Brief guide to manuscripts collections| William L. Clements Library The University of Michigan Abraham Whipple Papers |
Abraham Whipple was raised in Providence, R.I. He went to sea at an early age, learning his craft in the West Indian trade. By 1760 he was commanding his own privateer. when patriots burned the revenue schooner Gaspée in 1772, Whipple participated, and three years later he took command of the ships outfitted by Rhode Island to protect the state's trade in Narragansett Bay. In 1778 he sailed to France in command of the frigate Providence, carrying munitions. The following year Whipple succeeded in taking a fleet of heavily laden East Indiamen, one of the richest prizes of the Revolutionary War. He was taken prisoner in the siege of Charleston and held at Chester, Pa., for the remainder of the war. Whipple moved to Marietta, Ohio, late in life and is buried there.
Papers of Abraham Whipple, American naval officer.
This collection contains letters and documents relating to Whipple's service in the Continental Navy, 1776-1780, including 100 items concerning the 1778 mission to France; 10 letters from Benjamin Lincoln regarding operations at Charleston, 1780; a memorial of Whipple's services in the American Revolution; and Whipple's financial accounts with Congress.
Purchased, 1959
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