ation could submit to such insults as these. It is said
that more than six thousand sailors had been taken from our merchant
ships, and among these were two nephews of General Washington, who were
seized while they were on their way home from Europe, and put to work as
common seamen on a British war-vessel.

At length, on June 18, 1812, the United States declared war against
Great Britain. It had put up with insults and injuries as long as it
could bear them. It did not take long to teach the haughty British
captains that American sea-dogs were not to be played with. The little
American fleet put to sea, and before the end of the year it had
captured no less than five of the best ships in the British navy and had
not lost a single ship in return. I fancy the people of England quit
singing their proud song, "Britannia rules the waves."

Shall I tell you the whole story of this war? I do not think it worth
while, for there is much of it you would not care to hear. The war went
on for two years and a half, on sea and land, but there were not many
important battles, and the United States did not win much honor on land.
But on the sea the sailors of our country covered themselves with glory.

Most of the land battles were along the borders of Canada. Here there
was a good deal of fighting, but most of it was of no great account. At
first the British had the best of it, and then the Americans began to
win battles, but it all came to an end about where it began. Neither
side gained anything for the men that were killed.

There was one naval battle in the north that I must tell you about. On
Lake Erie the British had a fleet of six war-vessels, and for a time
they had everything their own way. Then Captain Oliver Perry, a young
officer, was sent to the lake to build a fleet and fight the British.

When he got there the stuff for his ships was growing in the woods. He
had to cut down trees and build ships from their timber. But he worked
like a young giant, and very soon had some vessels built and afloat. He
found some also on the lake, and in a wonderfully short time he had a
fleet on the lake and was sailing out to find the British war-ships.

The fleets met on September 10, 1813. The Americans had the most
vessels, but the British had the most guns, and soon they were fighting
like sea-dragons. The "Lawrence," Captain Perry's flagship, fought two
of the largest British ships till it was nearly ready to sink, and so
many