CHAPTER I.

MEN-OF-WAR. PAGE Our Wooden Walls—The _Victory_—Siege of Toulon—Battle of St. 4 Vincent—Nelson’s Bridge—Trafalgar’s Glorious Day—The Day for such Battles gone—Iron _v._ Wood—Lessons of the Crimean War—Moral Effect of the Presence of our Fleets—Bombardment of Sebastopol—Red-hot Shot and Gibraltar—The Ironclad Movement—The _Warrior_—Experiences with Ironclads—The _Merrimac_ in Hampton Roads—A Speedily-decided Action—The _Cumberland_ sunk and _Congress_ burned—The First Monitor—Engagement with the _Merrimac_—Notes on Recent Actions—The _Shah_ and _Huascar_—An Ironclad tackled by a Merchantman