Virginia State Navy facts for kids
The Virginia State Navy was a group of ships that protected Virginia's waters during two important times in American history. It first existed during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). Later, it was briefly reformed at the start of the American Civil War in 1861. Both times, its main job was to defend Virginia from enemy ships.
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During the American Revolutionary War, Virginia, like other colonies, was unhappy with Lord Dunmore, the royal governor. After fighting began in April 1775, Lord Dunmore feared for his safety. He fled to a Royal Navy ship and tried to gather supporters to fight against the American rebels.
In December 1775, Virginia's temporary government decided to create a navy. They wanted to stop Lord Dunmore from using the waterways. Over the next six months, they bought five ships and ordered more to be built. They also hired their first captains. In May 1776, a special group called the Navy Board was set up to manage the ships. Ships were built at places like the Chickahominy River and Gosport.
Virginia's first navy leader was John Henry Boucher, but he didn't stay long. James Barron eventually led the fleet until the war ended. It was hard for Virginia to find enough sailors because privateer ships (privately owned armed ships) paid more.
The Virginia fleet mostly patrolled the Chesapeake Bay. Its ships were often short on sailors and weapons. Some ships were even used for trade, sailing to the Caribbean and Europe. Between 1775 and 1779, the fleet captured 15 enemy ships. However, they also lost several of their own ships. In 1779, the British attacked the shipyard at Gosport, destroying supplies and ships being built.
In 1780, British forces arrived in South Carolina, and British raids increased in the Chesapeake Bay. This made Virginia need its navy even more. They even had to force some sailors to join. In December 1780, a British fleet landed troops led by Benedict Arnold, a general who had switched sides. Arnold moved up the James River towards Richmond.
A group of over twenty small Virginia ships and privateers chased Arnold. In April 1781, during a battle near Osborne's, the British captured twelve Virginia ships. The rest were sunk or burned by their own crews to prevent capture.
After this disaster, the Virginia Navy had only one ship left, the Liberty. This ship helped during the Siege of Yorktown later in 1781. Three more ships were hired to help too. When Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia let most of its sailors go because of money problems. A few ships were used in 1782 and 1783. After the peace treaty in 1783, all but two ships were sold. The Liberty and the Patriot were kept as customs ships until 1787. The Liberty was one of the longest-serving ships for the American cause in the war.
The Provisional Navy of Virginia was created on April 27, 1861. This happened when Virginia left the Union at the start of the American Civil War. The plan was to enlist 2,000 sailors and marines. However, because there weren't many warships, most of these men worked on building and manning harbor defenses.
When Virginia joined the Confederate States of America, Governor John Letcher announced on June 6, 1861, that all Virginia Navy members would join the Confederate States Navy. One of Virginia's first actions after leaving the Union was to name Robert E. Lee as the commander of its military and naval forces.
The only flag officer (a high-ranking naval officer) of this second Virginia Navy was French Forrest. He was a former officer from the United States Navy. The navy's main base was at Norfolk, Virginia. Union forces had left this base on April 20, 1861.
Important Officers
Many officers who had served in the United States Navy later played big roles in the American Civil War for the Confederacy. Some of these officers joined the Virginia Navy first. They included:
- Samuel Barron
- Franklin Buchanan (who commanded famous ironclad ships like CSS Virginia II)
- French Forrest
- Matthew Fontaine Maury
- John Randolph Tucker
Ships in Service
To create a navy to protect Richmond, Virginia salvaged the frigate USS United States. This ship became a receiving ship, where new sailors would report. Virginia also bought several steamships. These included the Empire, Northampton, Thomas Reaney, Jamestown, and the Yorktown. The Yorktown was renamed Patrick Henry and became the main ship of the James River Squadron.
When Virginia handed over its military to the Confederate States, its navy had several ships, including:
- USS United States, renamed CSS Confederate States
- CSS Northampton
- CSS Jamestown
- CSS Patrick Henry
