The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-01
soME xEH Booxa
tn. u.,..s $40. Nnr,.

IRE BstteA Ntatee Navy.
Ths Appistons hsv. Just published the nrss
volume Of A History Of Tie United States Navv
from f776 70 1893. We are Indebted for the mar
Fntivs 10 Mr.. EDoAR STANTON MAcLLY and for
. technical revision OF the text 10 Lieut. Roy
q sMI1H. q. g y. The book before ne sets
forth our naval annals from the outbreak Of
the Revolutionary war up 70 the beginning Of
the last year OF the war Of 1912. the CONTINUES
tion Of the history down TO the present day
being reserved for \ second volume In \
modest and attractive Introduction Mr.. Maclay
tells us that the excuse for the present work
f. the fact that = navy having had such bril-
liant career has been hitherto without q full
and continuous record Of its achievements.
Cooper indeed. furnished q consecutive sc-
count Of the navy to the close OF the Mexican
war. but his narrative has been long out Of
print. In entering upon . field which
IL practically an unworksd one. the author
has sndeavored to obtain new light from
the French and English archives In
Paris no obstacles to such researches
were encountered The French Minister Of
the Marine and Colonies permitted the rec
crds Of his department to be examined. and
there Mr.. Maclay discovered documents bear
Ing on our naval war with the French Dlrec-
tory in 17pS-1S0l. We are reminded that this
chapter OF our national history has been hither-
hVutttoctrus VI ths
mandsrs engaged in the conflict bear witness
10 many interesting incidents. and show that
the war reflected high credit upon this coun-
try. The authors experience In England was
different. He secured, indeed, In 1850.
some valuable irst-hand evidence from Admi-
raj Sir Provo Wallis who had served In the
shannon a. Second Lieutenant during her
memorable action with tho Chesapeake on
June !. 1913. There seems to be no doubt
that some OF the reports OF the British COM
msnders concerned in the war Of 1912 were
revised before the public were allowed to see
them. in order to mitigate as much rs possi-
BILE the humiliation caused by British defeat
In one case. at all events, the testimony fur
rishsd By Sir Provo Wallis demonstrates that
not only were the published accounts garbled.
but the official report purportinR 20 be
signed By Capt. Broke OF the Shan
non was . forgery. The surgeon who
attended on Capt Broke testified that he was
80 severely wounded In the action as TO be
quite unable to write or dictate. The infer
sncs drawn 10 that the Official report was con-
cocted at Halifax by men who had seen moth
ina Of the action. and Admiral Wallis declared
to our author that had the report been shown
TO him he would have corrected certain seri-
Gus errors which he mentioned. This evil
dencs was given By Admiral Wallis in the In
tsrest Of historical truth. but in vain did Mr..
Maclay bring all obtainable influence to bear
on tho Lords OF the Admiralty In order to get
permission to peruse the documents relating
to the war Of 1872. All he obtained in reply
TO his petition was tho information that their
Lordships express to you their regrets at not
being able to comply with this request. as the
regulations In force preclude all public In
spection Of Admiralty records after the year
1900" One would like to know whether these
regulations have been. as q matter Of fact en-
forced against the biographers Of Nelson and
other English naval commanders
II Il not surprising that the British Govern
m snt was indisposed to contribute to an ex-
haustive and authentic record Of the war OF
1872. Even the losses suffered ct the hands |
Df our rudimentary navy during our struggle
Ter independence are sufficiently hard TO !
reconcile with the English assum ption OF In
on the ocean. As early as Febru-
Rry. ITS. testimony was given In Parliament |
10 the effect that the English vessels taken or |
destroyed By American privatesrs numbered |
$50. and that the ships and cargoes were |
valued at about S1O.o00.000. It was further |
asserted that the cost OF marine insurance TO |
North America. the West Indios. and Africa |
had been doubled when merchant vessels had |
! convoy, and that without q convoy ships had |
20 pay seven times IS much. The exploits OF
John Paul Jones In the homo waters OF Great |
Britain threw the whole population on tho
,oasts OF England aud Scotland into wild ex-
'itsmsnt The little squadron headed by the
Bonhomme Richard In the course OF its cruise
around Great Britain took some seventeen
Isssels. many OF which were destroyed. the more
TaluAbls cargoes being sent into port In charge
II prize crews. Subsequently. as IL IL well |
Known. the Bonhomms Richard captured the
rigAte Scraps In one Of the mos. desperate
lights In naval history. The rage and humlli.
ltion felt In England at the defeat OF ono OF
he best frigates In the British service By Q
nan whom she persisted in dsnouncing as q
'irats passed all bounds. Soon after the 40
Ion Sir Joseph Yorke. Ambassador to Hol-
and. demanded OF the States General that
hose ships and their crews might DO stopped.
which the pirate Jones. q rebel subject and
rimlnal OF the State. had taken" Mr.. MaelAY
computes that during tho war OF the Rsvolu-
Ion the total number OF Continental vessels
ost By capture or wreck was twenty -four. car
yinE in all 40 guns. The loss of England In
ssssls OF the royal navy was 1o2. carrying in
he aggregate 2.o22 guns. About 300 vessels
4 all Kinds were captured from the English
" American cruisers and priyatesrA
But it was. oil course. pre5minently In the
rar OF 1912 that the pride OF England In her
avy was brought low. ToAppreeiate the out
ONE OF this contest. one must keep In view a
omparison Of the two navies. which will be
ound on page $40 Of the book before W. At
he outset OF the war Great Britain had I. 04S
hips. possessing an aggregate capacity OF
90. $50 tons. and carrying 27.S0O guns. with
5l.572 men and officers. At the same june
are the United States had but II ships. with
'tL tonnage OF 1890. and carrying only
~ guns. and but 5.025 officers and men.
ct. at the end Of the struggle. which lasted
ut about two and half years. the little
msrican navy. assisted By privatesrs. had for
he time practically swept the British mereAn-
10 marine from the high seas. and captured
YER fifteen hundred vessels. on board OF
hitch were more than twenty Thousand
ritish ssamen. It was not so much. how
yer. the number OF merchant vessels lost
rsat as this was which affected the British
ublie mind 1t Was the fact that In dusls be-