Chapter I: Front Matter

[Transcriber's note: Obvious printer's errors have been corrected, all other inconsistencies are as in the original. Author's spelling has been maintained.

Every chapter heading had an illustration; the corresponding tag has been removed.]

THE NAVAL HISTORY

OF THE

UNITED STATES

BY

WILLIS J. ABBOT

With Many Illustrations

_VOLUME ONE_

NEW YORK:
PETER FENELON COLLIER, PUBLISHER.

Copyright, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1890
By
Dodd, Mead and Company

_All rights reserved_

CONTENTS.

THE NAVAL HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.

_PART I._

BLUE JACKETS OF '76.

CHAPTER I.

Early Exploits upon the Water. -- Gallop's Battle with the
Indians. -- Buccaneers and Pirates. -- Morgan and
Blackbeard. -- Capt. Kidd turns Pirate. -- Downfall of the
Buccaneers' Power.

CHAPTER II.

Expeditions against Neighboring Colonies. -- Romantic Career
of Sir William Phipps. -- Quelling a Mutiny. -- Expeditions
against Quebec.

CHAPTER III.

Opening of the American Revolution. -- The Affair of the
Schooner "St. John." -- The Press-gang and its Work. -- The
Sloop "Liberty." -- Destruction of the "Gaspee." -- The
Boston Tea-party.

CHAPTER IV.

The Beginning of the Navy. -- Lexington and Concord. -- A
Blow Struck in Maine. -- Capture of the "Margaretta." --
Gen. Washington and the Navy. -- Work of Capt. Manly.

CHAPTER V.

Events of 1776. -- The First Cruise of the Regular Navy. --
The "Lexington" and the "Edward." -- Mugford's Brave Fight.
-- Loss of the "Yankee Hero." -- Capt. Manly, and the
"Defence." -- American Vessels in European Waters. -- Good
Work of the "Lexington" and the "Reprisal." -- the British
defeated at Charleston.

CHAPTER VI.

The Career of Paul Jones. -- In Command of the "Providence."
-- Capture of the "Mellish." -- Exploits with the "Alfred."
-- In Command of the "Ranger." -- Sweeping the English
Channel. -- The Descent upon Whitehaven.

CHAPTER VII.

Career of Paul Jones Continued. -- His Descent upon the
Castle of Lord Selkirk. -- The Affair of the Plate. -- The
Descent upon Whitehaven. -- The Battle with the "Drake." --
Lieut. Simpson's Perfidy.

CHAPTER VIII.

Career of Paul Jones Continued. -- His Search for a Ship. --
Given Command of the "Bon Homme Richard." -- Landais and his
Character. -- The Frustrated Mutiny. -- Landais quarrels
with Jones. -- Edinburgh and Leith threatened. -- The
Dominie's Prayer.

CHAPTER IX.

Career of Paul Jones Concluded. -- The Battle between the
"Bon Homme Richard" and the "Serapis." -- Treachery of
Landais. -- Jones's Great Victory. -- Landais steals the
"Alliance." -- Jones in Command of the "Ariel." -- The
"Ariel" in the Storm. -- Arrival in America.

CHAPTER X.

Career of Nicholas Biddle. -- His Exploit at Lewiston Jail.
-- Cruise in the "Randolph." -- Battle with the "Yarmouth."
-- The Fatal Explosion. -- Samuel Tucker. -- His Boyhood. --
Encounter with Corsairs. -- Cruising in the "Franklin." --
In Command of the "Boston." -- Anecdotes of Capt. Tucker.

CHAPTER XI.

Hostilities in 1777. -- American Reverses. -- The British in
Philadelphia. -- The Attack upon Fort Mifflin. -- Cruise of
the "Raleigh" and the "Alfred." -- Torpedo Warfare. -- The
Battle of the Kegs.

CHAPTER XII.

Naval Events of 1778. -- Recruiting for the Navy. -- The
Descent upon New Providence. -- Operations on the Delaware.
-- Capt. Barry's Exploits. -- Destruction of the American
Frigates. -- American Reverses. -- The Capture of the
"Pigot." -- French Naval Exploits.

CHAPTER XIII.

Last Years of the War. -- Disastrous Expedition to the
Penobscot. -- Wholesale Captures on the Newfoundland Banks.
-- French Ships in American Waters. -- Taking of Charleston.
-- The "Trumbull's" Victory and Defeat. -- Capt. Barry and
the "Alliance." -- Close of the War.

CHAPTER XIV.

Work of the Privateers. -- The "Gen. Hancock" and the
"Levant." -- Exploits of the "Pickering" -- the "Revenge."
-- the "Holkar." -- The "Congress" and the "Savage." -- The
"Hyder Ali" and the "Gen. Monk." -- The Whale-Boat
Hostilities. -- The "Old Jersey" Prison-Ship.

CHAPTER XV.

The Navy Disbanded. -- Aggressions of Barbary Corsairs. -- A
Disgraceful Tribute. -- Bainbridge and the Dey. -- Gen.
Eaton at Tunis. -- A Squadron sent to the Mediterranean. --
Decatur and the Spaniards. -- The "Enterprise" and the
"Tripoli." -- American Slaves in Algiers.

CHAPTER XVI.

More Vigorous Policy. -- Commodore Morris sent to the
Mediterranean. -- Porter's Cutting-Out Expedition. --
Commodore Preble sent to the Mediterranean. -- His Encounter
with a British Man-of-War. -- The Loss of the
"Philadelphia." -- Decatur's Daring Adventure.

CHAPTER XVII.

A Stirring Year. -- The Bombardment of Tripoli. -- Decatur's
Hand-to-Hand Fight. -- Lieut. Trippe's Bravery. -- Lieut.
Spence's Bold Deed. -- Somers's Narrow Escape. -- The
Floating Mine. -- The Fatal Explosion. -- Close of the War.
-- The End.

_PART II._

BLUE JACKETS OF 1812.

CHAPTER I.

The Gathering of the War-Cloud. -- The Revolution ended, but
the War for Independence yet unfought. -- Outrages upon
American Sailors. -- The Right of Search. -- Impressment. --
Boyhood of Commodore Porter. -- Early Days of Commodores
Perry and Barney. -- Burning a Privateer. -- The Embargo. --
War Inevitable

CHAPTER II.

War with France. -- The Building of a Navy. -- First Success
for the Americans. -- Cutting out the "Sandwich." -- The
"Constellation" and "L'Insurgente." -- The "Constellation"
and "La Vengeance"

CHAPTER III.

Proposed Reduction of the Navy. -- Renewal of British
Outrages. -- The Affair of the "Baltimore." -- Attack on the
"Leander." -- Encounter between the "Chesapeake" and
"Leopard." -- The "President" and "Little Belt"

CHAPTER IV.

The War on the Ocean. -- Commodore Rodgers's Cruise. -- The
Loss of the "Nautilus." -- First Success for the British. --
The Escape of the "Constitution." -- The "Essex" takes the
"Alert." -- The "Constitution" and the "Guerriere"

CHAPTER V.

An International Debate. -- The "Wasp" and the "Frolic." --
The "United States" and the "Macedonian." -- Ovations to the
Victors

CHAPTER VI.

Bainbridge takes Command of the "Constitution." -- The
Defeat of the "Java." -- Close of the Year's Hostilities on
the Ocean.

CHAPTER VII.

The War on the Lakes. -- The Attack on Sackett's Harbor. --
Oliver Hazard Perry ordered To Lake Erie. -- The Battle of
Put-in-Bay.

CHAPTER VIII.

On the Ocean. -- The "Hornet" sinks the "Peacock." -- The
Blockade. -- Adventures of the "Sally." -- Hostilities on
Chesapeake Bay. -- The Cruise of the "President".

CHAPTER IX.

Decatur blockaded at New York. -- Attempts to escape through
Long Island Sound. -- The Flag-Ship struck by Lightning. --
Torpedoes. -- Fulton's Steam-Frigate. -- Action between the
"Chesapeake" and "Shannon".

CHAPTER X.

Cruise of the "Essex." -- A Rich Prize. -- The Mysterious
Letter. -- Cape Horn rounded. -- Capture of a Peruvian
Privateer. -- Among the British Whalers. -- Porter in
Command of a Squadron. -- A Boy Commander. -- The Squadron
lays up at Nookaheevah.

CHAPTER XI.

War with the Savages. -- The Campaign against the Typees. --
Departure from Nookaheevah. -- The "Essex" anchors at
Valparaiso. -- Arrival of the "Phoebe" and "Cherub." -- They
capture the "Essex." -- Porter's Encounter with the
"Saturn." -- The Mutiny at Nookaheevah.

CHAPTER XII.

Capture of the "Surveyor." -- Work of the Gunboat Flotilla.
-- Operations on Chesapeake Bay. -- Cockburn's Depredations.
-- Cruise of the "Argus." -- Her Capture by the "Pelican."
-- Battle Between the "Enterprise" and "Boxer." -- End of
the Year 1813 on the Ocean.

CHAPTER XIII.

On the Lakes. -- Close of Hostilities on Lakes Erie and
Huron. -- Desultory Warfare on Lake Ontario in 1813. --
Hostilities on Lake Ontario in 1814. -- The Battle of Lake
Champlain. -- End of the War upon the Lakes.

CHAPTER XIV.

On the Ocean. -- The Work of the Sloops-of-War. -- Loss of
the "Frolic." -- Fruitless Cruise of the "Adams." -- The
"Peacock" Takes the "Epervier." -- The Cruise of the "Wasp."
-- She Captures the "Reindeer." -- Sinks the "Avon." --
Mysterious End of the "Wasp".

CHAPTER XV.

Operations on the New England Coast. -- The Bombardment of
Stonington. -- Destruction Of the United States Corvette
"Adams." -- Operations on Chesapeake Bay. -- Work of
Barney's Barge Flotilla. -- Advance of the British Upon
Washington. -- Destruction of the Capitol. -- Operations
Against Baltimore. -- Bombardment of Fort McHenry.

CHAPTER XVI.

Desultory Hostilities on the Ocean. -- Attack Upon Fort
Bowyer. -- Lafitte the Pirate. -- British Expedition against
New Orleans. -- Battle of the Rigolets. -- Attack on New
Orleans, and Defeat of the British. -- Work of the
Blue-jackets. -- Capture of the Frigate "President." -- The
"Constitution" takes The "Cyane" and "Levant." -- The
"Hornet" takes the "Penguin." -- End of the War.

CHAPTER XVII.

Privateers and Prisons of the War. -- The "Rossie." -- Salem
Privateers. -- The "Gen. Armstrong" gives Battle to a
British Squadron, and saves New Orleans. -- Narrative of a
British Officer. -- The "Prince de Neufchatel." --
Experiences of American Prisoners of War. -- The End.

CHAPTER XVIII.

The Long Peace broken by the War With Mexico. -- Activity of
the Navy. -- Captain Stockton's Stratagem. -- The Battle at
San Jose. -- The Blockade. -- Instances of Personal Bravery.
-- The Loss of the "Truxton." -- Yellow Fever in the
Squadron. -- The Navy at Vera Cruz. -- Capture of Alvarado.

CHAPTER XIX.

The Navy in Peace. -- Surveying the Dead Sea. -- Suppressing
the Slave Trade. -- The Franklin Relief Expedition. --
Commodore Perry in Japan. -- Signing of the Treaty. --
Trouble in Chinese Waters. -- The Koszta Case. -- The Second
Franklin Relief Expedition. -- Foote at Canton. -- "Blood is
Thicker Than Water".

_PART III._

BLUE JACKETS OF '61.

CHAPTER I.

The Opening of the Conflict. -- The Navies of the
Contestants. -- Dix's Famous Despatch. -- The
River-gunboats.

CHAPTER II.

Fort Sumter Bombarded. -- Attempt of the "Star of the West"
to re-enforce Anderson. -- The Naval Expedition to Fort
Sumter. -- The Rescue of the Frigate "Constitution." --
Burning the Norfolk Navy-Yard.

CHAPTER III.

Difficulties of the Confederates in Getting a Navy. --
Exploit of the "French Lady." -- Naval Skirmishing on the
Potomac. -- The Cruise of the "Sumter"

CHAPTER IV.

The Potomac Flotilla. -- Capture of Alexandria. -- Actions
at Matthias Point. -- Bombardment of the Hatteras Forts.

CHAPTER V.

The "Trent" Affair. -- Operations in Albemarle and Pamlico
Sounds. -- Destruction of the Confederate Fleet.

CHAPTER VI.

Reduction of Newbern. -- Exploits of Lieut. Cushing. --
Destruction of the Ram "Albemarle".

CHAPTER VII.

The Blockade-runners. -- Nassau and Wilmington. -- Work of
the Cruisers.

CHAPTER VIII.

Du Pont's Expedition to Hilton Head and Port Royal. -- The
Fiery Circle.

CHAPTER IX.

The First Ironclad Vessels in History. -- The "Merrimac"
sinks the "Cumberland," and destroys the "Congress." -- Duel
between the "Monitor" and "Merrimac".

CHAPTER X.

The Navy in the Inland Waters. -- The Mississippi Squadron.
-- Sweeping the Tennessee River.

CHAPTER XI.

Famous Confederate Privateers, -- The "Alabama," the
"Shenandoah," the "Nashville".

CHAPTER XII.

Work of the Gulf Squadron. -- The Fight at the Passes of the
Mississippi. -- Destruction of the Schooner "Judah." -- The
Blockade of Galveston, and Capture of the "Harriet Lane".

CHAPTER XIII.

The Capture of New Orleans. -- Farragut's Fleet passes Fort
St. Philip and Fort Jackson.

CHAPTER XIV.

Along the Mississippi. -- Forts Jackson and St. Philip
Surrender. -- The Battle at St. Charles. -- The Ram
"Arkansas." -- Bombardment and Capture of Port Hudson.

CHAPTER XV.

On To Vicksburg. -- Bombardment of the Confederate
Stronghold. -- Porter's Cruise in the Forests.

CHAPTER XVI.

Vicksburg Surrenders, and the Mississippi is opened. --
Naval Events along the Gulf Coast.

CHAPTER XVII.

Operations about Charleston. -- The Bombardment, the Siege,
and the Capture.