Georgia State Navy facts for kids
During the American Revolutionary War, the Georgia State Navy was a small group of ships. It helped protect the state of Georgia during the war. Most of these ships were lost or destroyed in 1778 and 1779.
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Georgia was one of the first of the original Thirteen Colonies to get its own ship for naval use. This happened in June 1775, soon after the American Revolutionary War began. Georgia ordered an armed sloop (a type of sailboat) to capture a British ship. This British ship was carrying weapons and supplies to Savannah, a port in Georgia.
In 1776, money was approved for Captains Oliver Bowen and Job Pray. Their mission was to find and arm ships in the West Indies. We don't know if they were successful in this mission. In November 1776, Georgia also set up a special court. This court, called an admiralty court, decided how to share valuable items captured from enemy ships at sea. These captured items were known as "prizes."
Building the Fleet: Row Galleys
Georgia also decided to build special ships called row galleys in 1776. These ships were powered by both sails and oars. A total of four galleys were put into service. Their names were Washington, Lee, Bulloch, and Congress.
The crews for these galleys came from enslaved people. They had been taken from the estate of the Royalist Governor James Wright when Patriots took over his property. Also, soldiers from the Georgia State Militia served on board these galleys as marines.
How the Galleys Were Used
The galleys were not good for sailing on the open ocean. However, they were perfect for Georgia's coast and rivers. This was because they had a shallow bottom and could use oars. They carried soldiers and supplies for two attacks on East Florida in 1777 and 1778. These attacks were not successful.
During these missions, the galleys also helped in other ways. They protected river crossings and escorted ships carrying troops. They also guarded the army's side (or "flank") as it moved.
The galleys had their biggest success at the Frederica naval action on April 19, 1778. The galleys Washington, Lee, and Bulloch, along with some smaller boats, captured two enemy ships. These were the 12-gun sloop HMS Hinchinbrook and the Loyalist privateer Rebecca. A privateer was a private ship allowed to attack enemy ships.
This happened near St. Simons Island. The British ships had gotten stuck in shallow water, and their crews had left them to go ashore. The Georgia State galleys took these captured ships to Sunbury.
The four galleys also served during the 1779 Siege of Savannah. This was a failed attempt by French and American forces to take the city back from the British. The British continued to control Georgia. In fact, Georgia was the only state where the royal governor returned to power. Because of this, it was impossible to build any more ships for the Georgia State Navy.
| Name | Launch year | Armament | Captain | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | mid-1777 | 2 × 18-pounder + 2 × 12-pounder + 2 × 9-pounder + 6 × 6-pounder guns | John Hardy | Stranded and burned at Ossabaw Island by her crew in January 1779 after the fall of Sunbury, GA. |
| Bulloch | 1778 | n.a. | Archibald Hatcher | Stranded and burned at Ossabaw Island by her crew in January 1779 after the fall of Sunbury, GA. |
| Lee | mid-1777 | 1 × 18-pounder + 1 × 12-pounder + 2 × 9-pounder + 2 × 6-pounder guns | John Braddock | HM galley Comet captured Lee in March 1779; the British Royal Navy took her into service as HM galley Vindictive |
| Congress | mid-1777 | 1 × 12-pounder + 1 × 9-pounder + 2 × 4-pounder guns + 2 × 1-pounder swivel guns | John Newdigate | HM galley Comet captured Congress in March 1779; the Royal Navy took her into service as HM galley Scourge |
