Naval Service
By the time he was twenty, however, Truxtun had garnered him the command of his own vessel, the Andrew Caldwell, because of his skills. Before the Revolution he was impressed into the Royal Navy and was offered a midshipman's warrant which he turned down.
He operated as a privateer during the American Revolutionary War, commanding several ships: Congress, Independence, Mars and St. James. Truxtun was highly successful in capturing enemy ships during this period, not once suffering a defeat.
After the war he returned to the merchant marine, where he remained for twelve years. In 1786 he commanded one of the first American ships to engage in trade with China, the Canton, operating from Philadelphia.
Read more about this topic: Thomas Truxtun
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