Pennsylvania Navy facts for kids
The Pennsylvania Navy was like the state's own small navy during the American Revolution. It was also known as the Pennsylvania State Navy. This navy helped protect Pennsylvania until the main United States Navy was formed.
Most of its ships sailed on the Delaware River. They worked with ships from the Continental Navy to defend Philadelphia. This was especially important when the British tried to take the city in 1777. The Pennsylvania Navy tried to stop the British Royal Navy from bringing supplies to their army.
The idea of a Pennsylvania Naval Militia came back later, in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It could even be started again in the future by Pennsylvania's Governor or state lawmakers.
Contents
When the American Revolutionary War started in 1775, leaders in the colony of Pennsylvania worried about protecting Philadelphia. Philadelphia was the capital and where the Second Continental Congress met. They needed to guard it from British ships on the Delaware River.
On July 6, 1775, the Committee of Safety decided to buy and prepare ships. Just two days later, they ordered their first armed galley. By October, they had built thirteen of these boats. Each cost about £550 and had one cannon at the front. Thomas Read became the first leader, or commodore, of this fleet.
The first six boats were ready by July 19. Six more were launched by the end of August. Their names were Bulldog, Burke, Camden, Congress, Dickinson, Effingham I, Experiment, Franklin, Hancock, Ranger, and Warren.
The navy also built 10 fire rafts in late 1775 and early 1776. These were led by Captain John Hazelwood. Two other ships, the Arnold and the Putnam, were built as floating batteries. They were operated by Pennsylvania State Marines. In April 1776, the state got the ship Montgomery. Thomas Read was its captain until he joined the Continental Navy in October 1776.
By August 1776, the Pennsylvania State Navy had 768 men. They operated 27 ships, with 21 smaller ones still being built. These smaller boats were called guard boats. They each had a four-pounder gun at the front.
The Committee of Safety was in charge of the navy. They created smaller groups to handle the navy's daily tasks and buy new ships. When Pennsylvania created its new government, the navy's management moved to the Council of Safety.
In March 1777, the council set up a naval board. This board was fully responsible for the fleet. However, the council still decided who became an officer.
Leading the fleet was sometimes difficult. Thomas Read was the first commodore. But he was replaced on January 13, 1776, by Thomas Caldwell. Caldwell only served a short time, leaving in March due to poor health. His replacement, Samuel Davidson, was promoted over other captains. This almost caused a mutiny, where the sailors refused to obey orders.
Because of this, Davidson was removed from command and later dismissed from the navy. Thomas Seymour then took over. But Captain Hazelwood did not want to serve under the older Seymour. When British forces threatened Philadelphia in September 1777, the council dismissed Seymour. They gave overall command of the fleet to Hazelwood.
In September 1778, the state created an admiralty court. This court handled legal cases about ships and how to share captured enemy ships and goods. The state also issued over 400 letters of marque between 1776 and 1782. These allowed private ships to attack enemy ships.
Key Battles and Operations
The Pennsylvania Navy first saw action on May 6, 1776. They fought against two British ships, the Roebuck and the Liverpool. The British ships had to retreat to New Castle, Delaware.
The fleet also helped keep British troops away from the river's east side. This happened when General George Washington retreated across New Jersey. Captain Hazelwood stopped German troops from staying in Burlington, New Jersey. This town supported the British. Hazelwood bombarded the town when troops were seen there. This forced their commander, Carl von Donop, to spread out his troops more. This may have helped Washington win the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776.
The Pennsylvania State Navy was key to defending the Delaware River when British General Sir William Howe occupied Philadelphia. The Royal Navy wanted to control the river to resupply Howe's army. At first, the combined Pennsylvania and Continental fleets were successful. They stopped a British attempt to pass the forts Fort Mercer and Fort Mifflin on October 22 and 23, 1777. Two British warships, HMS Augusta and HMS Merlin, were destroyed.
However, the British later took the two forts by land in November. Commodore John Hazelwood's fleet had to retreat upriver. Bad winds slowed them down. Four ships (Montgomery, Delaware, Arnold, and Putnam) were burned to stop the British from capturing them.
In April 1778, most of the fleet was destroyed. This was done to prevent the British from capturing them. But when news came that the British would leave Philadelphia, the navy was rebuilt. In July, Captain Hazelwood reported that the ship Convention was ready for action.
The navy's importance lessened when a French fleet arrived in North America. In August 1778, the state assembly voted to sell most of its remaining ships. They only kept the Convention and a few smaller boats.
These smaller ships were not enough to protect Pennsylvania's merchant ships. In response to requests from merchants, the state built the General Greene in March 1779. Under Captain James Montgomery, this ship sailed between New York and the Chesapeake Bay. It often worked with Continental Navy ships or privateers. It sent several captured enemy ships to Philadelphia. The General Greene was sold at the end of 1779.
By 1782, British and Loyalist privateers were causing problems again. Philadelphia's merchants asked for better naval defenses. This led to the commissioning of the Hyder Ally. Merchants helped pay for this ship. It was commanded by Joshua Barney of the Continental Navy. After capturing HMS General Monk, Barney took command of it, renaming it Washington. After a trip to the West Indies, it was sold to the Continental Navy. The Hyder Ally continued to patrol but without much success.
By February 1783, peace seemed close. Most of the state's ships had been sold, and its sailors were let go. On April 10, 1783, the Supreme Executive Council ordered the remaining armed ships to be sold.
In April 1889, the Pennsylvania Naval Militia was started again. It was called the Naval Force of Pennsylvania. This was one of many state naval militias that came before today's Naval Reserve.
