1. The three commissioners appointed according to the provisions of “An act for defending and protecting the trade of Chesapeake bay,” adopted by the Virginia General Assembly on 1 July 1782, were Paul Loyall, Colonel Thomas Newton, Jr., and Thomas Brown (Hening, Statutes description begins William Waller Hening, ed., The Statutes at Large; Being a Collection of All the Laws of Virginia, from the First Session of the Legislature, in the Year 1619 (13 vols.; Richmond and Philadelphia, 1819–23). description ends , XI, 43; McIlwaine, Official Letters description begins H. R. McIlwaine, ed., Official Letters of the Governors of the State of Virginia (3 vols.; Richmond, 1926–29). description ends , III, 297, n. 102, 448–49; Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , VI, 278, n. 3; 292, n. 2).

2. Lack of money for sailors’ wages and for refitting these two vessels delayed the beginning of their mission against smugglers until the spring of 1786 (Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , II, 83; 84, n. 7; V, 384, n. 5; JHDV description begins (1828 ed.). Journal of the House of Delegates of Virginia, Anno Domini, 1776 (Richmond, 1828). description ends , May 1783, pp. 91, 93; JCSV description begins H. R. McIlwaine et al., eds., Journals of the Council of the State of Virginia (4 vols. to date; Richmond, 1931——). description ends , III, 22, 93, 108, 125, 345, 535).

3. The “Cormorant,” which the French had captured from the British in October 1781 and sold to Virginia, was also far from ready for use on Chesapeake Bay, even though she had a copper-sheathed hull and mounted twenty guns. Paul Loyall reported to Governor Harrison early in the summer of 1782 that, being “totally unfit,” she probably “wou’d never remove on that service from Appomattox River” (McIlwaine, Official Letters description begins H. R. McIlwaine, ed., Official Letters of the Governors of the State of Virginia (3 vols.; Richmond, 1926–29). description ends , III, 268–69). See also Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (7 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , IV, 44, n. 5; 341, n. 5; 356; 361, n. 33; V, 279, n. 3.

The resolution having been referred on 23 July to Robert Morris, agent of marine, he recommended on 5 August that Virginia’s offer be declined on the grounds of lack of money and of the inadvisability of Congress’ providing for a “marine” until “the several states shall grant such funds for the construction of ships, docks and naval arsenals, and for the support of the naval service, as shall enable the United States to establish their marine upon a permanent and respectable footing.” Congress agreed to this report (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XXIV, 444, n. 1, 486). See also Motion of Delegates, 28 July; Harrison to Delegates, 19 Sept.; Delegates to Harrison, 4 Oct. 1783.