The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-04-01
VIRGINIA'S NAVY IN 1G.
4 FRAGMENT OF OLD COLONIAL
H{STORY.
of Virginia During the Revolution The
Tartar. Dragon. Kenown, Cormorant,
Tempest. and other Notable ships

Tempest, and Other Notable ships.
H.
An inspection OF the rolls Of the Virgin
ia colonial Navy shows about forty cap
tains including officers of marines who re-
NAMED under its flag during the war
Among these were the names of Barron,
Calender, Calvert, Cowper Ivy, Harris
| Lilly Catesby Cooke, and many Others
| Fifty.nine lieutenants are found on the
/ lists of officers, among whom are the
/ familiar names of Chamberlayne, Picket,
! Lewis, Dale, Cunningham, and others
/ On the medical staff most cons icu0us
are the names Of McClurg, Kemp, Brock
enbrnugh, Christie, Riddle. and Rey.
mold. About six hundred seamcn ap-
pear TO have been enlisted during the en-
tire war; and among them appear the
names Of many blacks, who remained
/ faithful serving with credit In this con
nectiOn we find il recorded with becom-
ing pride that during the service only
/ three cases of desertiOn were reported
/ The corps Of marines numbered about
| three hundred, including their officers
/ The militia of the State, who. I'm modern
! language had been modified for general
defense. were frequently called upon u
serve on the decks Of the navy iG cmer
gcucics In such instances ihe naval
officer commanding took rank over the
land officer thus reversing the general
rule In military affairs This was zen
/ dered necessary by the fact that the sue
cess of these enterprises depended upon
the appropriate direction and control of
the vessels employed
With all the efforts made, however, the
want of good seamen was seriously felt
/ by the State. A the struggle for liberty
over the whole country became more and
more vigorous. the resources OF Virginia
werc themore sorely taxed 10 DID up the
/ wasting ranks of her contingent ia the
/ Continental Army The Continental
/ Navy also, under Barry, Jones Hopkins
and others. had offered attractions 90
many in the State establishment, who
/ aspired 20 positions ON the decks OF
/ the newly equipped vessels 4 wider
| field was here presented 90 their pride
and their ambition In order, therefore
/ 90 furnish an adequate supply Of both
men aud officers for the future 8n act OF
Assembly was passed, requiring the
county courts 10 bind Out as apprenti
ccs 20 the sea- all orphan boys 90 Cet0uud
east of the heads Of tilcWaicr en- the
| respective rivers flowing through their
/ territory What results followed toe
adoption OF this measure doe, nOt1ppcr
! il goes Oh show. however with what
patriotic zeal the public authorities eu
dcay0rel % foster th.- branch oi on.
/ State dctcnscs The State l.ct of t.I
/ classes. as far as can Do 8.ceraIled, may
| be stated as follows.
Ships Tartar. Dragon ONiorl IA.t-.
/ Virginia Ren0wn, Industry c9rmorul
/ LOyalist. Pocahoutas Washington Temp
/ est. Defiance. Oliver Cromwell. Apollo
/ MARQUIS Lafayette. aud Gloucester
Brigs- Raleigh, Jefferson, Norihamp
/ ton. Sally Norton, Hampton Greyhound
/ Dolphin. Liberty, Mosquito. Rochester,
/ willing Lass, Wilks American fabius
Morning Star, and Mars
Observation-Disclosures Hornet, speed
well. Lewis, Nicholas Experiment. liar
rson. May Flower, Revenge Peace and
/ Plenty. Patriot, Betsy, Virginia, Rattle
snake. Scorpion. Congress Liberty, Emi
Rence. Game Cock. and America
/ Galleys- Accomac. Diligence. Hen.
/ Gloucester Safeguard, Manly Henry.
/ Norfolk Revenge, Caswc.i, Protection,
/ Washington, Page Lewis. Dragon.
and Da-her
Armed pilot boats Fly aud Molly
I Barges-l York and Richmond
As ntimattd above. many of these yc,
sells were purchased upon emergency
many were built I'D ihe state. aud o'he.
/ had been captured from iHe enemy Du.
/ iur the war hostile cruisers hecIm.
such terror to thc people living aong
. the water, of thc Chesapeake tHat 10 De-
+ came important Do Afford them better
protection Fl possible The iW0 lookout
. boats. F.y and Molly. whose du'y b. Wa-
( tO watch The entrance t0 tine capes ser.
] found unequal 90 the pcril1u> services rr.
Quircl OFF tlcm Accordingly. t0 secure
additional vigilance BE- Wa ordered "tha.
for the safety OF the trade OF the Com
monWealth. there Immediately Dee . 9 up
on The point of land ar Cape Henry %
stall hfly feet high 20 lea-'; ~lils fy
ar.pM rlM ret 90 BE- constantly kept
hoisted in the day when uo enemy 9.
within the oapes and taken down when
an enemy appears that there bee also
hoisted on said staff proper light 20 Dee
kept burning in the nighttime when no
enemy is within the capcs, and taken
down at the approach IF the enemy
Reference has been made 10 the cree
lion of dock yards and their locations
That this vas altogether necessary Is
shown BY the fact that the vessels Theti.
Jefferson. and Raleigh, and most OF the
smaller craft were constructed 40 the
State ward on the ChickahOniny river
The Washington Liberty, Hampton
Renown, and Marquis Lafayette at Go
port. and on the Rappahannock river
B The names given TO some OF these vessels
are quite suggestive. The 0peedweI
was no doubt called after the iil-taied
consort of the May Flower, who, In 1920
had reluctantly been Obliged to- part com
pany with her more fortunate companion
as the latter continued on her perllOu'
way across the Atlantic % the shores o
New England. The Rattlesngke, Scor
pion. and Game Cock speak an unmis
taxable language. The Norfolk Re
yenge seems suggestive of a special De-
sire for retaliation upon the yandd foe
who, early in the war had laid in ashc.