The Georgia State Navy was a modest colonial naval force established by the Province of Georgia in 1775 during the American Revolutionary War. It consisted of only a few ships, most of which were destroyed or captured in 1778 and 1779.
History
Georgia was one of the first of the Thirteen Colonies to commission a ship for its own naval purposes. In June 1775, shortly after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, the colony authorized an armed sloop to seize a British transport carrying munitions destined for Savannah. Funds were authorized in 1776 for expeditions by Captains Oliver Bowen and Job Pray to acquire and arm ships in the West Indies, though whether these efforts were successful is unknown. In November 1776, the state established an admiralty court for adjudicating the distribution of prizes captured at sea.
The state also authorized the construction of row galleys in 1776. A total of four were put into service: Washington, Lee, Bulloch, and Congress. The galleys' crews came from enslaved individuals seized when Patriots confiscated the estate of British Governor James Wright. Troops from the Georgia State Militia also served aboard the galleys as marines. The galleys were unsuited for use on the high seas, but with their shallow drafts and oars, they were well-suited for operations along the state's coast and rivers. They carried troops and supplies during the two unsuccessful invasions of East Florida in 1777 and 1778, and also secured river crossings, escorted troop transports, and protected the army's flank.
The galleys' greatest success was the Frederica naval action on 19 April 1778. Washington, Lee, Bulloch, and some accompanying boats captured the 12-gun sloop HMS Hinchinbrook and the Loyalist privateer Rebeccas off St. Simons Island, after the British vessels had grounded and their crews had escaped ashore. The prizes were taken to Sunbury. The four galleys later served during the 1779 Siege of Savannah, a failed Franco-American attempt to retake the city from the British. The continued British occupation of Georgia—the only state in which the royal governor returned to take control—made the construction of further ships impossible.
Galleys of the Georgia State Navy
| Name | Launch year | Armament | Captain | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | mid-1777 | 2 × 18-pounder + 2 × 12-pounder + 2 × 9-pounder + 6 × 6-pounder guns | John Hardy | Stranded and burned at Ossabaw Island by her crew in January 1779 after the fall of Sunbury. |
| Bulloch | 1778 | n.a. | Archibald Hatcher | Stranded and burned at Ossabaw Island by her crew in January 1779 after the fall of Sunbury. |
| Lee | mid-1777 | 1 × 18-pounder + 1 × 12-pounder + 2 × 9-pounder + 2 × 6-pounder guns | John Braddock | Captured by HM galley Comet in March 1779; taken into British service as HM galley Vindictive. |
| Congress | mid-1777 | 1 × 12-pounder + 1 × 9-pounder + 2 × 4-pounder guns + 2 × 1-pounder swivel guns | John Newdigate | Captured by HM galley Comet in March 1779; taken into British service as HM galley Scourge. |
Honorary Title
In the late 20th century, it became a practice for the Governor of Georgia to award a certificate to new members of the Georgia General Assembly (and others) bestowing upon them the honorary title of "Admiral of the Georgia Navy." This title is ceremonial and carries no military authority.
