CHAPTER I

. TROUBLES ON THE EVE OF WAR. 1

A Fair Estimate of the Number of Americans Enslaved by the Press-Gangs--A Braggart British Captain’s Work at Sandy Hook--A Search for the _Guerrière_--Attack on the British Ship _Little Belt_--A Feature of the Battle that was Overlooked--When the _Constitution_ Showed her Teeth the British Ship Brailed its Spanker and Headed for Safer Waters--An Eager Yankee Sailor who Couldn’t Wait for an Order to Fire--War Unavoidable.

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