James Hackett (shipbuilder)

He was responsible for the construction of a number of significant Revolutionary War-era warships for the fledgling country, including the Raleigh, Ranger, America, Congress, Portsmouth, two cutters for the United States Revenue Cutter Service, as well as the Crescent, built for Algiers as tribute.

His later military service included serving as lieutenant colonel in the New Hampshire Militia during the Revolutionary War and after in several different units.

[3] In a small corps where promotion came hard, he earned the silver lace of a sergeant in John Stark's Company while still a teenager.

At the beginning of the American Revolution James Hackett participated in the raid at Fort William & Mary in New Castle, New Hampshire in December of 1774.

In 1778, he volunteered for duty under General Sullivan in Rhode Island in a company raised by Colonel John Langdon in Portsmouth and was made lieutenant.

He had the honor of receiving General Washington with a “grand salute” at the occasion of his Excellency’s reception at Portsmouth on October 31, 1789.

He also built John Paul Jones famed sloop of war RANGER; the largest Continental warship of the Revolution, the ship of the line AMERICA; two early vessels of the service which was a forerunner to the United States Coast Guard, the United States Revenue Service cutters SCAMMEL II and the GOVERNOR GILMAN; the USS CONGRESS, which was one of the first six frigates of the United States Navy; a host of privateers and merchant vessels including the McCLARY, the PORTSMOUTH I, the BELLONA and the FREE TRADE; and the tribute ship frigate CRESCENT.

Colonel James Hackett died in Brookfield in 1802 and at the time of probate his estate was valued as that of a well-to-do man.