The brigantine Hampden was originally a trading ship out of Hispaniola that carried military supplies to the United Colonies and avoided capture by HMS Cerberus thanks to the assistance of John Paul Jones, then in command of USS Providence.

[4] Her name may be a reference to John Hampden, who had been a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War and is credited with coining the term "Glorious Revolution".

DANFS reports that Captain Hacker sailed for Providence, Rhode Island, to join USS Alfred in September 1776.

However, due to the inability to recruit a full crew and supply both vessels, the ships did not depart until 27 October 1776 on a mission to harass Newfoundland fisheries and to attempt the liberation of American prisoners of war on Cape Breton Island.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.