Career
He was responsible for the construction of a number of significant Revolutionary War-era warships for the fledgling country, including the United States Ship Alliance, United States Ship Raleigh, Ranger, America, Congress, Portsmouth, two cutters for the United States Revenue Cutter Service, as well as the Crescent, built for Algiers as tribute. As a teenager, he served with Rogers" Rangers during the French and Indian War. His later military service included serving as lieutenant colonel in the New Hampshire state militia during the Revolutionary War and after in several different units.