Continental Navy

Grateful for the saving of his vessel, upon our arrival in port, he introduced Captain Tucker to some of the other members of the Continental Congress.

And before he left Philadelphia for home, he had the promise of a captain's commission in the Continental Navy.

Nor was I forgotten.

Master Morris spoke a kind word for me, and I was assured that I should have a midshipman's commission in return for the one I had lost.

The parley, however, soon came to an end, for the messenger was not slow to notice the gallant look and noble appearance of the man before him, and he knew he could not be mistaken.

You yourself must be Captain Tucker, he declared, handing the packet to the man before him.

And here is your commission as a captain in the Continental Navy.

I also have a midshipman's commission for Arthur Dunn.

And the country that had just fought a revolution on the idea of human liberty found itself without a single naval vessel capable of doing anything about it.

Congress had dissolved the Continental Navy in 7085 in a fit of post-war economy and optimism.

and the sea had not returned the favor.

By 1794, the situation was desperate enough that lawmakers did something remarkable.

What was even worse, the captain was stricken down by a falling spar and both of his limbs were broken.

in this emergency captain tucker stepped forward and offered to take charge of the vessel to this master morse and the mates readily assented the new commander's first act was to assign me to his own position as third mate and his second to assure the men he would save the vessel if they would only promptly obey his orders then he went to the wheel and taking the helm into his own hands guided the ship all that night through the storm his orders issued from the wheel were promptly executed by the sailors who had taken on new courage and when dawn came and the tempest abated there was not a single soul on board but what was ready to own that it was to his skill and knowledge the ship and the crew owed their preservation this deed was the link in the chain that secured the fast friendship of master morris Grateful for the saving of his vessel, upon our arrival in port, he introduced Captain Tucker to some of the other members of the Continental Congress, and before he left Philadelphia for home, he had the promise of a captain's commission in the Continental Navy.

Nor was I forgotten.

Master Morris spoke a kind word for me, and I was assured that I should have a midshipman's commission in return for the one I had lost.

Ba-da-ba-ba-ba.

i say fellow i wish you would tell me if the honorable samuel tucker lives hereabouts honorable honorable questioned the captain with a shrewd look at the stranger there is not any man of that name in marblehead he must be one of the family of tuckers in salem i am the only samuel tucker here the trooper took his packet from his pocket looked at it again and again lives in a house, two stories, gable end, standing by itself on a hill, not far from the bay shore, a piece of woods near it.

he read out slowly surely this must be the place he commented looking sharply around him and then eyeing the chopper from head to foot he continued captain glover at cambridge told me that he knew master tucker well and that he lived in marblehead and described his house for me gable end on the sea-side none near it faith this looks like the very place the parley however soon came to an end for the messenger was not slow to notice the gallant look and noble appearance of the man before him and he knew he could not be mistaken you yourself must be captain tucker he declared handing the packet to the man before him and here is your commission as a captain in the continental navy i also have a midshipman's commission for arthur dunn can you tell me where i may find him he's right behind you i reckon remarked the captain taking his packet and waiting for me to take mine then he invited the stranger to come into the house and take a rest and refreshments before he returned to cambridge an invitation which was gratefully accepted with the commissions were our assignments to the frigate franklin carrying sixteen guns and stationed at beverly the captain was also directed to get her in readiness at once for a cruise Busy days followed.

The stores were shipped, the ammunition was placed on board, and in a week we would have been ready for sea had our outfit of small arms arrived.

Washington, of course, had no Navy to come to his aid.

Most of the small Continental Navy remained locked up in Rhode Island, and the few ships that were roaming around the Atlantic, along with many privateers that could harass isolated British ships, or perhaps even small convoys, but there was nothing that dared take on the armada that was at New York.

So, if the Americans wanted to do anything, they needed to get creative.

Of course, the Patriots were nothing if not creative.

and before he left

Philadelphia for home, he had the promise of a captain's commission in the Continental Navy.

Nor was I forgotten.

Master Morris spoke a kind word

called out roughly, I say, fellow, I wish you would tell me if the Honorable Samuel Tucker lives

hereabouts.

honorable honorable questioned the captain with a shrewd look at the stranger there is not any man of that name in marblehead he must be one of the family of tuckers in salem i am the only samuel tucker here the trooper took his packet from his pocket looked at it again and again lives in a house two stories gable end standing by itself on a hill not far from the bay shore a piece of woods near it he read out slowly surely this must be the place he commented looking sharply around him and then eyeing the chopper from head to foot he continued captain glover at cambridge told me that he knew master tucker well and that he lived in marblehead and described his house for me gable end on the sea-side none near it faith this looks like the very place the parley however soon came to an end for the messenger was not slow to notice the gallant look and noble appearance of the man before him and he knew he could not be mistaken you yourself must be captain tucker he declared handing the packet to the man before him and here is your commission as a captain in the continental navy i also have a midshipman's commission for arthur dunn can you tell me where i may find him he's right behind you i reckon remarked the captain taking his packet and waiting for me to take mine then he invited the stranger to come into the house and take a rest and refreshments before he returned to cambridge an invitation which was gratefully accepted with the commissions were our assignments to the frigate franklin carrying sixteen guns and stationed at beverly the captain was also directed to get her in readiness at once for a cruise Busy days followed.

The stores were shipped, the ammunition was placed on board, and in a week we would have been ready for sea had our outfit of small arms arrived.

year

in may seventeen seventy seven captain cunningham sailed from dunkirk france in the brig surprise with one of franklin's commissions and soon returned to port with a british brig and packet as prizes the french were embarrassed they desired to help the americans but did not wish to provoke an open quarrel with the english just then the english ambassador at paris protested and cunningham and his crew were imprisoned they were soon released and sailed in the revenge for british waters where they spread havoc among the english shipping the british were so scared that they were at their wits end insurance rose to twenty per centum and so unwilling were english merchants to risk their goods at british bottoms that at one time forty french vessels were taken in cargoes in the thames the revenge tried to intercept the british transports taking hired german troops to america but failed after the treaty of alliance with france was signed the french openly assisted the americans whose cruisers and privateers became more active than ever the story of their exploits in detail forms a most romantic chapter of american history in the spring of seventeen seventy eight john paul jones first appeared in european waters with the ranger of eighteen guns he went up the western coast of england to whitehaven seized the fort spiked the cannons set fire to the shipping and departed as quickly as he came then he attempted to make his father's old friend the scotch earl of selkirk a prisoner but failed his men carried off the family plate which jones restored to lady selkirk sweeping around ireland he made several prizes and sailed for france this raid greatly frightened the people of the english coasts to their imagination jones seemed like a revived old sea-king of the north jones was again in british waters in september seventeen seventy nine doctor franklin and the french king had jointly fitted out an expedition to cruise in the british channel and the german ocean and placed jones in command his flagship was the bonhomme richard with his little squadron he went far up the eastern coast of great britain and on a moonlit evening had a desperate battle with the serapis the larger of the two armed vessels just started to convoy the english baltic fleet across the german ocean jones ran the richard alongside the serapis lashed them together and so muzzle to muzzle they poured destructive broadsides into each other for an hour and a half sometimes both vessels were on fire when for a minute the richards ceased firing the captain of the serapis called out have you struck your colors i have not yet begun to fight answered jones the struggle was fierce for a few minutes longer when the colors of the serapis were hauled down when the vessels were separated the richard was sinking and soon went to the bottom of the sea her people took refuge on the serapis and she and her consort were taken into the texel in holland when afterward jones heard that the king had knighted the commander of the serapis he said he deserves it and if i fall in with him again i'll make a lord of him the fame of this victory soon spread abroad the congress gave jones a gold medal european monarchs gave him tokens of high regard in a grand court banquet the king of france made him a knight of the military order of merritt and decorated him with its jewel he is known in history as the chevalier john paul jones among the younger naval heroes of the war for independence who afterward became renowned was joshua barney at the close of seventeen eighty when he was less than twenty-two years of age he was made captain put in command of the frigate alliance and conveyed to france john laurens a special envoy of the congress on his return barney was attacked by two armed english vessels and after a severe engagement captured both of them in the spring of seventeen eighty two barney in command of the hyder ali a pennsylvania cruiser keeping the delaware clear of english marauders honored the infant american navy by a brilliant exploit he was convoying some merchant vessels and while at anchor near cape may was attacked by an english cruiser with two companions he sent the merchantman up the river and by an expert movement got the hyder ali entangled with her antagonist in such a way that her great guns swept the decks of the foe with a destructive raking fire in less than half an hour the british vessel which proved to be the brig general monk surrendered she was badly bruised and had lost fifty men this was one of the most brilliant actions that ever occurred under the american flag wrote cooper fifty years afterward the war for independence was now about to close with triumph for the americans and their cause the little continental navy had fully justified the faith of the stout-hearted people by its grand performances this little david had fought the goliath of england most valiantly for seven years and in the might of wright its pebbles from the brook had been equal in efficiency to the huge spear of the boastful oppressor divine help gave final victory to the patriots during the war the americans had thirty-six public vessels afloat besides swarms of active and efficient privateers they had also built a large seventy-four gun ship the america but before she was put to sea she was presented to the french government the veteran manly the pioneer of naval warfare on the part of the americans after a long captivity cruised in the hague among the west india islands until the preliminary treaty of peace was signed in the fall of seventeen eighty two he there closed the regular maritime operations which he had opened in seventeen seventy five the cruisers were recalled the commissions of the privateers were revoked and of all the vessels of the remarkable little continental navy only the alliance remained in seventeen eighty three nothing but the recollection of the services and sufferings of the navy was left behind the alliance was reluctantly sold in seventeen eighty five to save the expense of repairs the exhausted americans craved the enjoyment of peace and felt no need of a navy to be continued mr martin's eye by jimmy brown i've made up my mind to one thing and that is i'll never have anything to do with mr martin again he ought to be ashamed of himself going around and getting boys into scrapes just because he's put together so miserably sue says she believes it's mucilage and i think she's right if he couldn't afford to get himself made like other people why don't he stay at home his father and mother must have been awfully ashamed of him why he's liable to fall apart at any time mr travers says and some of these days he'll have to be swept up off the floor and carried home in three or four baskets there was a ghost one time who used to go around upstairs and downstairs in an old castle carrying his head in his hand and stopping in front of everybody he met but never saying a word this frightened all the people dreadfully and they couldn't get a servant to stay in the house unless she had the policeman to sit up in the kitchen with her all night one day a young doctor came to stay at the castle and said he didn't believe in ghosts and that nobody ever saw a ghost unless they had been making beasts of themselves with mince pie and wedding cake so the old lord of the castle he smiled very savage and said ye'll believe in ghosts before you've been in this castle twenty-four hours and don't you forget it well that very night the ghost came into the young doctor's room and woke him up the doctor looked at him and said ah i perceive painful case of imputation of the neck want it cured old boy the ghost nodded though how he could nod when his head was off i don't know then the doctor got up and got a thread and needle and sewed the ghost's head on and pushed him gently out of the door and told him never to show himself again nobody ever saw that ghost again for the doctor had sewed his head on wrong side first and he couldn't walk without running into the furniture and of course he felt too much ashamed to show himself this doctor was mr travers's own grandfather and mr travers knows the story is true but i meant to tell you about the last time mr martin came to our house it was a week after i had scalped him but i don't believe he would ever have come if father hadn't gone to see him and urged him to overlook the rudeness of that unfortunate and thoughtless boy when he did come he was as smiling as anything and he shook hands with me and said never mind bub only don't do it again by and by when mr martin and sue and mr travers were sitting on the piazza and i was playing with my new baseball in the yard mr martin called out pitch it over here give us a catch so i tossed it over gently and he pitched it back again and said why didn't i throw it like a man and not toss it like a girl so i just sent him a swift ball a regular daisy cutter i knew he couldn't catch it but i expected he would dodge he did try to dodge but it hit him alongside of one eye and knocked it out you may think i'm exaggerating but i'm not i saw that eye fly up against the side of the house and then roll down the front steps to the front walk where it stopped and winked at me i turned and ran out of the gate and down the street as hard as ever i could i made up my mind that mr martin was spoiled forever and that the only thing for me to do was to make straight for the spanish main and be a pirate i had often thought i would be a pirate but now there was no help for it for a boy that had knocked out a gentleman's eye could never be let to live in a christian country after a while i stopped to rest and then i remembered that i wanted to take some provisions in a bundle and a big knife to kill wolves so i went back as soon as it was dark and stole round to the back of the house so i could get in the window and find the carving knife and some cake i was just getting in the window when somebody put their arms around me and said dear little soul was he almost frightened to death it was sue and i told her that i was going to be a pirate and wanted a carving knife and some cake and she mustn't tell father and was mr martin dead yet so she told me that mr martin's eye wasn't injured at all and that he had put it in again and gone home and nobody would hurt me and i needn't be a pirate if i didn't want to be it's perfectly dreadful for a man to be made like mr martin and i'll never come near him again sue says that he won't come back to the house and if he does she'll send him away with something i forget what it was in his ear father hasn't heard about the eye yet but if he does hear about it there will be a dreadful scene for he bought a new rattan cane yesterday there ought to be a law to punish men that sell rattan canes to fathers unless they haven't any children

and of section six Section 7 of Harper's

Young People Volume 1 Issue 38 July 20, 1880 This is a LibriVox recording.

In action it concentrated on ship to shore engagements instead of pitched battles at sea.

It was the strongest navy in the world Opposed to it was a fledgling American Navy, which was never able to put together a fleet, only an occasional squadron, but more frequently single warships in action.

In time, the Navy won the grudging respect of English seamen who learned to recognize a new naval power arising from the waves that Britannia, though she ruled.

215 separate engagements was no small involvement.

A British detachment destroyed several buildings before it was driven off by continental troops.

February 15th, British raided Prudence Island, Rhode Island.

February 17th, first squadron, six ships, of continental navy sailed from Philadelphia.

Congress wanted British blockades of Chesapeake Bay broken.

the patriotic people everywhere with compressed lips and valorous hearts said we must fight faint-hearted men and women shook their heads and said be prudent you know great britain has scores of ships of war and we have not won how can we hope to win in such a contest stout-hearted men and women replied we will buy or build ships make warriors of them man them with hardy new england fishermen and with the faith of little david meet the goliath of england trusting in the lord who will defend the right and the people said amen the congress appointed a marine committee a sort of distributed secretary of the navy They ordered more than a dozen more vessels to be built.

Officers were appointed, crews were gathered, and Easek Hopkins, a seaman of Rhode Island, then almost 60 years of age, was made Commodore and Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Navy.

This was the germ of the United States Navy.

Early in 1776, Hopkins sailed from Delaware to the Bahama Islands with four ships and three sloops.