THE BANNER UNDER WHICH THEY EOUGHT AND FELL IS NOW THEIR 



'MARTIAL SHROUD 



They went forth to battle and gave their lives to liberty. Theirs the hardships, theirs 

 the sacrifice, theirs the honor, "nor shall their glory be forgot while Fame her record keeps." 



instructed General Washington to apply 

 to the Council of Massachusetts Bay for 

 the two armed vessels in its service, to 

 man them and to dispatch them with all 

 speed in the hope of intercepting - the mu- 

 nitions-laden brigs. The aid of the armed 

 vessels of Rhode Island and Connecticut 

 was also promised the commander-in- 

 chief in this important enterprise. 



General Washington, of his own initia- 

 tive, had already purchased two vessels, 

 which he had fitted out, officered with 

 army captains, and manned with soldiers. 

 These ships were the Lynch and the 

 Franklin. By November I four addi- 

 tional cruisers had been added to the 

 fleet — the Lee, the Harrison, the Warren, 

 and the Lady Washington. 



Of this little fleet only the Lee, under 

 command of John Manley, met with sig- 

 nal success in the bold undertaking. On 

 November 29 it captured the brig Nancy, 

 with a precious cargo of 4,000 muskets, 

 31 tons of musket shot, 3,000 round shot, 

 several barrels of powder, and a 13-inch 



brass mortar, subsequently called "Con- 

 gress," which was to play an important 

 part in forcing the evacuation of Boston. 

 One of the colonial ships, the Lady 

 Washington, was captured on December 

 7 by H. M. S. Fowey, and her colors, still 

 in the Admiralty Office in London, are 

 described as bearing a pale-green pine 

 tree on a field of white bunting - , with the 

 motto, "An Appeal to Heaven"' (391). 

 This flag was flown by all the ships under 

 Washington's command at this time, the 

 design having been suggested by the 

 commander-in-chief's military secretary, 

 Colonel Joseph Reed, who wrote, on Oc- 

 tober 20, 1775, that he wished to "fix 

 upon some particular color for a flag and 

 a signal by which our vessels may know 

 one another." 



THE EARLY AMERICAN NAVY 



Prior to the receipt of the news of the 

 capture of the Nancy the Continental 

 Congress had appointed Esek Hopkins 

 commander-in-chief of the navy built by 



287 



