USS Herald was a full-rigged ship of about 270 tons burthen built in 1797 at Newburyport, Massachusetts. The US Navy purchased her on 15 June 1798, and sold her in 1801. She became the French 20-gun privateer corvette Africaine. In 1804 a British privateer seized her on 4 May 1804 off the coast, near Charleston, South Carolina. The seizure gave rise to a case in the U.S. courts that defined the limits of U.S. territorial waters. The U.S. courts ruled that the privateer had seized Africaine outside U.S. jurisdiction. Africaine then became a Liverpool-based slave ship that made two voyages carrying slaves from West Africa to the West Indies. After the abolition of the slave trade in 1807 she became a West Indiaman that two French privateers captured in late 1807 or early 1808.
Merchantman
Herald was registered at Newburyport on 12 October 1797 with Edward Davis, owner and master.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on 8 May 1798 that on 3 May the excellent and fast sailing ship Herald of Boston, armed with 14 guns, Edward Davis, commander, had arrived Boston as a part of a large convoy in 45 days from London with freight and five passengers. Captain Davis, on coming into the harbour fired a salute of 14 guns. Her voyage had been eventful. She had joined a convoy in Portsmouth for Boston on 18 March sailing under the protection of (54 guns), and a sloop of war. On the 19th Herald ran foul of Eliza and carried away her bowsprit, which obliged Herald to put into Falmouth.
The fleet proceeded to Cork and picked up , which was waiting with other ships from Liverpool, Bristol, and Ireland. This first convoy of two, the second was scheduled for later in May, consisted of forty ships all armed except for two, Montezuma and Carlisle. The commodore of the convoy, Captain Pender on St Albans, intended going the southern passage, and to drop the ships along the coast. On the 28th, in longitude 15, in a fog, Herald lost the convoy; and on 30 March, was chased by a frigate, which brought her to, after running 15 hours to the eastward. The frigate proved to be , Captain Pellew, who treated her politely, and informed Pender that Cleopatra had retaken William Penn, from Philadelphia, and also, a French privateer of 16 guns and 130 men.
The next day, the 31st, Herald was again chased by a privateer brig that came near, but on seeing Heralds guns sheered off.
US Navy
The Navy purchased Herald from Edward Davis on 15 June 1798.
Herald was made ready for sea in Boston as a sloop of war (20 guns), under the command of Captain Severs, and lay there for a period along with the brig (14 guns), Captain Chapman. The two ships sailed from Boston and then from Newport R.I. on 22 August 1798 onto Halifax as convoy for the brig Commerce, and while there exchanged gun salutes on paying a diplomatic visit to Fort George on Citadel Hill. She cruised in the West Indies during the Quasi-War with France from 1799 to 1800. On 21 January 1800, and Herald, Captain Charles C. Russel, encountered and captured the 6-gun privateer schooner La Mutine off Puerto Rico.
In August 1800 Herald, , and were cruising near Aux Cayes. Both Augusta and Trumbull captured some French vessels, though there is no record that Herald had any such success.
After the treaty of peace with France had been ratified on 18 February 1801, Herald returned to the West Indies on 23 March to recall the US Naval Forces under the command of Silas Talbot.
On 18 April 1801 Herald rescued the crew of the wrecked Dutch ship Cunningham, of Belfast.
The U.S. Navy sold Herald at Boston in 1801 and new owners renamed her Africaine.
French privateer
Captain Burnam of the schooner Betsey reported that on 24 April 1804 as Betsey was sailing from Charleston to Philadelphia she had encountered a French ship named Africaine, Captain Duaberqueny, from Brest. Africaine fired a couple of shot at Betsey and ordered Burnam to come aboard Africaine. After some detention Duaberqueny politely permitted Burnam to proceed. Burnam further reported that when Africaine spoke him she was then bearing away for Charleston having lost her mizen-mast and thrown her guns overboard in a gale of wind.