A history of the United States of America; its people and its institutions . that time the Java was a total wreck, and had lost twohundred and thirty men. In February, 1813, the sloopHornet met the British ship Peacock, and handled her soseverely that she sank before her crew could be taken off. Causes of the American Success.—In six months theAmericans had taken more British ships than the Frenchhad done in twenty years, and had not lost one. This wasdue to several causes. The American vessels carried moremen than the British, and these were mainly the hardy THE SECOND WAR WITH GREAT RRITAIN.
A history of the United States of America; its people and its institutions . that time the Java was a total wreck, and had lost twohundred and thirty men. In February, 1813, the sloopHornet met the British ship Peacock, and handled her soseverely that she sank before her crew could be taken off. Causes of the American Success.—In six months theAmericans had taken more British ships than the Frenchhad done in twenty years, and had not lost one. This wasdue to several causes. The American vessels carried moremen than the British, and these were mainly the hardy THE SECOND WAR WITH GREAT RRITAIN. 277 fishermen of New England, men who had made the wavestheir liomes. The ships were better built, the crews betterdisciplined, the gunners better marksmen. Heavier gunswere carried, and every shot told. There was no firing atrandom as in the British ships. The result of this superi-ority in men and equipment was the remarkable series ofvictories we have detailed. Dont Give Up the Ship.—On June 1, 1813, the Brit-ish navy gained its first success. The Shannon captured. OF THE (YANE AND LEVANT BY THK, CONSTITUTION. the Chesapeake near Boston harbor. Captain Lawrence olthe Chesapeake was mortally wounded, and as he wascarried below cried out, Dont give up the ship! Buthis vessel had entered the combat when in no properfighting trim and was forced to yield. Other Ocean Battles.—The Essex, under Captain Per- 278 THE EARLY PERIOD OF THE REPUBLIC. ter, cruised for a whole year in the Pacific, taking numbersof British merchantmen. In March, 1814, she was attackedby two British frigates in the harbor of Valparaiso andforced to surrender. This and the capture of the Chesa-peake were the only British naval successes during thewar. The last fight took place in February, 1815, after thewar had ended. The glorious old Constitution, which hadalready won such fame, was attacked by two British ves-sels, the frigate Cyane and the sloop Levant, off the coastof Madeira, and after
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