▁late ▁ 1 7 7 5 ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 7 7 6 ▁and ▁placed ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Captain ▁John ▁Haz el wood ; ▁the ▁Arnold ▁and ▁the ▁Put nam ▁were ▁built ▁as ▁floating ▁batter ies ▁and ▁were ▁man ned ▁by ▁Pennsylvania ▁State ▁Mar ines . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 7 7 6 ▁the ▁state ▁acquired ▁the ▁Mont gom ery , ▁which ▁Read ▁served ▁as ▁captain ▁of ▁until ▁he ▁received ▁a ▁Cont inental ▁Navy ▁commission ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 7 7 6 . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁August ▁ 1 7 7 6 , ▁the ▁Pennsylvania ▁State ▁Navy ▁consisted ▁of ▁ 7 6 8 ▁men ▁man ning ▁ 2 7 ▁vessels , ▁with ▁ 2 1 ▁more ▁smaller ▁vessels ▁on ▁order . ▁These ▁were ▁armed ▁with ▁a ▁four - p ound er ▁gun ▁in ▁the ▁bow ▁and ▁were ▁class ed ▁as ▁guard ▁boats . ▁ ▁Administration ▁and ▁command ▁The ▁n avy ▁fell ▁under ▁the ▁broad ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Committee ▁of ▁Saf ety , ▁which ▁established ▁sub comm itte es ▁to ▁manage ▁the ▁n avy ' s ▁operations ▁and ▁ac quis itions . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁state ▁established ▁a ▁new ▁constitution , ▁with ▁a ▁Supreme ▁Executive ▁Council ▁as ▁its ▁executive , ▁the ▁n avy ' s ▁administration ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁Saf ety . ▁ ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 7 7 7 ▁the ▁council ▁established ▁a ▁naval ▁board , ▁which ▁had ▁full ▁responsibility ▁for ▁the ▁fleet , ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁the ▁issu ance ▁of ▁officer ▁comm issions ,