SOON AFTER the opening of hostilities between the British and Continental forces, in the summer of 1775, the need of a navy was severely felt. The enemy’s troops at Boston were obliged to obtain nearly all their supplies by sea, the forces under Washington cutting off everything from the land. It occurred to our Commander in Chief that a few small armed vessels might render invaluable service to the cause of independence by capturing all water-borne British supplies and intercepting ministerial dispatches. At his request, Congress fitted out five schooners and Washington himself issued orders to the commanders. These new naval officers already held commissions as captains in the Continental Army.
The fleet, composed of the Harrison, Captain Coit; Lynch, Captain Boughton; Lee, Captain Manly; Warren, Captain Adams; and Washington, Captain Martindale, went to sea during September and October, 1775. They rendered effective service, capturing some thirty-five prizes, and losing but one member of the little squadron, the Washington, which was taken by the enemy. The schooner Lee captured the Nancy,
an ordnance ship . . . containing, besides a large mortar upon a new construction, several pieces of brass cannon, a large quantity of small arms and ammunition, with all manner of tools, utensils and machines necessary for camps and artillery, in the greatest abundance. The loss of this ship was much resented in England.*
The fitting out of these vessels may be considered the origin of the United States Navy, since the Machias incident, in which a party of Maine woodsmen captured a British armed schooner, took place without the support of a letter of marque or legal authority of any kind and thus cannot be regarded as an official action. The following copy of the instructions to Captain Coit commanding the Harrison gives us an understanding of the orders under which this “Continental Navy” served:
Instructions to Captain William Coit, Commander of the Armed Schooner “Harrison”
(1) You being already appointed a captain in the army of the United Colonies of North America, are hereby directed to take the command of a detachment of said army and proceed on board the armed schooner Harrison, lately fitted out and equipped with arms, ammunition and provisions, at the Continental expense.
(2) You are to proceed, as commander of said schooner, immediately on a cruise against such vessels as may be found on the high seas or elsewhere, bound inwards or outwards to or from Boston in the service of the Ministerial army, and to take and seize all such vessels laden with soldiers, arms, ammunition or provisions, for or from said army, or which you shall have good reason to suspect are in such service.
(3) If you should be so successful as to take any of said vessels, you are immediately to send them to the nearest and safest port to this camp under a careful prizemaster, directing him to notify me immediately by express of such capture with particulars, and there to wait my further directions.
(4) You are to be very particular and diligent in your search after the letters or other papers tending to discover the designs of the enemy or of any other kind, and to forward all such to me as soon as possible.
(5) Whatever prisoners you may take you are to treat with kindness and humanity, as far as is consistent with your own safety—their private stock of money and apparel to be given them after being duly searched, and when they arrive at any port you are to apply to the committee or any officer of the Continental army stationed at such port, for a guard to bring them up to headquarters.
(6) For your own encouragement and that of the other officers and men to activity and courage in this service, over and above your pay in the Continental army, you shall be entitled to one- third part of the cargo of every vessel by you taken and sent into port, (military and naval stores only excepted, which with the vessel and apparel are reserved for public service), which said third part is to be divided among the officers and men in the following proportions:
Captain, 6 shares Steward, 2 shares
First Lieutenant, 5 do. Mate 1 ½ do.
Second Lieutenant, 4 do. Gunner, 1 ½ do.
Surgeon, 4 do. Boatswain, 1 ½ do.
Ship’s Master, 3 do. Gunner’s Mate and
Privates, each 1 do. Sergeant, 1 ½ do.
(7) You are particularly charged to avoid any engagement with any vessel of the enemy, though you may be equal in strength or may have some small advantage, the design of your enterprise being to interrupt supplies of the enemy, which will be defeated by your running into unnecessary engagements. In this your own discretion and prudence must govern.
(8) As there may be other vessels employed in the same service with yourselves, you are to fix upon proper signals, and your stations being settled, so as to take the greatest range, avoid cruising on the same ground. If you should happen to take prizes in sight of each other, the rules which take place among private ships of war are to be observed in the distribution of the prize money.
(9) In case of re-taking the vessel of any friend to the American cause, I will recommend it to such persons to make a suitable compensation to those who have done such service; but such vessels must be deemed as coming within the directions respecting other vessels.
(10) You are to be extremely careful and frugal of your ammunition, by no means to waste any of it in salutes or for any purpose but what is absolutely necessary.
(Signed) G. Washington
Headquarters, Oct. 22, 1775
These instructions are commendable for their clearness and farsightedness, while at the same time the prudence and shrewd wisdom of Washington is plainly evidenced in them.
Too much cannot be said in praise of the gallantry and devotion to service of the officers and men who worked this tiny fleet, for the infant Navy was composed of small vessels, badly equipped, always short of supplies and scant of ammunition. To it was opposed the greatest Navy in the world. The names of these patriots should be emblazoned on the list of America’s heroes.
Stonewall Jackson’s orders for battle were in every essential respect a model. They were very short, not to say abrupt: but they were exceedingly clear. They left no doubt whatever as to the intentions of the General-in-Chief. They entered into no details, except where details were absolutely necessary. ... The only unpardonable fault in Jackson's eyes was to do nothing under plea of waiting for orders. To an energetic and active subordinate, even if he were sometimes led into an error of judgment, he forgave everything. —Colonel Henderson.