Navy

Ships of the Continental Navy

Did an ancestor serve in the Continental Navy? This is a partial list of the known Navy ships:

Owned by William Griswold, the Minerva served first in the Revolutionary Navy.[1] In August of 1775, it received a commission from the colony of Connecticut: […] that a certain brig, called the Minerva, belonging to Capt. Griswold and now lying in Connecticut River at Rocky Hill, is one proper vessel to be employed for theContinue reading “What’s the Minerva?”

The Oliver Cromwell – A Connecticut Revolutionary War Source of Service

When we talk about someone having “military” and “patriotic” service in the American Revolution, we generally mean that the individual provided support for the American cause by supporting the American Army. But that wasn’t the only option. Shoreline communities, such as Saybrook in Connecticut Colony, supported the cause by building ships. The Oliver Cromwell wasContinue reading “The Oliver Cromwell – A Connecticut Revolutionary War Source of Service”