The Virginia State Navy

Objectives

The student will be able to explain the geographic

reasons which required Virginia to form a state navy
during the American War for Independence.

The student will be able to identify the types of vessels

utilized by the Virginia State Navy.

The student will be able to identify the types of weapons

used by the Virginia State Navy.
 The Need for a Navy
• Need to Protect the •
•
Washington’s Schooner Navy
Continental Navy
Coast and Inland • State Navy’s
Waterways. 1. Massachusetts
2. Virginia
3. Pennsylvania
4. Maryland
• Protect and Secure 5. South Carolina
Foreign Trade. 6. Connecticut
7. Rhode Island
8. New York
9. Georgia
• Provide Intrastate and 10. North Carolina
Interstate 11. New Hampshire
• Privateers
Transportation.
Virginia’s Situation

The Chesapeake Bay

• 195 miles in length

• 22 miles across at
its widest point
• 3 to 10 miles wide
at its narrowest.
Virginia’s Situation

Potomac River

• Navigable for 140 miles

inland from the Bay.
Virginia’s Situation

Rappahannock
River

• Navigable for
100 miles to
Fredericksburg
Virginia’s Situation
York River

• Wide and Deep for

40 miles from the
Bay
• Splits into the
Pamunkey and
Mattaponi, each
navigable for an
additional 20 miles
Virginia’s Situation

James River

• Navigable
for 100
miles to
Richmond
The Key to Virginia’s Defense
was the ability to control her
Waterways.
Virginia Convention Resolution
December of 1775
“…And for the greater security of the inhabitants
of this colony from the depredations of the
enemy by water Be it Ordained That the
committee of safety shall and they are hereby
empowered and required to provide from time to
time such and so many armed vessels as they
may judge necessary for the protection of the
several rivers in this colony, in the best manner
the circumstances of the country will admit:
and, to that end, to raise and take into pay a
sufficient number of officers and men, as well
sailors and marines…”
 VSN Organization
Each District was to have its own fleet.
A naval magazine was to be created within
each district.
• James River at Chippokes Creek
• York River at the Mattaponi River
• Rappahannock River at Piscataway Creek
• Potomac River at Potomac Creek
Virginia State Navy
Ship Actions
 VSN Ship Actions
The schooner Liberty was the only ship to make it through the
entire war without being captured by the British. The
Liberty was described as having taken part in twenty
“sharp actions”. Such as,
• The capture of the merchant-men Oliver, Lark, Susannah,
and Speedwell in the Rappahannock.
• The capture of the transport ship Oxford, from Glasgow,
having on board 217 members of the 42nd Regiment.
• The capture of the Fortunatus in Hampton Roads,
following a two hour battle in which all but four of the
Fortunatus’ crew were either killed or wounded.
• The Liberty ran dispatches from General Washington to
Admiral DeGrasse during the siege of Yorktown.
 VSN Ship Actions
• The schooner Patriot was credited with capturing the brig
Fanny and a Providence bound sloop.
• The Patriot was tasked with suppressing loyalist
privateers operating in the bay.
• The Patriot fought the privateer Lord Howe to a draw.
• The Patriot was captured when she attempted to board a
decoy ship.
• The Patriot was taken into the British flotilla at
Yorktown, and became a prize to France upon conclusion
of the siege.
 VSN Ship Actions
• The brig Dolphin, armament unknown, Captain John
Cowper, commanding.
• In 1778 the Dolphin encountered a force of four armed
barges off Tangier Island. The Dolphin inflicted heavy
casualties upon the British vessels before retiring.
• In the spring of 1779, the Dolphin went in search of
privateers outside the Capes. Cowper nailed his flag to the
mast and stated he would not surrender, no matter what the
odds. Off the Capes the Dolphin encountered 3 unknown
ships. After a long engagement, the unknown ships were
seen to withdraw eastwards, with no sign of the Dolphin
remaining.
 VSN Ship Actions
The brig Tempest, 16 6-pounder guns, Celey
Saunders, commanding.
• In 1777 the Tempest captured a British brig off
Hog Island.
• Assigned to the James River to hunt privateers.
• Was named the flagship for the “Emergency
Flotilla” at the battle of Osbourne’s Landing,
Edward Travis, commanding. The Tempest was
captured at the conclusion of the two hour battle.
 VSN Ship Actions
The Washington and Caswell row galleys.
• Both of these vessels were constructed at South
Quay, on the Meherrin River. They were assigned
to assist North Carolina with the defense of
Ocracoke Sound.
• The defense of Ocracoke Sound provided an
overland route for sending supplies to Norfolk, in
case of a blockade of the Chesapeake.
• During Jefferson’s time as Governor these galleys
would be sold to North Carolina.
 VSN Ship Actions
The galley, Dragon, armament unknown, Eleazer Callender, commanding.
• Initially fitted out to cruise against the loyalist privateer, John Goodrich.
• Sent to the Eastern Shore to survey every channel and determine a safe
station for other vessels.
• Sent in convoy with the Tartar, Tempest, Northampton, a tender, and two
ships from Philadelphia to conduct an offensive against Bermuda.
Intercepted by the British frigates Roebuck and Emerald, and a sloop.
The flotilla evades and returns to the Capes.
• During the summer of 1778, the Dragon recaptures two British prizes.
• In March 1780 the Dragon is modified into a fireship, with the purpose of
being deployed against Benedict Arnold’s fleet at Portsmouth. On the
eve of the attack, Governor Nelson revokes permission, stating that the
plan had become common knowledge and possessed no chance of
success.
Virginia State Navy
Vessels
VSN VESSELS
Row Galley
• A low flat-built
vessel, furnished
with one deck, and
navigated with sails
and oars.
• Shallow draft,
typically armed
with heavy guns.
• Usual crew size was
50 men.
 VSN VESSELS
Row Galley
• Manley, two 18-pounders
• Hero, one 18-pounder, one 24-
pounder
• Lewis, armament unknown
• Protector, armament unknown
• Washington, armament
unknown
• Gloucester, armament
unknown
• Diligence, armament unknown
• Norfolk Revenge, two 18-
pounders
• Henry, armament unknown
• Page, armament unknown
• Safeguard, armament unknown
• Caswell, armament unknown
• Accomack, armament unknown
• Dragon, armament unknown
VSN VESSELS
Schooner
• The schooner has
two or more masts
of equal height (or
the aft mast is
taller).
• Usually carried a
crew of 20-32.
• Usually 60-100
tons of
displacement.
 VSN VESSELS
Schooners
• Liberty, ten 2-pounder • Patriot, eight 2-
swivel guns pounder swivel guns
• Speedwell, armament •
Hannah, armament
unknown
unknown
• Hornet, armament
unknown • Revenge, armament
• Dasher, armament unknown
unknown
VSN VESSELS
Sloop
• The sloop has a
single mast with
one foresail
forward of the
mast.
• Comparable to
schooners in
tonnage.
• Carried a larger
crew and
armament.
 VSN VESSELS
Sloops
• Defiance, armament unknown
• Liberty, eight 3 & 4-pounders
• Congress, armament unknown
• Patsey, armament unknown
• Scorpion, fourteen 4 & 6 pounders
VSN VESSELS
Brig
• The brig has two
masts with square
sails on both masts.
• These were
generally the largest
ships in the state
navy. They were at
a disadvantage when
performing river
duty.
• Their need for larger
crews made manning
difficult.
 VSN VESSEL
Brigs
• Musquetto, two 6-pounders
• Liberty, armament unknown
• American Congress, fourteen 4
& 6-pounders
• Greyhound, armament
unknown
• Tempest, sixteen 6-pounders
• Thetis, armament unkown
• Dolphin, armament unkown
• Willing Lass, twelve 4-
pounders
• Mars, eight 4 & 6-pounders
• American Fabius, 18 guns
• Raleigh, six 4-pounders
• Adventure, 16 guns
• Northampton, armament
unknown
• Tartar, armament unknown
• Jefferson, 14 guns
• Oliver Cromwell, armament
unknown
• Renown, 16 guns
• Wilkes, twelve 4-pounders
• Apollo, eighteen 6-pounders
• Morning Star, 12 guns
VSN VESSELS
Frigate
• These were full
rigged ships and
carried all of their
main guns on a
single deck.
• Frigates had good
sailing qualities
due to a
combination of
long hulls and low
upperworks.
 VSN VESSELS
Frigates
• Virginia, armament unknown

*Burned at Gosport Shipyard during

Commodore Sir George Collier’s raid,
1779
 Cutlass
Cutlass - period correct naval cutlass.

English / American Cutlass, Circa 1770-1790. Battle Weapons

of the American Revolution, George C. Neumann
 Boarding Pike
Period correct pikes of proper length, 6 - 8’

American Pike, Circa 1775-1780. 1 1/8” shaft, total length of 81 5/8”.

Battle Weapons of the American Revolution, George C. Neumann
 Boarding Pistol
The British sea service or “boarding” pistol, .69 caliber.

Fig. 9: English Sea Service Pistol. Circa 1730-1740. Battle Weapons of

the American Revolution, George C. Neumann
 Blunderbuss
Brass or steel barrel flintlock blunderbuss musket, .75 caliber.

English Swivel-Mounted Blunderbuss, Circa 1779. Brass Barrel. Swivel

optional for use aboard Virginia State Navy vessel. Battle Weapons of the
American Revolution, George C. Neumann
 Musket

Though numerous forms of documentation establish

that boats and ships of the Virginia State Navy
possessed muskets, a particular model was not
specified. This musket is a reproduction of an English
Sea Service musket, which would have been found
within the colonies at this time. .75 caliber.
 Swivel Gun

These were generally mounted upon ship’s

boats and in the tops of the larger ships.
They mostly fired a 2-pound ball or
buckshot.
 Naval Guns

Virginia State Navy ship’s were generally

armed with 3 and 6-pounder cannons.
These guns had between a quarter and a
half mile effective range.