Stories of our naval heroes : every child can read

Preface

WE live In a land of heroes. If there is any one thing for which a true son of America is always ready, it is for a deed of heroism. We have among us heroes of the workshop, of the railroad, of field, forest, and city, heroes of land and heroes of water, heroes ir^ war and heroes in peace. When the time comes for any deed of valor to be done, the American ready and able to do it will not be found wanting. It is not glory the gallant son of our land is seeking. It is to do his duty in whatever situation he is placed, whether high or low, on quarter-deck or forecastle. He does not stop to think of fame. To act bravely for his fellows or his country is the thing for him to do, and he does it in face of every peril.

The history of the United States is full of the names of heroes. They stand out like the stars on our flag. It is not our purpose to boast. The world has had its heroes in all

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iv PREFACE

times and countries. But our land holds a high rank among heroic nations, and deeds of gallant daring have been done by Americans which no men upon the earth have surpassed.

This book is the record of our heroes of the sea, of the men who have fought bravely upon the ocean for the honor of the Stars and Stripes, the noble tars who have carried their country's fame over all waters and through all wars. Look at Paul Jones, the most gallant sailor who ever trod deck ! He was not born on our soil, but he was a true-blue American for all that. Look at Perry, rowing from ship to ship amid the rain of British shot and shell! Look at Farragut in the Civil War, facing death in the rigging that he might see the enemy ! Look at Dewey in the war with Spain, on the bridge amid the hurtling Spanish shells ! These are but types of our gallant sailors. They have had their equals in every war. We have hundreds to-day as brave. All they wait for is opportunity. When the time comes they will be ready.

If all our history is an inspiration, our naval history is specially so. It is full of thrilling tales, stories of desperate deeds and noble valor

PREFACE V

which no work of fiction can surpass. We are sure that all who take up this book will find it vital with interest and brimming with inspiration. Its tales deal with men who fought for their land with only a plank between them and death, and none among us can read the story of their deeds without a thrill in the nerves and a stir in the heart, and without a wish that sometime they may be able to do as much for the land that gave them birth. This is a book for the American boy to read, and the American girl as well; a book to fill them with the spirit of emulation and make them resolve that when the time comes they will act their part bravely in the perilous work of the world.

Chapter I Pagb

First Sea Fight of the Revolution. The Burning of the "Gaspee" in Narragansett

Bay ^

CHAPTER n A British Schooner Captured by Farmers.

Captain Jerry O'Brien Leads the Patriots of

CHAPTER HI

Benedict Arnold, the Soldier-Sailor.

A Novel Fight on Lake Champlain 21

CHAPTER IV

Captain Paul Jones.

The Greatest of America's Naval Heroes 32

CHAPTER V

How Paul Jones Won Renown.

The First Great Fight of the American Navy . . 44

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viii CONTENTS

CHAPTER VI

PAGE

Captain Bushnell Scares the British.

The Pioneer Torpedo Boat and the Battle of

the Kegs 60

CHAPTER VH

Captain Barry and His Rowboats Win a Victory Over the British.

A Gallant Naval Hero of Irish Blood 70

CHAPTER VIII

Captain Tucker Honored by George Washington.

The Daring Adventures of the Hero of Marblehead 8i

CHAPTER IX The Last Naval Battle of the Revolution.

The Heroic Captain Barney in the "Hyder AH"

Captures the "General Monk" 90

CHAPTER X

The Moorish Pirates of the Mediterranean.

Our Navy Teaches them a Lesson in Honor ... 99

CONTENTS ix

CHAPTER XI

PAGE

The Young Decatur and His Brilliant Deeds at Tripoli.

How Our Navy Began and Ended a Foreign War io8

CHAPTER Xn

The Gallant Old "Ironsides" and How She Captured the "Guerriere."

A Famous Incident of the War of 1812 126

CHAPTER XIII

A Famous Vessel Saved by a Poem.

"Old Ironsides" Wins New Glory^ 140

CHAPTER XIV The Fight of Captain Jacob Jones.

The Lively Little "Wasp" and How She Stung

the 'Trolic" I55

CHAPTER XV

Captain Lawrence Dies for the Flag.

His Words, "Do not give up the ship," Become

the Famous Motto of the American Navy. 166

X CONTENTS

CHAPTER XVI

PAGE

Commodore Perry Whips the British on Lake Erie,

"We have met the enemy and they are ours". . 176

CHAPTER XVn

Commodore Porter Gains Glory in the Pacific.

The Gallant Fight of the "Essex" Against

Great Odds 189

CHAPTER XVni

Commodore MacDonough's Victory on Lake Champlain.

How General Prevost and the British Ran

Away 201

CHAPTER XIX

Four Naval Heroes in One Chapter,

Fights with the Pirates of the Gulf and the

Corsairs of the Mediterranean 210

CHAPTER XX

Commodore Perry Opens Japan to the World.

A Heroic Deed Without Bloodshed 220

CONTENTS xi

CHAPTER XXI

PAGE

Captain Ingraham Teaches Austria a Lesson.

Our Navy Upholds the Rights of an American

in a Foreign Land 231

CHAPTER XXn

The "Monitor" and the "Merrimac."

A Fight which Changed all Naval Warfare. . . 239

CHAPTER XXni Commodore Farragut Wins Renown.

The Hero of Mobile Bay Lashes Himself to the

Mast 252

CHAPTER XXIV A River Fleet in a Hail of Fire.

Admiral Porter Runs by the Forts in a Novel

Way 268

CHAPTER XXV The Sinking of the "Albemarle."

Lieutenant Gushing Performs the most

Gallant Deed of the Civil War 278 xii CONTENTS

CHAPTER XXVI

PAGE

How THE "Gloucester" Revenged the Sinking of the "Maine."

Deadly and Heroic Deeds in the War with

Spain 288

CHAPTER XXVn

The Great Victory of Manila Bay.

Dewey Destroys a Fleet Without Losing a Man 294

CHAPTER XXVni

Hobson and the Sinking of the "Merrimac."

An Heroic Deed Worthy of the American

Navy 304

CHAPTER XXIX

Sampson and Schley Win Renown.

The Greatest Sea Fight of the Century 313

CHAPTER I

THE FIRST SEA FIGHT OF THE REVO- LUTION

The Burning of the "Gaspee" in Narra- GANSETT Bay

DOES it not seem an odd fact that little Rhode Island, the smallest of all our states, should have two capital cities, while all the others, some of which would make more than a thousand Rhode Islands, have only one apiece? It is like the old story of the dwarf beating the giants.

The tale we have to tell has to do with these two cities, Providence and Newport, whose story goes back far into the days when Rhode Island and all the others were British colonies. They were capitals then and they are capitals still. That is, they were places where the legislature met and the laws were made.

I need not tell you anything about the British Stamp Act, the Boston Tea-party, the fight at Lexington, and the other things that led to the American Revolution and brought freedom to the colonies. All this you have learned at school. But I am sure you will be interested in what we may call the "salt-water Lexington," the first fight between the British and the bold sons of the colonies.

There was at that time a heavy tax on all goods brought into the country, and even on goods taken from one American town to another. It was what we now call a revenue duty, or tariff. This tax the Americans did not like to pay. They were so angry at the way they had been treated by England that they did not want that country to have a penny of their money. Nor did they intend to pay any tax.

Do you ask how they could help paying the tax? They had one way of doing so. Vessels laden with goods were brought to the coast at night, or to places where there was no officer of the revenue. Then in all haste they unloaded their cargoes and were away again like flitting birds. The British did not see half the goods that came ashore, and lost much in the wav of taxes.

BURNING OF THE " GASPEE " 3

We call this kind of secret trade "smuggling." Providence and Newport were great smuggling places. Over the green waters of Narragansett Bay small craft sped to and fro, coming to shore by night or in secret places and landing their goods. It was against the law% but the bold mariners cared little for laws made in England. They said that they were quite able to govern themselves, and that no people across the seas should make laws for them.

The British did their best to stop this kind of trade. They sent armed vessels to the Bay, whose business it was to chase and search every craft that might have smuggled goods in its hold, and to punish in some way every smuggler they found.

Some of these vessels made themselves very busy, and sailors and shoremen alike were bitter against them. They would bring in prizes to Newport, and their sailors would swagger about the streets, bragging of what they had done, and making sport of the Yankees, They w^ould kidnap sailors and carry them off to serve in the King's ships. One vessel came ashore at Newport, whose crew had been months at sea, trading on the African coast. Before a man of them could set foot on land, or see any of the loved ones at home,^ from whom they had been parted so long, a press-gang from a British ship-of-war seized and carried ofif the whole crew, leaving the captain alone on his deck.

We may be sure that all this made the people very indignant. While the rest of the country was quiet, the Newporters were at the point of war. More than once they were ready to take arms against the British.

In July, 1769, a British armed sloop, the Liberty, brought in two prizes as smugglers. They had no smuggled goods on board, but the officers of the Liberty did not care for that. And their captains and crews were treated as if they were prisoners of war.

That night something new took place. The lookout on the Liberty saw two boats, crowded with men, gliding swiftly toward the sloop.

"Boat ahoy!" he shouted.

Not a word came in reply.

"Boat ahoy! Answer, or I'll fire!"

No answer still. The lookout fired. The watch came rushing up on deck. But at the

BURNING OF THE " GASPEE " 5

same time the men in the boats climbed over the bulwarks and the sailors of the Liberty found themselves looking into the muzzles of guns. They were taken by surprise and had to yield. The Americans had captured their first prize.

Proud of their victory, the Newporters cut the cables of the sloop and let her drift ashore. Her captives were set free, her mast was cut down, and her boats were dragged through the streets to the common, where they were set on fire. A jolly bonfire they made, too, and as the flames went up the people cheered lustily.

That was not all. With the high tide the sloop floated ofif. But it went ashore again on Goat Island, and the next night some of the people set it on fire and it was burned to the water's edge. That was the first American reply to British tyranny. The story of it spread far and wide. The King's officers did all they could to find and punish the men who had captured the sloop, but not a man of them could be discovered. Everybody in the town knew, but no one would tell.

This was only the beginning. The great event was that of the Gaspee. This was a

British schooner carrying six cannon, which cruised about the Bay between Providence and Newport, and made itself so active and so offensive that the people hated it more than all those that had gone before. Captain Duddingstone treated every vessel as if it had been a pirate, and the people were eager to give it the same dose they had given the Liberty.

Their time came in June, 1772. The Hannah, a vessel trading between New York and Providence, came in sight of the Gaspee and was ordered to stop. But Captain Linzee had a fine breeze and did not care to lose it. He kept on at full speed, and the Gaspee set out in chase.

It was a very pretty race that was seen that day over the ruffled waters of the Bay. For twenty-five miles it kept up and the Hannah was still ahead. Then the two vessels came near to Providence bar.

The Yankee captain now played the British sailors a cute trick. He slipped on over the bar as if there had been a mile of water under his keel. The Gaspee, not knowing that the Hannah had almost touched bottom, followed, and in a minute more came bump upon the ground. The proud war-vessel stuck fast in the mud.

BURNING OF THE " GASPEE " 7

while the hght-footed Yankee shd swiftly on to Providence, where the story of the chase and escape was told to eager ears.

Here was a splendid chance. The Gaspee was aground. Now was the time to repay Captain Duddingstone for his pride and insolence. That night, while the people after their day's work were standing and talking about the news, a man passed down the streets, beating a drum and calling out :

''The Gaspee is aground. Who will join in to put an end to her?"

There was no lack of volunteers. Eight large boats had been collected from the ships in the harbor, and there were soon enough to crowd them all. Sixty-four men were selected, and Abraham Whipple, who was afterward one of the first captains in the American navy, took command. Some of the men had guns, but their principal weapons were paving stones and clubs.

It was about two o'clock in the morning when this small fleet came within hail of the Gaspee. She was fast enough yet, though she was beginning to lift with the rising tide. An hour or two more might have set her afloat.

A sentinel who was pacing the deck hailed the boats when they came near.

"Who comes there?" he cried.

A shower of paving stones that rattled on the deck of the Gaspee was the only answer. Up came the captain and crew, like bees from a hive that has been disturbed.

''I want to come on board," said Captain Whipple.

''Stand ofif. You can't come aboard," answered Captain Duddingstone.

He fired a pistol. A shot from one of the guns on the boats replied. The British captain fell with a bullet in his side.

'T am sheriff of the County of Kent," cried one of the leaders in the boats. 'T am come for the captain of this vessel. Have him I will, dead or alive. Men, to youp oars!"

On came the boats, up the sides of the vessel clambered the men, over the rails they passed. The sailors showed fight, but they were soon knocked down and secured. The proud Gaspee was in the hands of the despised Yankees.

As the captors were tying the crew, a surgeon who was in the boats was called on deck.

BURNING OF THE " GASPEE " 9

"What do you want, Mr. Brown ?" he asked.

''Don't call names, man," cried Brown. "Go into the cabin. There is a wounded man there who may bleed to death."

The surgeon was needed, for Captain Duddingstone was bleeding freely. The surgeon, finding no cloth for bandages, tore his own shirt into strips for this purpose, and soon had the bleeding stopped. The captain was gently lowered into one of the boats and rowed up to Providence.

The wounded man away, the captors began their work. Rushing through the vessel, they made havoc of furniture and trappings. There were some bottles of liquor in the captain's cabin, and some of the men made a rush for these; but the surgeon smashed them with the heels of his boots. That was not the time or place for drunken men.

This done, the Gaspee was set on fire, and was soon wrapped in flames. The men rowed their boats some distance out, and there rested on their oars, watching the flames as they shot up masts and rigging. Not until the loaded guns went ofif, one after another, and in the end the magazine was reached and the ship blew up, did they turn their prows towards home. Never again would the Gaspee trouble American ships.

When word of what had been done reached England, there was fury from the King down. Great rewards were offered for any one who would betray any of the party, but not a name was told. For six long months a court of inquiry sat, but it could not get evidence enough to convict a single man. The Americans were staunch and firm and stood for each other like brothers tried and true.

Not until the colonies threw off the royal yoke and were battling for freedom was the secret told. Then the men of the long-boats did not hesitate to boast of what they had done. It was the first stroke of America in the cause of liberty, and the work of the men of Providence gave new heart to the patriots from Maine to Georgia.

Chapter II A British Schooner Captured By Farmers In 1775

Captain Jerry O'Brien Leads the Patriots OF 1775

HOW would any of you like to go back to the days when people had only tallow candles to light their houses, and the moon to light their streets, when they traveled on horseback or by stage, and got their news only when it happened to come? In these days of the electric light, the railroad train, and the telegraph that old way of living would not seem living at all.

Yet that was the way people lived in 1775 when the Revolution began. It took weeks for news to travel then, where it takes seconds now. Thus the fight at Lexington, which began the Revolution, took place on April 19th, but it was May 9th, more than half a month later, before the news of it reached the little

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town of Machias, on the coast of Maine. We should hardly call that fast time. It must have taken several naps on the way.

But when the news came, it found the people ready for it. A coasting schooner put into the port and brought the story of how the patriots had fought and bled at Lexington and Concord, and of how the British were shut up in Boston town, and the country was at war. The news was received with ringing cheers.

If any of my readers had been at Machias that day I know they would have felt like striking a blow for liberty. At any rate, that is how the people of Machias felt, and it did not take them long to show it.

They had some reason not to like the King and his men. All the tall, straight trees in their woods were kept to make masts for the King's ships, and no woodman dared set axe to one of these pine trees except at risk of going to prison. Just then there were two sloops in their harbor loading with ship-timber, and an armored schooner, the Margarctta, was there as a good looker-on.

When the men on the wharf heard the story of Lexington, their eyes fell on the Marga-

BRITISH SCHOONER CAPTURED 13

retta. Here was a chance to let King George know what they thought about his robbing their woods.

"Keep this a secret," they said to the sailors. "Not a word of it to Captain Moore or his men. Wait till to-morrow and you will see some sport."

That night sixty of the countrymen and townsmen met at a farmhouse nearby and laid their plans. It was Saturday. On Sunday Captain Moore and his officers would go to church. Then they could gather at the wharf and might take the schooner by surprise.

But it is often easier to make a plot than to keep it a secret, and that lesson they were to learn. The captain and his officers went to the little village church at sound of the morning bell; the Margaretta lay lazily floating near the shore; and the plotters began to gather, two or three at a time strolling down towards the shore, each of them carrying some weapon.

But in some way Captain Moore discovered their purpose. What bird in the air whispered to him the secret we do not know, but he suddenly sprang to his feet, called to his officers to follow him, and leaped like a cat through the church window, without waiting to go round by the door. We may be sure the old-fashioned preacher and the pious people in the pews looked on with wide-open eyes.

Down the street like a deer sped the captain. After him came his officers. In their rear rushed the patriots, some carrying old muskets, some with scythes and reaping-hooks.

It was a hot flight and a hot chase. Luckily for Captain Moore the guard on the schooner was wide-awake. He saw the countrymen chasing his captain, and at once loaded and fired a gun, whose ball went whistling over the head of the men of Maine. This was more than they looked for ; they held back in doubt ; some of them sought hiding places; before they could gain fresh courage, a boat put off from the schooner and took the captain and his officers on board.

Captain Moore did not know what was wrong, but he thought he would frighten the people, at any rate. So his cannon thundered and balls came hurtling over the town. Then he drew up his anchor and sailed several miles down the bay, letting the anchor fall again near a high bank. Some of the townsmen fol-

BRITISH SCHOONER CAPTURED 15

lowed, and a man named Foster called from the bank, bidding him surrender. But the captain laughed at him, raised his anchor once more, and ran farther out into the bay.

It looked as if the whole affair was at an end and the Margarctta safe. But the men of Machias were not yet at the end of their rope. There lay the lumber sloops, and where a schooner could go a sloop could follow.

Early Monday morning four young men climbed to the deck of one of the sloops and cheered in a way that soon brought a crowd to the wharf. One of these was a bold, gallant fellow named Jeremiah O'Brien.

"What is in the wind?" he asked.

"We are going for the King's ship," said Wheaton, one of the men. "We can outsail her, and all we want is guns enough and men enough to take her."

"My boys, we can do it," cried O'Brien in lusty tones, after hearing the plan.

Everybody ran off for arms, but all they could find in the town were twenty guns, with enough powder and balls to make three shots for each. Their other weapons were thirteen pitchforks and twelve axes. Jerry O'Brien was chosen captain, thirty-five of the most athletic men were selected, and the sloop put off before a fresh breeze for the first naval battle of the Revolution.

It is likely that there were a few sailors among them, and no doubt their captain knew how to handle a sloop. But the most of them were landsmen, chiefly haymakers, for Machias lay amid grassy meadows and the making of hay was its chief business. And there were some woodsmen, who knew well how to swing an axe. They were all bold men and true, who cared more for their country than for the King.

When Captain Moore saw the sloop coming with its deck crowded with men he must have wondered what all this meant. What ailed these countrymen? Anyhow, he would not fight without knowing what he was fighting for, so he raised his anchor, set his sails, and made for the open sea. But he had hardly started when, in going about in the strong wind, the main boom swung across so sharply that it struck the backstays and broke short oflF.

I fancy if any of us had been close by then we would have heard ringing cheers from the

BRITISH SCHOONER CAPTURED 17

Yankee crew. They felt sure now of their prize, though we cannot see why, for the Margaretfa had twenty-four cannon, four throwing six-pound balls and the rest one-pound balls. Muskets and pitchforks did not seem of much use against these. It had also more men than the sloop.

We cannot see why Captain Moore showed his heels instead of his fists, for he soon proved that he was no coward. But he still seemed to want to get away, so he drew up beside a schooner that lay at anchor, robbed it of its boom, lashed it to his own mast and once more took to flight. But the sloop was now not far behind, and soon showed that it was the better sailer of the two. In the end it came so close that Captain Moore was forced to fight or yield.

One of the swivel guns was fired, and then came a whole broadside, sending its balls hurtling over the crowded deck of the sloop. One man fell dead, but no other harm was done.

Only a single shot was fired back, but this came from a heavy gun and was aimed by an old hunter. It struck the man at the helm of the schooner. He fell dead, letting the rudder swing loose.

The Margaretta, with no hand at her helm, broached to, and in a minute more the sloop came crashing against her. At once there began a fierce battle between the British tars and the haymakers of Maine, who sprang wildly and with ringing cheers for the schooner's deck. Weapons of all sorts now came into play. Cutlasses, hand-grenades, pistols and boarding pikes were used by the schooner's men; muskets, pitchforks, and axes were skilfully handled by the crew of the sloop. Men fast fell dead and wounded ; the decks grew red with blood ; both sides fought fiercely, the men of Machias striving like tigers to gain a footing on the schooner's deck, the British tars meeting and driving them back.

Captain Moore showed that it was not fear that made him run away. He now fought bravely at the head of his men, cheering them on and hurling hand-grenades at the foe.

But in a few minutes the end came. A bullet struck the gallant captain and he fell dead on his deck. When they saw him fall the crew lost heart and drew back. The Yankees swarmed over the bulwarks. In a minute more the Margaretta was theirs.

BRITISH SCHOONER CAPTURED 19

The battle, though short, had been desperate, for twenty men lay killed and wounded, more than a fourth of the whole number engaged.

As Bunker Hill showed British soldiers that the Yankees could fight on land, so the capture of the Margaretta, the first naval victory of the Americans, showed that they could fight at sea. The Margaretta was very much the stronger, in men, in guns, and in her trained officers and skilled crew. Yet she had been taken by a party of landsmen, with muskets against cannon and pitchforks against pistols. It was a victory of which the colonists could well be proud. _

But Captain O'Brien was not yet satisfied. He had now a good sloop under his feet, a good crew at his back, and the arms and ammunition of his prize. He determined to go a-privateering on his own account.

Taking the Margaretta to the town, he handed over his prisoners and put the cannon and swivels of the schooner on his swifter sloop, together with the muskets, pistols, powder, and shot which he found on board. Then away he went, with a bold and daring crew, In search for prizes and glory.

He soon found both. When the news of what he had done reached Hahfax, the British there sent out two schooners, with orders to capture the insolent Yankee and bring him to port and to prison. But Captain O'Brien showed that he knew how to handle a sloop as well as a pitchfork. He met the schooners sent to capture him, and by skilful sailing managed to separate them. Then he made a bold dash on each of them and in a little time captured them both.

Chapter III Benedict Arnold, The Soldier- Sailor

A Novel Fight on Lake Champlain

WAS it not a dreadful pity that Benedict Arnold should disgrace himself forever by becoming a traitor to his country? To think of his making himself the most despised of all Americans, when, if he had been true to his flag, he might have been ranked among our greatest heroes. For Arnold was one of the best and bravest fighters in Washington's army. And he could fight as hard and well on water as on land, as you will" learn when you read of what he did on Lake Champlain.