Occasional American Defeats as Well as Victories--Captain Decatur's Misfortune--The _Chesapeake_ and _Shannon_. 152 CHAPTER XV. David Porter--A Clever Feat--Numerous Captures by the _Essex_--Her Remarkable Cruise in the Pacific--Her Final Capture. 167 CHAPTER XVI. Oliver Hazard Perry--Prompt and Effective Work--"We Have Met the Enemy and They Are Ours"--Death of Perry. 176 CHAPTER XVII. A Hero of the Olden Days--Cruise of the _Constitution_--Her Capture of the _Cyane_ and _Levant_--Reminiscences of Admiral Stewart--His Last Days. 185 CHAPTER XVIII. Captures Made After the Signing of the Treaty of Peace--The Privateers--Exploit of the _General Armstrong_--Its Far-Reaching Result. 197 CHAPTER XIX. Lesser Wars--Resentment of the Barbary States--The War with Algiers--Captain Decatur's Vigorous Course--His Astonishing Success as a Diplomat. 206 CHAPTER XX. Piracy in the West Indies--Its Cause--Means by Which It Was Wiped Out--Piracy in the Mediterranean. 216 CHAPTER XXI. The Qualla Battoo Incident. 226 CHAPTER XXII. Wilkes's Exploring Expedition. 236 CHAPTER XXIII. The War for the Union--A New Era for the United States Navy--Opening of the Great Civil War--John Lorimer Worden--Battle Between the _Monitor_ and _Merrimac_--Death of Worden. 246 CHAPTER XXIV. Two Worthy Sons--William D. Porter--The Career of Admiral David Dixon Porter. 259 CHAPTER XXV. Charles Stewart Boggs--His Coolness in the Presence of Danger--His Desperate Fight Below New Orleans--His Subsequent Services. 271 CHAPTER XXVI. John Ancrum Winslow--His Early Life and Training--The Famous Battle Between the _Kearsarge_ and _Alabama_. 279 CHAPTER XXVII. An Unexpected Preacher--Andrew Hull Foote--His Character and Early Career--His Brilliant Services in the War for the Union. 295 CHAPTER XXVIII. A Man Devoid of Fear--William Barker Cushing--Some of His Exploits--The Blowing Up of the _Albemarle_--His Sad Death. 312 CHAPTER XXIX. The Greatest of Naval Heroes--David Glasgow Farragut. 327 CHAPTER XXX. The Spanish-American War--The Movement Against Cuba--The Destruction of Cervera's Fleet--Admiral Sampson--Admiral Schley--"Fighting Bob" Evans--Commodore John C. Watson--Commodore John W. Philip--Lieutenant Commander Richard Wainwright. 343 INTRODUCTION.