Captain Nicholas returned to Philadelphia in June 1776. There he assumed the responsibility of raising four more Marine companies for the frigates then being built. He was promoted to Major, and Congress reports his and the other Marine promotions on June 25 as: "The Marine Committee having recommended Captain Samuel Nichols, to be advanced to major of marines; Andrew Porter, Joseph Hardy, Samuel Shaw, Benjamin Deane, and Robert Mullin, to be captains of marines Daniel Henderson, David Love, Franklin Reed, and Peregrine Brown, to be first lieutenants of marines; James M'Clure, William Gilmore, Abel Morgan, and Hugh Montgomery, to be second lieutenants of marines; John Stewart to be captain; Thomas Pownal, first lieutenant, and Richard Harrison, second lieutenant, of marines, for the frigate building in Maryland." http://marine76.8m.com/history.htm