Green Must Go

USS Randolph (1776)

The first USS Randolph was a frigate in the Continental Navy named for Peyton Randolph.

Construction of the first Randolph was authorized by the Continental Congress on 13 December 1775. The frigate, designed by Joshua Humphreys, was launched on 10 July 1776, by Wharton and Humphreys at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Captain Nicholas Biddle was appointed commander of the Randolph on 11 July, and he took charge of the frigate in mid-October.

Seamen were scarce and recruiting was slow, delaying the ship's maiden voyage; but Randolph, manned largely by captured British seamen taken from jail in Philadelphia, finally dropped down the Delaware River on 3 February, 1777 and 3 days later rounded Cape Henlopen escorting a large group of American merchantmen to sea. On the 15th, the convoy separated, with some of Randolph's charges heading for France and the rest setting course for the West Indies.

On the afternoon of 7 March, Randolph's lookouts spotted sail on the horizon which proved to be the British, 64-gun ship of the line, Yarmouth. That evening, as Randolph engaged the British warship, the American frigate seemed to be on the verge of victory when some unknown cause, perhaps a chance spark in the chaos of battle, ignited her magazine and Biddle's plucky ship disintegrated in one blinding flash. Flaming debris from Randolph showered down on Yarmouth preventing her from pursuing the South Carolina ships which slipped away in the darkness.

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Wilpon is like the Pharoah in the book of Exodus. And God keeps sending plagues upon the Mets fans. This year is either frogs or locusts.

METSSC

Good find

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