▁which ▁authority ▁the ▁council ▁retained . ▁ ▁Over all ▁naval ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁fleet ▁was ▁at ▁times ▁content ious . ▁ ▁Thomas ▁Read ▁served ▁as ▁its ▁first ▁comm odore , ▁but ▁he ▁was ▁replaced ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 7 7 6 ▁by ▁Thomas ▁C ald well , ▁who ▁only ▁served ▁briefly , ▁res ign ing ▁due ▁to ▁poor ▁health ▁in ▁March . ▁ ▁His ▁replacement , ▁Samuel ▁David son , ▁was ▁promoted ▁by ▁the ▁committee ▁ahead ▁of ▁other ▁capt ains , ▁and ▁almost ▁caused ▁a ▁mut iny . ▁▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁David son ▁was ▁first ▁removed ▁from ▁fleet ▁command , ▁and ▁then ▁eventually ▁dismiss ed ▁from ▁the ▁n avy . ▁ ▁Fle et ▁command ▁was ▁then ▁given ▁to ▁Thomas ▁Se ym our , ▁but ▁Captain ▁Haz el wood ▁object ed ▁to ▁serving ▁under ▁the ▁elder ly ▁Se ym our . ▁ ▁When ▁British ▁operations ▁began ▁to ▁threaten ▁Philadelphia ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 7 7 7 , ▁the ▁council ▁dismiss ed ▁Se ym our ▁and ▁gave ▁overall ▁fleet ▁command ▁to ▁Haz el wood . ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 7 7 8 , ▁the ▁state ▁established ▁an ▁adm ir alty ▁court ▁to ▁adj ud icate ▁mar itime ▁cases ▁and ▁deal ▁with ▁the ▁distribution ▁of ▁pri zes . ▁ ▁While ▁no ▁explicit ▁legisl ation ▁author izing ▁private ering ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁passed , ▁the ▁state ▁did ▁issue ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 0 0 ▁letters ▁of ▁marque ▁between ▁ 1 7 7 6 ▁and ▁ 1 7 8 2