Nancy (1775)  Nancy was an American brig, also called brigantine, chartered to transport war supplies during the American Revolutionary War. After learning that independence had been declared, her captain, according to his daughter, raised the first American flag in a foreign port. Evading British capture, she was later intentionally destroyed with a huge blast on June 29, 1776, during the Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet near Cape May, New Jersey. "Nancy" was built by Barney Harris in Wilmington, Delaware, and was owned by Joseph Shallcross, Joseph Tatnall, and others. Her captain was Hugh Montgomery, also from Wilmington. Another part owner was Vincent Gilpin, who named the brig after his daughter Ann. On March 1, 1776, Robert Morris of the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety chartered "Nancy" to transport gunpowder and arms for the revolution. Later in March, she sailed to Puerto Rico to purchase arms and ammunition. By early June, she had loaded additional supplies in the Caribbean islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix. While at St. Thomas, Captain Montgomery received news that independence had been declared. An American flag was created by ensign Thomas Mendenhall and flown to replace the British one. This was "the first American stars ever seen in a foreign port"; that is, according to Elizabeth Montgomery, the captain's daughter, and Thomas C. Mendenhall, by family tradition. Her book includes a mezzotint engraving by John Sartain that shows "Nancy" flying an American flag with a circle of ten stars surrounding three central stars. Since "Nancy" was subsequently destroyed on June 29, this would place the flag raising before the Declaration of Independence on July 4, but after the resolution for independence, proposed on June 7 to the Continental Congress. In the early hours of June 29, pursued by and and blocked from entering the Delaware Bay, "Nancy" headed for the nearby Turtle Gut Inlet in a heavy fog. She soon ran aground, while the larger British ships were kept to deeper waters. Although still out of range but sailing closer, the British shelled "Nancy", while the Americans from , , and attempted to salvage the cargo, especially the gunpowder kegs. One group returned cannon fire to keep the British from boarding. Another transferred the cargo onto longboats and rowed to shore where local residents helped unload and secure it behind the dunes. By late in the morning of June 29, most of the gunpowder had been removed, but the British bombardment had heavily damaged the "Nancy".