| PAGE | |
| Chapter I. The State of the Navy in 1859 | [1] |
| A Brief Story of the Development of the Warship that was Propelled by both Sails and Steam—The Remarkable Floating Battery of 1814—Barron’s Idea of a Ram—The Stevens Floating Battery—Ericsson’s Screw Propeller—Stockton and the First Screw Warship—Experiments with Great Guns—Discoveries of Bomford and Rodman—Practical Work by Dahlgren—A Comparison of Yankee Frigates with a Class of British Ships “Avowedly Built to Cope” with them—The Condition of the Personnel. | |
| Chapter II. Blockading the Southern Ports | [28] |
| Lincoln’s Proclamation—It was Something of a Task to Close 185 Inlets and Patrol 11,953 Miles of Sea-beaches, especially with the Force of Ships in Hand—One Merchant’s Notion of the Efficiency of Thirty Sailing Vessels—Gathering and Building Blockaders—Incentives and Favoring Circumstances for Blockade-runners—When Perjury Failed and Uncle Sam was Able to Strike without Waiting for Act of Congress—When Blockade-runners Came to New York and Yankee Smokeless Coal was in Demand. | |
| Chapter III. Loss of the Norfolk Navy Yard | [66] |
| Effective Work Done by Southern Naval Officers who Continued to Wear the National Uniform that they might the more Readily Betray the National Government—The Secretary of the Navy was Deceived and the Commandant at Norfolk Demoralized—William Mahone’s Tricks Added to the Demoralization at the Yard, and it was Abandoned at Last in a Shameful Panic—Property that was Worth Millions of Dollars, and Guns that Took Thousands of Lives, Fell into the Confederates’ Hands—The First Naval Battle of the War—Three Little Wooden Vessels with Seven Small Guns Sent against a Well-built Fort Mounting Thirteen Guns—The Hazardous Work of Patrolling the Potomac. | |
| Chapter IV. A Story of Confederate Privateers | [84] |
| They Did Plenty of Damage for a Time, but their Career was Brief—Capture of the First of the Class, and Trial of her Crew on a Charge of Piracy—Reasons why they could not be Held as Criminals—Luck of the Jefferson Davis—A Negro who Recaptured a Confederate Prize to Escape the Terrors of Slavery—A Skipper who Thought a Government Frigate was a Merchantman—The “Nest” behind Cape Hatteras. | |
| Chapter V. The Fort of Hatteras Inlet Taken | [99] |
| An Expedition Planned by the Navy Department that Resulted in the First Federal Victory of the Civil War—An Awkward Landing Followed by Ineffectual Fire from Ships under Way—One Fort Taken and Abandoned—Anchored beyond Range of the Fort and Compelled Surrender by Means of the Big Pivot Guns—A Wearisome Race from Chicamicomico to Hatteras Lighthouse Won by the Federals—Capture of Roanoke Island—Origin of the American Medal of Honor. | |
| Chapter VI. Along Shore in the Gulf of Mexico | [112] |
| The Shameful Story of Pensacola and Fort Pickens—When Lieutenant Russell Burned the Judah—A British Consul’s Actions when Confederate Forts were Attacked at Galveston—Extraordinary Panic at the Head of the Passes in the Mississippi when Four Great Warships, Carrying Forty-five of the Best Guns Afloat, Fled from a Disabled Tugboat that was Really Unarmed—Once more in Galveston—Lieutenant Jouett’s Fierce Fight when he Destroyed the Royal Yacht. | |
| Chapter VII. Story of the Trent Affair | [140] |
| Capt. Charles Wilkes, of the American Navy, Took Four Confederate Diplomatic Agents from a British Ship Bound on a Regular Voyage between Neutral Parts, and without any Judicial Proceeding Cast them into a Military Prison—A Case that Created Great Excitement Throughout the Civilized World—A Swift Demand, with a Threat of War Added, Made by the British—Comparing this Case with another of Like Nature—The United States once Went to War to Establish the Principle which Captain Wilkes Ignored—The British Officially Acknowledge that the Americans were Justified in Declaring War in 1812. | |
| Chapter VIII. The Capture of Port Royal | [161] |
| A Fleet of Seventeen Ships, Carrying 155 Guns, Sent to Take a Harbor that would Make a Convenient Naval Station for the Atlantic Blockaders—There were Two “Exceedingly Well-built Earthworks” “Rather Heavily Armed” Defending the Channel, but one Part of the Squadron Attacked them in Front, another Enfiladed them, and in Less than Five Hours the Confederates Fled for Life—A Heavy Gale Weathered with Small Loss—Interesting Incidents of the Battle. | |
| Chapter IX. The Monitor and the Merrimac | [184] |
| Superior Activity of the Confederates in Preparing for Ironclad Warfare Afloat—Story of the Building and Arming of the Merrimac—She was a Formidable Ship in Spite of Defects in Detail, but her Design was not the Best Conceivable—Origin and Description of the Ship that Revolutionized the Navies of the World—A Wondrous Trial Trip—For One Day the Merrimac was Irresistibly Triumphant—Two Fine Ships of the Old Style Destroyed while she Herself Suffered but Little—The Magnificent Fight of the Cumberland—A Difference in Opinions. | |
| Chapter X. First Battle between Ironclads | [214] |
| A Comparison between the Monitor and the Merrimac by the English Standard of 1812—It Astonished the Spectators to See the Tiny Monitor’s Temerity—After Half a Day’s Firing it was Plain that the Guns could not Penetrate the Armor—Attempts to Ram that Failed—The Merrimac A-leak—Captain Worden of the Monitor Disabled when the Merrimac’s Fire was Concentrated on the Pilot-house—Where the Monitor’s Gunners Failed—Fair Statement of the Result of the Battle—Worden’s Faithful Crew—The Merrimac Defied the Monitor in May, but when Norfolk was Evacuated she had to be Abandoned and was Burned at Craney Island—Loss of the Monitor. | |
| Chapter XI. With the Mississippi Gunboats | [239] |
| Creating a Fleet for the Opening of the Water Route across the Confederacy—Ironclads that were not Shot-proof, but Fairly Efficient nevertheless—Guns that Burst and Boilers that were Searched by Shot from the Enemy—When Grant Retreated and was Covered by a Gunboat—First View of Torpedoes—Capture of Fort Henry—A Disastrous Attack on Fort Donelson—When Walke Braved the Batteries at Island No. 10—The Confederate Defence Squadron at Fort Pillow—The First Battle of Steam Rams—Frightful Effects of Bursted Boilers—In the White River—Farragut Appears. | |
| Chapter XII. Farragut at New Orleans | [311] |
| It was Hard Work Getting the Squadron into the Mississippi—Preparing the Ships to Run by the Forts Guarding the River—Mortar Schooners Hidden by Tree Branches—The Forts were Well Planned, but Poorly Armed—A Barrier Chain that was no Barrier at the Last—The Heterogeneous Confederate Squadron—The Fire-rafts—Work of the Coast Survey—Bravery of Caldwell—Foreigners who Interfered—Work of the Mortar Fleet—When the Squadron Drove past the Forts—Scattering the Confederate Squadron—Nevertheless, at least Three Good Captains were Found among them—Sinking the Varuna—Fate of the Ram Manassas—Surrender of the Forts—End of the Ironclad Louisiana—The Work of the Mississippi Squadron. | |
| Chapter XIII. Farragut at Mobile | [377] |
| The Forts and the Confederate Squadron the Union Forces were Compelled to Face—The Confederate Ironclad just Missed being a most Formidable Ship—Tedious Wait for Monitors—When the Southwest Wind Favored—There was a Fierce Blast from the Forts at First, but the Torpedo was Worse than Many Guns—Fate of the Tecumseh and Captain Craven—The Last Words of the Man for whom “there was no Afterward”—Torpedoes that Failed beneath the Flagship—Captain Stevens on the Deck of his Monitor—When Neilds Unfurled the Old Flag in the midst of the Storm—How Farragut was Lashed to the Mast—Jouett would not be Intimidated by a Leadsman—Mobbing the Tennessee. | |
| Chapter XIV. Tales of the Confederate Cruisers | [407] |
| The most Instructive Chapter in the History of the United States—Work Accomplished by an Energetic Seaman in a Ship his Brother Officers Condemned—Brilliant Work of the Florida under John Newland Maffitt—Bad Marksmanship and a Worse Lookout off Mobile—A Case of Violated Neutrality—Semmes and the Alabama—The Battle with the Kearsarge—What Kind of a Man is it that Fights his Ship till she Sinks under him?—American Commerce Destroyed—The British without a Rival on the Sea, at Last, and at Very Small Cost. | |
| Chapter XV. The Albemarle and Cushing | [452] |
| A Formidable Warship was Built under Remarkable Conditions to Enable the Confederates to Regain Control of the Inland Waters of North Carolina—Very Successful at First, but she was Laid up to Await the Building of another One, and then came Cushing with his Little Torpedo Boat, and the Confederate Hopes were Destroyed with their Ship. | |
| Chapter XVI. The Navy at Charleston | [465] |
| It was a Well-guarded Harbor, and the Channel was Long and Crooked—The “Stone Fleet” and the Attitude of Foreign Powers—Brief Career of Two Confederate Ironclads—The Blockade was not Raised—A Confederate Cruiser Burned—Utter Failure of the Ironclad Attacks on the Forts—Capture of the Confederate Warship Atlanta—“Boarders Away” at Fort Sumter—Magnificent Bravery of the Men who Manned the Confederate Torpedo Boats. | |
| Chapter XVII. Capture of Fort Fisher | [503] |
| It was One of the Best Works in the South, though not well Located—Butler’s Powder-boat Scheme, and what he Expected to Accomplish by it—Throwing 15,000 Shells at the Fort Disabled Eight Great Guns out of a Total of Thirty-eight—Butler Thought the Fort still too Strong and would not Try—He did not even Make Intrenchments According to Orders—Gen. A. H. Terry, with 6,000 Soldiers and 2,000 from the Ships, Easily Took the Fort Three Weeks Later—The Navy’s Last Fight in the Civil War. | |
| Chapter XVIII. Story of the New Navy | [523] |
| The Folly of Allowing other Nations to Experiment for us—In Spite of what we Learned from their Mistakes, we were Unable, when we First Began for ourselves, to Build even a First-class Cruiser—The Result of Ten Years of Earnest Work—Battle-ships whose Power is Conceded by Foreign Writers—Cruisers that Awakened the Pride of the Nation—Three “Newfangled Notions”—A Yankee Admiral at Rio Janeiro and a Yankee Lieutenant on the Coast of Mexico—The One Important Fact about the New Navy. | |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
| PAGE | |
| Farragut’s Fleet Passing Forts Jackson and St. Philip. (From a painting by Carlton T. Chapman),[Frontispiece] | |
| A Thirty-two-pound Carronade from the Constitution. | [1] |
| The Minnesota as a Receiving Ship. (From a photograph by Rau), | [3] |
| A Loop-pattern Gun of 1836—a Type which Runs back over 100 Years, | [4] |
| A Thirty-two-pounder from the Captured Macedonian—now at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. (From a photograph), | [5] |
| A Thirty-two-pounder from the Captured Macedonian. | [7] |
| Old Cast-iron Thirty-two-pounder (Believed to be Spanish), | [8] |
| John Ericsson, | [10] |
| The Great Western—One of the First Steamships to Cross the Atlantic Ocean. (After an old painting), | [13] |
| Twelve-inch Wrought-iron Gun—the Mate to the “Peacemaker,” which Burst on the Princeton. (From a photograph of the original at the Brooklyn Navy Yard), | [14] |
| U. S. Ironclad Steamship Roanoke. (From an old lithograph), | [15] |
| U. S. Frigate Pensacola off Alexandria. (From a photograph taken in 1865), | [16] |
| A Twelve-pound Bronze Howitzer—the First One Made in the United States. (From a photograph of the original at the Brooklyn Navy Yard), | [18] |
| A Dahlgren Gun, | [19] |
| Two Blakely Guns at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, | [22] |
| The Blockaded Coast. (From “The Navy in the Civil War”), | [29] |
| Map Showing Position of United States Ships of War in Commission March 4, 1861, | [33] |
| Gideon Welles. (From a photograph), | [34] |
| Gustavus V. Fox. (From an engraving), | [36] |
| Garrett J. Pendergrast, | [39] |
| A Four-pound Cast-iron Gun Captured from a Blockade-runner, | [49] |
| An Eighteen-pound Rifle Captured from a Blockade-runner, | [52] |
| A Six-pound Gun Captured from a Blockade-runner, | [53] |
| A Nassau View—Along the Shore East of the Town. (From a photograph by Rau), | [54] |
| Nassau Schooners. (From a photograph by Rau), | [55] |
| The Blockade-runner Teaser. (From a photograph made in 1864), | [60] |
| Washington, D. C., and its Vicinity, | [67] |
| Hiram Paulding. (From an engraving by Hall), | [71] |
| A View of the Norfolk Navy Yard. (From a photograph by Cook), | [73] |
| The Old New Hampshire at the Norfolk Navy Yard. (From a photograph by Cook), | [77] |
| Burning of the Vessels at the Norfolk Navy Yard, | [79] |
| The Confederate States Privateer Savannah, Letter of Marque No. 1, Captured off Charleston by the U. S. Brig Perry, Lieutenant Parrott, | [88] |
| Destruction of the Privateer Petrel by the St. Lawrence. (From an engraving by Hinshelwood of the painting by Manzoni), | [95] |
| S. H. Stringham. (From an engraving by Buttre), | [100] |
| B. F. Butler. (From a photograph), | [101] |
| Bombardment and Capture of the Forts at Hatteras Inlet, N. C. (From a lithograph published by Currier & Ives), | [103] |
| Eight-inch Mortar Captured at Hatteras, | [107] |
| L. M. Goldsborough. (From an engraving by Buttre), | [108] |
| Stephen C. Rowan. (From a photograph), | [109] |
| Attack on Roanoke Island—Landing of the Troops. (From an engraving of the painting by Chappel), | [110] |
| Landing of Troops on Roanoke Island. (From an engraving by Perine of a drawing by Momberger), | [110] |
| Surrender of the Navy Yard at Pensacola. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [113] |
| Henry Walke. (From a photograph), | [114] |
| John G. Sproston. (From a photograph at the Naval Academy, Annapolis), | [120] |
| Galveston Harbor. (From “The Navy in the Civil War”), | [122] |
| Passes of the Mississippi. (From “The Navy in the Civil War”), | [126] |
| James Murray Mason and John Slidell. (The two captured commissioners), | [141] |
| Charles Wilkes. (From an engraving by Dodson of the portrait by Sully), | [143] |
| William H. Seward. (From a photograph), | [155] |
| S. F. Dupont. (From a photograph), | [163] |
| C. R. P. Rodgers. (From a photograph), | [164] |
| S. W. Godon. (From a painting at the Naval Academy, Annapolis), | [165] |
| Josiah Tattnall. (From an engraving by Hall), | [168] |
| Plan of Fort Walker on Hilton Head. (From a drawing by R. Sturgis, Jr., in 1861), | [169] |
| Bombardment of Port Royal, S. C. (From an engraving by Ridgeway of a drawing by Parsons), | [175] |
| Bombardment and Capture of Forts Walker and Beauregard, November 7, 1861. (From an engraving by Perine), | [179] |
| Franklin Buchanan, | [189] |
| The New Ironsides in Action. (From a photograph, of a drawing, owned by Mr. C. B. Hall), | [190] |
| The Giant and the Dwarfs; or, John E. and the Little Mariners. (From a Swedish caricature, February 10, 1867), | [191] |
| The Monitor, | [192] |
| Hampton Roads. (From “The Navy in the Civil War”), | [196] |
| Fortress Monroe and its Vicinity, | [199] |
| The Sinking of the Cumberland by the Ironclad Merrimac. (From a lithograph published by Currier & Ives), | [202] |
| The Merrimac Ramming the Cumberland. (From a drawing by M. J. Burns), | [205] |
| George U. Morris. (From a photograph owned by Mr. C. B. Hall), | [207] |
| J. L. Worden. (From a photograph), | [216] |
| Deck View of the Monitor and her Crew. (From a photograph), | [219] |
| The Fight between the Merrimac and the Monitor. (From a lithograph published by Currier & Ives), | [221] |
| In the Monitor’s Turret, | [223] |
| The Action between the Monitor and the Merrimac. (From an engraving of the picture by Chappel), | [227] |
| Group of Officers on Deck of the Monitor. (From a photograph), | [232] |
| Destruction of the Merrimac off Craney Island. (From a lithograph published by Currier & Ives), | [237] |
| Mississippi Valley—Cairo to Memphis. (From “The Navy in the Civil War”), | [242–3] |
| The Cairo. (From a photograph), | [244] |
| The Pittsburg. (After a photograph), | [245] |
| The Mississippi Fleet off Mound City, Illinois. (From a photograph owned by Mr. C. B. Hall), | [247] |
| A. H. Foote. (From a photograph), | [250] |
| The Battle of Belmont: First Attack by the Taylor and the Lexington. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [253] |
| Battle of Belmont: U. S. Gunboats Repulsing the Enemy during the Debarkation. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [257] |
| Interior of the Taylor during the Battle of Belmont. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [259] |
| Battle of Fort Henry. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [263] |
| Battle of Fort Donelson. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [269] |
| Explosion on Board the Carondelet at the Battle of Fort Donelson. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [273] |
| U. S. Flotilla Descending the Mississippi River. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [277] |
| Battle with Fort No. 1 above Island No. 10. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [279] |
| The Carondelet Running the Gauntlet at Island No. 10. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [285] |
| The Carondelet Attacking the Forts below Island No. 10. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [287] |
| U. S. Gunboats Capturing the Confederate Forts below Island No. 10, April 7th. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [291] |
| Battle of Fort Pillow. (From a painting by Admiral Walke) | [295] |
| The Battle of Fort Pillow. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [299] |
| The Battle of Memphis—First Position. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [303] |
| After the Battle of Memphis. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [305] |
| Battle of Memphis—The Confederates Retreating. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [309] |
| David Glasgow Farragut. (From a photograph), | [312] |
| Thirteen-inch Mortar from Farragut’s Fleet. (From a photograph made at the Brooklyn Navy Yard), | [316] |
| New Orleans, La., and its Vicinity, | [319] |
| Mortar Boats. (From an engraving), | [322] |
| Beginning of the Battle of New Orleans. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [327] |
| Battle of New Orleans. (From “The Navy in the Civil War”), | [331] |
| The Battle of New Orleans. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [335] |
| Confederate Ironclad Ram Stonewall Jackson. (From a photograph), | [337] |
| The Essex after Running the Batteries at Vicksburg and Port Hudson. (After a photograph), | [341] |
| The Carondelet after Passing Vicksburg. (From a photograph), | [342] |
| Battle between the Carondelet and the Arkansas. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [346] |
| Battle between the Arkansas and the Carondelet. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [347] |
| Destruction of the Arkansas near Baton Rouge, August 4, 1862. (From a lithograph published by Currier & Ives), | [349] |
| David D. Porter. (From a photograph), | [350] |
| Admiral Farragut Passing Port Hudson. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [353] |
| The U. S. Flotilla Passing the Vicksburg Batteries. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [355] |
| Battle of Grand Gulf—First Position. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [359] |
| Battle of Grand Gulf—Second Position. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [363] |
| Battle of Grand Gulf—Third Position. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [365] |
| Admiral Porter on Deck of Flagship at Grand Écore, La. (From a photograph), | [368] |
| U. S. Ram Lafayette. (From a photograph), | [369] |
| U. S. Gunboat Fort Hindman. (From a photograph), | [370] |
| Joseph Bailey. (From a photograph), | [371] |
| Red River Dam. (From “The Navy in the Civil War”), | [373] |
| The Fleet Passing the Dam. (From an engraving), | [375] |
| Entrance to Mobile Bay. (From “The Navy in the Civil War”), | [378] |
| Farragut and Drayton on Board the Hartford at Mobile Bay. (Drawn by I. W. Taber from a photograph), | [387] |
| Battle of Mobile Bay. (From “The Navy in the Civil War”), | [390–91] |
| T. A. M. Craven (From a photograph owned by Mr. C. B. Hall), | [393] |
| Battle of Mobile Bay. (From a painting by Admiral Walke), | [397] |
| The Confederate Ram Tennessee, Captured at Mobile. (From a photograph), | [404] |
| Raphael Semmes. (From a photograph owned by Mr. C. B. Hall), | [408] |
| The Florida Running the Blockade at Mobile. (After a painting by R. S. Floyd), | [421] |
| “A Prize Disposed and One Proposed.” (After a painting by R. S. Floyd), | [425] |
| Raphael Semmes and his Alabama Officers. (From a photograph owned by Mr. C. B. Hall), | [433] |
| John A. Winslow. (From a photograph), | [436] |
| Engagement between the U. S. S. Kearsarge and the Alabama off Cherbourg, on Sunday, June 19, 1864. (From a French lithograph), | [439] |
| The Kearsarge Sinking the Alabama. (From an engraving), | [443] |
| Action between the Kearsarge and the Alabama. (From an engraving of the painting by Chappel), | [445] |
| Whitworth Rifle Captured from the Shenandoah, | [448] |
| Three Famous Confederate Cruisers. (From a painting by M. J. Burns), | [449] |
| William B. Cushing. (From a photograph), | [457] |
| Cushing Blowing up the Albemarle, | [462] |
| Charleston Harbor. (From “The Navy in the Civil War”), | [466] |
| Battery Brown: Twenty-eight-inch Parrott Rifle. (From a photograph by Haas & Peale), | [468] |
| In the Charleston Batteries: 300-pounder Parrott Rifle after Bursting of Nozzle. (From a photograph by Haas & Peale), | [469] |
| General Map of Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, Showing Confederate Defences and Obstructions, | [476–7] |
| Ironclads and Monitors Bombarding the Defences at Charleston. (From an engraving), | [481] |
| Confederate Ironclad Atlanta, Captured at Wassaw Sound, June 17, 1863. (From “The Navy in the Civil War”), | [487] |
| The Weehawken and the Atlanta. (From a wood-cut), | [488] |
| John A. B. Dahlgren. (From a photograph), | [489] |
| Bomb-proof of Fort Wagner. (From a photograph by Haas & Peale), | [491] |
| Battery Hayes: Eighteen-inch Parrott Rifle—Dismounted Breaching Battery against Sumter. (From a photograph by Haas & Peale), | [492] |
| Battery Kirby: Twenty-eight-inch Seacoast Mortars against Sumter. (From a photograph by Haas & Peale), | [493] |
| Admiral Dahlgren and Staff on the Pawnee at Charleston. (From a photograph), | [496] |
| Sketch Showing Torpedo Boats as Constructed at Charleston, S. C. (From “The Navy in the Civil War”), | [498] |
| The Entrance to Cape Fear River, Showing Fort Fisher. (From “The Navy in the Civil War”), | [504] |
| Plan and Sections of Fort Fisher. (From “The Navy in the Civil War”), | [506] |
| The Bombardment of Fort Fisher. (From a lithograph), | [517] |
| T. O. Selfredge. (From a photograph owned by Mr. C. B. Hall), | [519] |
| Second Attack upon Fort Fisher by the U. S. Navy, under Rear-admiral D. D. Porter, January 13, 14, 15, 1865, | [521] |
| The Old Method of Handling a Ship’s Bowsprit. (From an old engraving), | [524] |
| Hauling a Vessel into Port a Hundred Years Ago. (From an old engraving), | [525] |
| The White Squadron in Mid-ocean. (From a drawing by R. F. Zogbaum), | [529] |
| U. S. S. Charleston, San Diego Harbor. (From a photograph), | [531] |
| The Columbia on her Government Speed Trial. (From a photograph by Rau), | [534] |
| Plan of the Iowa, | [536] |
| Plan of the Constitution, | [537] |
| The Vesuvius. (From a photograph by Rau), | [541] |
| Launching of one of the Holland Boats, the Holland, at Elizabethport, N. J., 1897. (From a photograph belonging to the John P. Holland Co.), | [543] |
| Another of the Holland Submarine Boats: the Plunger. (From a photograph of a drawing belonging to the John P. Holland Co.), | [545] |
| The Harbor of Rio Janeiro, Showing the Frigate Savannah Struck by a Squall, July 5, 1856. (From a lithograph), | [549] |
| The Stern and Propeller of the Nipsic after the Samoan Hurricane. (From a photograph), | [551] |
| The Harbor after the Samoan Hurricane. (From a photograph), | [553] |
A Thirty-two-pound Carronade from the Constitution.
THE HISTORY OF OUR NAVY
CHAPTER I
THE STATE OF THE NAVY IN 1859
A BRIEF STORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WARSHIP THAT WAS PROPELLED BY BOTH SAILS AND STEAM—THE REMARKABLE FLOATING BATTERY OF 1814—BARRON’S IDEA OF A RAM—THE STEVENS FLOATING BATTERY—ERICSSON’S SCREW PROPELLER—STOCKTON AND THE FIRST SCREW WARSHIP—EXPERIMENTS WITH GREAT GUNS—DISCOVERIES OF BOMFORD AND RODMAN—PRACTICAL WORK BY DAHLGREN—A COMPARISON OF YANKEE FRIGATES WITH A CLASS OF BRITISH SHIPS “AVOWEDLY BUILT TO COPE” WITH THEM—THE CONDITION OF THE PERSONNEL.
From the point of view of a naval seaman it was a far cry from the first war in defence of the nation’s life to the last one—so far, indeed, that all the progress made in the construction of ships of war from the time when men first went afloat to fight, down to the war of the Revolution, had not equalled that made in the eighty odd years that elapsed between, say, the battle of Lake Champlain, which was the most important battle afloat in the Revolution, and that of Hampton Roads, which was first in the Civil War.
Consider the forces that Arnold mustered against the whelming odds under the ambitious Carleton. Though two of the vessels were dignified with the name of schooner and one was called a sloop, the flagship of the squadron was a galley managed by means of oars, and the fleet as a whole, including the Royal Savage, was inferior to an equal number of the galleys with which the Romans, in the days of Carthage, held sway over the Mediterranean.