New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-01
Frigates and Sloops
Some Popular Misconceptions About
the Two Types

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: I read with keen interest the article
entitled Cruisers and Their Varied DUTIES
published in two issues of The Tribune TINS
week I thank Mr.. Gherard Davis for his
resume of United States sea power in his
tory, and appreciate his evident research
work. think he will thank me for calling
attention to some minor errors in his articles.
I refer to his definitions Of "frigate" and
"sloop" in the old navy.
Mr.. Davis writes: "a sloop-of-war was only
such in name, and not in rig. She had guns
on the spar deck and was what is known
as flush dceked; that is, her deck was one
clear space from bow to stern without poop
ar forecastle The Colorado was a
frigate; the Hartford and the kearsarge were
sloops- of-war."
Mr.. Davis may easily be pardoned for being
mixed I'D about frigates and sloops, since old
naval officers and we'll known naval his
torians have been call at sea" about them.
I ssrved on the Kearsarge, and If she was
"sloop" she certainly did not have flush
deck" but, on tho contrary, she had both
topgallant forecastle and poop.
never saw the Hartford but served on
the Lancaster, a ship OF about the same tom
mage, the flagship OF Admiral Gherardi "a
relative OF Mr.. Davis. believe), and she was
10 "sloop," but "Aush decked" steam vessel,
sometimes called "steam frigate" in Civil
War days, with lo-inch pivot Dahlgren rifles
on her spar deck and port and starboard bat
teries Of big guns on her gun deck below;
there was q berth deck below the gun or
main deck. The Hartford, Lancaster, Brook
lyr, Richmond, Pensacola and Trenton were
all steam vessels of about 5000 tons, and all
ship rugged. The Kearsarge was Of 1881
tors
Tho sailing man-of-war Jamestown, on
which 7 also served, was another exception
70 Mr.. Davis's rule, that the sloop was flush
dccked" ma had her guns on the spar deck
True, the jamestown did have a flush spar
deck, but she also had gun deck below. and
all her guns. three-ton Dahlgren smooth
bores. wore mounted on this gun deck.
think we did have couple Of little "saluting
guns" forward o. the foremost on the spar
deck. Sc the jamestown filled Mr.. Davls's
specifications both a. . frigate and q sloop.
She Is usually called . "sloop" by newspaper
writer's.
Prior 20 the Mexican War the terms
"fTigate' ana sloop may haVo Clearly &C.
fined. to men-of warsmen, ships of war
Landsmen were much muddlcd in trying to
understand the terms. When steam came in
and the old nine, eighteen and twenty-four
FOUNDER guns were scrapped the landsmen
we're worse muddled and even salormen
wsre ct a loss TO classify the new craft.
Maclsy. In his History Of tho Navy"
refers to the "frst class sloops .of.war Lam
castor. Brooklyn, Hartford" built shortly be-
fore the CIVIL War. and he also calls the Kear-
sarge "sloop- war;" though the three Arst
named were three times as big as the Kear-
sarge, and the Lancaster, as have said. was
far different from the Kearsarge in model.
Maclay calls the old Minnesota n "steam
frgatc." though she was only little larger
than the Lancaster and built after the same
model. nearly. do not know where Maclay
got his data land Mr.. Davis seems 10 have
followed him), but even il the Navy Depart
mont Of the sos did so classify ships, the
utter nonsense Of the classification is patent.
After the Civil War the department very
properly adopted a new system. Ships In
the '7Os and early sos were classed as first
rats." "ssosnd rate" third rate" and