Arms and armaments

FOR DR. FRANKLIN AND THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY supplying the armed boats was no mean feat due to the scarcity of arms and cannon and ammunition. A list was made and sent to the State Commissary delineating the stores that were to be given to each armed boat. If unavailable in sufficient quantity they were to furnish an equal proportion of whatever was on hand.

Optimally the military stores considered adequate for each galley was:

4 Chests Powder, 100 Musket Cartridges, 30 Round Shot, 20 Pistol Cartridges, 10 Double Headed Shot, 500 Musket Balls, 20 Chain Shot, 2 Cohorns, 30 Grape Shot, 4 Powder Horns, 100 Swivel Round Shot,
1 Cartridge Case, 15 Stand Small Arms, 1 Pouch Barrel, 20 Cutlasses, 4 Cheeses of Wadd, 10 Pikes, Tanned Hides for the Magazine, 10 Pair of Pistols

Additionally, each of the 13 alarm posts were issued a 3 pounder cannon.

Source: "Naval Documents", Vol. II.