Built by Messrs. James Hackett, Hill, and Paul under supervision of Thomas Thompson, the keel was laid on March 21, 1776, at the shipyard of John Langdon on what is now Badger's Island in Kittery, Maine.

In the ensuing battle she damaged Druid, but the approach of the other British escorts, HMS Camel and Weazel forced her to retire.

[2] On December 29, 1777, Raleigh and Alfred, having taken on military stores, set sail from L'Orient, France, following a course that took them along the coast of Africa.

After capturing British vessel "Granville" off the Bar of the Senegal River,[3] Raleigh crossed the Atlantic Ocean to the West Indies.

On March 9, 1778, in the Lesser Antilles, Alfred, some distance from Raleigh, was captured by the British ships HMS Ariadne and Ceres.

Raleigh, unable to reach Alfred in time to assist her, continued north and returned to New England early in April 1778.

[4] Barry arrived in Boston to assume command on June 24 only to find his ship without crew or stores and the Navy Board not wholly in support of the manner of his appointment.

One boat was ordered back to Raleigh to take off the remainder of the crew, and destroy her, however the British again fired on the ship, striking the Continental colors.

Of the Americans ashore, a few were captured on the island, but the remainder, including Barry, made it back to Boston, Massachusetts, arriving on October 7.