The Naval War of 1812 / Or the History of the United States Navy during the Last War with Great Britain to Which Is Appended an Account of the Battle of New Orleans

by Theodore Roosevelt

Overwhelming naval supremacy of England when America declared war against her—Race identity of the combatants—American navy at the beginning of the war—Officers well trained—Causes tending to make our seamen especially efficient—Close similarity between British and American sailors—Our ships manned chiefly by native Americans, many of whom had formerly been impressed into the British navy—Quotas of seamen contributed by the different States—Navy yards—Lists of officers and men—List of vessels—Tonnage—Different ways of estimating it in Britain and America—Ratings—American ships properly rated—Armaments of the frigates and corvettes—Three styles of guns used—Difference between long guns and carronades—Short weight of American shot—Comparison of British frigates rating 38 and American frigates rating 44 guns—Compared with a 74

Chapter III

1812 ON THE OCEAN

Commodore Rodgers' cruise and unsuccessful chase of the Belvidera—Engagement between Belvidera and President—Hornet captures a privateer—Cruise of the Essex—Captain Hull's cruise and escape from the squadron of Commodore Broke—Constitution captures Guerrière—Marked superiority shown by the Americans—Wasp captures Frolic—Disproportionate loss on British side—Both afterward captured by Poictiers—Second unsuccessful cruise of Commodore Rodgers—United States captures Macedonian—Constitution captures Java—Cruise of Essex—Summary

Chapter IV

1812 ON THE LAKES

PRELIMINARY.—The combatants starting nearly on an equality—Difficulties of creating a naval force—Difficulty of comparing the force of the rival squadrons—Meagreness of the published accounts—Unreliability of authorities, especially James.—ONTARIO—Extraordinary nature of the American squadron—Canadian squadron a kind of water militia—Sackett's Harbor feebly attacked by Commodore Earle—Commodore Chauncy attacks the Royal George—And bombards York.—ERIE—Lieutenant Elliot captures the Detroit and Caledonia—Lieutenant Angus' unsuccessful attack on Red House barracks

Chapter V

1813 ON THE OCEAN

Blockade of the American coast—Commodore Porter's campaign with the Essex in the South Pacific—Hornet blockades Bonne Citoyenne—Hornet captures Resolution—Hornet captures Peacock—Generous treatment shown to the conquered—Viper captured by Narcissus—American privateers cut out by British boats—Third cruise of Commodore Rodgers—United States, Macedonian, and Wasp blockaded in New London—Broke's challenge to Lawrence—The Chesapeake captured by the Shannon—Comments and criticisms by various authorities—Surveyor captured by boats of Narcissus—Futile gun-boat actions—British attack on Craney Island repulsed—Cutting out expeditions—The Argus captured by the Pelican—The Enterprise captures the Boxer—Ocean warfare of 1813 in favor of British—Summary