USS Experiment (1799)

USS Experiment was a schooner in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War with France.

Experiment was built in 1799 at Baltimore, Maryland; and first put to sea late in November 1799, Lieutenant William Maley in command.

Experiment joined the squadron commanded by Captain Silas Talbot on the Santo Domingo station, and for seven months, cruised against French privateers in the Caribbean, taking a number of valuable prizes. Action of 1 January 1800:On 1 January 1800, while becalmed in the Bight of Leogane with a convoy of four merchantmen, they were attacked by 11 armed pirate barges, flying French flags, manned by about four or five hundred buccaneers. In the seven hours of fighting that followed, the pirates boarded one of the merchantmen, killing her captain, and towed off two other ships of the convoy after their crews had abandoned them. But Experiment sank two of the attacking craft, and killed and wounded many of the pirates, suffering only one man wounded. On 12 January captured schooner "Anne' (or Anna). She was sent to Philadelphia where the ship was released by the Court in July. On 2 February she captured a sloop. On 4 February she captured schooner "Amphitheater". "Ampitheatre" was made an armed tender for USS Constitution at the end of February, 1800. She also took on the 4th a Danish flagged schooner loaded with André Rigaud's troops and ammo. Also captured one of André Rigaud's privateers, a sloop. The sloop and troops were disarmed, the ship ransomed and sent to shore with the prisoners. Also on the 4th about 11 PM she had a brief engagement with an unknown vessel that escaped due to low manning from having so many prizes captured. On 14 February she captured Spanish brigantine "Los Amigos", she was sent to Philadelphia where charges were dropped by the Court in September. On 18 February, 1800 she captured French armed schooner L'Legere. On 29 March she captured Spanish brig "St. Michael". On 8 April she captured Spanish schooner "El Carmine" for not having papers. On 15 May she captured schooner Mercator.

Arriving in the Delaware River early in July 1800, Experiment refitted, and returned to the West Indies under new commander, Lieutenant Charles Stewart Jr. Again successful in her patrols against the French, she captured several armed vessels, one of which was carrying a high-ranking army officer. She also recaptured a number of American merchantmen, and in January 1801 rescued 65 Spaniards from the ship Eliza, wrecked on a reef of the island of Saona.

Experiment returned to Norfolk early in February 1801, and was laid up there until August, when she sailed to Baltimore. There, she was sold in October 1801.