Concluding Operations 193 



many cases very cautious about venturing into good 

 anchorage (especially in Long Island Sound and 

 the Chesapeake), and by the mere terror of their 

 name prevented more than one harrying expedition. 

 The Fulton was not got into condition to be fought 

 until just as the war ended; had it continued a few 

 months, it is more than probable that the deeds of 

 the Merrimac and the havoc wrought by the Con 

 federate torpedoes would have been forestalled by 

 nearly half a century. As it was, neither of these 

 engines of war attracted much attention. For ten 

 or fifteen years the Fulton was the only war-vessel 

 of her kind in existence, and then her name dis 

 appears from our lists. The torpedoes had been 

 tried in the Revolutionary War, but their failure 

 prevented much notice from being taken of them, 

 and besides, at that time there was a strong feeling 

 that it was dishonorable to blow a ship up with a 

 powder-can concealed under the water, though 

 highly laudable to burn her by means of a fire-raft 

 floating on the water a nice distinction in naval 

 ethics that has since disappeared. 85 



AMERICAN VESSELS DESTROYED, ETC. 



By Ocean Cruisers. 



Name. Guns. Tonnage. Remarks. 



President 52 '.576 captured by squadron. 



52 guns. 1,576 tons. 



M James fairly foams at the mouth at the mere mention of 

 torpedoes. 

 VOL. X. I 



