The Naval History of the United States

Abbot's fighting history of the American navy — privateers and frigates, the Bon Homme Richard and the Constitution, told battle by battle with the smoke still in the rigging.

Beating to Quarters

3 pages in this part of The Naval History of the United States.

Beating to Quarters

rows of great guns that peer through the open ports on either side. All are stripped to the waist; and at many a gun the fair skin of the…

Beating to Quarters: Chesapeake

Thus silently did the "Chesapeake" bear down upon her adversary. There was no long-range firing; for the two commanders were veterans…

Beating to Quarters: Broke

The British reached the quarter-deck with hardly the loss of a man. Here stood Mr. Livermore, the chaplain of the "Chesapeake," who had…

Rights & ReuseThe complete text of The Naval History of the United States (1896) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.