Author: Henry Otis Thayer

Publisher:

Published: 2015-07-11

Total Pages: 30

ISBN-13: 9781331204558

Excerpt from Second War With England: Sundry Papers I. The Engagement and Its Locality Any one who has sought in many historical works comprehensive views of the war, and for any reason has given special notice to this one engagement, has not failed to perceive variant opinions respecting the place where the Yankee and the Briton contended for the prize of war. Narrowly viewed it may be esteemed a trifling matter, but the entire movements of the vessels during two days are required for the clear apprehension and historical setting of the occurence. Trifling items combine to make the fullness and truth of history. Maine's excellent historian, Williamson, wrote not twenty years after the event. He states that the Boxer was ordered to cruise off Portland in order to bring on an engagement. His form of statement implied that the Enterprise was stationed there and responded upon challenge, and the fight then took place. His trusted accuracy and authority may have aided in guiding subsequent writers and in establishing an opinion that "off Portland" was the scene of the combat. Certainly that opinion has widely prevailed to the present time, as many volumes and lesser publications give evidence. It will be found in at least four biographical dictionaries of dates from 1857 to 1910. Winsor's profound Critical History has it "near Portland;" Bryant's Popular History, "in sight of Portland;" J. S. C. Abbot's History of Maine repeats Williamson; Harper's Encyclopaedia of U. S. History, 1912, asserts "off Portland," changing the statement of an earlier edition; an able local investigator of that city published the same. During recent decades a leading religious newspaper of Boston has three times at separate periods, so asserted in its children's department; a Portland newspaper of the passing centennial day of the engagement gave Portland and Casco Bay as the locality. Other instances are not needed to show the existence of the opinion within and without the state. In support of this belief our honored poet Longfellow has had weighty influence, though seldom are poets trustworthy historians. But it is by no means certain that the restrictions of rhyme allowed the clear utterance of his real opinion. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.