She was owned by John Andrews and her captain was Mark Clark. At various times she carried from 14 to 20 guns and her complement consisted of 85 men.
She received her first commission on 12th June 1781, but she may have been commissioned earlier. She was taken to England, where she was renamed CORMORANT and her lines were drawn. Her original lines survive on file at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwhich. With her reduced dead rise and her very sharp fore lines the RATTLESNAKE must have been very fast. In August 1783 she was again named RATTLESNAKE.