The naval history of the United States (1896) (14782090544)

Identifier: navalhistoryofun02abbo (find matches)
Title: The naval history of the United States
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Abbot, Willis J. (Willis John), 1863-1934
Subjects: United States -- History, Naval To 1900
Publisher: New York, Dodd, Mead and company
Contributing Library: University of Massachusetts, Boston
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Massachusetts, Boston



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ttack. At Wash-ington, politicians were intriguing. The loyalty of no man could be re-garded as certain. Officers of the army and navy were daily resigning,and hastening to put themselves under the command of their variousStates. In the South all was activity. In the North the popular desireor a compromise hampered the authorities so that no decided standagainst the spread of the rebellion could be made. The new Secretaryof the Navy found himself face to face with the certainty of a long andbloody war, yet had under his command a navy hardly adequate for timesof peace. To add to his perplexity, many of the oldest and most skilfulofficers in the navy resigned, saying that their duty to their States wasgreater than to the United States as a whole. A few revenue officers evenwent so far as to deliver to the State authorities the vessels of which theywere in command. One commander, a Georgian, bringing his ship backfrom foreign waters, hesitated long whether to take it to the navy-yard at
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DEPARTURE OF A NAVAL EXPEDITION FROM PORT ROYAL.566 BLUE-JACKETS OF 61. 567 New York, or to deliver it to the Southern leaders. He finally decided toobey orders, and the ship remained with the United States. Some daysafterward the commander told his lieutenant of his hesitation. We all sawit, said the younger officer; and had you turned the ships prow towardsCharleston, you would have been instantly put in irons. The surrender of another naval vessel called forth that famous despatchfrom John A. Dix that will ever be linked with his name. The UnitedStates revenue cutter McClelland was lying at New Orleans, under thecommand of Capt Breshwood. The revenue service is distinct fromthe regular navy, and is under the general command of the Secretary of theTreasury. John A. Dix, then Secretary of the Treasury, suspected thatCapt. Breshwood was about to surrender his vessel to the Confederates,and sent an agent to order him to take the vessel to New York. Bresh-wood refused, and instantly Dix