WELCOME ABOARD!
Welcome to the site of the Continental Navy's Western Squadron! Here you can see pictures, check our schedule, and explore the recreated crews of the Continental Navy's Western Squadron. We are an 18th century reenacting unit / group based in the Mid-West and travel to help share the history and experiences of the sailors of the Continental Navy's Western Squadron and the Continental Marines attached to the crews!
The original Gunboat Mosquito operated on the Ohio river during the American Revolution from 1780 to 1781; intended to patrol the river from Fort On-Shore at present day Louisville to Fort Pitt in Pittsburg, but plagued by manpower shortages, she never sailed. The idea was to pick up where Capt. James Willing left off with his raids near New Orleans, and many of the officers and crew of the Mosquito were veterans of that expedition. The Mosquito was to search the Ohio for British outposts and indian raiding parties and burn, destroy, or otherwise raid along the Ohio to increase American influence on the river. Instead the officers and crew stayed in garrison at the Falls of the Ohio and paid out claims for bills of lading, purchase orders, and tended to other naval business pertaining to trade on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. At the time Spain (though not an official ally of the United States) traded goods and weapons out of New Orleans through the "back door" of the United States by way of the rivers. Shipping them to the Continental and State-Line units, like George Rogers Clark's Illinois Regiment of Virginia, and many others operating in the area. As well as shipping supplies to the Continental Congress and Washington's army in the East. It was through the acts of the crew of the Gunboat Mosquito and others that these goods were purchased, their shipping paid for, and they were eventually delivered into the hands of their intended recipients via the "back door". In short, covert Spanish trade combined with the business deals made by the crew of the gunboat succeeded in supplying much needed equipment to the American Army in the "west", thereby bleeding British influence in the area, opening the door for American Independence and Westward expansion.
Captain's gig Adventus and shore-party display, Locust Grove, 2015
The other vessels in the squadron included the USS Rattletrap, USS Morris, Caindre, and the Galveztown. A brief look at some of the more prominent officers shows Captain William Pickles as the commander of the Squadron, Peter Rousseu Lt. and later Captain of the Galveztown, and Robert Elliot Lt. of the Marines. Captain James Willing, Robert George, and Lt. Richard Harrison are also counted among those in the squadron, leading a raiding expedition down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to Natchez in 1778. Oliver Pollock was also involved with the Navy's affairs, chiefly in charge of supply and other business of the squadron, acting as Congress' agent in New Orleans. The squadron would raid British towns and strongholds throughout British West Florida and the western frontier, taking part in the Battle of Lake Pontchartrain in 1779, beseiging Mobile in 1780, and aiding in the 1781 seige of Pensacola by the Spanish. New Orleans was chosen as the comprehensive headquarters for the squadron, as the Navy was attempting to set up a base of operations there, in order that they might effectively raid deep into West Florida and the Carribean. The actions of the squadron tell a larger story than just that of the Mosquito and tie into the "big picture" of what was really occurring in the west. They tell a story not just of one vessel, one battle, or one officer, but rather that of complicated diplomacy and brave heroism where no Continental Navy officer had gone before.
The captain's charts showing the Falls of the Ohio, the "Western Parts of the Colony of Virginia", the construction of an 18th century sailing ship, and the "known world" as it was in the late 1770's.
The modern, recreated, ship's company strives to explain and educate, through the events we attend, about the importance of these activities, as well as try to give an accurate representation of the Continental Navy during the period of 1780, focusing on her sailors and officers and the daily routines which they experienced. We not only try to portray these men as they fought and lived, but also how they thought, acted, and how they conducted daily business in the economic world of trade, at the time. The crew has access to a variety of vessels (mostly smaller craft of the rivers) of the period, which can be used to give a better idea of how things were shipped, how naval-action was conducted in a combat atmosphere, and how people traveled the rivers. Rivers were essentially major highways, as roads were scarce and not well suited for long distance travel at the time, making river travel quite important. "He who contolled the rivers controlled the trade", and therefore naval officers in the "west" were not only businessmen, tradesmen, and mariners, but also conducted raiding operations on forts and outposts in the area in an attempt to weaken enemy influence. This lead to many naval crews landing on the bank and fighting similar to light-infantry units being called shore-parties, and giving rise to tactics that would later be employed by river pirates and privateers. The recreated crew generally portrays a shore-party or landing-party, who are recruiting and awaiting manpower and orders to sail from the Falls of the Ohio, as did the actual unit in garrison there from April to June of 1780. Of course, we do travel, and so are not always at the Falls of the Ohio, but the practice was employed everywhere, on almost every continent. From the coasts, to the rivers, to the lakes, the general naval way of life did not change and that is simply what we wish to show, the general way of life of Continental Navy sailors from the period and their contributions to American Independence, wherever they sailed.
