The times., 1898-06-26
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The History of our Navy.

ton has been revised and brought
up to date Like the earlier editions it
has had a technical revision by Lieut..
Roy c. Smith, L. S. y.
The book will prove exceedingly inter-
esting 10 all students of United States
history, and of especial value as a work
Of reference during the present war 1t
shows most clearly how the present Navy
came to be what it is, and the way in
which officers and men have been de-
veloped TO a point of perfection uneX-
celled by any marines on earth. The au-
thor begins by pointing out the especial
advantages Of the United States as a
maritime nation. and declares that our
people have inherited an aptitude for
the sea from five of the greatest mari
time nations Of the world. The Spanish
and Portuguese contributed in no incon-
siderable degree 10 the population of the
Sta.e Of Maine, and as they We're once the
boldest and most skil.ful mariners Of the
world, this influence has gone far to-
ward developing the shipbuilding inter-
ests of that State.
The French. Dutch and English. all Of
whom were skillful naVigators, have also
contributed to our population, and this
extraordinary mixture. together with the
opportunities and necessities Of the New
World. caused the men Of the original
thirteen States TO become particularly
skillful on the water. In the beginning. of
course. nearly all the States had a con-
siderable seacoast, and as new territory
was added 10 the Union. most of the
travelling was still done by means Of the
natural highways Of rivers and lakes.
Thus We are by nature and inheritance
maritime people. The nucleus Of our
Navy was the armed feet necessary TO
protect our coast from buccaneers. and
Mr.. Maclay remarks later on in his his
tory that in the last century even the
crews Of merchantmen were almost al
WAYS able to handle firearms with good
effect.
II seems 10 be one Of the purposes of
the author 10 prove beyond n doubt the
Importance Of the Navy in every war in
which the United States has been en-
gagged. Il is our habit 10 think of the
battles Of the Revolution as being fought
mainly on land; but ii Is pointed OK in
this book that the Continental cruisers
and privateers captured in the course Of
the war about eight hundred vessels
which is quite good for a maritime force
OF about five thousand men. In addition
10 this, il was the work of the Navy 10
supply the American Army with mun!-
tons Of war.
ognized that the Navy played a striking
and important part. But some of the
fac.s here recorded viii surprise most
people. At that time the English navy
was in the height Of its glory, and had
just been engaged IN fighting Spain. II
IS recorded that the Spanish ships at that
time were manned by arrant towards.
the men sometimes permitting them
selves 10 be shot down like dogs by their
own officers rather than ascend the rig
ging during a fight. Continued victory
over this foe gave the English officers
an Overweening confidence in them
selves, which was encouraged by the
fact that the American Navy, at the
close OF the Revolution. numbered only
seventeen vessels, carrying less than 10,
guns. while the British had a thousand
warships carrying some 2S,c00 guns
Strange as il may seem, however, the
little American Navy succeeded I'm de
Tending itself, and in a few years had
increased TO sixty-four vessels Before
the war of 1872 the English government
had assured the Dey OF Algiers that tht
American flag was TO be driven from th'
seas. After that war the American Ma
w undertook the job Of freeing its com
merce from the depredations of Algerin'
pirates. And II succeeded.
One Of the ways in which English his
torians have tried TO account for tn
disastrous effect OF American warship
on those Of their own country is by tn
statement that the American ships wer
better built and newer than those Eng
hsh ships which could be spared for tn
war in American seas. Mr. Maclay de
stroys this argument with detailed com
parisous Of the American and Englisl
fleets. and shows that IN almost ever!
case the American vessel was the olde
and the smaller Of the combatants.
The victory Of the Shannon over IN
Chesapeake, in which the heroic Law
renee was killed, was one Of the fey
English successes, and was due mainl
to the fact that Broke, the commando
OF the Shannon. had an exceptionally fin
and well-dTilled crew, with whom he ha
been associated for several years, and i
whom he could trust implicitly. Tn
Chesapeake was one Of the ships whic
American sailors regarded as "hoC
doc" 1t was extremely difficult TO &c
men 10 make up her crew, and Lawrenc
was forced TO put up with a motley CON
pany Of daredevil Yankees, Portuguese
and foreigners Of different nationalitie'
who were either unable 10 get berths o
a first-class ship or unaware Of the ba
luck which the Chesapeake had had. y
exception can be taken TO the gallantr
and skill of Lawrence; his crew. and III
lack Of confidence felt in his ship. prove
after her capture the Chesapeake wa
taken 10 England, and IN 1920 her timber
were sold TO a miller in Wickhan
Hants. He pulled down his mill and hui
a new one out of the timbers Of the ol
ship. keeping many Of the beams in the
original shape. In 1854 the mill was Wis
tied by the Rev. DR.. Brighton. biographe
Of Sir Philip Broke and is said by him I
have had a most peaceful appearance
barring the fact that some Of the timber
were pOck-marked by grape shot
il is an odd fact. TO be noticed all th
way through Mr.. Maclays history ths
although in nearly every battle the Ems
lsh ship carried more guns and more me
than the American, there was a perfect
amazing disproportion between the losst
on the two sides. Again and again v
come upon statements Ike this: In ii
fight between the Constitution and II
Java, sixty were killed and one hundre
and two wounded on the English sid
nine killed twenty-five wounded, on Il
American side. When the Hornet fougl
the Peacock the conflict only lasted ele'
en- minutes. but the English had five xii
ed and thirty-three wounded out Of
complement OF one hundred and thirt
while the American loss was only thr,
men injured. II looks as If all throug
its history the American Navy had bee
preparing for the astonishing exploit
Dewey at Cavite Bay.
Another thing which may have hs
something 10 do with American success
sea in the early years OF the century,
the more humane treatment meted out
the crews. Mr.. Maclay records at son
length the fearful system Of punishme
which prevailed in the British navy
the last century. particularly the fioggin
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