She first appeared in 1793 when Captain Robert Griggs acquired a letter of marque on 30 April,[2] shortly after the outbreak of war with France.

[6] In 1797 HMS Tartar and Sparrow captured two French privateers, each of six guns: Resolu and Revanche.

[4] Various other sources give the date of capture of Resolue or Revanche (or Resource, as 30 June or 1 July, but by that time Tartar had been lost.

[8] On 19 August 1797 the French privateer Rencontre, Captain Lenau, seized the American brig Harriot and put a prize crew on board.

Two days later, Sparrow, Lieutenant Hugh Wylie, captured Harriot, and sent her for Cape Nicola Mole.

The next day the French privateer Enfant Trouve, Captain Pierre Brard, captured Harriot and sent her into Port-de-Paix.

[4] On 30 March a party of seamen and marines from Trent stormed a five-gun battery overlooking a small bay about seven leagues northward of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.

[10] During the period 26 June 1979 and 21 July, Sparrow captured a French schooner of four guns (pierced for 14).

[11] During the period 21 July and 27 October, Sparrow captured three prizes:[12] When Michael Fitton, captain of the schooner Ferret, tender to HMS Abergavenny, cruised the Mona Passage in company with Sparrow, commanded by Mr. Whylie, the two accidentally separated for a few days.

On rejoining, Fitton invited Whylie by signal to come to breakfast, and while waiting caught a large shark that was under the stern.