Happy Birthday U.S. Navy!

The Jawa Report ^ | October 13, 2012 | Vinnie

[Snuph]

Establishment of the Navy:

"Resolved, That a swift sailing vessel, to carry ten carriage guns, and a proportionable number of swivels, with eighty men, be fitted, with all possible despatch, for a cruise of three months, and that the commander be instructed to cruize eastward, for intercepting such transports as may be laden with warlike stores and other supplies for our enemies, and for such other purposes as the Congress shall direct. That a Committee of three be appointed to prepare an estimate of the expence, and lay the same before the Congress, and to contract with proper persons to fit out the vessel.

Resolved, that another vessel be fitted out for the same purposes, and that the said committee report their opinion of a proper vessel, and also an estimate of the expence."

[Snuph]

Salute

[JRandomFreeper]

At least it was a Thursday.

/johnny

[bunkerhill7]

We`uns mountain lake American hillbillies s beg to differ, respecfully, but we got ancestors here fought & died on American U.S. navy ships fightin` them Redcoats in 1776-1777:

Whitehall, NY - Birthplace of the U.S. Navy
The Revolutionary War caused the capture of Skene’s trading schooner and the building of a fleet by Benedict Arnold at this place. Because of the Revolutionary War actions,
the New York State Legislature, in 1960, declared the legacy that names Whitehall as the
Birthplace of the United States Navy. The Whitehall harbor also produced ships used for service by the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812.
http://www.whitehall-chamber.org/

“””SKENESBOROUGH, [WHITEHALL] BIRTHPLACE OF THE U.S. NAVY-
U.S. NAVY WATERBORNE CONTINENTAL TROOP TRANSPORTS
1776 July “From Skenesborough... troops [American] were carried to Ticonderoga, a distance of thirty miles, in flat boats.”
1776 “September . – We took our route through Worcester, Springfield, Charlestown, in New Hampshire, and over the Green Mountains to Skenesboro; which is the place of rendezvous for the continental troops and militia destined for Ticonderoga. Here boats are provided at the entrance to Lake Champlain...”

BATEAUX DETAILS
1776 “The living conditions for the 45-man crew aboard the 54-foot gunboats…”
1776 September 2 “We [Americans] have now 3 row galleys upwards of 60 feet long…each of them mount 2 large cannon in the bow and two in the stern and 4 upon the deck...row with 40 oars and will have upwards of 150 men each.”

THE LAKE CHAMPLAIN GONDOLAS
1776 “The Lake Champlain gondolas were [1776] flat-bottomed with an approximate length of 54 feet and a 15 ½ foot beam.”
[built at Skenesborough -Whitehall]:
New Haven Providence, Boston Philadelphia
Spitfire Congress Trumbull New York [Success]
Liberty Lee = row galley, 43 feet 9 inches long]”

Second Officer at Skenesborough under Arnold was General David Waterbury of Connecticut. Liberty captured at Skenesboro by Capt. Herrick May 1775;
Enterprise captured at St. John’s by Arnold May 1775

CHAPTER 24 P13

BENEDICT ARNOLD`S LAKE CHAMPLAIN FLEET
1776 October
Benedict Arnold’s ships:
some rigged at Mt. Independence, armed at Ticonderoga -August)

Galleys -
Trumbull: one 18-pounder, one 12-pounder, two 9-
pounders, four 6-pounders
(30 September) Captain Warner,
Col. Wigglesworth

Lee: (later) one 12-pounder, one 9-
pounder
Captain Davis
Congress: two 8-pounders, two 12-pounders, six
4-pounders
General Waterbury

Sloops
Liberty : four 4-pounders, four 2-pounders, 35 men Captain Premier

Enterprise: twelve 4-pounders, 50 men Captain Dickenson

Schooners - Royal Savage: four 6-pounders, eight 4-pounders, 50 men, Capt. Jacob Wyncoop, Captain Hawley

Revenge: four 4-pounders, two 2-pounders, 35 men, CaptainSeaman
Gondolas - Boston: one 12-pounder, two 6-pounders, 45 men, Captain Sumner
Providence: one 12-pounder, two 6-pounders, 45 men, Captain Simonds
New Haven: one 12-pounder, two 6-pounders, 45 men, Captain Samuel Mansfield

Spitfire : one 12-pounder, two 6-pounders, 45 men, Captain Ulmer
Philadelphia: one 12-pounder, two 6-pounders, 45 men, Captain Rice, (with Col. Wigglesworth)
Jersey: one 12-pounder, two 6-pounders, 45 men, Captain Grimes
Connecticut: : one 12-pounder, two 6-pounders, 45 men, Captain Grant
New York : one 12-pounder, two 6-pounders, 45 men, Captain Reed
Washington: one 18-pounder, one 12-pounder , two 9-pounders,
four 4-pounders Captain Thatcher; Gen. Waterbury

Arnold had on board 10 sergeants, 6 corporals, 6 drummers, and 102 privates from
Pennsylvania regiments as marines and seamen.

AFTERMATH OF THE BATTLE OF VALCOUR ISLAND
COFFIN POINT, CROWN POINT
Coffin Point south of Ft. Frederick, a few yards south on the shore:

“The American forces at Crown Point, specifically the 6th Pennsylvania Battalion, would construct a fort in August at Coffin Point. The new military outpost’s life would be measured in a few short weeks. The defeat of Arnold’s fleet near Plattsburgh on October 11, 1775 would signal her demise. Two days later the American forces would burn the timber structure and retreat south. The victorious British forces would arrive at the orphaned Crown Point on the 14th but winter comes early in the Champlain Valley and they returned north. The once vital position fell silent and would not be occupied until the next summer.” [Crown Point historians state that this is where the bodies of American sailors from Valcour Island battle were taken and placed in coffins.]

CHAPTER 24 P14

THE BRITISH LINE

British ships - Carleton,, Inflexible, Lady Maria, Loyal Convert, Thunderer

1776 British ships in Ticonderoga area:
Carcase Thunderer Invincible Firebrand Reknown
Desperate Revenge Dreadful Blast Infernal Tartar Destruction
Vesuvius Thunderbolt Etna Resolution Terrible
Repulse Furious Inflexible Maria Carleton
Loyal Convert
Inflexible, built in Quebec, was 300 tons. Carleton carried twelve 6-pounders. Thunderer was a flat-bottomed raft, carrying 12 heavy guns and 2 howitzers. There were also 24 British `artillery boats’, each carrying a single 8-pounder.

U.S. NAVY ON LAKE GEORGE
1777 February 1 “With a [American] naval force on Lake George…”
1777 February 21 “As early as Feb. 21, 1777, the New York Committee of Safety authorized shipwrights to be sent to Lake George to build vessels. On March 24, Schuyler sent Captain Jacobus Wyncoop, the controversial commodore of the 1776 American fleet before Arnold assumed command, to Fort George to ‘employ Carpenters in constructing two strong schooners of Sixty feet Keel & twenty feet Beam…”
1777 July 12 “…as the Enemy [Americans] had Vessels on this Lake [Lake George] a sufficient number of Gun Boats [British] were kept armed and clear for Action, the rest were loaded with Stores and Provisions”- {What were these American ships? Cf. below]]

JAMES MACINTOSH REVEALS U.S. NAVAL ELEMENTS AT TICONDEROGA TO BRITISH
1777 June 18 ``Question: What number of Shipping [American] at Ticonderoga?
Answer: Two Galleys, one called the GATES, the other`s name not known, mounting about 12 Six pounders each: one Sloop taken from St. John`s, called the BETSEY , mounting about 12 Six pounders; two Scooners [sic], very small, and one taken from St. John`s, the other from Major Skeene, its burther [burden, displacement] about ten Tun entirely loaded with powder each mounting four four Pounders; one Gondola two Nine Pounders, making Six in all – about 50 Batteaux fit for use and 30 useless.``
1777 June 18 ``Question: What number of Vessels or Boats [American] on Lake George?
Answer: One Petite Auger mounting two four Pounders and three Scooners [sic] building, intended to mount six Guns each, weight of mettle not known as yet not half finished, and as far as I can learn not above a dozen Batteaux on the lake which are totally employed transporting provisions from Fort George for the use of the troops at Ticonderoga.`` -from my book
yupyupyup

[bunkerhill7]

1777 February 21 “As early as Feb. 21, 1777, the New York Committee of Safety authorized shipwrights to be sent to Lake George to build vessels. On March 24, Schuyler sent Captain Jacobus Wyncoop, the controversial commodore of the 1776 American fleet before Arnold assumed command, to Fort George to ‘employ Carpenters in constructing two strong schooners of Sixty feet Keel & twenty feet Beam…”
1777 July 12 “…as the Enemy [Americans] had Vessels on this Lake [Lake George] a sufficient number of Gun Boats [British] were kept armed and clear for Action, the rest were loaded with Stores and Provisions”-
-, chap24 p14, my book

[bunkerhill7]

The New York Committee of safety was empowered by Congress to build ships to fight the British navy- viz=
“The First Continental Congress had urged their creation in 1774. [Committees of Safety]
By 1775 they had become counter-governments that gradually replaced royal authority and took control of local governments. They regulated the economy, politics, morality, and militia of their individual communities. After December 1776 they came under the control of a more powerful central authority, the Council of Safety.[1]

The Committee of Safety was empowered by the Congress to carry into effect all its resolutions and recommendations, to open and answer all its letters, to comply with any requisition made by the generals of. the Continental Army as far as it should think proper, to give directions to General Worcester or to the Commander-in-chief of the Continental troops within the Colony, provided such directions did not infringe the orders of the Continental Congress, to assign the money which the Continental Congress might send, for the payment of public debts already contracted, and for such further public needs as it should think necessary, the accounts being
first audited and allowed by the Committee of Accounts.
These Committees of Safety were in constant communication with committees of correspondence, which disseminated information among the militia units and provided a clearinghouse of information and intelligence on enemy activities.-wikipedia

From the summer of 1776 to the spring of 1777 Committees of Safety were appointed to sit in the adjournment of Congress or to carry on the business of the State, when, as frequently occurred, too few members were present to proceed as congress or convention. The size of these Committees varied from seven to ten members and any one from the convention that was present could vote.”
http://www.committee.org/PCOS21NewYork.htm