She was originally a fast sailing merchantman, built in Philadelphia in 1794 for the East Indies trade and named for the Ganges, India's principal river, which flows into the Bay of Bengal.

[4] Ganges sailed from Philadelphia on 24 May 1798 under Richard Dale, whose orders directed him to "seize, take and bring into a port of the United States" French armed ships "committing depredations" within one marine league of the coast between the Capes of Virginia and Long Island.

On 13 July, further orders authorized her to take any French armed ship wherever found, but she continued patrol between Cape Henry and Long Island for the protection of the large seaport cities.

On 6 January 1799, off the Island of Tortuga, Ganges fell in with the sloop Ceres, off her course for no apparent reason and suspected of heading for illegal trade at Cap Français.

The incident occasioned the following passage from Tingey's letter of concern to Benjamin Stoddert, the Secretary of the Navy: There is one kind of business carried on here at present, which I conceive behoves us much to suppress.

I shall endeavor to ascertain and identify some of the actors in this nefarious business and give you information.On 21 February, officers of the 28-gun English frigate Surprise boarded Ganges off Cape Nichola Mole, Hispaniola, and demanded all Englishmen aboard.

Having returned home for repairs in March, Ganges convoyed Kingston, carrying American Consul General Dr. Edward Stevens, to talk with Toussaint Louverture in Haiti.

She then cruised the Caribbean from Havana to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Bartholomew's, Santo Domingo, Barbuda, and Jamaica.

[7] On 5 August, Ganges captured the 6-gun Letter of Marque schooner La Rabateuse[8] after a 12-hour chase in which the privateer threw overboard all her guns and endured 13 cannon shot before surrendering.

[11] In a letter dated 29 August it's stated that she captured a small French pilot boat earlier that mounted no guns, Capt.

[17] On 25 May 1800, Captain Mullowny received orders to proceed to Havana, and Ganges shortly departed Philadelphia for another eventful cruise.

The Pennsylvania Abolition Society took guardianship of the Africans, gave them the last name "Ganges" and dispersed them locally via indentures.

In a letter dated 20 February to Josiah Parker, chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs, Navy Secretary Stoddert recommended selling her, (not related to the storm damage).

[30] Officers and midshipmen of Ganges included several future heroes such as Thomas Macdonough, James Lawrence, Jacob Jones, and Daniel Carmick.