Part 1

Transcriber’s Notes

Texts printed in italics, bold face or blackletter font in the source document have been transcribed between _underscores_, =equal signs= and ~tildes~ respectively. Small capitals have been replaced with ALL CAPITALS.

More Transcriber’s Notes may be found at the end of this text.

Naval Battles of the World.

Great and Decisive Contests on the Sea;

Causes and Results of Ocean Victories and Defeats;

Marine Warfare and Armament in all ages;

with an account of the JAPAN-CHINA WAR,

and the recent BATTLE OF THE YALU.

The Growth, Power and Management of OUR NEW NAVY in its Pride and Glory of Swift Cruiser, Impregnable Battleship, Ponderous Engine, and Deadly Projectile;

Our Naval Academy, Training Ship, Hospital, Revenue, Light House, and Life Saving Service.

BY EDWARD SHIPPEN, OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.

P. W. ZIEGLER & CO., PHILADELPHIA AND CHICAGO

COPYRIGHTED BY JAMES C. McCURDY.

1883, 1894, 1898.

PREFACE.

This collection is intended to present, in a popular form, an account of many of the important naval battles of all times, as well as of some combats of squadrons and single ships, which are interesting, from the nautical skill and bravery shown in them.

In most instances an endeavor has been made to give, in a concise manner, the causes which led to these encounters, as well as the results obtained.

As this book is not intended for professional men, technicalities have been, as far as possible, avoided. But it is often necessary to use the language and phraseology of those who fought these battles.

In all there has been a desire to give an unbiased account of each battle; and, especially, to make no statement for which authority cannot be found.

* * * * *

A study of naval history is of value, even in the most inland regions, by increasing a practical knowledge of geography, and by creating an interest in the great problems of government, instead of concentrating it upon local affairs. At the time that this volume was first issued, some people wondered why such a publication was necessary. The answer was that it was to inform the people of the great centre and West of the necessity of a navy, by showing them what navies had done and what influence they exercised in the world’s history.

That they are fully aware of this now is also not doubtful, and the probability is that those representatives of the people who oppose a sufficient navy for our country will be frowned down by their own constituents. Commonsense shows that, with our immense seacoast, both on the Atlantic and the Pacific, the navy, in the future, is to be the preponderant branch of our military force.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

INTRODUCTION.

The Ancients’ Dread of the Sea; Homer’s Account of It; Slow Progress in Navigation before the Discovery of the Lode-stone; Early Egyptians; The Argonauts; The Phenicians and Greeks; Evidences of Sea-fights Thousands of Years before Christ; Naval Battle Fought by Rameses III; The Fleets of Sesostris; Description of Bas-relief at Thebes; Roman Galleys Described; Early Maritime Spirit of the Carthaginians; Herodotus’ Account of the Battle of Artemisium; The Greeks under Alexander; Romans and Carthaginians. I-19

I. SALAMIS. B. C. 480.

The Island of Salamis; Xerxes; His Immense Power; His Fleet and Army; Events Preceding the Battle; The Contending Hosts Engage in Worship before the Fight Begins; The Greek Admiral Gives the Signal for Action; Many Persian Vessels Sunk at the First Onset; Fierce Hand-to-Hand Fighting; A Son of the Great Darius Falls; Dismay Among the Asiatics; Panic-stricken; Artifice of Queen Artemisia; She Escapes; Xerxes Powerless; He Rends his Robes and Bursts into Tears; Resolves to Return to Asia; Greece Wins her Freedom. I-25

II. NAVAL BATTLE AT SYRACUSE. B. C. 415.

A Bloody Battle; Strength of the Athenians; The Fleet enters Syracuse Harbor in Fine Order; The Sicilians Blockade the Entrance and Imprison the Fleet; The Perils of Starvation Compel the Greeks to Attempt to Raise the Blockade; Both Fleets Meet at the Mouth of the Harbor; Confusion Among the Greeks; They are Finally Compelled to Turn Back and Take Refuge in their Docks; Another Attempt to Escape from the Harbor; Mutiny Among the Sailors; The Syracusans Appear in their Midst and Capture both Men and Ships; End of Athens as a Naval Power. I-31

III. ROMANS AND CARTHAGINIANS.

Carthage a Place of Interest for Twenty Centuries; Romans and Carthaginians in Collision; First Punic War; Rome Begins the Construction of a Navy; A Stranded Carthaginian Vessel Serves as a Model; They Encounter the Carthaginians at Mylœ; Defeat of the Latter; Renewed Preparations of both Countries for the Mastery of the Mediterranean: A Great Battle Fought, 260 B. C.; The Romans Finally Victorious; They Land an Army in Africa and Sail for Home; Encounter a “Sirocco” and Lose nearly all their Galleys on the Rocks; The Succeeding Punic Wars; Rome in Her Greatness; Antony and Octavius Appear Upon the Scene. I-36

IV. ACTIUM. B. C. 31.

The Decisive Battle of Philippi, B. C. 42; Antony and Octavius Divide the Empire of the World Between Them; Trouble between Antony and Octavius; Antony’s Dissipations; His Passion for Egypt’s Queen; Octavius (the Future Augustus) Raises Fresh Legions to Oppose Antony; The Latter Proclaims Cleopatra Queen of Cyprus and Cilicia; The Republic Suspicious of Antony; Octavius Declares War Against Cleopatra; Crosses the Ionian Sea with his Fleet and Army, and Anchors at Actium, in Epirus; Meeting of the Roman and Antony’s Fleets; Preparation for Battle; A Grand Scene; Cleopatra’s Magnificent Galley; Discomfiture of Antony’s Centre; Cleopatra Panic-stricken; Flight of the Egyptian Contingent; Antony Follows Cleopatra; His Fleet Surrenders to Octavius; The Land Forces Refuse to Believe in Antony’s Defection; Despairing of His Return, they Accept Octavius’ Overtures and Pass Under his Banner; Octavius Master of the World; Suicide of Antony and Cleopatra. I-48

V. LEPANTO. A. D. 1571.

A Momentous Battle that Decides the Sovereignty of Eastern Europe; Naval Events Preceding Lepanto; Turkish Encroachments; Pope Pius V Forms a League Against Them; Siege and Capture of Famagousta by the Turks; Barbarities of Mustapha; Christian Europe Aroused; Assembly of the Pontifical Fleet and Army; Don John, of the Spanish Squadron, Placed in Chief Command; Resolves to Seek and Attack the Ottoman Fleet; Encounters the Enemy in a Gulf on the Albanian Coast; Character of Don John; Preparations for Battle; Strength of his Fleet; A Magnificent Scene; The Turkish Fleet; Ali Pasha in Command; The Battle Opens; Desperate Fighting at all Points, Barberigo, of the Venetian Fleet, Badly Wounded; Two Renowned Seamen Face to Face; Uluch Ali Captures the Great “Capitana” of Malta; The Galley of Don John Encounters that of Ali Pasha; They Collide; Terrible Hand-to-Hand Fighting; Bravery of a Capuchin Friar; The Viceroy of Egypt Killed; Ali Pasha Killed; His Galley Captured; Dismay among the Turks; Uluch Ali Gives the Signal for Retreat; Terrible Loss of Life in the Battle; Christian Slaves Liberated; The Turkish Fleet Almost Annihilated; Alexander Farnese; Cervantes; Fierce Storm; Two Sons of Ali Prisoners; Don John and Veniero; Division of the Spoils; The _Te Deum_ at Messina; Joy Throughout Christendom; Colonna in Rome; The Great Ottoman Standard; Decline of the Ottoman Empire. I-56

VI. THE INVINCIBLE ARMADA. A. D. 1588.

Significance of the Term; Philip II; His Character; Determines to Invade England; The Duke of Parma; Foresight of Elizabeth; The Armada Ready; An Enormous Fleet; It Encounters a Tempest; Mutiny; The Armada reaches the English Channel in July; Lord Howard, Drake, Frobisher and Hawkins in Command of the English Fleet; Tactics of the English; Capture of the “Santa Anna” by Drake; The Spanish Reach Calais; Disappointment of the Spanish Commander; Another Storm Sets In; Distress in the Spanish Fleet; The English hang on its Rear and cut off Straggling Vessels; Shipwreck and Disaster Overtake the Armada on the Scottish and Irish Coast; A Fearful Loss of Life; Apparent Indifference of Philip II Concerning the Armada’s Failure; The Beginning of Spain’s Decline. I-85

VII. SOME NAVAL EVENTS OF ELIZABETH’S TIME, SUCCEEDING THE ARMADA.

The Armada’s Discomfiture Encourages England to Attack Spain; Drake and Norris Unsuccessful at Lisbon; The Earl of Cumberland’s Expedition; Meets with a Bloody Repulse; League of Elizabeth with _Henri Quatre_, against the Duke of Parma; Sir Thomas Howard in Command of an English Fleet to the Azores; Frobisher and Raleigh’s Expedition of 1592; Prizes Taken on the Coast of Spain; Frobisher Wounded; His Death; Richard Hawkins; Walter Raleigh’s Expedition to Guiana; Expedition of Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins; Repulsed at Porto Rico; Death of Hawkins; England Anticipates Philip II in 1596 and Attacks Cadiz; The City Taken; The English Attack and Capture Fayal; Attempt to Intercept Spanish Merchantmen. I-103

VIII. NAVAL ACTIONS OF THE WAR BETWEEN ENGLAND AND HOLLAND. A. D. 1652-3.

The Dutch Supreme on the Sea; The Commonwealth and the United Provinces; Negotiations for an Alliance Broken Off; An English Commodore Fires into a Dutch Fleet; Van Tromp sent to Avenge this Insult; Blake in Command of the English; The English Temporarily Masters in the Channel; Great Naval Preparations in Holland; The South of England at Van Tromp’s Mercy; Blake Collects his Fleet to meet Van Tromp; A Storm Scatters Both; The Dutch People Dissatisfied with Van Tromp; He Resigns; De Witt Assumes Chief Command; Blake Meets the French Fleet under Vendome; He Captures the Latter’s Fleet; Battle of North Foreland; De Witt Withdraws at Nightfall; Van Tromp to the Front Again; Denmark Declares Against the Commonwealth; The Dutch and English Meet in the English Channel; Blake Beaten; Van Tromp Sails Up and Down the Channel with a Broom at his Masthead; Battle off Portland; A Decisive Engagement; Van Tromp Escorts Dutch Merchantmen into Port; Discontent in the Dutch Fleet; Terrible Loss on Both Sides; Blake Learns of a New Fleet Fitted out by Van Tromp in April; They Meet Again; A Two Days’ Battle; Another Effort Two Months Later; The Brave Van Tromp Killed; The Power of Holland Broken: The States General Sues for Peace. I-112

IX. FRENCH AND DUTCH IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. A. D. 1676.

Revolt of Messina and Sicily; Louis XIV Sends Duquesne with a Fleet to Sustain the Insurgents; Sketch of Duquesne; England Makes Peace with Holland; Duquesne Repulses the Spanish Fleet and Captures the Town of Agosta; Learns of De Ruyter’s Presence in the Mediterranean; Meeting of the Hostile Fleets, Jan. 16, 1676; Splendid Manœuvres; The Advantage with the French; They Meet Again, in Spring, Near Syracuse; Sharp and Terrible Firing; De Ruyter Mortally Wounded; The Dutch Seek Shelter in Syracuse Harbor; The Sicilian and French Fleets Encounter the Dutch and Spanish Fleets Again, in May; Destruction of the Latter; Honors to the Remains of De Ruyter; Recompensing Duquesne; His Protestantism Distasteful to Louis XIV; Humiliates Genoa; Edict of Nantes; His Death and Private Burial; Subsequent Honors to his Memory. I-146

X. BATTLE OF CAPE LA HAGUE. A. D. 1692.

Louis XIV Prepares to Attack England, to Seat James II on the Throne; Count de Tourville in Command of the French Fleet; Sketch of his Life; He is Ordered to Sail from Brest; Bad Weather; Arrogance of Pontchartrain, the Minister of Marine; Tourville meets a Powerful English and Dutch Fleet; Bravery of the Soleil Royal, the French Flag-ship; A Fog Ends the Fight; Louis XIV Compliments Tourville on his Gallant Defence Against Such Great Odds; Bestows the Title of Field Marshal on Him. I-157

XI. BENBOW, A. D. 1702.

Benbow a Favorite of William III; Queen Anne Declares War Against France; Benbow Sent to the West Indies; He Falls in with a French Fleet; A Vigorous Attack Commenced; Disobedience of his Captains; He is Badly Wounded and Dies; The Captains Court-martialed; Detailed Account of the Capture and Destruction of the French and Spanish Fleets. I-166

XII. BYNG AND LA GALISSONIÈRE. A. D. 1756.

Sketch of Admiral Byng; War between England and France; Capture of Minorca by the Latter; Byng sent to the Relief of the Island; La Galissonière in Command of the French; Failure to Engage the Latter’s Fleet, as Directed, by Byng; The English Driven Back to Gibraltar; Byng Superseded Without a Hearing; Tried by Court-martial and Sentenced to Death; The Sentence Considered Unjustly Severe by Pitt; Wrangling among the Officers of the Admiralty; Final Execution of the Sentence; Voltaire’s Sarcasm. I-174

XIII. SIR EDWARD HAWKE AND CONFLANS. A. D. 1759.

Sketch of Hawke; Succeeds the Ill-fated Admiral Byng; In Command of a Blockading Squadron at Brest; Meets the French Fleet Under Admiral Conflans Near Belleisle; The Latter Inferior in Strength and Numbers; A Gale Arises During the Fight and Many Injured French Vessels Wrecked; The Latter Fleet Almost Entirely Disabled and Destroyed; Honors to Hawke. I-183

XIV. DE GRASSE AND RODNEY. A. D. 1782.

Sketch of De Grasse; Earliest Exploits; Aids Washington in the Reduction of Yorktown; Recognition by Congress; Subsequent Events; Encounters an English Fleet, Under Rodney; De Grasse Loses Five Line-of Battle Ships; Exultation in England; De Grasse a Prisoner; Assists in Bringing About a Treaty of Peace Between the United States and England; Career of Rodney; Receives the Title of Baron and a Pension. I-187

LORD HOWE AND THE FRENCH FLEET. JUNE 1, A. D. 1794.

The First of a Series of Memorable Engagements; Traits of Lord Howe; Anecdotes; Watching the French Fleet; The Latter Put to Sea; Skirmishing, May 28; A Great Battle, June 1; The French Open Fire First; Concentrated and Deadly Firing on Both Sides; The French Lose Six Line-of-Battle Ships; Howe’s Orders Not Obeyed by Some of the Captains; Some French Ships that Had Struck Escape in the Darkness; Anecdotes Concerning the Battle. I-197

BATTLE OF CAPE ST. VINCENT. A. D. 1797.

Location of Cape St. Vincent; Admiral Sir John Jervis in Command of the English; Strength of His Fleet; Commodore Horatio Nelson; Chased by a Spanish Fleet; The Latter in Command of Don Joseph de Cordova; Feb. 14 a Disastrous Day for Spain; Surprised to See so Large an English Fleet; The Battle Opens; Boarding the San Nicolas; The Spanish Beaten at Every Point; The Battle over by 5 o’clock; Both Fleets Lay To to Repair Damages; Escape of the Spanish During the Night; Damages Sustained; Description of the Santissima Trinidada; The Cause of the Spanish Discomfiture; Great Rejoicing in Lisbon; Honors and Pensions Awarded to the English Commanders at Home; Admiral Cordova and His Captains. I-217

ENGLISH FLEET IN CANARY ISLANDS. A. D. 1797.

English Expedition to the Canary Islands; Cutting Out a Brig in the Harbor of Santa Cruz; Attempt of the English to Capture the Town of Santa Cruz; An Expedition Under Rear Admiral Nelson Organized for the Purpose; The Garrison Apprised of Their Coming; Nelson Shot in the Arm and Disabled; The English Agree not to Molest the Canary Islands any Further if Allowed to Retire in Good Order; The Spanish Governor Finally Accepts this Offer; A Disastrous Defeat for Nelson. I-236

BATTLE OF CAMPERDOWN. 11TH OCTOBER, A. D. 1797.

Viscount Duncan; His Early Life; The Mutiny of the Nore; Causes Leading to It; Disgraceful Practices of the English Admiralty of this Period; War with Holland; The Dutch Fleet Off the Texel under the Command of Vice-Admiral De Winter; The English Immediately Set Out to Intercept them; The Battle Opens about Noon of October 11th; Hard Fighting; The English Victorious; Accurate Firing of the Hollanders; The Losses Heavy on both Sides; Actual Strength of both Fleets; Duncan’s Admirable Plan of Attack; Nelson’s Memorandum. I-243

BATTLE OF THE NILE, 1ST AUGUST, 1798.

Aboukir Bay; Its History; Learning that a Strong French Fleet Had Left Toulon, Nelson Seeks Them, He Finds the Fleet in Aboukir Bay; He Comes Upon Them at 6 o’clock in the Evening and Resolves to Attack Them at Once; A Terrible Battle; Misunderstanding of the French Admiral’s Instructions; Many Acts of Individual Heroism; Death of the French Admiral; Villeneuve Escapes with Four French Vessels; The Battle Over by 11 o’clock; The Most Disastrous Engagement the French Navy Ever Fought; Detailed Account of the Great Fight; The French Ship L’Orient Blown Up with a Terrific Explosion; Summary of the Losses on both sides; Masterly Tactics of Nelson; Gallant Behavior of the French; The Loss of This Battle of Immense Consequences to the Latter; Nelson Sails for Naples; Honors to Him Everywhere; His Official Report; French Officers of High Rank Killed; Anecdotes on Board the Vanguard on the Voyage to Naples. I-259

LEANDER AND GÉNÉREUX. 16TH AUG., A. D. 1798.

Contest Between Single Ships; The Leander a Bearer of Dispatches from Nelson; Encounters the French Frigate Généreux; Attempts to Avoid the Latter; A Close and Bloody Fight of Six Hours; The Leander Surrenders; Captain Le Joille; Plundering the English Officers; Captain Thompson; Another Striking Incident; A French Cutter in Alexandria Harbor Abandoned on Being Attacked by Two English Frigates; The Officers and Crew of the Former, on Reaching the Shore, Massacred by the Arabs; General Carmin and Captain Vallette Among the Slain; Dispatches from Bonaparte Secured by the Arabs. I-290

ACTION BETWEEN THE AMBUSCADE AND BAYONNAISE A. D. 1798.

Decisive Single Ship Actions; A Fruitful Source of Discussion; The British Account of It; History and Description of the Ambuscade; Unexpected Meeting with the Bayonnaise; The English Vessel the Fastest Sailer; A Battle Takes Place; Detailed Account of the Fight; The English Frigate Surrenders to the French Corvette; Causes of Discontent on Board the Former; Great Rejoicing in France; Promotion of the French Captain. I-297

SIR SIDNEY SMITH AND HIS SEAMEN AT ACRE. A. D. 1799.

Minister to the Sublime Porte; Notified of Bonaparte’s Presence in Syria; The Latter Lays Siege to Acre; He Repairs Thither with a Fleet and Assists the Turks in Defending the Place; Admiral Perée, of the French Navy, Puts in an Appearance; Desperate Attempts to Storm the Place; Strength of Napoleon’s Army on Entering Syria; Kleber’s Grenadiers; Repeated and Desperate Assaults of the French; Unsuccessful Each Time; The Siege Abandoned After Sixty-one Days; Importance of the Place as Viewed by Napoleon. I-304

FOUDROYANT AND CONSORTS IN ACTION WITH THE GUILLAUME TELL. A. D. 1800.

Preliminary History; Rear Admiral Denis Décrès; Sketch of this Remarkable Man; His Tragic End; Engagement of the Guillaume Tell with the English Fleet Near Malta; Detailed Account of the Fight; Entirely Dismasted and Surrounded by English Vessels, the Guillaume Tell at last Surrenders; A More Heroic Defence Not To Be Found in the Record of Naval Actions; Taken to England, the Guillaume Tell is Refitted for the English Service, Under the Name of Malta; A Splendid Ship. I-312

NAVAL OPERATIONS AT ABOUKIR BAY AND CAPTURE OF ALEXANDRIA. A. D. 1801.

Expulsion of the French Determined Upon; An English Fleet and Army Sent Thither Under Command of Lord Keith and Sir Ralph Abercrombie; The French Under Command of General Friant; The Former Land Troops Under a Galling Fire from Fort Aboukir and the Sand Hills; Sir Sidney Smith in Command of the Marines; A Heavy Battle Fought March 21; The French Forced to Retire; General Abercrombie Mortally Wounded; The French, Shut in at Alexandria, Finally Capitulate; Renewed Interest in this Campaign on Account of Recent Events; Points of Similarity. I-318

THE CUTTING OUT OF THE CHEVRETTE. JULY, A. D. 1801.

An Example of a “Cutting-out Expedition”; The Combined French and Spanish Fleets at Anchor in Brest; The English Watching Them; The Chevrette at Anchor in Camaret Bay; The English Resolve to Cut Her Out; An Expedition Starts Out at Night, in Small Boats; They Board and Capture Her, in Spite of the Desperate Resistance of the French; Details of the Fight; The Losses on Both Sides. I-322

BOAT ATTACK UPON THE FRENCH FLOTILLA AT BOULOGNE. A. D. 1801.

Another Boat Attack by the English, with Less Favorable Results; Lord Nelson in Command; Darkness and the Tides Against Them; They “Catch a Tartar”; The Affair a Triumph for the French. I-328

COPENHAGEN. A. D. 1801.

Preliminary History; An English Fleet Under Sir Hyde Parker and Lord Nelson Ordered to the Cattegat; A Commissioner Empowered to Offer Peace or War Accompanies Them; Denmark Repels Their Insulting _Ultimatum_ and Prepares for Defence; Strength of the English Fleet; They Attempt to Force the Passage of the Sound, and the Battle Begins; Early Incidents; Difficulties of the Large English Vessels in Entering the Shallow Waters; Strength of the Danish Fleet and Shore Batteries; Sir Hyde Parker Makes Signal to Withdraw; Lord Nelson Disobeys and Keeps up the Fight; The Danish Adjutant General Finally Appears and an Armistice is Agreed Upon; A Characteristic Action of Lord Nelson; Death of the Emperor Paul, of Russia; Second Attack on Copenhagen, 1807; Observations Concerning England’s Conduct; A Powerful English Fleet Appears in the Sound; The Crown Prince Rejects England’s Humiliating Proposals; Copenhagen Bombarded and Set on Fire; Final Surrender; Plunder by the English. I-331

TRAFALGAR. OCTOBER 21ST, A. D. 1805.

Napoleon’s Grand Schemes; Nelson in Search of the French Fleet; His Extensive Cruise; Napoleon’s Orders to His Admiral, Villeneuve; The English Discover the French and Spanish Fleets at Cadiz; Nelson’s Order of Battle a Master-piece of Naval Strategy; Strength of the English Fleet; Villeneuve Ordered to Sea; Strength of the Combined French and Spanish Fleets; The Hostile Forces Meet at Cape Trafalgar; The Battle; One of the Most Destructive Naval Engagements Ever Fought; The French Account of It; The Allied Fleet Almost Annihilated; Nelson Mortally Wounded; Further Particulars of the Battle; Estimate of Nelson’s Character; Honors to His Memory. I-352

LORD EXMOUTH AT ALGIERS. A.D. 1816.