Identifier: ournavyintimeofw00matt (find matches)
Title: Our navy in time of war (1861-1898)
Year: 1899 (1890s)
Authors: Matthews, Franklin, 1858-1917. (from old catalog)
Subjects: United States. Navy Spanish-American War, 1898
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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er along on the Gulf there had been somefighting at Galveston; the blockading vessel, SouthCarolina, had fired on a battery near the city in an-swer to some shots from the battery. That was onAugust 31, 1861. A few weeks later LieutenantJouett entered the harbor of Galveston with a partyin small boats, and although three men were killedand six wounded out of the forty men with him, thevessel Royal Yacht, which was also being fitted out toprey on Northern commerce, was destroyed. Just before this brave act by Jouett and his menthere occurred what has been called the Bull Punof the navy. It was an occasion which did not re-flect credit upon the ofiicers of the United Statesnavy. Such events are so rare that the story shouldbe told, because it brings out all the clearer the truespirit of the naval ofiicers. The Mississijipi Riverhad been blockaded by four vessels which were sta-tioued u)) llie river nt the ))hice where it branches andforms a delta, ilowiiig into the (Julf through several
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52 OUR NAVY IN TIME OF WAR. mouths. The phan was to prevent ships from gettingin or out of the river. There were four ships of waron Avatch. Thev were the flagship Richmond, theshiop Yineennes, tlie sh^op Preble, and the little screwsteamer AVater AVitcli. Altogether they had forty-fiveguns, nearly one half of which were of very highgTade. There had been rumors that the South wasbuilding some war shii)s up the river, and a watch waskept for them also. One of these Avas a, ram—theSouth built a good many A^essels of this kind-^calledthe Manassas. She AA^as simply a big ocean-going tugthat once belonged in Boston. The ui)))(n- Avorks hadbeen cut doAvn and an oA^al deck or roof of thicdv oakhad been built on her. She had one sixty-eight-))ounder gun. There Avas only one little hatcliAvaythrough Avhicli the crcAV could pass in or out. Herengines Avould scarcely go, her gun Avouldnt shoot,and altogether she Avas the crudest engine of Avar yetseen afloat in the Avar. But tln^ ofiicers on t

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