The American Navy

in the number of state ships; but South Carolina in size and importance. Massachusetts had sixteen vessels, the only one of any size being the Protector, a ship carrying 26 light guns. All the others carried but from ten to twenty. This "navy" made about seventy captures during the war. But the state made one most unfortunate venture, the Penobscot Expedition, to be mentioned later. New Hampshire had one small ship, the Hampden, of 22 guns; Georgia, four galleys (vessels propelled by both sails and oars). Connecticut had a navy of ten vessels, the largest of which were the Oliver Cromwell, of 18 guns, and the Defence, of 14. All had disappeared by loss or capture by July, 1779, after having made some thirty captures. There was, however, throughout the war great activity in Long Island Sound where there was a warfare of boats against the illicit traffic carried on to supply the British at New York. As always, greed frequently overcame patriotism, and smuggling in both directions was rife throughout the war. The situation of New York, with its one port in possession of the enemy, precluded anything of a patriot naval force except a few galleys on the Hudson. Pennsylvania, however, had in 1777 a total of fifty-one vessels on the Delaware, the only important one in size being the small purchased ship Montgomery; all the others were but armed boats of the type known as galleys. In 1777 there were in the state naval service (which was administered by a board of six, la...