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[Transcriber's note: Obvious printer's errors have been corrected, all
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[Illustration: Spilling Grog on the "Constitution" before Going into
Action.]
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