However, her participation in the battle helped delay the British advance on New York City by a year.

The second ship to be so named by the Navy, Lee was a galley cutter built under direction of General Benedict Arnold at Skenesboro, New York, in 1776 for service on Lake Champlain.

Lee, commanded by a Captain Davis, joined Arnold’s squadron 6 September 1776; the galley cutter operated on Lake Champlain for shortly over a month, ready to defend the inland water path which connected Canada and New York.

When the British moved south, the American flotilla met them in the Battle of Valcour Island 11 October 1776.

Lee ran aground and bilged, during the action in which the small American squadron was all but wiped out.