Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber’s Note: Italic text is enclosed in _underscores_. Superscripts are shown as ^x. Other notes will be found near the end of this eBook.

THE HISTORY OF OUR NAVY

_From a French water-color drawing in the possession of Mr. W. C. Crane._]

THE
HISTORY OF OUR NAVY

FROM ITS ORIGIN TO THE PRESENT DAY

1775–1897

BY
JOHN R. SPEARS

AUTHOR OF “THE PORT OF MISSING SHIPS,” “THE GOLD DIGGINGS
OF CAPE HORN,” ETC.

WITH MORE THAN FOUR HUNDRED ILLUSTRATIONS
MAPS AND DIAGRAMS

_IN FOUR VOLUMES_

_VOLUME II._

NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
1897

COPYRIGHT, 1897, BY
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS

MANHATTAN PRESS
474 W. BROADWAY
NEW YORK

TO ALL WHO WOULD SEEK PEACE
AND PURSUE IT

CONTENTS

PAGE
CHAPTER I. TROUBLES ON THE EVE OF WAR. 1

A Fair Estimate of the Number of Americans Enslaved by the
Press-Gangs--A Braggart British Captain’s Work at Sandy Hook--A
Search for the _Guerrière_--Attack on the British Ship _Little
Belt_--A Feature of the Battle that was Overlooked--When the
_Constitution_ Showed her Teeth the British Ship Brailed its Spanker
and Headed for Safer Waters--An Eager Yankee Sailor who Couldn’t Wait
for an Order to Fire--War Unavoidable.

CHAPTER II. THE OUTLOOK WAS, AT FIRST, NOT PLEASING 20

The Silly Cry of “On to Canada!”--The Naval Forces of the United
States Compared with Those of Great Britain--The Foresight and Quick
Work of Captain Rodgers in Getting a Squadron to Sea--But he Missed
the Jamaica Fleet he was After, and when he Fell in with a British
Frigate, the Results of the Affair were Lamentable.

CHAPTER III. THE FIRST EXHIBIT OF YANKEE METTLE 33

Captain David Porter’s Ideas about Training Seamen--The Guns of the
_Essex_--Taking a Transport out of a Convoy at Night--A British
Frigate Captain who was Called a Coward by his Countrymen--Captain
Laugharne’s Mistake--A Fight that began with Cheers and ended in
Dismay for which there was Good Cause--Work that was Done by Yankee
Gunners in Eight Minutes--When Farragut Saved the Ship--An Attack on
a Fifty-gun Ship Planned.

CHAPTER IV. A RACE FOR THE LIFE OF A NATION 51

Story of the _Constitution’s_ Escape from a British Squadron off the
Jersey Beach--Four Frigates and a Liner were after her--For more
than two Days the Brave Old Captain Stood at his Post while the Ship
Tacked and Wore and Reached and Ran, and the tireless Sailors Towed
and Kedged and Wet the Sails to Catch the Shifting Air--Though once
Half-surrounded and once within Range, _Old Ironsides_ Eluded the
whole Squadron till a Friendly Squall Came to Wrap her in its Black
Folds and Carry her far from Danger.

CHAPTER V. THE _CONSTITUTION_ AND THE _GUERRIÈRE_ 71

The British Captain could scarcely Believe that a Yankee would be
Bold Enough to Attack him, and was Sure of Victory in Less than an
Hour, but when the Yankees had been Firing at the _Guerrière_ for
Thirty Minutes she was a Dismantled Hulk, Rapidly Sinking out of
Sight--“The Sea never Rolled over a Vessel whose Fate so Startled
the World”--Sundry Admissions her Loss Extorted from the Enemy--A
Comparison of the Ships.

CHAPTER VI. FOUGHT IN A HATTERAS GALE 104

When the Second Yankee _Wasp_ Fell in with the British _Frolic_--They
Tumbled about in the Cross Sea in a Way that Destroyed the British
“Aim,” but the Yankees Watched the Roll of their Ship, and when they
were Done they had Killed and Wounded Nine-tenths of the Enemy’s Crew
and Wrecked his Vessel--the _Frolic_ was a Larger Ship, carried more
Guns, and had all the Men she could Use, “Fine, Able-bodied Seamen,”
sure enough!

CHAPTER VII. BROUGHT THE _MACEDONIAN_ INTO PORT 120

Story of the Second Frigate Duel of the War of 1812--The _Macedonian_
was a new Ship, and had been Built with a full Knowledge of the
Yankee Frigates--Whipped, but not Destroyed--Estimating a Crew’s
Skill by the Number of Shots that Hit--Suppose the Armaments of
the Ships had been Reversed--Impressed Americans Killed when
Forced to Fight against their own Flag--“The Noblest Sight in
Natur’”--A First-rate Frigate, as a Prize, Brought Home by Brave
Decatur--Enthusiastic Celebrations of the Victory throughout the
United States.

CHAPTER VIII. WHEN THE _CONSTITUTION_ SANK THE _JAVA_ 152

The British had Plenty of Pluck, and Lambert was a skilful Seaman;
but his Gunners had not Learned to Shoot, while the Yankees were able
Marksmen--The _Java_ was Ruined beyond Repair--Proof that the British
Published Garbled Reports of Battles with the Americans--Though
Twice Wounded, Bainbridge Remained on Deck--Wide Difference in
Losses--Story of a Midshipman--When Bainbridge was a Merchant Captain.

CHAPTER IX. WHIPPED IN FOURTEEN MINUTES 178

The Remarkable Battle between the Yankee _Hornet_ and the British
_Peacock_--The British Ship was so Pretty she was Known as “The
Yacht,” but her Gunners could not Hit the Broadside of the _Hornet_
when the Ships were in Contact--As her Flag came Down a Signal of
Distress went Up, for she was Sinking--The Efforts of two Crews could
not Save her--“A Vessel Moored for the Purpose of Experiment could
not have been sunk Sooner”--Infamous Treatment of American Seamen
Repaid by the Golden Rule--Captain Greene, of the _Bonne Citoyenne_,
did not dare Meet the _Hornet_.

CHAPTER X. LOSS OF LAWRENCE AND THE _CHESAPEAKE_ 193

The Yankees had Won so Often that they were Underestimating the Enemy
and were Over-confident in Themselves--A Mixed Crew, Newly Shipped,
Untrained and Mutinous, Ten Per Cent. of them being British--The
Result was Natural and Inevitable--Chivalry a Plenty; Common-sense
Wanting--The “Shannons” were Trained like Yankees--A Fierce
Conflict--Significance of the Joy of the British over the _Shannon’s_
Victory.

CHAPTER XI. THE PRIVATEERS OF 1812 233

Property Afloat as a Pledge of Peace--Foreign Aggression had Taught
the Americans how to Build and Sail swift Cruisers--Odd Names--The
First Prizes--Commodore Joshua Barney and the _Rossie_--A Famous
Cruise--Some Rich Prizes were Captured, but only a Few of the
Privateers made Money--Beat off a War-ship that Threw Six Times her
Weight of Metal--A Battle in Sight of La Guayra.

CHAPTER XII. EARLY WORK ON THE GREAT LAKES 259

It was a beautiful Region unmarred by the Hand of Man in those
Days--The Long Trail to Oswego--The First Yankee War-ship on Fresh
Water--The British Get Ahead of us on Lake Ontario--Good Work of “The
Old Sow” at Sackett’s Harbor--A Dash into Kingston Harbor--The Story
of the Brilliant Work by which Jesse D. Elliott Won a Sword and the
Admiration of the Nation.