Virginia Navy of the Revolution, Part I [pp. 1-20]

T/ e Viryini;a Navy of the Revoluittion.
the French and sold by the latter to the
State of Virginia. They were merchantmen originally. The ship Virginia was
built at Gosport; the Grey-hound, at
Mi'nge's Ferry on James River, and others
at Quarles' Landing in King William
County. Some were built and fitted out
at Fredericksburg, as was the ship Dragon. Others, farther down on the Rappahannock; at Frazier's, on the Mattaponi; on the upper James and Appomattox rivers, and many at South Quay,
Hampton, and in the waters near Norfolk. The galleys, Accomac and Diligence, were built on Muddy Creek in Accomac Co., and carried round to Guilford
Creek to be fitted out for service, in 1777.
All of the other galleys were built at some
of the places mentioned Labove, and distributed along the shores, as the wants
of the people required them. In the
early part of the war, some of these vessels were constructed and fitted out under
the eye of some one of the members of
the Committee of Safety, as is shown by
the following extract of a letter from
George Mason to General Washington.
After speaking of other matters relating
to the state of affairs in Virginia, he mentions his having under his charge two
row galleys of forty or fifty tons burthen,
each to mount light guns, three and four
pounders, and thein adds -" The other,
the'American Congress,' is a fine stout
vessel of about one hundred and ten tons
burthen, and has such an easy draft of
water, as will enable her to run into most
of the creeks or small harbors if she
meets with a vessel of superior force.
She mounts fourteen carriage guns, four
and six pounders, though we have
thoughts of mounting two nine pounders
upon her main beam if we find her able,
as we think she is, of bearing them. The
guns are mounted and to be tried to-morrow. We have twenty barrels of powder
and about a ton of shot ready. * * * *
Swivels we have not, but she may make
a tolerable shift without, until they can
be furnished. We have got some small
arms, and are taking every measure to
increase them, and hope to be fully supplied in about a week more. 1er company of marines is raised and have been
10
[JANUARY
for sometime exercised to the use of the
great guns. Her complement of marines
and seamen is to be ninety-six men. We
are exerting ourselves to the utmost, and
hope to have her on her station in less
than a fortnight; and the other vessels
will quickly follow her, and be able to
protect the inhabitants of this river, from
the piratical attempts of all the enemv'.-,
cutters, tenders and small crafts." This
letter is dated at Gunsten Hall, Va.,
April 2nd, 1776, and shews the interest
felt, and the necessity for, a naval force
at that time, and in that reion of country.
Very little seems to be known regarding
the size and tonnage of most of the vesself found on the foregoing list. This applies particularly to the ships, inasmuch
as brigs and schooners are generally of
uniform dimensions such as will best suit
their peculiar style of riging. The largest were, no doubt, two, which are found
to have been ordered by the Naval Board
in October, 1776, and which are described
as two friates carrying thirty two guns
each. it does not certainly appear whether they were ever built, and if so which
of those on our list correspond to that
description. Judging merely from their
number of guns, some of them must have
been, at least of five hundred tons burthen, as for instance the Renown, which
mounted twenty-six guns, and the Tempest twenty, with crews in proportion.
Their batteries were generally composed
of six and ten pounders, a weight of
metal requiring vessels of considerable
size.
The largest brigs carried from twelve
to fourteen guns, four and six pounders,
but several, as the Jefferson and Liberty,
mounted eighteen, and the Mosquito and
Raleigh, twelve each. The Mars had
only eight. Some of the larger schooners mounted ten guns, but generally not
more than six and these of small calibre.
But amongst.all the vessels built and
owned by the State, there seems to be