Rhonda > I wonder what mode of travel in 1782, these 50 men had > had once they boarded this barge, going from one point to > another? I previously posted the Dec 1782 deposition of Zadock Botfield, 1st Lieut of the FEARNOUGHT, wherein he wrote: "... . I saw our men Confused in rowing some giving way aHead & Others backing water I called to them & told them to give way all together & not to be so Confused and as for leaving my Station I never left It till we where Oblidged to make our retreat & all Sails Set...." This makes it clear that the FEARNOUGHT had the capability to either row or sail. The Maryland navy also had galleys (a.k.a. "row galleys" with two masts, lateen rigged) so the "barge" may be what the British called a half-galley; i.e., a single masted, lateen-rigged vessel. I have not been able to find a detailed description of the Maryland barges -- I can identify seven: DEFENCE, EXPERIMENT, FEARNOUGHT, INTREPID, PREVENTER, REVENGE, and TERRIBLE, although EXPERIMENT may be a smaller vessel than the others. The fiasco in Dec 1782 involved the FEARNOUGHT, TERRIBLE and DEFENCE with the Captain of the TERRIBLE and the 1st Lieut of the FEARNOUGHT brought under inquiry. Agreed that this Board will on Monday next proceed to an enquiry into the Conduct of Captain Dashiell of the Barge Terrible in the late Action with the Enemys Barges-Ordered that Notice be given to Captain Dashiell and that the Officers of his Barge, and of the Barges Fearnought and Defence be directed to attend on that Day.- Agreed that this Board will on Monday the 30th of Decemr Instant proceed to an enquiry into the Conduct of Lieut Botfield of the Barge Fearnought in the late Action with the Enemy's Barges-Ordered that Notice be given to Lieut Botfield-and that the Officers of the Barges Fearnought, Terrible and Defence be directed to attend on that Day.- [7 Dec 1782] > What kind of transportation would one have suspected they > would have had when getting to the barge, and then, once > at their destination to leave the barge to travel on to their > next destination??? The Maryland barge was a warship not a troop transport. The men were her crew. > If one was a foot soldier, obviously one would use their > feet to travel, but what about those that rode horses? Do > you think there would have been a source of transportation > waiting for these soldiers on the otherside during war time?? Maryland troops were transported on water by hired or state owned vessels. Horses would be transported as deck cargo, usually amidships. Most of these trips would be a day or less in duration. The Bristish Naval Board had a few specially built horse transports used for bringing horses from England to New York. When the British send its expedition from New York to seize Savannah GA in November 1778, they sent two "horse sloops" with them. One of these vessels was taken in Port Royal Sound by Captain D. DeSaussure in the Beaufort Pilot Boat. There were 19 horses belonging to the Artillery onboard as deckcargo plus horse handlers and a couple of Provincial officers (one with his wife). The nomenclature of vessels during the AWI frequently could mean completely different things in different locales. For example, the Connecticut "armed boat" usually was a whaleboat with a cannon in the bow. The SPY, FIREBRAND and FOX, three armed boats, were commissioned 11 July 1782 by the Continental Congress, each had one cannon and ten men. The three were collectively bonded for $20,000. The Virginia navy armed boats LIBERTY (Captain Richard Barron) and PATRIOT (Captain James Barron) were fast, tops'l sloops. The Virginia Naval Committee was known to send newly commissioned vessels to Portsmouth to race the LIBERTY or PATRIOT as a benchmark of the new vessels' sailing qualities. Bob Brooks

Bob: The basic difference between a barge and a row galley was the hull. Barges had flat bottoms, and hence were at the mercy of the wind. Row galleys had a keel and rounded hull, hence more maneuverable. Best regards, Saint -- For Revolutionary War information on the Internet, your first choice should be AMERICANREVOLUTION.ORG