Chapter I: gives a good account of the Continental prize

courts. Chapter II treats of the administrative organs of the
Continental Congress. Scientific.

Johnston’s Correspondence and Public Papers of John Jay. 4
vols. New York, 1890-93.

Volume I contains a valuable letter of Jay’s relating to
naval administration.

Jones, C. H. Gustavus Conyngham. Philadelphia, 1903.

A brief, but good account.

King’s Regulations and Admiralty Instructions for 1772. London.

Gives the rules and regulations of the Royal Navy at the
opening of the Revolution.

Lincoln, C. H. Calendar, John Paul Jones Manuscripts.
Washington, 1903.

Excellent catalogue and digest of the Jones manuscripts in
the Library of Congress. Dr. Lincoln’s purpose is to enlarge
his calendar so as to include the additional Jones material
which is found in the Records and Papers of the Continental
Congress.

Lossing, B. J. Field-Book of the American Revolution. 2 vols.
New York, 1851-52.

Slight naval information.

Maclay, E. S. History of the United States Navy. 2 vols. New
York, 1894.

Narrative of the Continental navy somewhat popular.

Massachusetts Historical Society Collections. Boston, 1806-.

Brief references to the Continental navy.

New England Historical and Genealogical Register for 1865.
Boston.

Contains a list of prisoners confined at Mill prison,
Plymouth, during the Revolution.

New Hampshire Gazette for 1775-1783. Portsmouth.

Contains information concerning the Continental vessels which
were built in New Hampshire, or which arrived at Portsmouth.

New London County Historical Society, Records and Papers.
Volume I. New London, 1890-94.

Gives a most excellent account of the fight between the
Continental frigate “Trumbull” and the Liverpool privateer
“Watt.”

Outlook, January 3, 1903. Tragedy of the Lost Commission by
James Barnes.

A brief, but excellent, account of the exploits of Captain
Gustavus Conyngham.

Pennsylvania Archives, 1st Ser. 12 vols. Philadelphia, 1852-56.

Of special value for the movements of the Continental vessels
in the Delaware river and bay.

Pennsylvania Packet for 1775-1783. Philadelphia.

Valuable for the movements of the Continental vessels and
the Pennsylvania privateers. The prizes which were sent into
Philadelphia are advertised in its columns.

Providence Gazette for 1775-1783. Providence.

Valuable for Continental vessels in 1775 and 1776. Contains
names of prizes.

Rhode Island Historical Society Publications, VIII. Providence,
1900. Papers of William Vernon and the Navy Board.

A valuable source of information for the work of the Navy
Board at Boston. A number of important letters and documents
are printed.

Root, M. P. Chapter Sketches of Connecticut Daughters of the
American Revolution. New Haven, 1901.

Contains the best account of the life of Nathaniel Shaw, jr.,
naval agent at New London.

Royal Navy, List of. New York, 1782.

Sands, R. Life and Correspondence of John Paul Jones. New York,
1830.

Valuable reprints.

Scribner’s Magazine for 1898. New York. John Paul Jones in the
American Revolution, by Captain A. T. Mahan.

Contains a technical account of the fight between the “Bon
Homme Richard” and the “Serapis.”

Sheppard, J. H. Commodore Samuel Tucker. Boston, 1868.

A good account of Tucker’s life. Reprints the best of the
Tucker papers found in the Harvard Library.

Sherburne, J. H. Life of John Paul Jones. New York, 1825, 1851.

A fair account.

Sparks, Jared. American Biography, 2nd Ser. Vol. IX. Gammell’s
Life of Samuel Ward. Boston, 1846.

Contains a bit of important information with reference to the
founding of the navy.

Sparks, Jared. Gouverneur Morris. 3 vols. Boston, 1832.

Volume I contains Morris’s description of an ideal secretary
of the navy.

Spears, J. R. History of Our Navy. 5 vols. New York, 1897-99.

The account of the Continental navy is somewhat popular.

Staples, W. R. Annals of Providence. Providence, 1843.

Of some value for 1775 and 1776.

Stevens’s Facsimiles. 24 portfolios. London, 1889-95.

Valuable for the diplomatic relations between England and
France for 1776 and 1777, and for the movements of American
vessels in European waters during these years.

Sumner, W. G. Financier and Finances of the American
Revolution. 2 vols. New York, 1891.

Gives a few facts about Morris’s career as Agent of Marine.

Town, Ithiel. Some Details of the American Revolution. New
York, 1835.

Of slight value for naval history.

Waite, H. E. Origin of the American Navy. Boston, 1890.

Contains letters written by John Adams, Elbridge Gerry, and
John Langton in 1813. These relate chiefly to the services of
Washington’s fleet at Boston.

Wells, W. V. Life and Public Services of Samuel Adams. 3 vols.
Boston, 1865.

Adds to our knowledge of Samuel Adams as member of the Marine
Committee.

Wharton, Francis. Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence,
1775-1783. 6 vols. Washington, 1889.

Of primary importance for the history of the naval services
of American representatives in foreign countries.

Williams, Gomer. Liverpool Privateers. Liverpool, 1897.

Valuable for the sea fights of the Liverpool privateers.

Winsor, Justin. Narrative and Critical History of the United
States. 8 vols. Boston and New York, 1884-89.

Volume VI contains a history of the Revolutionary navy by E.
E. Hale.

Brief and suggestive.

THE STATE NAVIES

THE NAVY OF MASSACHUSETTS

Amory’s James Sullivan. 2 vols. Boston, 1859.

Throws some light upon Massachusetts’s prize courts.

Austin’s Elbridge Gerry. 2 vols. Boston, 1828-29.

Contains information in respect to prize courts.

Boston Gazette for 1775-1783. Boston.

Of the highest value for the cruises, engagements, and
prizes of the Massachusetts navy.

Clowes. W. L. Royal Navy. 7 vols. Boston and London,
1897-1903.

Volume IV contains an account of the naval battle at the
mouth of the Penobscot.

Continental Journal and Weekly Advertiser for 1775-1783.
Boston.

Supplements the Boston Gazette.

Goodell, Acts and Resolves of Massachusetts. 5 vols. 1869-86.

Volume V contains the legislation of Massachusetts with
reference to prize courts. The notes to the laws are a
valuable guide to the sources of the events which led to
the passage of the laws.

Maclay, E. S. History of American Privateering. New York,
1899.

Of value for the Revolutionary privateers of Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Historical Society Collections. 67 vols.
Boston, 1792-1894.

Contains references to the Penobscot expedition.

Massachusetts Historical Society Proceedings. 30 vols.
Boston, 1859-94.

Contains information upon the Penobscot expedition.

Massachusetts, Journals of the House of Representatives for
1775-1783.

Contemporaneous print. Incomplete. The journals found in
the state library may be supplemented by those found in the
library of the Boston Athenaeum.

Massachusetts, Records of the Council for 1775-1776.

Are printed in part in Force’s American Archives.

Massachusetts, Journals of the Third Provincial Convention,
1775.

Are printed in Force’s American Archives. The chief sources
for the early civil history of the Massachusetts navy are
the Journals of the Third Provincial Convention, Journals
of the House, Records of the Council, and the Resolves of
the General Court.

Massachusetts, Records of the General Court for 1775-1783.
MSS.

Supplements the Journals and the Resolves.

Massachusetts Resolves, for 1775-1783.

Contemporaneous print. A most valuable source. Most of the
naval legislation of Massachusetts was passed in the form
of Resolves, and not Laws.

Massachusetts Revolutionary Archives, MSS.

A very extensive and valuable source. Many volumes contain
material relating to the navy. Volumes XXXIX, XL, and XLIV
have the greatest value. They contain the rolls of naval
vessels, letters of officers,

and miscellaneous papers. Volume CXLV has many documents
relating to the Penobscot expedition. The Archives are
rich in material relating to privateers. The Board of War
Letters, Board of War Minutes, and Board of War Orders
contain much naval material. An Index compiled by Justin
Winsor affords a valuable key to the Archives.

Pickering and Upham’s Timothy Pickering. 4 vols. Boston,
1867, 1874.

Of value for the work of the Massachusetts prize courts.

Virginia Gazette for 1779. Williamsburg.

Prints a valuable letter about Massachusetts privateers.

Weymouth Historical Society Publications. 2 vols. Boston,
1881-85.

Volume I gives the best account of the Penobscot
expedition, and prints the original Journal of General
Solomon Lovell kept on the expedition.

Winsor, Justin. Narrative and Critical History of the United
States. 8 vols. Boston and New York, 1884-89.

Article on the Revolutionary navy by E. E. Hale, in Volume
VI, contains information on the Massachusetts navy.
Valuable bibliography.

Works of John Adams. 10 vols. Boston, 1856.

Gives John Adams’s opinion of the Massachusetts statute
establishing privateering.

THE NAVY OF CONNECTICUT

Caulkins, Frances M. History of Norwich. Norwich, 1845.

Contains information relative to the naval part which
Norwich and Norwich men played in the Revolution.

Connecticut Revolutionary Archives. MSS.

Contains much miscellaneous information relating to the
Connecticut navy. Volumes VIII and IX contain valuable
material concerning the prizes captured by Connecticut
vessels.

Connecticut Colonial Records for 1775-1776. Hartford, 1890.

Valuable for the beginnings of the Connecticut navy.

Connecticut Gazette for 1775-1779. New London.

The best newspaper for naval news in the state. Captured
prizes are advertised in its columns.

Connecticut Historical Society Collections. 8 vols. Hartford,
1860-1901.

Volume II contains a description of Bushnell’s submarine
boat.

Connecticut in the Revolution. Hartford, 1889.

Of slight naval value.

Connecticut Journal for 1775-1779. New Haven.

Supplements the Connecticut Gazette in a few particulars,
but contains much less news.

Connecticut State Records, 1776-1779. 2 vols. Hartford,
1894-95.

Of great value for the years covered.

Force, Peter. American Archives. 9 vols. Folio. Washington,
1837-53.

Contains miscellaneous information relating to the
Connecticut navy.

Ford, W. C. Writings of George Washington. 14 vols. New York
and London, 1889-93.

Volume X contains Washington’s account of Bushnell’s
submarine boat.

Hartford Courant for 1775-1779. Hartford.

For naval news, the newspaper in the state next in
importance to the Connecticut Gazette.

New London County Historical Society. Records and Papers.
Volume I. New London, 1890-94.

Valuable. Contains a fair account of the Connecticut navy,
and a list of Connecticut privateers.

Wharton, Francis. Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence. 6
vols. Washington, 1889.

Volume II has a reference to the voyage of the “Spy” to
France in 1778.

THE NAVY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Almon’s Remembrancer for 1778. London.

Valuable for an account of the British raid to the north of
Philadelphia in May, 1778.

Bioren, Laws of Pennsylvania. 4 vols. Philadelphia, 1810.

Contains statutes relating to the establishment of prize
courts.

Barney, Mary. Memoirs of Commodore Barney. Boston, 1832.

Of value for a history of the “Hyder Ally.”

Jameson, J. F. Essays in the Constitutional History of the
United States. Baltimore, 1886.