ft (30 m) |
| Beam | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
| Complement | 130 officers and enlisted |
| Armament | 18 × 6-pounder guns |
| Service record | |
| Part of: | Continental Navy |
| Commanders: | Capt. Lambert Wickes |
| Operations: | Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet |
USS Reprisal, 18, was the first ship of what was to become the United States Navy to be given the name promising hostile action in response to an offense. Originally the merchantman brig Molly, she was purchased from Robert Morris by the Marine Committee of the Continental Congress on March 28, 1776, renamed Reprisal, and placed under the command of Captain Lambert Wickes.