CHAPTER XVI.
The Captain, gently putting aside the two little ones who were hanginglovingly about him, saw every one seated comfortably, and near enoughto hear all he might say, then resuming his own seat, began the accountthey had asked for of the early doings of the embryo navy of theircommon country.
"We had no navy at all when the Revolutionary War began," he said."Rhode Island, the smallest State in the Union, was the first of thecolonies to move in the matter of building and equipping a Continentalfleet. On October 3, 1775, its delegates laid before Congress theinstructions they had received to do what they could to have that workbegun.
"They met with great opposition there; but John Adams was very stronglyin its favour, and did for it all in his power.
"On the 5th of October, Washington was authorized to employ two armedvessels to intercept British store-ships, bound for Quebec; on the13th, two armed vessels, of ten and of fourteen guns, were voted; andseventeen days later, two others of thirty-six guns. That was thebeginning of our navy; and it was very necessary we should have one toprotect our seaport towns and destroy the English ships sent againstus, also to make it more difficult and hazardous for them to bring overnew levies of troops to deprive us of our liberties, and from usingtheir vessels to destroy our merchantmen, and so put an end to ourcommerce.
"Rhode Island had bold and skilful seamen, some of whom had hadsomething to do with British ships before the war began,--even as earlyas 1772.
"In that year there was a British armed schooner called the 'Gaspee,'in Narragansett Bay, sent there to enforce obnoxious British laws.
"Its officers behaved in so tyrannical a manner toward the Americans ofthe neighbourhood that at length they felt it quite unbearable; and onedark, stormy night in June, Capt. Abraham Whipple, a veteran sailor,with some brother seamen, went down the bay in open whale-boats, setthe 'Gaspee' on fire, and burned her.
"The British Government of course wanted to punish them, but allengaged in the work of destruction were so true to each other that itwas impossible to find out who they were; but three years later--in1775, the year that the war began--the bay was blockaded by an Englishfrigate, and in some way her commander learned that Whipple had beenthe leader of the men who destroyed the 'Gaspee.' He then wrote him anote."
"You, Abraham Whipple, on the seventeenth of June 1772, burnt his Majesty's vessel the 'Gaspee,' and I will hang you to the yard-arm."
"Whipple replied with a note."
_To Sir James Wallace_:
Sir,--Always catch a man before you hang him.
Abraham Whipple.
"Good!" laughed Max; "and I think he never did catch him,--did he,Papa?"
"No, though he made every effort to do so, being greatly angered by theimpudent reply."
"But you don't blame Whipple for answering him in that way,--do you,Papa?" queried Lulu.
"I can't say that I do," her father said with a slight smile. "And Ithink the legislature of Rhode Island did a right and wise thing infitting out two armed vessels to drive Sir James and his frigate out ofNarragansett Bay, giving the command of them, and thus the honour offiring the first gun in the naval service of the Revolution, to CaptainWhipple."
"Oh, that was splendid!" cried several young voices.
"That gave Washington a hint," continued the Captain, "and heauthorized the fitting out of several vessels as privateers, manningthem with these sailor-soldiers."
"What is a privateer, Papa?" asked Gracie.
"A vessel belonging to some private person, or to more than one,sailing in time of war, with a license from Government to seize,plunder, and destroy the vessels of the enemy, and any goods they maycarry, wherever found afloat."
"And how do they differ from transports, brother Levis?" asked Rosie.
"Transports are vessels used for the carrying of troops, stores, andmaterials of war," he answered.
"Did they do their work well, Captain?" asked Evelyn.
"Some did, and some did not," he answered. "The most successful wasCapt. John Manly, who had been thirty years, or nearly that, onthe sea. He was a skilful fisherman of Marblehead, and Washingtoncommissioned him as captain.
"He was doubtless well acquainted with the qualifications of thesailors of that part of the coast, and knew how to select a choicecrew, at all events he was very successful in annoying the enemy, andsoon had captured three ships as they entered Boston Harbour. Oneof them was laden with just such things as were badly needed by theAmericans, then besieging Boston,--heavy guns, mortars, and intrenchingtools.
"Manly became a terror to the British, and they tried hard to catchhim."
"If they had, I suppose they'd have hung him," remarked Lulu, halfinquiringly.
"No doubt they would have been glad to do so," her father replied."They sent out an armed schooner from Halifax to take him; but he wastoo wary and skilful a commander to be easily caught, and he went onroaming along the seacoast of New England, taking prize after prizefrom among the British ships."
"What was the name of his vessel, Papa?" asked Max.
"The 'Lee.' It was not long before Congress created a navy, and Manlywas appointed a captain in it. He did gallant service until he wastaken prisoner by Sir George Collier in the 'Rainbow.'"
"Did they hang him, Papa?" asked Gracie, with a look of distress.
"No; he was kept a prisoner, first on that vessel, then in Mill prison,Halifax, exchanged after a while, then again taken prisoner while incommand of the 'Pomona,' held a prisoner at Barbadoes, but made hisescape and took command of the privateer 'Jason.' He was afterwardattacked by two privateers, ran in between them, giving both abroadside at once and making them strike their colours.
"Later he was chased by a British seventy-four, and to escape captureran his ship aground on a sand-bar; afterward he succeeded in gettingher off, fired thirteen guns as a defiance, and made his escape."
"Please tell us some more, brother Levis," urged Walter, as the Captainpaused in his narrative; "we'd be glad to hear all the doings of ournavy."
"That would make a long story indeed, my boy," the Captain said witha smile; "longer than could be told in one day or two. I will try torelate some few more occurrences of particular interest; and I adviseyou all to consult history on the subject after we get home. The comingwinter will be a good time for that.
"In October, 1775, as I have already said, Congress resolved that aswift sailing-vessel, to carry ten carriage-guns and an appropriatenumber of swivels, should be fitted out for a cruise of three monthsfor the purpose of intercepting British transports. They also formeda Marine Committee consisting of seven members, and ordered anothervessel to be built,--the Marine Committee performing the duties nowfalling to the share of our Secretary of the Navy.
"Later in that same year Congress ordered thirteen more vessels to bebuilt. They were the 'Washington,' 'Randolph,' 'Warren,' 'Hancock,''Raleigh,' each carrying thirty-two guns; the 'Effingham,' 'Delaware,''Boston,' 'Virginia,' 'Providence,' 'Montgomery,' 'Congress' and'Trumble;' some of these were armed with twenty-eight, others withtwenty-four guns."
"They made Abraham Whipple captain of one,--didn't they, Papa?" askedMax.
"Yes; Nicholas Biddle, Dudly Saltonstall and John B. Hopkins captainsof the others, and Esek Hopkins commander-in-chief. He was consideredas holding about the same rank in the navy that Washington did in thearmy, and was styled indifferently admiral or commodore.
"Among the first lieutenants appointed was John Paul Jones, who becamea famous commander before the war was over,--a great naval hero. Butyou have all heard of him I think."
"Oh, yes," said Rosie. "It was he who commanded the 'Bonhomme Richard'in that hard-fought battle with the British ship 'Serapis.'"
"Yes," replied the Captain. "It was one of the most desperate conflictson record, and resulted in victory for Jones and the 'BonhommeRichard,' though she was so badly damaged,--'counters and quartersdriven in, all her lower-deck guns dismounted, on fire in two places,and six or seven
feet of water in the hold'--that she had to beabandoned, and sank the next morning.
"Pearson the captain of the 'Serapis,' though defeated, had made sogallant a fight that he was knighted by the king. When Jones heard ofit he said, 'He deserves it; and if I fall in with him again I'll makea lord of him.'
"I think he--Pearson--was more gallant than polite or generous; for onoffering his sword to Jones after his surrender he said, 'I cannot,sir, but feel much mortification at the idea of surrendering my swordto a man who has fought me with a rope round his neck.'"
"Just like an Englishman!" exclaimed Max, hotly; "but what did Jonessay in reply, Papa?"
"He returned the sword, saying, 'You have fought gallantly, sir, and Ihope your king will give you a better ship.'"
"That was a gentlemanly reply," said Lulu, "and I hope Jones got thecredit he deserved for his splendid victory."
"Europe and America rang with his praises," said her father. "TheEmpress of Russia gave him the ribbon of St. Ann, the King of Denmarka pension, and the King of France a gold-mounted sword with the wordsengraved upon its blade, 'Louis XVI., rewarder of the valiant assertorof the freedom of the sea.' He also made him a Knight of the Order ofMerit.
"Nothing ever occurred afterward to dim his fame, and he is known inhistory as the Chevalier John Paul Jones."
Just here a passing vessel attracted the attention of the captain andthe others, and it was not until some hours later that the conversationin regard to the doings of the navy was resumed.