In the campaign around Savannah early in 1779 all four galleys were lost. In January the “Washington” and “Bulloch” were stranded near Ossabaw Island on the Georgia coast, and were burned by their crews, to prevent their capture. In March, 1779, the “Congress,” Captain Campbell, and the “Lee,” Captain Milligan, engaged near Yamasee Bluff the British galleys “Comet” and “Hornet.” The Americans, after losing three killed, among whom was Captain Campbell, and six wounded, were forced to abandon their galleys. Out of 104 men on board the American galleys the British captured but ten.[632] The occupation of Southern Georgia by the enemy from this time until the end of the Revolution stopped further naval endeavors on the part of the Patriot party of the state. Georgia had a prize court in operation as early as November, 1776. Her constitution of February, 1777, provided for the hearing of prize cases by special county courts, much as in Connecticut.[633] FOOTNOTES: [588] Force, American Archives, 4th, IV, 744-45; 5th, III, 94. [589] Force, American Archives, 4th, VI, 1487, 1496. [590] The following vessels were employed as trading craft: Sloop “Molly;” schooners “Ninety-Six,” “General Smallwood,” and “Friendship;” brigs “Sam” and “Friendship,” and ship “Lydia.” [591] Maryland Archives, XI, XII, XVI, XXI. [592] Force, American Archives, 5th, III, 128. [593] Ibid., 1025. [594] Maryland Archives, XXI, 125. [595] Force, American Archives, 4th, V, 1596, 1597-98. [596] Scharf, History of Maryland, II, 205. [597] Maryland Archives, XXI, 399. [598] Statutes of Maryland, October session, 1780, chapter XXXIV. [599] Statutes of Maryland, May session, 1781, chapter XXXIV. [600] Scharf, History of Maryland, II, 439-40, 456, 461. [601] Statutes of Maryland, April session, 1782, Chapter III. [602] Statutes of Maryland, November session, 1782, Chapter XXVI. [603] Maryland Archives, XII, 500. [604] Ridgely, Annals of Annapolis, 175-77. [605] Scharf, History of Maryland, II, 481-82. [606] Southern Literary Messenger, XXIV, (1857), 218, Colonel John Cropper to Colonel Williams Davies, his superior in command in the Continental line. [607] Scharf enumerates the following barges: “Revenge,” “Terrible,” “Intrepid,” “Protector,” “Experiment,” “Venus,” “Defence,” “Reformation,” “Dolphin,” and “Fearnaught.” These barges were about forty-two feet long, eight feet wide, and three deep. Each carried about twenty-four oars, from sixteen to thirteen feet long, and mounted two large guns.—Scharf, History of Maryland, II, 204. [608] Statutes of Maryland, April session, 1783, chapter XVI, Votes and Proceedings of Maryland Senate, April session, 1783, 63. For the pay-rolls of the “Flying Fish,” “Defence,” and several Maryland barges, see Maryland Archives, XVIII, 606-15. [609] North Carolina Colonial Records, X, 352. [610] Ibid., 637. [611] Ibid., 584.