“Behold the chief who now commands,
Once more to serve his country stands.”

This is an allusion to the fact that Washington had left his retirement to take charge of the national forces.  The envoys had been threatened that, unless they submitted to the French demands, the American Republic might share the fate of the Republic of Venice.  The response of Congress was to vote money to complete the frigates, the United States, the Constitution, and the Constellation, work on which had been suspended when the Algerine troubles subsided; and further, to authorize the construction or purchase of twelve additional vessels.  For the management of this force, the Navy Department was created by the Act of April 30, 1798.  By an Act of May 28, the President was authorized to raise a military force of ten thousand men, the commander of which should have the services of “a suitable number of major-generals.”  On July 7, the treaties with France that had so long vexed the United States were abrogated.

The operations of the Navy Department soon showed that American sailors were quite able and willing to defend the nation if they were allowed the opportunity.  In December, 1798, the Navy Department worked out a plan of operations in the enemy’s waters.  To repress the depredations of the French privateers in the West Indies, a squadron commanded by Captain John Barry was sent to cruise to the windward of St. Kitts as far south as Barbados, and it made numerous captures.  A squadron under Captain Thomas Truxtun cruised in the vicinity of Porto Rico.  The flagship was the frigate Constellation, which on February 9, 1799, encountered the French frigate, L’Insurgente, and made it strike its flag after an action lasting only an hour and seventeen minutes.  The French captain fought well, but he was put at a disadvantage by losing his topmast at the opening of the engagement, so that Captain Truxtun was able to take a raking position.  The American loss was only one killed and three wounded, while L’Insurgente had twenty-nine killed and forty-one wounded.  On February 1, 1800, the Constellation fought the heavy French frigate Vengeance from about eight o’clock in the evening until after midnight, when the Vengeance lay completely silenced and apparently helpless.  But the rigging and spars of the Constellation had been so badly cut up that the mainmast fell, and before the wreck could be cleared away the Vengeance was able to make her escape.  During the two years and a half in which hostilities continued, the little navy of the United States captured eighty-five armed French vessels, nearly all privateers.  Only one American war vessel was taken by the enemy, and that one had been originally a captured French vessel.  The value of the protection thus extended to American trade is attested by the increase of exports from $57,000,000 in 1797 to $78,665,528 in 1799.  Revenue from imports increased from $6,000,000 in 1797 to $9,080,932 in 1800.