52 Naval War of 1812 



Atlantic, or to the Indian Ocean; and though the 

 Danes had lost their larger ships they kept up a spir 

 ited warfare with brigs and gunboats. So the En 

 glish marine was in constant exercise, attended with 

 almost invariable success. 



Such was Great Britain's naval power when the 

 Congress of the United States declared war upon 

 her. While she could number her thousand sail, 

 the American navy included but half a dozen frig 

 ates, and six or eight sloops and brigs; and it is 

 small matter for surprise that the British officers 

 should have regarded their new foe with contemptu 

 ous indifference. Hitherto the American seamen 

 had never been heard of except in connection with 

 two or three engagements with French frigates, and 

 some obscure skirmishes against the Moors of Trip 

 oli; none of which could possibly attract attention 

 in the years that saw Aboukir, Copenhagen, and 

 Trafalgar. And yet these same petty wars were the 

 school which raised our marines to the highest 

 standard of excellence. A continuous course of vic 

 tory, won mainly by seamanship, had made the En 

 glish sailor overweeningly self-confident, and caused 

 him to pay but little regard to manoeuvring or even 

 to gunnery. Meanwhile the American learned, by 

 receiving hard knocks, how to give them, and be 

 longed to a service too young to feel an over-confi 

 dence in itself. One side had let its training relax, 

 while the other had carried it to the highest possible 

 point. Hence our ships proved, on the whole, vic 

 torious in the apparently unequal struggle, and the 



