WHIPPLE, Abraham, naval officer, born in Providence, Rhode Island, 16 September, 1733; died in Marietta, Ohio, 29 May, 1819. Early in life he commanded a vessel in the West Indian trade, but during the old French war in 1759-'60 he became captain of the privateer "Gamecock," and captured twenty-three French vessels in a single cruise. In June, 1772, he commanded the volunteers that took and burned the British revenue-schooner "Gaspe" in Narragansett bay. This was the first popular uprising in this country against a British armed vessel. In June, 1775, Rhode Island fitted out two armed vessels, of which Whipple was put in command, with the title of commodore. A few days later he chased a tender of the British sloop "Rose" off the Conanieut shore, capturing her after sharp firing. In this engagement Whipple fired the first gun of the Revolution on the water. He was appointed captain of the "Columbus" on 22 December, 1775, and afterward of the schooner "Providence," which captured more British prizes than any other American vessel; but she was finally taken, and Whipple was placed in command of a new frigate of the same name, in which, when Narragansett bay was blockaded by the British in 1778, he forced his way, in a dark and stormy night, through the enemy's fleet by pouring broadsides into it and sinking one of their tenders. At that time he was bound for France with important despatches that related to a treaty between the United States and that government, and after a successful voyage he returned in safety to Boston. In July, 1779, while commanding the "Providence" as senior officer, and with two other ships, he attacked a fleet of English merchantmen that were under convoy of a ship-of-the-line and some smaller cruisers. He captured eight prizes, and sent them to Boston. The value of these ships exceeded $1,000,000. In 1780 he went to Charleston, South Carolina, in an endeavor to relieve the city, which at that time was besieged by the British; but he was captured and held a prisoner until the close of the war. He subsequently became a farmer at Cranston, Rhode Island, but in 1788 he connected himself with the Ohio company, and settled at Marietta.