A SHORT BIBLIOGRAPHY
It would take a great many pages to give a complete bibliography of the subject of the American navy. I must content myself with mentioning only a few of the more prominent works.
There were two navies: that of the Revolution, which disappeared wholly in 1785; and that of to-day, which had its origin in 1794. The two most complete works regarding the former are those of Gardner W. Allen, “A Naval History of the Revolution,” 2 vols., Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1913, and Oscar Charles Paullin, “The Navy of the American Revolution: Its Administration, Its Policy, and Its Achievements,” Cleveland, The Burrows Brothers Company, 1906. This latter deals chiefly with the legislative action respecting the navy and its administration; it is the only one of its class. To these two authors, Dr. Allen and Dr. Paullin, I desire to express my special obligations.
The naval classic, J. Fenimore Cooper, “The Navy of the United States of America,” a book which fascinated the author of the present volume as a boy, carries one from 1775 through the War of 1812 only.
The publications of the Naval History Society, Vol. 1, being the logs of the Serapis, Alliance, and Ariel under the command of John Paul Jones, ed. by John S. Barnes, 1911. Vol. 2 is “Fanning’s Narrative,” also edited by Mr. Barnes, 1912. Fanning’s account of the capture of the Serapis by the Bonhomme Richard is the best existent. There are other volumes, all of much interest.
Robert Beatson, “Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain from 1727 to 1783,” by far the best work of its period on the subject.
Wm. Laird Clowes, “The Royal Navy,” a monumental work in which Admiral Mahan, U. S. N., and Colonel Theodore Roosevelt had part, covers in vols. 3-6 our Revolution and the War of 1812. It is a work of the highest value.
The same should be said of Admiral Mahan’s books, “The Influence of Sea Power upon History,” and “Sea Power in its Relations to the War of 1812,” Boston, Little, Brown & Company, 1905. All his works are important.
G. Lacour-Gayet, “La Marine Militaire de la France sous le Règne de Louis XVI,” Paris, Honorè Champion, 9 Quai Voltaire, 1905, is the best French history of the naval events of the time.
Henri Doniol, “Histoire de la Participation de la France à l’Établissement des États-Unis d’Amérique,” 6 vols., Paris, Imprimerie Nationale, 1892. This monumental work was prepared for the universal exhibition of 1889 and is of highest value to the student.
Charlemagne Tower, “The Marquis de la Fayette in the American Revolution.” A valuable work.
Henry Adams, “The History of the United States, 1800-1817,” 9 vols., New York, C. Scribner’s Sons, 1891. A book of the first rank and importance.
Edgar Stanton Maclay, “A History of the United States Navy,” from 1775 to 1902, 3 vols., New York, D. Appleton & Company, 1902. One of our best and completest histories on the subject.
Gardner W. Allen, “Our Navy and the Barbary Corsairs,” New York, etc., Houghton Mifflin Company, 1905. An excellent book and a complete account.
E. Dupuy, “Americains et Barbaresques,” Paris, R. Roger et F. Chernoviz, 99 Boulevard Raspail, 1910. A book very highly to be praised.
Robert W. Neeser, “Statistical and Chronological History of the United States Navy,” New York, the Macmillan Company, 1909, 2 vols. folio. An invaluable work for the student.
Robert W. Neeser, “Our Many Sided Navy,” Yale University Press, 1914. Well done.
Theodore Roosevelt, “The Naval War of 1812,” New York, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1882. A good and fair book.
The literature of the Civil War is so vast that barest mention can be made of a few works only.
Loyall Farragut, “Life and Letters of Admiral D. G. Farragut,” New York, D. Appleton & Company, 1891.
A. T. Mahan, “Admiral Farragut,” New York, D. Appleton & Company, 1903.
James Russel Soley, “Admiral Porter,” New York, D. Appleton & Company.
John Randolph Spears, “David G. Farragut,” Philadelphia, Geo. W. Jacobs & Company, 1905.
James Russel Soley, “The Blockade and the Cruisers,” New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1890.
A. T. Mahan, “The Gulf and Inland Waters,” New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1883.
Daniel Ammen (Rear-Admiral), “The Atlantic Coast,” New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1883.
“Battles and Leaders of the Civil War,” New York, The Century Company, 1888.
All these are very interesting and valuable.
For the Spanish War, John D. Long (ex-Secretary of the Navy), “The New American Navy,” 2 vols., New York, The Outlook Company, 1903.
F. E. Chadwick, “The Relations of the United States and Spain,” vols. 2 and 3 being “The Spanish War,” New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1911.
There are admirable bibliographies in the works of Dr. Paullin and Dr. Allen covering the periods of which their books treat. The reader is referred to these and other general bibliographies for more complete information than can be given here.
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FOOTNOTES:
[1] This phrase had its origin in the advocacy, by a Dr. Banyan, of a purely vegetable diet.
[2] Colonial Records of Pennsylvania, XI, quoted by Paullin, 389.
[3] See Paullin, “The Navy of the American Revolution.”
[4] Allen, 1, 47.
[5] Lacour-Gayet, “La Marine Militaire de la France sous le Règne de Louis XVI,” 142.
[6] Clowes, “The Royal Navy,” III, 401.
[7] Jones Mss., July 28, 1777, quoted by Allen, 1, 183.
[8] The identical commission for which Conyngham came near suffering was found a few years since in a Paris bookshop and is now in the collection of Navalia formed by the late Captain John S. Barnes of New York.
[9] Van Tyne, “The American Revolution,” 305, referring to Washington Writings (Spark’s ed.) VI, 441 and VII, 159. N. Y. Docs. Rel. to Col. Hist., VIII, 800.
[10] Memorandum dated July 15, 1780, sent by the hands of Lafayette to Rochambeau.
[11] Clowes, “The Royal Navy,” III, 396.
[12] For a full description of vessels of the galley period, see Admiral Jurien de la Gravière, “Deniers Jours de la Marine à Rames,” and Lane-Poole, “Barbary Corsairs,” Chap. XII.
[13] Adams, “Works,” VIII, 373.
[14] “Dip. Corres. of the Revolution,” IV, pp. 95, 149.
[15] “Works,” VIII, 372.
[16] Adams, “Works,” VIII, 218.
[17] Jefferson’s Correspondence “Definitive Ed.,” V, 88 and 386.
[18] Allen, 56.
[19] Cooper, I, 240.
[20] The following is the full list: United States, 44; the Constitution, 44; Constellation, 38; George Washington, 24; Portsmouth, 24; Merrimack, 24; Ganges, 24; Montezuma, 20; Baltimore, 20; Delaware, 20; Herald, 18; Norfolk, 18; Pinckney, 18; Retaliation (captured), 14; and eight revenue vessels of from 10 to 14 guns.
[21] Letter to Paine, September 6, 1807, “Writings,” IX, 136.
[22] Condensed from Cooper chiefly and from Allen.
[23] See Allen, “Barbary Corsairs,” 192.
[24] William Shaler (many years consul at Algiers), 133.
[25] E. Dupuy, “Americains et Barbaresques,” Paris, R. Roger et F Chernoviz, 99 Boulevard Raspail, 1910.
[26] Jefferson, “Works,” V, 189.
[27] Chadwick, “Relations of U. S. and Spain,” I (Diplomacy), 106.
[28] Gallatin to Jefferson, September 15, 1805, “Writings,” I, 241-254.
[29] Annals of Congress, 1802, 1803, 255.
[30] Told the author by General C. F. Adams. See also “American Histor. Rev.,” April, 1913, p. 521.
[31] The British accounts were often so inaccurate and garbled, and in James’s “Naval History” so frequently glaringly untrue that only little dependence, in some instances, can be placed upon them. For a discussion of this phase, see Roosevelt’s “Naval War of 1812” passim. Part of this account is condensed from this latter.
[32] Roosevelt, 129.
[33] Cited by McMaster, “History of the United States,” IV, 901.
[34] Roosevelt, 178.
[35] Roosevelt, 187.
[36] Condensed from McMaster, IV, 33.
[37] “The Croker Papers,” I, 44.
[38] Roosevelt, 71, where a careful analysis of several pages is given to this subject.
[39] “The Public Life of Sir George Prevost,” 136, quoted by Mahan, 362.
[40] Report in Canadian Archives, 1896, Lower Canada, p. 31. For some mortifying details in this subject see Mahan, “The War of 1812,” 363-365.
[41] The most complete account of this battle and events connected with it is in Mahan, 377-381, largely drawn on in this account.
[42] Instructions to Peace Commissioners, August 14, 1814.
[43] For a complete account see Mahan, “War of 1812,” II, 391, 396.
[44] Quoted by Maclay, “History of the Navy,” II, 82.
[45] Quoted by Soley, “Admiral Porter,” 41.
[46] Not so young, however, as was, when appointed midshipman, an admiral under whom the author served in 1865, S. W. Godon. He told me that he was appointed at so early an age that for some years he was taken by a servant on quarter day to the navy yard to draw his pay.
[47] Spears, 112.
[48] Chadwick, “The Causes of the Civil War,” American Nation Series, Vol. XIX, 124, 125.
[49] Spears, “Farragut,” 159, 160.
[50] The inventor of the revolving turret was Mr. T. R. Timby, who took out a patent in 1841 and received a royalty of $5,000 for each turret built by Ericsson.
[51] Spears, 152.
[52] Cable, Century Magazine, April, 1885, p. 922.
[53] Spears, 166.
[54] See Long, “Our New Navy,” Chadwick, “Relations of the United States and Spain,” I, “Diplomacy,” II and III. “The Spanish War.”
[55] By standing close in and going aloft, the usual anchorage in the bay is visible. (Commander Dayton’s report, “Report of Bureau of Navigation,” 1898, 219.)
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:
Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.
The cover image for this eBook was created by the transcriber and is entered into the public domain.