The Coolidge examiner., 1935-10-18

Warner. Thomas Weaver. - McDougall. Thlru
lleUtenants-John Fanuins. Ezekiel Burroughs
Daniel Vaughn.
Resolved That the Pay Of the Commander-ln.
chief % the feet be - dollars per calendar
month.
Resolved That commissions be granted to the
above officers agreeable 10 their ranks In the
above appointments.
Resolved That the committee for fitting out
armed vessels. Issue warrants 10 all officers EN-.
ployed Ia the feet under the rank Of third leu-
tenants
Resolved. That the said committee be direct
ed tas a secret commttec) 20 give such instruc-
tons 20 the commander OF the feet. touching the
operations of the ships under his command. as
shall appear 20 the said committee most con.
duclye 10 the defence Of the United Colonies. aud
90 the distress of the enemys naval forces bring
ing suppiys 20 their fleets and armies. and lay
such Instructions before the Congress when
called for"
The United Colonies noW had war flee,
ready TO proceed agaiust the enemy. Tut before
t dld 50 there must take place q ceremony In
accordance nIth a naval tradition nrst observed
n this country IN l1I5 and followed ever since
The new commander ln-chlef must @pug hls ships
tn commission. pipe all hands on deck and then
hoist 10 .hciT appropriate plaees the national
cologs and the pennant of the commanding oiil'
Ger. after which he must address the crew and
read 10 them the order by ylrlue.of which he as.
sumes command
So. on n beautiful winters day In fTT5 Com.
modore Esek Hopkins and bis officers proceeded
to the foot of Walnut street la Philadelphia
where a ions boat awaited them. They pushed
or and rowed away through the aoafihg Ice IN
the Delawa are river teven as George Washington
was TO DO Up river near Trenton a year laterl
until they reached the ladder ~ the side of the
Alfred. As the shrln whistle of the boatswain
called The crew aft. Hopkins and bis officers
stepped over the side and gathered on the quar-
terdeck. Then q quartermasfer made fast 20 the
signal hallards a redand.RhIie striped flag
across which was spread ratslesnake and the
words ~Don't Tread Me- This done. he
turned toward the master OF the ship. Capt. Dud-
ley Satonsiail and saluted.
Al n gesture from the captain. the executive
officer Of The ship grasped the flag haliiards and
while the men on the ship uncovered their heads.
while spectators that lined the banks Of the
river cheered and a battery Of cannon roared
out salute, be spread 10 the wintry breeze the
first American naval ensign. None OF those pres
ent, either aboard ship or ashore. could have
realized that they were also cheering one OF
Americas greatest naval heroes. For the execu-
tive officer of the Alfred who raised that flag.
was Lieut. John Paul Jones, destined for Inn
mortality as the victor in the battle between the
Bon H'mme Richard and the Scraps less than
two year. later.
Next the grand union flag OF the colonies. a
iag of l3 alternate red and white stripes with
the British jack In the field. and the pennant OF
the commander-in-chlef. were set In their places
and the resolutions OF congress read 10 the crew.
This done, the first American battle feet was Ia
commission and American naval history began.
Although Commodore John Barry is often
called the Father OF the American Navy" that
distinction cannot justIfiaby be given TO one
man. Barry's claim TO II is based upon the fact
that his ship. the Black Prince. purchased by
the naval committee and renamed the Alfred,
was our first warship, that he was the first com
missioned naval officer to capture an enemy ship
ton April IL. l7T6, when his Lexington captured
the British tender Edward), and that he was the
first senior officer with the rank OF commodore
after the reorganization OF the United States
navy in 1874.
But Commodore Esek Hopkins has some claim
10 being one OF the fathers OF our navy" De
spite the fact that his career as commander-in-
chief Of the new navy something of failure
and eventually he was relieved Of his command
and dismissed from the service, the fact remains
that he was the first officially appointed chief
officer of our naval forces. His title OF com
mander-in-chief OF the Continental navy was in
tended TO rank him with Washington, the COM
mander-in-chief Of the Continental army. After
II was taken away from him, IL was never again
conferred upon an American naval man.
When speaking OF the fathers of our navy
some account must be taken OF the men who pro-
vided the ships upon whose decks such naval
leaders as Hopkins and Barry and Jones were
to tread. They were the members of the ma
rine committee and the naval committee" of
the Continental congress-John Adams, Silas
Deane, John Langdon, Christopher Gadsden,
Stephen Hopkins Joseph Hewes and Richard
Henry Lee.
GWsstsrn Newspaper Unien.