In most instances an endeavor has been made to give, in a concise manner, the causes which led to these encounters, as well as the results obtained.
As this book is not intended for professional men, technicalities have been, as far as possible, avoided. But it is often necessary to use the language and phraseology of those who fought these battles.
In all there has been a desire to give an unbiased account of each battle; and, especially, to make no statement for which authority cannot be found.
A study of naval history is of value, even in the most inland regions, by increasing a practical knowledge of geography, and by creating an interest in the great problems of government, instead of concentrating it upon local affairs. At the time that this volume was first issued, some people wondered why such a publication was necessary. The answer was that it was to inform the people of the great centre and West of the necessity of a navy, by showing them what navies had done and what influence they exercised in the world’s history.
That they are fully aware of this now is also not doubtful, and the probability is that those representatives of the people who oppose a sufficient navy for our country will be frowned down by their own constituents. Commonsense shows that, with our immense seacoast, both on the Atlantic and the Pacific, the navy, in the future, is to be the preponderant branch of our military force.
CONTENTS.
| PAGE | |
|---|---|
| INTRODUCTION. | |
| The Ancients’ Dread of the Sea; Homer’s Account of It; Slow Progress in Navigation before the Discovery of the Lode-stone;Early Egyptians; The Argonauts; The Phenicians and Greeks; Evidences of Sea-fights Thousands of Years before Christ; Naval Battle Fought byRameses III; The Fleets of Sesostris; Description of Bas-relief at Thebes; Roman Galleys Described; Early Maritime Spirit of the Carthaginians;Herodotus’ Account of the Battle of Artemisium; The Greeks under Alexander; Romans and Carthaginians. | [I-19] |
| I. SALAMIS. B. C. 480. | |
| The Island of Salamis; Xerxes; His Immense Power; His Fleet and Army; Events Preceding the Battle; The Contending Hosts Engagein Worship before the Fight Begins; The Greek Admiral Gives the Signal for Action; Many Persian Vessels Sunk at the First Onset; Fierce Hand-to-HandFighting; A Son of the Great Darius Falls; Dismay Among the Asiatics; Panic-stricken; Artifice of Queen Artemisia; She Escapes; Xerxes Powerless;He Rends his Robes and Bursts into Tears; Resolves to Return to Asia; Greece Wins her Freedom. | [I-25] |
| II. NAVAL BATTLE AT SYRACUSE. B. C. 415. | |
| A Bloody Battle; Strength of the Athenians; The Fleet enters Syracuse Harbor in Fine Order; The Sicilians Blockade the Entranceand Imprison the Fleet; The Perils of Starvation Compel the Greeks to Attempt to Raise the Blockade; Both Fleets Meet at the Mouth of the Harbor;Confusion Among the Greeks; They are Finally Compelled to Turn Back and Take Refuge in their Docks; Another Attempt to Escape from the Harbor; MutinyAmong the Sailors; The Syracusans Appear in their Midst and Capture both Men and Ships; End of Athens as a Naval Power. | [I-31] |
| III. ROMANS AND CARTHAGINIANS. | |
| Carthage a Place of Interest for Twenty Centuries; Romans and Carthaginians in Collision; First Punic War; Rome Begins theConstruction of a Navy; A Stranded Carthaginian Vessel Serves as a Model; They Encounter the Carthaginians at Mylœ; Defeat of the Latter; RenewedPreparations of both Countries for the Mastery of the Mediterranean: A Great Battle Fought, 260 B. C.; The Romans Finally Victorious; They Land anArmy in Africa and Sail for Home; Encounter a “Sirocco” and Lose nearly all their Galleys on theRocks; The Succeeding Punic Wars; Rome in Her Greatness; Antony and Octavius Appear Upon the Scene. | [I-36] |
| IV. ACTIUM. B. C. 31. | |
| The Decisive Battle of Philippi, B. C. 42; Antony and Octavius Divide the Empire of the World Between Them; Trouble between Antonyand Octavius; Antony’s Dissipations; His Passion for Egypt’s Queen; Octavius (the Future Augustus) Raises Fresh Legions to Oppose Antony; The LatterProclaims Cleopatra Queen of Cyprus and Cilicia; The Republic Suspicious of Antony; Octavius Declares War Against Cleopatra; Crosses the Ionian Sea withhis Fleet and Army, and Anchors at Actium, in Epirus; Meeting of the Roman and Antony’s Fleets; Preparation for Battle; A Grand Scene; Cleopatra’sMagnificent Galley; Discomfiture of Antony’s Centre; Cleopatra Panic-stricken; Flight of the Egyptian Contingent; Antony Follows Cleopatra; His FleetSurrenders to Octavius; The Land Forces Refuse to Believe in Antony’s Defection; Despairing of His Return, they Accept Octavius’ Overtures and PassUnder his Banner; Octavius Master of the World; Suicide of Antony and Cleopatra. | [I-48] |
| V. LEPANTO. A. D. 1571. | |
| A Momentous Battle that Decides the Sovereignty of Eastern Europe; Naval Events Preceding Lepanto; Turkish Encroachments; PopePius V Forms a League Against Them; Siege and Capture of Famagousta by the Turks; Barbarities of Mustapha; Christian Europe Aroused; Assembly of thePontifical Fleet and Army; Don John, of the Spanish Squadron, Placed in Chief Command; Resolves to Seek and Attack the Ottoman Fleet; Encounters theEnemy in a Gulf on the Albanian Coast; Character of Don John; Preparations for Battle; Strength of his Fleet; A Magnificent Scene; The Turkish Fleet;Ali Pasha in Command; The Battle Opens; Desperate Fighting at all Points, Barberigo, of the Venetian Fleet, Badly Wounded; Two Renowned Seamen Face toFace; Uluch Ali Captures the Great “Capitana” of Malta; The Galley of Don John Encounters that of Ali Pasha; They Collide; Terrible Hand-to-Hand Fighting;Bravery of a Capuchin Friar; The Viceroy of Egypt Killed; Ali Pasha Killed; His Galley Captured; Dismay among the Turks; Uluch Ali Gives the Signal forRetreat; Terrible Loss of Life in the Battle; Christian Slaves Liberated; The Turkish Fleet Almost Annihilated; Alexander Farnese; Cervantes; FierceStorm; Two Sons of Ali Prisoners; Don John and Veniero; Division of the Spoils; The Te Deum at Messina; Joy Throughout Christendom; Colonna inRome; The Great Ottoman Standard; Decline of the Ottoman Empire. | [I-56] |
| VI. THE INVINCIBLE ARMADA. A. D. 1588. | |
| Significance of the Term; Philip II; His Character; Determines to Invade England; The Duke of Parma; Foresight of Elizabeth; The ArmadaReady; An Enormous Fleet; It Encounters a Tempest; Mutiny; The Armada reaches the English Channel in July;Lord Howard, Drake, Frobisher and Hawkins in Command of the English Fleet; Tactics of the English; Capture of the “Santa Anna” by Drake; The Spanish ReachCalais; Disappointment of the Spanish Commander; Another Storm Sets In; Distress in the Spanish Fleet; The English hang on its Rear and cut off StragglingVessels; Shipwreck and Disaster Overtake the Armada on the Scottish and Irish Coast; A Fearful Loss of Life; Apparent Indifference of Philip II Concerningthe Armada’s Failure; The Beginning of Spain’s Decline. | [I-85] |
| VII. SOME NAVAL EVENTS OF ELIZABETH’S TIME, SUCCEEDING THE ARMADA. | |
| The Armada’s Discomfiture Encourages England to Attack Spain; Drake and Norris Unsuccessful at Lisbon; The Earl of Cumberland’s Expedition;Meets with a Bloody Repulse; League of Elizabeth with Henri Quatre, against the Duke of Parma; Sir Thomas Howard in Command of an English Fleet to theAzores; Frobisher and Raleigh’s Expedition of 1592; Prizes Taken on the Coast of Spain; Frobisher Wounded; His Death; Richard Hawkins; Walter Raleigh’sExpedition to Guiana; Expedition of Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins; Repulsed at Porto Rico; Death of Hawkins; England Anticipates Philip II in 1596 andAttacks Cadiz; The City Taken; The English Attack and Capture Fayal; Attempt to Intercept Spanish Merchantmen. | [I-103] |
| VIII. NAVAL ACTIONS OF THE WAR BETWEEN ENGLAND AND HOLLAND. A. D. 1652-3. | |
| The Dutch Supreme on the Sea; The Commonwealth and the United Provinces; Negotiations for an Alliance Broken Off; An English CommodoreFires into a Dutch Fleet; Van Tromp sent to Avenge this Insult; Blake in Command of the English; The English Temporarily Masters in the Channel; Great NavalPreparations in Holland; The South of England at Van Tromp’s Mercy; Blake Collects his Fleet to meet Van Tromp; A Storm Scatters Both; The Dutch PeopleDissatisfied with Van Tromp; He Resigns; De Witt Assumes Chief Command; Blake Meets the French Fleet under Vendome; He Captures the Latter’s Fleet; Battle ofNorth Foreland; De Witt Withdraws at Nightfall; Van Tromp to the Front Again; Denmark Declares Against the Commonwealth; The Dutch and English Meet in theEnglish Channel; Blake Beaten; Van Tromp Sails Up and Down the Channel with a Broom at his Masthead; Battle off Portland; A Decisive Engagement; Van TrompEscorts Dutch Merchantmen into Port; Discontent in the Dutch Fleet; Terrible Loss on Both Sides; Blake Learns of a New Fleet Fitted out by Van Tromp in April;They Meet Again; A Two Days’ Battle; Another Effort Two Months Later; The Brave Van Tromp Killed; The Power of Holland Broken: The States General Sues forPeace. | [I-112] |
| IX. FRENCH AND DUTCH IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. A. D. 1676. | |
| Revolt of Messina and Sicily; Louis XIV Sends Duquesne with a Fleet to Sustain the Insurgents; Sketch of Duquesne; England Makes Peace withHolland; Duquesne Repulses the Spanish Fleet and Captures the Town of Agosta; Learns of De Ruyter’s Presence in the Mediterranean; Meeting of the Hostile Fleets,Jan. 16, 1676; Splendid Manœuvres; The Advantage with the French; They Meet Again, in Spring, Near Syracuse; Sharp and Terrible Firing; De Ruyter MortallyWounded; The Dutch Seek Shelter in Syracuse Harbor; The Sicilian and French Fleets Encounter the Dutch and Spanish Fleets Again, in May; Destruction of theLatter; Honors to the Remains of De Ruyter; Recompensing Duquesne; His Protestantism Distasteful to Louis XIV; Humiliates Genoa; Edict of Nantes; His Death andPrivate Burial; Subsequent Honors to his Memory. | [I-146] |
| X. BATTLE OF CAPE LA HAGUE. A. D. 1692. | |
| Louis XIV Prepares to Attack England, to Seat James II on the Throne; Count de Tourville in Command of the French Fleet; Sketch of his Life;He is Ordered to Sail from Brest; Bad Weather; Arrogance of Pontchartrain, the Minister of Marine; Tourville meets a Powerful English and Dutch Fleet; Bravery ofthe Soleil Royal, the French Flag-ship; A Fog Ends the Fight; Louis XIV Compliments Tourville on his Gallant Defence Against Such Great Odds; Bestows the Title ofField Marshal on Him. | [I-157] |
| XI. BENBOW, A. D. 1702. | |
| Benbow a Favorite of William III; Queen Anne Declares War Against France; Benbow Sent to the West Indies; He Falls in with a French Fleet; AVigorous Attack Commenced; Disobedience of his Captains; He is Badly Wounded and Dies; The Captains Court-martialed; Detailed Account of the Capture and Destructionof the French and Spanish Fleets. | [I-166] |
| XII. BYNG AND LA GALISSONIÈRE. A. D. 1756. | |
| Sketch of Admiral Byng; War between England and France; Capture of Minorca by the Latter; Byng sent to the Relief of the Island; La Galissonièrein Command of the French; Failure to Engage the Latter’s Fleet, as Directed, by Byng; The English Driven Back to Gibraltar; Byng Superseded Without a Hearing; Triedby Court-martial and Sentenced to Death; The Sentence Considered Unjustly Severe by Pitt; Wrangling among the Officers of the Admiralty; Final Execution of theSentence; Voltaire’s Sarcasm. | [I-174] |
| XIII. SIR EDWARD HAWKE AND CONFLANS. A. D. 1759. | |
| Sketch of Hawke; Succeeds the Ill-fated Admiral Byng; In Command of a Blockading Squadron at Brest; Meets the French Fleet Under AdmiralConflans Near Belleisle; The Latter Inferior in Strength and Numbers; A Gale Arises During the Fight and Many Injured French Vessels Wrecked; The Latter FleetAlmost Entirely Disabled and Destroyed; Honors to Hawke. | [I-183] |
| XIV. DE GRASSE AND RODNEY. A. D. 1782. | |
| Sketch of De Grasse; Earliest Exploits; Aids Washington in the Reduction of Yorktown; Recognition by Congress; Subsequent Events; Encountersan English Fleet, Under Rodney; De Grasse Loses Five Line-of Battle Ships; Exultation in England; De Grasse a Prisoner; Assists in Bringing About a Treaty of PeaceBetween the United States and England; Career of Rodney; Receives the Title of Baron and a Pension. | [I-187] |
| LORD HOWE AND THE FRENCH FLEET. JUNE 1, A. D. 1794. | |
| The First of a Series of Memorable Engagements; Traits of Lord Howe; Anecdotes; Watching the French Fleet; The Latter Put to Sea; Skirmishing,May 28; A Great Battle, June 1; The French Open Fire First; Concentrated and Deadly Firing on Both Sides; The French Lose Six Line-of-Battle Ships; Howe’s OrdersNot Obeyed by Some of the Captains; Some French Ships that Had Struck Escape in the Darkness; Anecdotes Concerning the Battle. | [I-197] |
| BATTLE OF CAPE ST. VINCENT. A. D. 1797. | |
| Location of Cape St. Vincent; Admiral Sir John Jervis in Command of the English; Strength of His Fleet; Commodore Horatio Nelson; Chased by aSpanish Fleet; The Latter in Command of Don Joseph de Cordova; Feb. 14 a Disastrous Day for Spain; Surprised to See so Large an English Fleet; The Battle Opens;Boarding the San Nicolas; The Spanish Beaten at Every Point; The Battle over by 5 o’clock; Both Fleets Lay To to Repair Damages; Escape of the Spanish During theNight; Damages Sustained; Description of the Santissima Trinidada; The Cause of the Spanish Discomfiture; Great Rejoicing in Lisbon; Honors and Pensions Awarded tothe English Commanders at Home; Admiral Cordova and His Captains. | [I-217] |
| ENGLISH FLEET IN CANARY ISLANDS. A. D. 1797. | |
| English Expedition to the Canary Islands; Cutting Out a Brig in the Harbor of Santa Cruz; Attempt of the English to Capture the Town of SantaCruz; An Expedition Under Rear Admiral Nelson Organized for the Purpose; The Garrison Apprised of Their Coming; Nelson Shot in the Arm and Disabled; The EnglishAgree not to Molest the Canary Islands any Further if Allowed to Retire in Good Order; The Spanish Governor Finally Accepts this Offer; A Disastrous Defeat forNelson. | [I-236] |
| BATTLE OF CAMPERDOWN. 11TH OCTOBER, A. D. 1797. | |
| Viscount Duncan; His Early Life; The Mutiny of the Nore; Causes Leading to It; Disgraceful Practices of the English Admiralty of this Period;War with Holland; The Dutch Fleet Off the Texel under the Command of Vice-Admiral De Winter; The English Immediately Set Out to Intercept them; The Battle Opensabout Noon of October 11th; Hard Fighting; The English Victorious; Accurate Firing of the Hollanders; The LossesHeavy on both Sides; Actual Strength of both Fleets; Duncan’s Admirable Plan of Attack; Nelson’s Memorandum. | [I-243] |
| BATTLE OF THE NILE, 1ST AUGUST, 1798. | |
| Aboukir Bay; Its History; Learning that a Strong French Fleet Had Left Toulon, Nelson Seeks Them, He Finds the Fleet in Aboukir Bay; He ComesUpon Them at 6 o’clock in the Evening and Resolves to Attack Them at Once; A Terrible Battle; Misunderstanding of the French Admiral’s Instructions; Many Acts ofIndividual Heroism; Death of the French Admiral; Villeneuve Escapes with Four French Vessels; The Battle Over by 11 o’clock; The Most Disastrous Engagement theFrench Navy Ever Fought; Detailed Account of the Great Fight; The French Ship L’Orient Blown Up with a Terrific Explosion; Summary of the Losses on both sides;Masterly Tactics of Nelson; Gallant Behavior of the French; The Loss of This Battle of Immense Consequences to the Latter; Nelson Sails for Naples; Honors to HimEverywhere; His Official Report; French Officers of High Rank Killed; Anecdotes on Board the Vanguard on the Voyage to Naples. | [I-259] |
| LEANDER AND GÉNÉREUX. 16TH AUG., A. D. 1798. | |
| Contest Between Single Ships; The Leander a Bearer of Dispatches from Nelson; Encounters the French Frigate Généreux; Attempts to Avoid theLatter; A Close and Bloody Fight of Six Hours; The Leander Surrenders; Captain Le Joille; Plundering the English Officers; Captain Thompson; Another StrikingIncident; A French Cutter in Alexandria Harbor Abandoned on Being Attacked by Two English Frigates; The Officers and Crew of the Former, on Reaching the Shore,Massacred by the Arabs; General Carmin and Captain Vallette Among the Slain; Dispatches from Bonaparte Secured by the Arabs. | [I-290] |
| ACTION BETWEEN THE AMBUSCADE AND BAYONNAISE A. D. 1798. | |
| Decisive Single Ship Actions; A Fruitful Source of Discussion; The British Account of It; History and Description of the Ambuscade; UnexpectedMeeting with the Bayonnaise; The English Vessel the Fastest Sailer; A Battle Takes Place; Detailed Account of the Fight; The English Frigate Surrenders to the FrenchCorvette; Causes of Discontent on Board the Former; Great Rejoicing in France; Promotion of the French Captain. | [I-297] |
| SIR SIDNEY SMITH AND HIS SEAMEN AT ACRE. A. D. 1799. | |
| Minister to the Sublime Porte; Notified of Bonaparte’s Presence in Syria; The Latter Lays Siege to Acre; He Repairs Thither with a Fleet andAssists the Turks in Defending the Place; Admiral Perée, of the French Navy, Puts in an Appearance; Desperate Attempts to Storm the Place; Strength of Napoleon’sArmy on Entering Syria; Kleber’s Grenadiers; Repeated and Desperate Assaults of the French; Unsuccessful Each Time; The Siege Abandoned After Sixty-one Days;Importance of the Place as Viewed by Napoleon. | [I-304] |
| FOUDROYANT AND CONSORTS IN ACTION WITH THE GUILLAUME TELL. A. D. 1800. | |
| Preliminary History; Rear Admiral Denis Décrès; Sketch of this Remarkable Man; His Tragic End; Engagement of the Guillaume Tell with theEnglish Fleet Near Malta; Detailed Account of the Fight; Entirely Dismasted and Surrounded by English Vessels, the Guillaume Tell at last Surrenders; A More HeroicDefence Not To Be Found in the Record of Naval Actions; Taken to England, the Guillaume Tell is Refitted for the English Service, Under the Name of Malta; A SplendidShip. | [I-312] |
| NAVAL OPERATIONS AT ABOUKIR BAY AND CAPTURE OF ALEXANDRIA. A. D. 1801. | |
| Expulsion of the French Determined Upon; An English Fleet and Army Sent Thither Under Command of Lord Keith and Sir Ralph Abercrombie; The FrenchUnder Command of General Friant; The Former Land Troops Under a Galling Fire from Fort Aboukir and the Sand Hills; Sir Sidney Smith in Command of the Marines; A HeavyBattle Fought March 21; The French Forced to Retire; General Abercrombie Mortally Wounded; The French, Shut in at Alexandria, Finally Capitulate; Renewed Interest inthis Campaign on Account of Recent Events; Points of Similarity. | [I-318] |
| THE CUTTING OUT OF THE CHEVRETTE. JULY, A. D. 1801. | |
| An Example of a “Cutting-out Expedition”; The Combined French and Spanish Fleets at Anchor in Brest; The English Watching Them; The Chevretteat Anchor in Camaret Bay; The English Resolve to Cut Her Out; An Expedition Starts Out at Night, in Small Boats; They Board and Capture Her, in Spite of the DesperateResistance of the French; Details of the Fight; The Losses on Both Sides. | [I-322] |
| BOAT ATTACK UPON THE FRENCH FLOTILLA AT BOULOGNE. A. D. 1801. | |
| Another Boat Attack by the English, with Less Favorable Results; Lord Nelson in Command; Darkness and the Tides Against Them; They “Catch aTartar”; The Affair a Triumph for the French. | [I-328] |
| COPENHAGEN. A. D. 1801. | |
| Preliminary History; An English Fleet Under Sir Hyde Parker and Lord Nelson Ordered to the Cattegat; A Commissioner Empowered to Offer Peaceor War Accompanies Them; Denmark Repels Their Insulting Ultimatum and Prepares for Defence; Strength of the English Fleet; They Attempt to Force the Passageof the Sound, and the Battle Begins; Early Incidents; Difficulties of the Large English Vessels in Entering the Shallow Waters; Strength of the Danish Fleet andShore Batteries; Sir Hyde Parker Makes Signal to Withdraw; Lord Nelson Disobeys and Keeps up the Fight; TheDanish Adjutant General Finally Appears and an Armistice is Agreed Upon; A Characteristic Action of Lord Nelson; Death of the Emperor Paul, of Russia; SecondAttack on Copenhagen, 1807; Observations Concerning England’s Conduct; A Powerful English Fleet Appears in the Sound; The Crown Prince Rejects England’sHumiliating Proposals; Copenhagen Bombarded and Set on Fire; Final Surrender; Plunder by the English. | [I-331] |
| TRAFALGAR. OCTOBER 21ST, A. D. 1805. | |
| Napoleon’s Grand Schemes; Nelson in Search of the French Fleet; His Extensive Cruise; Napoleon’s Orders to His Admiral, Villeneuve; TheEnglish Discover the French and Spanish Fleets at Cadiz; Nelson’s Order of Battle a Master-piece of Naval Strategy; Strength of the English Fleet; VilleneuveOrdered to Sea; Strength of the Combined French and Spanish Fleets; The Hostile Forces Meet at Cape Trafalgar; The Battle; One of the Most Destructive NavalEngagements Ever Fought; The French Account of It; The Allied Fleet Almost Annihilated; Nelson Mortally Wounded; Further Particulars of the Battle; Estimateof Nelson’s Character; Honors to His Memory. | [I-352] |
| LORD EXMOUTH AT ALGIERS. A.D. 1816. | |
| Biographical Sketch of Lord Exmouth; Atrocities of the Algerines Prompt the English to Send a Fleet, Under Lord Exmouth, Against Them; ADutch Fleet Joins Them at Gibraltar; Strength of the Combined Fleet; Fruitless Negotiations with the Algerines; Strength of their Fortifications; The AlliedFleets Open Fire on the Forts and City; A Tremendous Cannonade; The Dey Comes to Terms; Capture of the Place by the French, Fourteen Years Later. | [I-397] |
| NAVARINO. A. D. 1827. | |
| Assembly of the Allied English, French and Russian Fleets in the Mediterranean; Their Object; An Egyptian Fleet, with Troops, entersNavarino Harbor; History and Geographical Position of the Latter; Strength of the Opposing Fleets; Treachery of the Egyptians; The Battle Opens; DesperateFighting; Bad Gunnery of the Turks; Destruction of Their Fleet. | [I-407] |
| SINOPE. A. D. 1853. | |
| History of Sinope; An Abuse of Superior Force on the Part of the Russians; They Encounter the Turkish Fleet in Sinope Harbor and Demandthe Latter’s Surrender; They Decline and the Battle Opens Furiously; The Turkish Fleet Totally Destroyed and That of the Russians rendered Comparatively Useless;Appearance of the Town of Sinope. | [I-417] |
| LISSA. A. D. 1866. | |
| Position of the Island of Lissa; Its History; Attacked and Taken by the Italians; The Austrians Shortly After Come to its Relief; A GreatNaval Battle Takes Place; Strength of the Opposing Fleets; The Ironclads That Took Part; Bad Management of the Italians Under Admiral Persano; They are BadlyBeaten; Sketch of the Italian Admiral; His Court-Martial; William Baron Tegethoff, the Austrian Commander. | [I-420] |
| SOME NAVAL ACTIONS BETWEEN BRAZIL, THE ARGENTINE CONFEDERATION AND PARAGUAY. A. D.1865-68. | |
| Origin of the Long and Deadly Struggle; The Brazilian Fleet Starts Out on a Cruise; Lopez, Dictator of Paraguay, Determines to Capturethis Fleet; His Preparations; The Hostile Fleets Encounter each other; Details of the Fight; Bad Management on both sides; The Paraguayans Forced to Retire;Another Battle in March, 1866, on the Parana River; Full Account of the Desultory Fighting; The Paraguayans Driven Out of their Earthworks; Two UnsuccessfulAttacks, in 1868, on the Brazilian Monitors lying off Tayi; Interesting Account of one of these Attacks. | [I-429] |
| THE CAPTURE OF THE HUASCAR. OCTOBER 8TH, A. D. 1879. | |
| Description of the Huascar; Her Earlier Exploits; Strength of the Chilian Squadron; The Latter Seek the Huascar; The Enemies Recognizeeach other; The Battle Begins at Long Range; Full Details of this Spirited Engagement; Terrible Loss of Life on Board the Huascar; She Finally Surrenders;Condition of the Chilian Fleet. | [I-445] |
| BOMBARDMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. JULY 11TH, A. D. 1882. | |
| Political Complications; Arabi Pasha; Important Events Preceding the Bombardment; England Demands that Work on the Fortifications Cease;Arabi Promises to Desist, but Renews the Work Secretly; A Powerful English Fleet Opens Fire on the Defences; Silenced by the Fleet and Abandoned; AlexandriaSet on Fire and Pillaged; Sailors and Marines from the American and German Fleets Landed to Protect the Consulates; Injury Sustained by the English Fleet. | [I-458] |
| THE WAR BETWEEN CHINA AND JAPAN. | |
| The Opening of Japan to Foreign Nations; Japanese Geography and History; Early Explorers; Revolution of 1617; First American Effortsat Intercourse; Commander Glynn’s Attempt; Successful Expedition of Commodore Perry in 1852; First Treaty Signed; Subsequent Development of Japan; Outbreakof War with China; Sinking of the Kow-Shing; Historic Hostility between the Two Nations; Disputes over Korea; The Battle of the Yalu, September 17th, 1894;Details of the Fight; Results of this Battle; Importance to Naval Experts; Conclusions Derived; Succeeding Events of the War; Capture of Port Arthur; TheJapanese Emperor; New Treaty with the United States. | [I-467] |
List of Illustrations.
| Page | ||
|---|---|---|
| [0]. | Return of the Greeks from Salamis | Frontispiece |
| [1]. | Naval Battle, Eighteenth Century | I-20 |
| [2]. | A Norse Galley | I-35 |
| [3]. | Capture of the Carthaginian Fleet by the Romans | I-36 |
| [4]. | Roman Galley | I-47 |
| [5]. | Battle of Actium | I-53 |
| [6]. | The Ptolemy Philopater | I-55 |
| [7]. | Battle of Lepanto | I-68 |
| [8]. | The English Fleet following the Invincible Armada | I-85 |
| [9]. | A Spanish Galeass of the Sixteenth Century | I-102 |
| [10]. | Sir Francis Drake in Central America | I-103 |
| [11]. | Henry Grace DeDieu | I-111 |
| [12]. | A Caravel of the time of Columbus | I-156 |
| [13]. | Norman Ship of the Fourteenth Century | I-173 |
| [14]. | Venetian Galley of the Sixteenth Century | I-182 |
| [15]. | Bucentoro | I-186 |
| [16]. | Le Soleil Royal | I-195 |
| [17]. | Howe’s Action of June 1, 1794 | I-196 |
| [18]. | Battle of Cape St. Vincent | I-229 |
| [19]. | English Fleet off Teneriffe | I-244 |
| [20]. | Battle of the Nile | I-259 |
| [21]. | Nelson Wounded at Teneriffe | I-270 |
| [21a]. | Dutch Man-of-War, 17th Century. | I-270 |
| [22]. | Capture of Admiral Nelson’s Dispatches | I-293 |
| [23]. | Siege of Acre, 1799 | I-308 |
| [24]. | Capture of Alexandria, 1801 | I-318 |
| [25]. | Battle of Copenhagen | I-341 |
| [26]. | Nelson’s Victory at Trafalgar | I-356 |
| [27]. | Sinope, 1853 | I-417 |
| [28]. | Battle of Lissa, 1866 | I-420 |
| [29]. | Ferdinand Max Ramming the Re d’Italia | I-424 |
| [30]. | The Dreadnaught | I-444 |
| [31]. | Appearance of the Huascar after Capture | I-456 |
| [32]. | Steel Torpedo Boat and Pole | I-457 |
| [33]. | Bombardment of Alexandria | I-465 |
| [34]. | The Alexandra | I-466 |
| [35]. | Battle of the Yalu | I-482 |