The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-05-09
OUR FIRST NAVY.

The outbreak of the Revolutionary
war found the patriots without a navy.
Congress had to create one. -Four mer-
chantmen We're first purchased, hastily
equipped with guns, and sent to sea
as cruisers; but their defects as war
vessels soon became so apparent that
Congress determined at once to set
about the building of a navy. On Oc-
tober 3. ITS, Congress ordered two
cruisers built; and on December IS the
| order was increased to five S2-gun
SHIPS five 2S-gun ships and
3 A-gun ships They We're
to be ready for the sea by the following
April. The names given to the thirteen
vessels were Boston, Congress, Effing-
ham, Delaware, Hancock, Montgomery,
Providence, Raleigh, Trumbull, vir-
ginia, Warren, Washington, and Ran
| dolph. These were the first war vessels
constructed in the United States.
| The first commander in chief was
Ezekiel Hopkins of Rhode Island, a
younger brother of Congressman
stephens Hopkins. He was appointed
to this high office on December %,
1775.
| AT the time of his appointment
Ezekiel Hopkins was brigadier-gen-
eral in command of the Rhode Island
| troops, acting under commission from
the governor He had spent part of his
life on board merchantships, and had
also been a shipbuilder; consequently,
he was fitted both by experience and
ability to fill the important office given
to him. In short time a fleet of four
ships and three sloops We're ready, and
with these Admiral Hopkins set out to
win glory for himself and country
Among his lieutenants was the famous
John Paul Jones, who was, probably
the most brilliant and daring naval of
f1cer of the wars with England.
| The Bahama Islands in the West In
dies We're then an English colony, with
| New Providence as their principal sea-
port and seat of government; and hith-
err the new admiral sailed the new
navy. He attacked the city, captured
the harbor fort and town. and brought
back with him to America the English
governor as a prisoner eighty cannons,
and very large quantity of ammuni-
|
brilliant achievement was a godsend
to the disheartened and impoverished
patriots. 1t renewed their courage and
replenished their stores. Admiral Hop
kins was the hero of the hour and re-
| ceived a vote Of thanks from Congress
/ for his great deeds, which had redeem
ed the glory and advantage of this
| country.
Soon after his return from the Bahia
mas he met two English ships off Block
| Island, and captured both of them.
Two days later he had an engagement
with the English twenty-nine- gun ship
Glasgow, but did not succeed in capt
uring it. The public severely censured
his conduct of this battle, and in June,
i7T6, he was ordered to appear before
the congressional committee. After a
hearing had been given him, the COM
mittee sent favorable report of his
actions to Congress, which the latter
body approved, so the admiral was ex-
onerated from all blame,
He was now placed in charge of a
| large number Of war vessels, which
Congress was having built. The task
was a difficult one. Money and mate
rial was hard to get A powerful Eng
lish fleet blockaded the harbors and
prevented the sailing of some of his
ships when completed. The people be-
came impatient. The press accused
him of slowness, of being a laggard in
his country's service. His temper was
never of the best, and he emphatically
resented the camor of complaints.
Again he was summoned to appear be-
trrati
the testy old sailor lost his temper en-
tirely, and sent point blank refusal to
Congress. eouched in vigorous but un-
diplomatic English. The result of all
this was that he was dismissed from
the service on January 2, TIT.
Ezekiel Hopkins at once equipped a
fast and powerful privateer and again
went to sea. He sailed to the East In
dies, where his daring and skill found
rich rewards. During one cruise he
captured sufficient number of rich
English merchantmen to cause his
profits to foot UP over S1,000,000. At an
other time he fell in with a large feet
of English merchantmen protected by
a man of-war. He boldly joined the
fleet and every night cut out and capt
ured a vessel, until he had sent ten
home and could spare no more men
from his crew. He became the most
successful and daring of all American
privateersmen.
When the war ended he returned to
Rhode Island and became one of her
most prominent and busy citizens
Boston Transcript.
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