CHAPTER XVI

. WHY WE FOUGHT IN 1812 383

A Stirring Tale of the Outrages Perpetrated on American Citizens by the Press-gangs of the British Navy--Horrors of Life on Ships where the Officers Found Pleasure in the Use of the Cat--Doomed to Slavery for Life--Impressed from the _Baltimore_--A British Seaman’s Joke and its Ghastly Result--The British Admiralty’s Way of Dealing with Deliberate Murder in American Waters--Assault of the _Leopard_ on the _Chesapeake_ to Compel American Seamen to Return to the Slavery they had Escaped--Building Harbor-defence Boats to Protect American Seamen from Outrage on the High Seas--Other Good Reasons for Going to War.

APPENDIX 415

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE JOHN PAUL JONES. (From a mezzotint of the painting by Notté), _Frontispiece_

AN EARLY AMERICAN FLOATING BATTERY, 1

COMMODORE ESEK HOPKINS. (From a French engraving of the portrait by Wilkinson), 3

THE FIRST NAVAL FLAGS, 4

DESTRUCTION OF THE SCHOONER _GASPÉ_, 1772. (From an engraving by Rogers of the painting by McNevin), 7

THE STATE HOUSE AT NEWPORT, SHOWING THE _GASPÉ_ AFFAIR. (From an engraving in Hinton’s “History of the United States”), 10

THE “BOSTON TEA-PARTY.” (From an old engraving), 13

A BRITISH ARMED SLOOP. (From a very rare engraving, showing the first lighthouse erected in the United States--on Little Brewster Island, Boston Harbor), 19

A BRIG OF WAR LOWERING A BOAT. (From a picture drawn and engraved by Baugean), 29

THE ADMIRALTY SEAL, 33

THE FOUNDERS OF THE AMERICAN NAVY. (Drawn by I. W. Taber--the portraits from engravings), 37

VESSEL OF WAR SALUTING, WITH THE YARDS MANNED. (From an old French engraving), 40

FACSIMILE OF A LETTER FROM ABRAHAM WHIPPLE TO GENERAL LINCOLN DURING THE SIEGE OF CHARLESTON. (From the original at the Lenox Library), 42

NICHOLAS BIDDLE. (From an engraving by Edwin), 45

A FRIGATE CHASING A SMALL BOAT. (From an old French engraving), 48

A LETTER FROM ESEK HOPKINS. (From the original at the Lenox Library), 50

A CORVETTE. (From an old French engraving), 52

COMMODORE ESEK HOPKINS. (From a very rare English engraving), 55

AN ENGLISH “SEVENTY-FOUR” AND A FRIGATE COMING TO ANCHOR. (From an old engraving), 59

JOHN BARRY. (From an engraving of the portrait by Chappel), 65

FACSIMILE OF ACCOUNT BETWEEN DUDLEY SALTONSTALL AND ELISHA HINMAN. (From the original at the Lenox Library), 67

ST. PIERRE, MARTINIQUE. (From an old engraving), 70

JOHN PAUL JONES. (From an engraving by Longacre of the portrait by C. W. Peale), 75

BURLINGTON BAY ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN. (From an old engraving in the collection of Mr. W. C. Crane), 83

SIR GUY CARLETON. (From an engraving by A. H. Ritchie), 86

GEN. BENEDICT ARNOLD. (Drawn from life at Philadelphia by Du Simitier), 88

THE _ROYAL SAVAGE_. (After an old painting), 90

THE BATTLE OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN, 92

PLAN OF THE ACTION OF OCTOBER 12, 1776, 93

MAP OF THE FIGHT ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN, 1776, 94

THE FIGHT ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN, OCTOBER 13, 1776. (From a contemporary English engraving), 97

A VIEW ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN, SHOWING THE FIGHT OF 1776. (From Hinton’s “History of the United States”), 101

BROADSIDE DESCRIBING THE ENGAGEMENT ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN. (From a copy at the Lenox Library), 106–109

THE _PHŒNIX_ AND THE _ROSE_ ENGAGING THE FIRESHIPS ON THE HUDSON RIVER. (From a lithograph of the painting by Serres after a sketch by Sir James Wallace), 115

JOHN BAZELEY. (From an engraving by Ridley of a miniature by Langdon), 120

JOHN PAUL JONES’S COMMISSION, 136

MAP OF THE BRITISH ISLES. (Showing Captain Jones’s two voyages and the route of the _Reprisal_), 139

AN ENGLISH CARICATURE OF JOHN PAUL JONES. (Published in London, October 22, 1779), 143

“PAUL JONES THE PIRATE.” (From an old engraving in the collection of Mr. W. C. Crane), 149

MAP OF THE AMERICAN COAST, 161

SIGNATURES OF JOHN MANLY AND HECTOR MCNEIL, 181

FACSIMILE OF A LETTER FROM THOMAS THOMPSON TO CAPTAIN MCNEIL. (From the original at the Lenox Library), 183–4

A TYPICAL NASSAU FORT--FORT FINCASTLE. (From a photograph by Rau), 187

AN ENGLISH FRIGATE OF FORTY GUNS. (From an engraving by Verico), 191

“A PROCLAMATION.” (From the copy at the Lenox Library), 198

“AN ORDINANCE ASCERTAINING WHAT CAPTURES ON WATER SHALL BE LAWFUL.” (From the copy at the Lenox Library), 202

ALEXANDER MURRAY. (From an engraving by Edwin of the painting by Wood), 208

JOSHUA BARNEY. (From an engraving by Gross after a miniature by Isabey), 210

FIGHT OF THE _HYDER ALI_ WITH THE _GENERAL MONK_, 1782. (From a painting by Crépin at the Naval Academy, Annapolis), 213

A RELIC OF TWO REVOLUTIONARY CAPTAINS--BILL OF LADING FOR JOHN BARRY SIGNED BY JOSHUA BARNEY. (From the original at the Lenox Library), 216

“THE HOWES ASLEEP IN PHILADELPHIA”--A CARICATURE DRAWN FORTH BY THE DOINGS OF REVOLUTIONARY PRIVATEERS, 219

THE BRITISH PRISON SHIP _JERSEY_. (From an old wood-cut), 221

A PERMIT TO VISIT ONE OF THE PRISON SHIPS. (From the original at the Lenox Library), 223

MAP OF THE WALE BOGT AND ITS VICINITY, 225

A RELIC OF THE PRISON SHIPS: ENTRANCE TO THE VAULT OF THE _MARTYRS_. (From an old wood-cut), 226

RICHARD DALE. (From an engraving by Dodson after the portrait by Wood), 231

PIERRE LANDAIS. (From a copy, at the Lenox Library, of a miniature), 236

LEITH PIER AND HARBOR. (From an old engraving), 239

JOHN PAUL JONES. (From an engraving by Guttenberg, after a drawing by Notté, in the collection of Mr. W. C. Crane), 242

THE ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE _BONHOMME RICHARD_ and _SERAPIS_. (From an engraving by Hamilton of a drawing by Collier), 246

DIAGRAM OF THE _SERAPIS-BONHOMME RICHARD_ BATTLE, 249

THE _SERAPIS_ AND THE _BONHOMME RICHARD_. (From an engraving by Lerpinière after a drawing by Fitler), 252

PAUL JONES CAPTURING THE _SERAPIS_. (From an engraving of the picture by Chappel), 258

CAPT. SIR RICHARD PEARSON. (From an engraving by Cook), 261

JOHN PAUL JONES. (After a rare engraving), 263

SIGNATURE OF RICHARD DALE. (From a letter at the Lenox Library), 266

A LETTER FROM PIERRE LANDAIS. (From the original at the Lenox Library), 268

JOHN PAUL JONES. (From a miniature recently found [1897] in a cellar at the Naval Academy), 269

JOHN PAUL JONES (IN COCKED HAT). (From a very rare engraving at the Navy Department, Washington), 271

JOHN PAUL JONES. (From an engraving by Chapman in the collection of Mr. W. C. Crane), 273

JOHN PAUL JONES’S MEDAL, 276

JOHN PAUL JONES AND THE _SERAPIS_ FIGHT. (From an engraving in the collection of Mr. W. C. Crane), 278

A LETTER FROM JOHN PAUL JONES TO THOMAS JEFFERSON. (From the original at the Lenox Library), 279

SIGNATURE OF HOYSTED HACKER. (From a letter at the Lenox Library), 283

SIR GEORGE COLLIER’S VICTORY IN PENOBSCOT BAY, 1779. (From a very rare engraving at the Lenox Library), 285

MAP OF THE ATTACK ON THE PENOBSCOT FORT. (From a contemporary map at the Lenox Library), 288–9

SIGNATURE OF SAMUEL NICHOLSON. (From a letter at the Lenox Library), 290

JAMES NICHOLSON. (After a miniature in the possession of Miss Josephine L. Stevens), 296

AN OLD NAVAL ORDER. (From the original at the Lenox Library), 301

A MEDITERRANEAN CORSAIR ANCHORING. (From a picture drawn and engraved by Baugean), 306

JOHN BARRY’S COMMISSION AS COMMANDER OF THE _UNITED STATES_. (From the original at the Naval Academy, Annapolis), 313

A FRENCH VESSEL OF 118 GUNS, A CENTURY AGO. (From an engraving by Canali), 318

DIAGRAM OF THE _INSURGENT-CONSTELLATION_ BATTLE, 321

A FRENCH VESSEL OF 120 GUNS. (From an engraving by Orio), 322

MEDAL AWARDED TO THOMAS TRUXTON, 325

PORTRAIT OF TRUXTON AND PRESIDENT ADAMS’S LETTER TO HIM. (From a lithograph at the Naval Academy, Annapolis), 326

TRUXTON’S MEDAL AND THE CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTION AWARDING IT TO HIM, 327

THE _SALLY_ ATTACKED BY A SEA-SERPENT OFF THE SHORE OF LONG ISLAND. (From a French engraving), 331

A FRENCH CUTTER OF 16 GUNS. (From an engraving by Merlo), 332

BENJAMIN STODDERT. (From a painting at the Navy Department, Washington), 334

“CAPTAIN STERRETT IN THE _ENTERPRISE_, PAYING TRIBUTE TO _TRIPOLI_.” (From an old wood-cut), 337

A SCHOONER-OF-WAR, LIKE THE _ENTERPRISE_. (From a wood-cut in the “Kedge Anchor”), 339

MAP OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA, 340

WILLIAM BAINBRIDGE. (From an engraving by Edwin), 341

STEPHEN DECATUR. (From an engraving by Osborn of the portrait by White), 347

BURNING OF THE FRIGATE _PHILADELPHIA_ BY DECATUR. (From an old wood-cut), 352

THE BLOWING UP OF THE FRIGATE _PHILADELPHIA_. (From an engraving in Waldo’s “Decatur”), 355

A PIECE OF THE _PHILADELPHIA’S_ STERN. (From the original piece at the Naval Institute, Annapolis), 358

EDWARD PREBLE. (From an engraving by Kelly of the picture in Faneuil Hall, Boston), 360

DECATUR AVENGING THE MURDER OF HIS BROTHER. (From an engraving in Waldo’s “Decatur”), 363

REUBEN JAMES SAVING DECATUR’S LIFE. (From an engraving of the picture by Chappel), 365

JOHN TRIPPE. (After a French engraving), 367

THE BATTLE OF TRIPOLI, AUGUST 3, 1804. (From the painting by Corné, 1805, at the Naval Academy, Annapolis), 369

MAP OF THE HARBOR OF TRIPOLI, 372

THE EXPLOSION OF THE _INTREPID_. (From an old engraving), 375

PREBLE’S MEDAL, 379

“THE PRESS-GANG IMPRESSING A YOUNG WATERMAN ON HIS MARRIAGE DAY.” (From an English engraving, illustrating an old song), 386

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE “YOUNG WATERMAN” AND THE PRESS-GANG. (From an English engraving), 388

A FLOGGING SCENE. (“The Point of Honor.” A sailor about to be flogged is saved by a comrade’s confession.) (From a drawing by George Cruikshank), 391

THE UNITED STATES FRIGATE _ESSEX_. (From a lithograph at the Naval Academy, Annapolis), 393

CAPT. HENRY WHITBY, R. N. (From an engraving by Page), 405

CAPT. SALUSBURY PRYCE HUMPHREYS, R. N. (From an English engraving), 411

TAKING DESERTERS FROM THE _CHESAPEAKE_, 413

[Illustration: An Early American Floating Battery.]

THE HISTORY OF OUR NAVY

##