American Colonial Marines
Encyclopedia
The historical battles of Lexington and Concord
in Massachusetts
sparked the beginning of the American War for Independence on 19 April 1775; soon after, the rest of the thirteen American colonies
were pulled into the conflict. Many of the leaders in the rebellion recognized that a naval engagement against the British was the primary option to prevent the British from restoring Crown rule by military occupation.
under the command of Colonel Benedict Arnold
captured a British sloop-of-war
on Lake Champlain
. The ship was renamed Liberty
to honor the patriot cause. Two days later on 11 May, Liberty collaborates in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga
from the British. Then on 18 May, Benedict's forces captured another British sloop George, and renamed it the Interprise
.
The new ship was reinforced with 18 Massachusetts militiamen, serving as marines; first known officer listed on the payroll, was Lt. James Watson.
The first recorded narrative of American marines were described during when the Connecticut Committee Public Safety
sent £500 to Colonel Arnold in late-May, the shipment was escorted by eight colonial marines; although they were actually seamen. They are often referred to as the "Original Eight".
From 11–13 October 1776, the colonial marines attached to Arnold's fleet participated in the battle for Valcour Island
. Although defeated in the Lake Champlain
assault, they delayed a British invasion until the following year.
passed a resolution on 10 June 1775, in creating the Continental Army
from all the available colonial forces and militias around Boston
; they appointed George Washington
, a Congressman of Virginia
, as the Commanding General of the Continental Army
. It was vital for General Washington's army to seize Boston, to help interdict the Royal Navy
's flow of supplies and reinforcement of troops to the British. Under-equipped and extremely lacking gunpowder and supplies; Washington greatly depended in supplying his force from the surrounding colonial armies and navies, and from any cache that came from captured British ships of provision
and matériel
values.
By mid-August of 1775, General Washington formed his own "maritime fleet" due to the limitations of funding and resources from the Continental Congress. On 24 August, he provided a schooner into service, Hannah
, to interdict any British ships in the Massachusetts Bay
. Hannah became the first American-built ship in the fleet, also becoming the founding vessel of the United States Navy
. Following, Washington relied on the 14th Continental Regiment, or "Marblehead Regiment", consisting of a militia of skilled mariners throughout New England
, in providing him a naval assault force for the upcoming siege in the Lake Champlain
area. Other ships including later in his fleet manned by his regiment were schooners Harrison
, Franklin
, Hancock
, Lee
, and Warren
.
General Washington sailed Hannah off the coast of Massachusetts on 7 September and recaptured the British sloop HMS Unity
.
On 10 October, the sailors and marines of the Marblehead Regiment helped in the battle between Hannah and the British sloop HMS Nautilus
off the Massachusetts coastline.
By 5 November 1775, Washington's regimental of marines aboard Harrison
participated in the capture of the British supply vessels HMS Polly and HMS Industry off of the coast of Boston, Massachusetts. Two days later on 7 November, Lee recaptured the British sloop HMS Ranger in the Massachusetts Bay
.
Washington's Marblehead Regiment aboard Hancock and Franklin made an unopposed landing at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on 17 November 1775. Three days later, they expedited to Nova Scotia
and raided Canso Harbor
.
The marines aboard Harrison, accompanied by Harrison, participated in her fight against three British warship
s in Boston Bay
on 24 November 1775.
Two British frigates captured the patriot ship Washington
on 3 December; amongst the crew, its sailors and marines were taken prisoner.
On 27 November 1775, Lee played their part in capturing a sloop off the New England
coast. There after the next several weeks, these marines captured countless enemy British ships off the coast of Boston.
A company of Washington's Fleet (along with his "Marblehead" Regiment) aboard Franklin, commanded by Captain James Mugford
of Commodore John Manly
's (Continental Navy) squadron, captured the British transport HMS Hope on 17 May 1775. The ship was stocked with one thousand carbine
s and 75-ton of gunpowder.
On June 16, Washington's Fleet intercepted captured two British troopships, in attempting to reinforce Boston, which the British Army had abandoned prior their arrival.
In the Atlantic on 7 June, the frigates Hancock and Boston, along with their Marines, capture the British frigate HMS Fox.
that had institutionalized a state navy also designated a crew of marines. The state marines served mainly on coastal defense
vessels, mostly recruited from state militias.
HMS Nancy.
In October, the Connecticut Marines aboard Spy assisted in the capture of a large British ship.
The Connecticut Navy ship Defence and her Marines capture the British ship HMS Grog.
On 15 April 1778, Marines participate in the actions in which Connecticut's Navy ships Oliver Cromwell and Defense capture the British letters-of-marque HMS Admiral Keppel and HMS Cyrus.
—under command of expeditionary Continental naval captain Dudley Saltonstall
—participated in an expedition
to Penobscot Bay
to besiege the British army forces, fortifications, and their and warships. On 26 July, the landing force assaulted Nautilus Island (Banks Island) against a British stronghold of cannons, an artillery battery. Outnumbered, the British forces surrendered. Two days later, the American sailors and marines alike engaged in their failed effort against the British positions on Bagaduce Peninsula.
, to protect the Delaware River
and the its avenue of approaches.
On 27 May, the marines of the Pennsylvania Navy employed row galley
s to drive off two British warships in the Delaware River
.
On 8 March 1777, the British frigate HMS Levant defeats the Pennsylvania Navy ship Montgomery and her Marines.
Marines join the crewman of two armed barges in capturing two British supply ships in the Delaware River on 7 March 1778. The barges also supported General Anthony Wayne
's brigade as it wandered around New Jersey in search of provisions for Washington's army at Valley Forge
.
commissioned two ships, the sloop Katy, and Washington
, a schooner; and appointed Abraham Whipple
as Commodore
. That same day he voyaged out to sea and encountered the HMS Rose
, which Whipple and his men eventually captured British frigate when they forced it aground. It became the first naval engagement of the American Revolution. Momentarily, Whipple's sloop, Katy, was taken over by the Continental Congress
, whose sought a 'national naval force'; it was later renamed and reclassified as the sloop-of-war
, Providence
.
aboard Defense participated in the action against the British ships HMS Tamar and HMS Cherokee at Charleston
.
was in command of the Virginia Navy during the Revolutionary War.
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. They were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy , and Cambridge, near Boston...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
sparked the beginning of the American War for Independence on 19 April 1775; soon after, the rest of the thirteen American colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
were pulled into the conflict. Many of the leaders in the rebellion recognized that a naval engagement against the British was the primary option to prevent the British from restoring Crown rule by military occupation.
Arnold's flotilla
On 9 May 1775, sailors and mariner-militiamen aboard a flotillaFlotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
under the command of Colonel Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
captured a British sloop-of-war
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
on Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
. The ship was renamed Liberty
USS Liberty (1775)
USS Liberty was a schooner built at Skenesboro USS Liberty was a schooner built at Skenesboro USS Liberty was a schooner built at Skenesboro (now Whitehall on Lake Champlain, New York for wealthy landowner and former British Army Captain Philip Skene. It was captured on 11 May 1775 during a raid on...
to honor the patriot cause. Two days later on 11 May, Liberty collaborates in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga occurred during the American Revolutionary War on May 10, 1775, when a small force of Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold overcame a small British garrison at the fort and looted the personal belongings of the garrison...
from the British. Then on 18 May, Benedict's forces captured another British sloop George, and renamed it the Interprise
USS Enterprise (1775)
Enterprise was a Continental Navy sloop-of-war that served in Lake Champlain during the American Revolutionary War. She is the first of a long and prestigious line of United States Navy ships to bear the name Enterprise....
.
The new ship was reinforced with 18 Massachusetts militiamen, serving as marines; first known officer listed on the payroll, was Lt. James Watson.
The first recorded narrative of American marines were described during when the Connecticut Committee Public Safety
Department of Public Safety
The Department of Public Safety , also called an Office of Public Safety, is a state or local government umbrella agency in the United States which serves to assist the certain agencies in their services by providing administrative, financial, and technical services and support for core public...
sent £500 to Colonel Arnold in late-May, the shipment was escorted by eight colonial marines; although they were actually seamen. They are often referred to as the "Original Eight".
From 11–13 October 1776, the colonial marines attached to Arnold's fleet participated in the battle for Valcour Island
Battle of Valcour Island
The naval Battle of Valcour Island, also known as the Battle of Valcour Bay, took place on October 11, 1776, on Lake Champlain. The main action took place in Valcour Bay, a narrow strait between the New York mainland and Valcour Island...
. Although defeated in the Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
assault, they delayed a British invasion until the following year.
Washington's fleet
The 2nd Continental CongressSecond Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met briefly during 1774,...
passed a resolution on 10 June 1775, in creating the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
from all the available colonial forces and militias around Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
; they appointed George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, a Congressman of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, as the Commanding General of the Continental Army
General of the Armies
General of the Armies of the United States, or more commonly referred to as General of the Armies, is the highest possible officer rank of the United States Army.Only two soldiers have been granted the rank of General of the Armies; John J...
. It was vital for General Washington's army to seize Boston, to help interdict the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's flow of supplies and reinforcement of troops to the British. Under-equipped and extremely lacking gunpowder and supplies; Washington greatly depended in supplying his force from the surrounding colonial armies and navies, and from any cache that came from captured British ships of provision
Provision
Provision may refer to:* Provision , an industrial dance / synthpop band from Houston, Texas, USA* Provision , a term for liability in accounting* Provision , a term for a procurement condition...
and matériel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
values.
By mid-August of 1775, General Washington formed his own "maritime fleet" due to the limitations of funding and resources from the Continental Congress. On 24 August, he provided a schooner into service, Hannah
USS Hannah (1775)
The schooner Hannah was the first armed American naval vessel of the American Revolution and is claimed to be the founding vessel of the United States Navy. She was owned by John Glover's in-laws of Marblehead, Massachusetts and was named for his wife, Hannah Glover...
, to interdict any British ships in the Massachusetts Bay
Massachusetts Bay
The Massachusetts Bay, also called Mass Bay, is one of the largest bays of the Atlantic Ocean which forms the distinctive shape of the coastline of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Its waters extend 65 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Massachusetts Bay includes the Boston Harbor, Dorchester Bay,...
. Hannah became the first American-built ship in the fleet, also becoming the founding vessel of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. Following, Washington relied on the 14th Continental Regiment, or "Marblehead Regiment", consisting of a militia of skilled mariners throughout New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, in providing him a naval assault force for the upcoming siege in the Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
area. Other ships including later in his fleet manned by his regiment were schooners Harrison
USS Harrison (1761)
USS Harrison was a schooner chartered and outfitted by General George Washington during the American Revolution. She was assigned to capture British supply ships as part of Washington’s plans for the siege of Boston, Massachusetts, and to provide the Continental Army with whatever goods they...
, Franklin
USS Franklin (1775)
The first USS Franklin was a schooner in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. She was named for Benjamin Franklin....
, Hancock
USS Hancock (1775)
The first USS Hancock was a schooner under the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. She was named for John Hancock.Hancock, was the former schooner Speedwell, hired from Mr...
, Lee
USS Lee (1775)
The first USS Lee was a schooner under the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. She was named for General Charles Lee.-1775:...
, and Warren
USS Warren (1775)
The first USS Warren was a schooner that served in the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1776.Warren was originally the fishing schooner Hawk, probably built at Marblehead, Massachusetts, and owned by John Twisdon at the time of her appraisal for naval service in the American Revolutionary...
.
General Washington sailed Hannah off the coast of Massachusetts on 7 September and recaptured the British sloop HMS Unity
HMS Unity
Eleven ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Unity or HMS Unite: was a 32-gun ship, previously the Dutch ship Eendracht. She was captured in 1665 but was recaptured in 1667. was a 4-gun flyboat captured from the Dutch in 1672 and given away that year. was a 6-gun fireship purchased in...
.
On 10 October, the sailors and marines of the Marblehead Regiment helped in the battle between Hannah and the British sloop HMS Nautilus
HMS Nautilus
In addition to several other ships, ten ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Nautilus, after the Greek word for a sailor. was a 16-gun sloop launched in 1762 and put up for sale in 1780. was a 16-gun sloop launched in 1784 and wrecked in 1799. was a 14-gun brig-sloop built c. 1794 and...
off the Massachusetts coastline.
By 5 November 1775, Washington's regimental of marines aboard Harrison
USS Harrison (1761)
USS Harrison was a schooner chartered and outfitted by General George Washington during the American Revolution. She was assigned to capture British supply ships as part of Washington’s plans for the siege of Boston, Massachusetts, and to provide the Continental Army with whatever goods they...
participated in the capture of the British supply vessels HMS Polly and HMS Industry off of the coast of Boston, Massachusetts. Two days later on 7 November, Lee recaptured the British sloop HMS Ranger in the Massachusetts Bay
Massachusetts Bay
The Massachusetts Bay, also called Mass Bay, is one of the largest bays of the Atlantic Ocean which forms the distinctive shape of the coastline of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Its waters extend 65 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Massachusetts Bay includes the Boston Harbor, Dorchester Bay,...
.
Washington's Marblehead Regiment aboard Hancock and Franklin made an unopposed landing at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on 17 November 1775. Three days later, they expedited to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and raided Canso Harbor
Canso, Nova Scotia
For the headland, see Cape Canso.Canso is a small Canadian town in Guysborough County, on the north-eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia, next to Chedabucto Bay. The area was established in 1604, along with Port Royal, Nova Scotia. The British construction of a fort in the village , was instrumental...
.
The marines aboard Harrison, accompanied by Harrison, participated in her fight against three British warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
s in Boston Bay
Boston Bay
Boston Bay may refer to:*Boston Bay, Illinois*Port of Boston, Massachusetts*Boston Harbor, Massachusetts* Boston Bay, Port Lincoln, South Australia* Boston Bay, Portland Parish, JamaicaSee also* The Boston Bay State Banner...
on 24 November 1775.
Two British frigates captured the patriot ship Washington
USS Washington (1775)
USS Washington was a schooner acquired by the Continental Navy during the American Revolution and converted to an armed brigantine. She served for only a short period of time before being captured by the British.- Acquired by General Washington :...
on 3 December; amongst the crew, its sailors and marines were taken prisoner.
On 27 November 1775, Lee played their part in capturing a sloop off the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
coast. There after the next several weeks, these marines captured countless enemy British ships off the coast of Boston.
A company of Washington's Fleet (along with his "Marblehead" Regiment) aboard Franklin, commanded by Captain James Mugford
James Mugford
-Biography:Captain Mugford commanded the schooner Franklin in the Continental Navy, serving through 1775 in John Manley’s squadron off Boston. He captured British ship Hope with a large cargo of military stores and powder, and took his prize into Boston, running under the noses of the British fleet...
of Commodore John Manly
John Manley (naval officer)
John Manley was an officer in the Continental Navy and the United States Navy.-Early life:Tradition holds that John Manley was born in 1733 near Torquay, Devonshire, in south west England. As a young man, he settled in Marblehead, Massachusetts, eventually becoming the captain of a merchant...
's (Continental Navy) squadron, captured the British transport HMS Hope on 17 May 1775. The ship was stocked with one thousand carbine
Carbine
A carbine , from French carabine, is a longarm similar to but shorter than a rifle or musket. Many carbines are shortened versions of full rifles, firing the same ammunition at a lower velocity due to a shorter barrel length....
s and 75-ton of gunpowder.
On June 16, Washington's Fleet intercepted captured two British troopships, in attempting to reinforce Boston, which the British Army had abandoned prior their arrival.
In the Atlantic on 7 June, the frigates Hancock and Boston, along with their Marines, capture the British frigate HMS Fox.
State navies
During the Revolutionary War, eleven out of thirteen coloniesThirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
that had institutionalized a state navy also designated a crew of marines. The state marines served mainly on coastal defense
Coastal defence and fortification
Coastal defence , Coastal defense and Coastal fortification are measures taken to provide protection against attack by military and naval forces at or near the shoreline...
vessels, mostly recruited from state militias.
Connecticut
In July 1775, the marines in the sloop Spy, from the Connecticut Navy, participated in the capture of the 250-ton British Tory brigBrig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
HMS Nancy.
In October, the Connecticut Marines aboard Spy assisted in the capture of a large British ship.
The Connecticut Navy ship Defence and her Marines capture the British ship HMS Grog.
On 15 April 1778, Marines participate in the actions in which Connecticut's Navy ships Oliver Cromwell and Defense capture the British letters-of-marque HMS Admiral Keppel and HMS Cyrus.
Massachusetts
In July of 1779, the Massachusetts marines (of the Massachusetts Navy) and the Continental MarinesContinental Marines
The Continental Marines were the Marine force of the American Colonies during the American Revolutionary War. The corps was formed by the Continental Congress on November 10, 1775 and was disbanded in 1783. Their mission was multi-purpose, but their most important duty was to serve as on-board...
—under command of expeditionary Continental naval captain Dudley Saltonstall
Dudley Saltonstall
Dudley Saltonstall was an American naval commander during the American Revolutionary War. He is best known as the commander of the naval forces of the 1779 Penobscot Expedition, which ended in complete disaster, with all ships lost...
—participated in an expedition
Penobscot Expedition
The Penobscot Expedition was the largest American naval expedition of the American Revolutionary War and the United States' worst naval defeat until Pearl Harbor...
to Penobscot Bay
Penobscot Bay
Penobscot Bay originates from the mouth of Maine's Penobscot River. There are many islands in this bay, and on them, some of the country's most well-known summer colonies. The bay served as portal for the one time "lumber capital of the world," namely; the city of Bangor...
to besiege the British army forces, fortifications, and their and warships. On 26 July, the landing force assaulted Nautilus Island (Banks Island) against a British stronghold of cannons, an artillery battery. Outnumbered, the British forces surrendered. Two days later, the American sailors and marines alike engaged in their failed effort against the British positions on Bagaduce Peninsula.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Committee of Public established a state navy, the Pennsylvania NavyPennsylvania Navy
The Pennsylvania Navy served as the naval force of Pennsylvania during the American Revolution and afterward, until the formation of the United States Navy...
, to protect the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
and the its avenue of approaches.
On 27 May, the marines of the Pennsylvania Navy employed row galley
Row galley
The row galley was an armed naval craft that used oars rather than sail as a means of propulsion. During the "age of sail" row galleys had the advantage of propulsion while ships of sail might be stopped or running at slow speed because of lack of wind for their sails.Even row galleys were...
s to drive off two British warships in the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
.
On 8 March 1777, the British frigate HMS Levant defeats the Pennsylvania Navy ship Montgomery and her Marines.
Marines join the crewman of two armed barges in capturing two British supply ships in the Delaware River on 7 March 1778. The barges also supported General Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of Mad Anthony.-Early...
's brigade as it wandered around New Jersey in search of provisions for Washington's army at Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
.
Rhode Island
On 15 June 1775, sailors and marines of the Rhode Island Navy became the first "American navy" when the Rhode Island General AssemblyRhode Island General Assembly
The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Senate with 38 senators...
commissioned two ships, the sloop Katy, and Washington
USS Washington (1775)
USS Washington was a schooner acquired by the Continental Navy during the American Revolution and converted to an armed brigantine. She served for only a short period of time before being captured by the British.- Acquired by General Washington :...
, a schooner; and appointed Abraham Whipple
Abraham Whipple
Abraham Whipple was an American revolutionary naval commander in the Continental Navy. Whipple was born near Providence, Rhode Island and chose to be a seafarer early in his life. He embarked upon a career in the lucrative West Indies trade, working for Moses and John Brown...
as Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
. That same day he voyaged out to sea and encountered the HMS Rose
HMS Rose (1757)
HMS Rose was a 20-gun sixth-rate post ship of the Royal Navy, built in Hull, England in 1757. Her activities in suppressing smuggling in the colony of Rhode Island provoked the formation of what became the Continental Navy, precursor of the modern United States Navy. In the Seven Years' War, Rose...
, which Whipple and his men eventually captured British frigate when they forced it aground. It became the first naval engagement of the American Revolution. Momentarily, Whipple's sloop, Katy, was taken over by the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
, whose sought a 'national naval force'; it was later renamed and reclassified as the sloop-of-war
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
, Providence
USS Providence (1775)
Originally chartered by the Rhode Island General Assembly as Katy, USS Providence was a sloop in the Continental Navy.-Service as Katy:...
.
South Carolina
On 11 November 1775, militiamen and mariners of the South Carolina NavySouth Carolina Navy
A South Carolina Navy has been formed twice by the State of South Carolina. The first time was during the American Revolutionary War, in which the state purchased and outfitted armed vessels independent of the Continental Navy....
aboard Defense participated in the action against the British ships HMS Tamar and HMS Cherokee at Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
.
Virginia
Commodore James BarronJames Barron
James Barron was an officer in the United States Navy. Commander of the frigate USS Chesapeake, he was court-martialed for his actions on 22 June 1807, which led to the surrender of his ship to the British....
was in command of the Virginia Navy during the Revolutionary War.