Our First Admiral

Patriotic Rhode Islanders propose to erect a monument at Providence to Commodore Ezek Hopkins. This worthy was born on his father's farm at Chapumiscook, now Chopmist, Scituate, R. I., April 28, 1718. When the seven years' war broke out in 1756 he went out in one of his vessels as a privateer captain and returned to Providence with a valuable Spanish vessel, which he renamed the Desire in honor of his wife. The first official service he rendered in the revolution was as the commander of a battery of six eighteenpounders erected on Fox Hill, overlooking- Providence harbor, in the summer of 1775. Upon the orgranization of the "continental navy" he was appointed by congress "commander-in-ohief " Dec. 22, 1775. He was relieved of his military command in Rhode island and immediately proceeded to Philadelphia in the sloop Katy with 100 men specially enlisted for naval service. i Feb. 17, 1770, he sailed f rom De ware bay with a squadron of ei t vessels, and conriucted the suece 'ui Nassau expedition. John Pa I Jones was a lieutenant under Adams who, until his hitch with the marine committee of congress, was praetically "admiral. "