The morning call., 1892-03-27

of IS guns. one of 81 and one Of IS; the
rest being SlaOps, brigS and sch0Oners, car
rylug from TO 10 guns each. The British
navy at this Time consisted Of 236 ships of
the line. carrying from GO TO 40 guns each /;
and 6J9 frgates and smaller vessels There
were IN commission for sea service l02 ships
Of the line and $50 fTiKates and smaller
cruisers. Seeing this vast disparity between
the two forces IL became n serious proposal
whether or not the American navy should
not be laid up. But better c0unsels pre-
vailed. aud when IN the first eight months
OF the war three British irigates and three
bTlgs or sloopS OF war We're CAPTURED in
single ship engagements the country was
laken by surprise at our unl00k ed-for sue
cess. Ii has been the custOpl SAYS Profess
scr Solely, at present Assistant Secretary of
the Navy, In speaking on this subject.
10 hold the opinion that these victories were
obtained in face of superior force on the
side OF the British, but the advantages were
rather the other way. In nearly every en-
gage ment we had decided material advan-
tage at the start in the number and size of
the guns. IN the composition and size of the
crews, and in the strength and general
equipment Of the ships. The crews were in
many eases superior In discipline to the
British. and. above all, their skill in gun
merry was far In advance.
Our officers were generally less ready to
Dring about an engagement than the Brit
lSh, fur The loss OF a single ship would be a
lar greater Calamity 10 the country than
the loss OF dozen ships TO Great Britain.
England might have sacrificed twenty ships
in bringing all our ships into action, and
yet not have felt the loss SERIOUSLY Under
these circumstances the best service naval
commanders could do was 10 display eau
tlOus tactics and to avoid all rashness that
might endanger the safety of single vessel
len 81 the seventeen vessels which we had
at the beginning of the war were either
burned or captured, and the remaining
seven = the Constitution, John Adams.
United States, Constellation, Hornet and
Enterprlse-were only saved by the exer-
else OF the greatest care and prudence"
In the lnnumerable victories over the
French the English had adopted a system of
hghting the enemy at all hazards, even when
the odds were against them. by as soon as
possible getting TO close quarters and board
Ing. There was little or no strategy IT, this
method OF fshting; In fact maneuvlin
was despised when success could so easily
he assured over the French by coming to
hard knocks at once. The course of the
long war with France had resulted in the
decentralization OF the French crews. Cap
tain Lawrence abandoned the caution
which was the best policy for the American
navy In the war OF 1912. He was closely
matched with his opponent, and yet he
went into the action with impetuous
bravery and scOrn of tactical advantages
and after gallant and bloody struggle lost
his vessel"
Small as our force was I'm the War of 1912.
the navy did wonders. In the first year
three frlgates and three briggs or sloops-of-
war hauled down the British flag, aud all
tnat the British couid do with three times
the force was 10 capture one sloop-of-war
and three brigs. The American privateers,
mostiy very swift saiers, effected wonders.
Without counting recaptures, i30 merch ant
men were taken. In fact, so striking was
our success that Britain had to make
changes in her ships to cope with our superb
ority. according to the rating Of vessels.
IN hae ha-
came of the Shannon aud the Chesapeake.
The Shannon was soon after the war nut
out Of commission and broken up. The
Chesapeake was broken up in 1920
and her timbers were sold TO John
Prior, miller. Wickham, Hampshire,
who built mill out of them. This mill
still stands, and the timbers are quite
recognizable as portions OF a ships hull
Here and there the shot Of the Shannon
may be seen lodged in the wood.