Abraham Whipple
Commander Abraham Whipple (September 26, 1733 – May 27, 1819) was an American naval officer best known for his service in the Continental Navy during the Revolutionary War and being one of the founders of Marietta, Ohio. Born near Providence, Colony of Rhode Island, Whipple chose to be a seafarer early in his life and embarked on a career in the lucrative trade with the West Indies, working for Moses and John Brown. In the French and Indian War period, he became a privateersman and commanded privateer Game Cock from 1759 to 1760. In one six-month cruise, he captured 23 French ships.
Abraham Whipple | |
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Abraham Whipple, by Edward Savage | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 26, 1733 Providence, Colony of Rhode Island |
| Died | May 27, 1819 (aged 85) Marietta, Ohio |
| Resting place | Mound Cemetery, Marietta |
| Relations | Ebenezer Sproat (son-in-law) |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | Continental Navy |
| Years of service | 1775–1780 |
| Rank | Commodore |
| Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War
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In 1772, Whipple burnt the first British naval casualty of the American Revolution, the revenue cutter Gaspee, in the Gaspée Affair. The first to unfurl the Star Spangled Banner in London, Whipple was also the first to sail an ocean-going ship 2000 miles downriver from Ohio to the Caribbean, which opened trade with the Northwest Territory. Abraham Whipple was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati of the State of Rhode Island.