“I would never meet it, sir,” he replied instantly.  “That would be the height of folly.  I would divide our forces into small, swift-sailing squadrons, of strength sufficient to repel his cruisers.  And I would carry the war straight into his unprotected ports of trade.  I can name a score of such defenceless places, and I know every shoal of their harbours.  For example, Whitehaven might be entered.  That is a town of fifty thousand inhabitants.  The fleet of merchantmen might with the greatest ease be destroyed, a contribution levied, and Ireland’s coal cut off for a winter.  The whole of the shipping might be swept out of the Clyde.  Newcastle is another likely place, and in almost any of the Irish ports valuable vessels may be found.  The Baltic and West Indian fleets are to be intercepted.  I have reflected upon these matters for years, gentlemen.  They are perfectly feasible.  And I’ll warrant you cannot conceive the havoc and consternation their fulfilment would spread in England.”

If the divine power of genius ever made itself felt, ’twas on that May evening, at candle-light, in the Annapolis Coffee House.  With my own eyes I witnessed two able and cautious statesmen of a cautious province thrilled to the pitch of enthusiasm by this strange young man of eight and twenty.  As for good Captain Daniel, enthusiasm is but a poor word to express his feelings.  A map was sent for and spread out upon the table.  And it was a late hour when Mr. Chase and Mr. Carroll went home, profoundly impressed.  Mr. Chase charged John Paul look him up in Congress.

The next morning I bade Captain Daniel a solemn good-by, and rode away with John Paul to Baltimore.  Thence we took stage to New Castle on the Delaware, and were eventually landed by Mr. Tatlow’s stage-boat at Crooked Billet wharf, Philadelphia.

   A brief summary, which brings this biography to the famous
   fight of the Bon homme Richard and the Serapis

          ByDaniel Clapsaddle Carvel

Mr. Richard Carvel refers here to the narrative of his experiences in the War of the Revolution, which he had written in the year 1805 or 1806.  The insertion of that account would swell this book, already too long, out of all proportion.  Hence I take it upon myself, with apologies, to compress it.

Not until October of that year, 1775, was the infant navy born.  Mr. Carvel was occupied in the interval in the acquirement of practical seamanship and the theory of maritime warfare under the most competent of instructors, John Paul Jones.  An interesting side light is thrown upon the character of that hero by the fact that, with all his supreme confidence in his ability, he applied to Congress only for a first lieutenancy.  This was in deference to the older men before that body.  “I hoped,”