The household history of the United States and its people, for young Americans . allowed tosail on the indignant protest of the naval officers—theonly persons in the world who had any faith in theAmerican navy. When our men-of-war put to sea, itwas said that they would soon be captured, and thegovernment relieved of the expense of maintaining in the first year of the war the failures of the armyunder weak officers were most disheartening, and thecountry was only saved from complete discouragementby the bold triumphs of the daring little navy. THE NAVY IN THE WAR OF 1812. 251 The first
The household history of the United States and its people, for young Americans . allowed tosail on the indignant protest of the naval officers—theonly persons in the world who had any faith in theAmerican navy. When our men-of-war put to sea, itwas said that they would soon be captured, and thegovernment relieved of the expense of maintaining in the first year of the war the failures of the armyunder weak officers were most disheartening, and thecountry was only saved from complete discouragementby the bold triumphs of the daring little navy. THE NAVY IN THE WAR OF 1812. 251 The first inspiriting success of the navy was merely The frigate co T^i r • r^ • • stitution. a success of seamanship. The frigate Constitution waschased by a squadron of British ships in wind so lightthat both parties were forced at times to tow their shipsby sending boats ahead, or to pull them forward by drop-ping kedge-anchors. The English put most of their boatsto towing one frigate, in order to overhaul and cripplethe Constitution, so that the rest might capture her. It. was only by superior management of all the devicesknown for getting ahead at sea that the seamen on theConstitution contrived, after three days and nights ofalmost unresting toil, to lose sight of their pursuers, whohad been more than once within long cannon-shot. But the Constitution did not content herself with constitution , . T A * Guerriere. saving her timbers from a superior force. In August,1812, Captain Isaac Hull, on board that vessel, encount-ered the frigate Guerriere, one of the vessels that had 252 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
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