Chapter VIII

OCEAN WARFARE AGAINST COMMERCE--PRIVATEERING--BRITISH LICENSES--NAVAL ACTIONS: "WASP" AND "FROLIC," "UNITED STATES" AND "MACEDONIAN"

Consolidation of British transatlantic naval commands 387

Sir John Borlase Warren commander-in-chief 387

British merchant ships forbidden to sail without convoy 388

Continued hope for restoration of peace 389

Warren instructed to make propositions 390

Reply of the American Government 391

Cessation of impressment demanded. Negotiation fails 391

Warren's appreciation of the dangers to British commerce 392

Extemporized character of the early American privateering 394

Its activities therefore mainly within Warren's station 394

Cruise of the privateer "Rossie," Captain Barney 395

Privateering not a merely speculative undertaking 396

Conditions necessary to its success 397

Illustrated by the privateer "America" 398

Comparative immunity of American shipping and commerce at the
beginning of hostilities 399

Causes for this 400

Controversial correspondence between Warren and the Admiralty 401

Policy of the Admiralty. Its effects 404

American ships of war and privateers gradually compelled to
cruise in distant seas 406

American commerce excluded from the ocean 406

Sailing of the squadrons of Rodgers and Decatur 407

Their separation 408

Cruise of Rodgers' squadron 409

British licenses to American merchant vessels 410

Action between the "Wasp" and "Frolic" 412

Cruise of the "Argus," of Decatur's division 415

Action between the "United States" and "Macedonian" 416

The "United States" returns with her prize 422

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

VOLUME ONE.

THE IMPRESSMENT OF AN AMERICAN SEAMAN _Frontispiece_
From a drawing by Stanley M. Arthurs.

GOUVERNEUR MORRIS Page 6
From the painting by Marchant, after Sully, in Independence
Hall, Philadelphia.

JOHN JAY Page 88
From the painting by Gilbert Stuart, in Bedford (Jay) House,
Katonah, N.Y.

JAMES MONROE Page 104
From the painting by Gilbert Stuart, in the possession of
Hon. T. Jefferson Coolidge.

THOMAS JEFFERSON Page 120
From the painting by Gilbert Stuart, in Bowdoin College,
Brunswick, Me.

JAMES MADISON Page 223
From the painting by Gilbert Stuart, in Bowdoin College,
Brunswick, Me.

THE CHASE OF THE _Belvidera_ Page 322
From a drawing by Carlton T. Chapman.

THE FORECASTLE OF THE _Constitution_ DURING THE CHASE Page 328
From a drawing by Henry Reuterdahl.

CAPTAIN ISAAC HULL Page 330
From the engraving by D. Edwin, after the painting by
Gilbert Stuart.

THE BURNING OF THE _Guerriere_ Page 334
From a drawing by Henry Reuterdahl.

CAPTAIN STEPHEN DECATUR Page 420
From the painting by Gilbert Stuart, in Independence Hall,
Philadelphia.

MAPS AND BATTLE PLANS.

VOLUME ONE.

Theatre of Land and Coast Warfare Page 283

The Atlantic Ocean, showing the positions of the Ocean Actions
of the War of 1812 and the Movements of the Squadrons in
July and August, 1812 Page 326

Plan of the Engagement between the _Constitution_ and
_Guerriere_ Page 332

Map of Lake Frontier to illustrate Campaigns of 1812-1814 Page 370

The Cruises of the Three American Squadrons in the Autumn
of 1812 Page 408

Plan of the Engagement between the _United States_ and
_Macedonian_ Page 418

Sea Power in its Relations to the War of 1812

ANTECEDENTS OF THE WAR