USS St. Mary's (1798)

The USS St. Mary's was a 14-gun schooner in the United States Navy, commissioned in 1798 during the Quasi-War with France. Purchased in Baltimore, Maryland, the St. Mary's served as part of the American naval forces patrolling the Caribbean and protecting American merchant shipping from French privateers. Little is definitively known of her service record, although naval documents indicate she was actively engaged in patrolling shipping lanes. In 1801, with the cessation of hostilities following the Treaty of Mortefontaine, St. Mary's was decommissioned and likely sold. Specific details regarding her construction, commanding officers, and the exact dates of her service are sparsely documented and subject to ongoing historical research. Her primary role was that of a patrol vessel, aiming to deter attacks and capture privateers operating in the Caribbean theater of the Quasi-War.