Research Note

The question of the appearance of vessels of this period is itself fascinating. I'd like to paraphrase a thing I posted last year, which reproduces blurbs from David Engen's two part article "The Appearance of the Eighteenth Century Ship" in the Nautical Research Journal, vol 37 no. 3, pp 161-168, and vol 37 no. 4, pp 222-231, 1992. Must reading for anyone wanting to do a period ship in the "correct" color scheme.

The Independence is not mentioned explicitly, so I can't tell you how to finish your model. But Engen quotes original sources to describe a large number of naval, merchant, and privateer vessels (with a nice sampling of American Revolutionary War ships; see below), and the conclusion I've come to is "anything goes". Bright (e.g. payed) sides, all-black hulls, yellow hulls, yellow and/or red(!) hull stripes, bottoms with white stuff or black stuff of any shade, to the waterline, to the wales; painted guns(!)...

Take your pick.

Here are some extracts from the 2nd Engen article, on the American Revolutionary War vessels:

A letter of July 28, 1776 made note of "an American Privateer, mounting twelve Carriage Guns...painted black." between the Start and Torbay. The Montgomery, a privateer sloop commanded by Daniel Bucklin, was "Very small, painted black, with 10 guns, 50 men..."

The Gazette of South Carolina, noting that the "brigantine of war" called the "Defence" had been captured by H. M. S. Roebuck and Perseus, published this description of her on May 25, 1777: 4 six pounders, and 10 Fours....length of keel is about 60 Feet; she has a Quarter Deck; her Stern is remarkably narrow, sheer very good, and Bow very round...full rigged and well fitted, with Crosstie Fittings and Waste- Cloths; she had 16 Ports; which lift up, and were painted a bright red; her Masts were very taunt, especially the Top-gallant Masts, and her Top-gallant Sails and Royals very square, the Tautness of her Masts, and the Main Mast being stept far aft makes her appear rather short/'

A "Snow Privateer" of twelve Guns was described as "quite clean, painted black, and white Bottom," and an "American Brig" "about 140 Tons is at Newport [i.e. Nieuport, France]... painted black and yellow..." and "...Privatier is a small black Schooner about 25 Tons, long built but very low...Two Carriage Guns [4 pounders]; six swivels with 32 musquets.. .called the Montgomery."

Lambert Wicke's Reprisal had 18 nine pounders and was described as a Philadelphia-built ship with "Stern Painted Black & Yellow, the Mouldings upon her Quarters painted White, a Black side No Quarter Galleries." She had a woman's figurehead and her aftermost main deck gun was "as far forward as the after part of the Main Chains." She as also said to have "brightsides" and, in addition to other carriage guns, 8 coehorns in her tops and swivels on her quarters and forecastle. The brig Lexington had "a Square Tuck is Painted Yellow, and a low round Stern Painted Lead Colour, Black Sides & Yellow Mouldings."

The Greyhound, a cutter of Gustavus of Conyngham, is variously described. Two letters call her black and yellow, but the best description says she was: about 150 Tons, clinker built, Tarred Sides and black bottom, one yellow moulding all along the Gunnel, has nine ports of a side, and a Row port between each, Stanchions on the Top of the Gunnel all round, supposed to be for supporting a Network, Stern with a round Tafferail painted black and yellow mouldings at the main boom is a driver boom.. .at the bow-sprit end is an Iron for a flying-Jib-boom occasionally A very lofty Top- Mast with a Royal Mast; the top Mast irons in the fore part of the Mast.. .small mizzen Mast which ships in the quarter occasionally... 14-4 pounders.

The American Tartar had sailed from Massachusetts with a group of other privateers and the Continental frigates Hancock and Boston. She attacked and was beaten off by the ship Pole on 12 July 1777. The Pole's master described the American ship as a: rebel privateer mounting 20 nine pounders on the main deck 8 four pounders on the quarter-deck and 4 four pounders on the forecastle, full of men, supposed to be 200 at least, had an Image head, and Quarter galleries; all the guns on her main deck, painted black; the guns on the quarter deck and forecastle red; the ship painted black and yellow, with tarr'd sides; short top gallant mast heads... Tartar was observed on the ship's stern..."

A more reliable description of the American Tartar was given by Captain Carney, an English captive. He said that her armament was 10 nine pounders, a six pounders, 4 three pounders and 2 four pounders, with a crew of about 110 men and that the word Tartar was done on her stern but was brushed out using paint taken from Carney's ship. She was painted black and yellow with tarred sides "that she might look like a King's ship; and that Grimes was an officer on board the Tartar ship of war, Capt. Lockhart." Grimes, the Captain of the American Tartar, had presumably served on board H.M.S. Tartar, 28.

A brig seen off Ushant in August 1777 was "American Built. No Head rather High abaft All Black except the Muzzles of the Guns which were white. We could distinguish four plainly on the side all before the Main Mast & lying low she had Oars upon her Quarters was very taut rigged with deep T. Gallant Royals & a Cross Jack Bent. Her Sails well Cut. She went remarkably well & appeared to have been lately cleaned."

The American armed ships at Boston which were manned and ready for Sea the 23rd of March 1778 were described in a letter by Lord Howe:

Ship, Defence, Captain Smadley, Eighteen 6 pounders, a long straight, low Built Ship bright Sides, Roman Figure Head, Long Royal Mast Heads.

Ship, Oliver Cromwell, Captain Parker, Twenty 9 Pounders, straight sheered, Black sides-Figure Head.

Ship, Miflin, Captain McNeal, Twenty, six and nine Pounders very long, a little Hog'd a midships, Figure Head.

Ship Hancock (formerly the Jamaica Packet) Eighteen 6 pounders, a man Head, British built, black sides long Royal Masts.

Ship, Minerva Captain Grimes, Twenty 9 Pounders (Guns formerly the Syrens) Bright sides, carries her Guns very high, a womans Head, very upright stern, Long Royal Masts.

William Richard's letter of Jan. 7, 1777 to the Philadelphia Committee of Safety recommended the Pennsylvania vessels to be painted on the inside with "Spanish Brown, Venetian red, and black, the Cabins to be a stone Colour,- the barge to be the same colour as the outside of the Galley is Except the Stern sheets, that to be painted red and blue."

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