 A captain was the officer placed in charge of a company of soldiers and was granted a commission from the regimental colonel.A captain was afforded one to several lieutenants, depending on the size of the company, and the captain's commission could be revoked or expired at the end of a particular military campaign.The Continental Navy used the rank of captain as the commander of a sailing vessel at war, with the captain having several lieutenants on board, as well as a sailing master to assist in their duties.