Note 1226 — Chapter VII

The steps leading to this action of Washington, who felt authorized to take it by giving a liberal interpretation to his commission, were these: As early as June 7, 1775, the Massachusetts legislature had considered the question of creating a naval force, but moved cautiously (Frothingham's Siege of Boston, p. 111). Rhode Island moved first, June 12th, and put two vessels in commission under Abraham and Christopher Whipple, and in July they were cruising. (On this and other early movements in Rhode Island, see Arnold's Rhode Island, ii. 351, 363, 369, 386; Staples's Annals of Providence, pp. 265-70; R. I. Hist. Coll., vol. vi.; Gammell's Life of Samuel Ward; and Ward's journal in Sparks MSS., lxviii. no. 7.) By July 1st Connecticut had begun to move. Washington's first commission was given to Capt. Nicholas Broughton, of Marblehead, accompanied by instructions, which are given in Sparks's Washington, iii. 517, when he took command of the "Hannah" (Frothingham's Siege of Boston, 260). John Adams says (Works, x. 27; Letters of Washington to John Langdon, 1880, p. 19) it was John Manly's application to Washington for authority to fit out a cruiser that led directly to this step, and that Manly was the first to fly a Continental flag, and to have a British flag struck to him.