Silas Talbot was born in Rhode Island about 1750; died in New York, Jan. 30,1813. He was captain in a Rhode Island regiment at the siege of Boston; accompanied the American army to New York, and, for skilful operations with fire-rafts against the British shipping there, received from Congress the commission of Major. Talbot received a severe wound in the defence of Fort Mifflin (which see), and gave material aid to General Sullivan on Rhode Island in 1778. A few weeks later he captured a British floating battery anchored in one of the channels commanding Newport, and for this brilliant exploit was commissioned Lieutenant- colonel. In his prize (the Pigot) he cruised off the New England coast, capturing several prizes, and was commissioned captain in September, 1779. In 1780 he was captured and confined in the prisonship Jersey (which see), removed to England, and exchanged in 1781. After the war he purchased the confiscated estate of Sir William Johnson, near the Mohawk River; served in the New York Assembly, and was a member of Congress in 1793-94. He was employed in 1794 to superintend the construction of the frigate Constitution, which, in 1799, was his flag-ship in a cruise to the West Indies. He resigned in September, 1801.

From the Google book - Harpers' Popular Cyclopaedia of United States History from the Aboriginal Period: Containing Brief Sketches of Important Events and Conspicuous Actors by Benson John Lossing, 1893.