American waters forthwith. As in
the reduced state of the navy it was impossible to enforce this order,
he forbade all citizens of the United States to give aid to, or have
any intercourse with, any such vessels or their crews. War measures
were taken both by the Federal and State Governments. As usual, the
popular wrath was vented upon the least culpable of the people
responsible for the condition of the "Chesapeake." Commodore Barren
was tried by court-martial, and sentenced to five years' suspension
from the service, without pay. The cool judgment of later years
perceives the unjustness of this sentence, but its execution cast a
deep shadow over the remainder of the unhappy officer's life.

For some years after this episode, little occurred to change the
relations of the two nations. The war spirit grew slowly, and was kept
alive by the occasional reports of impressments, or the seizure of
American ships by British privateers. The navy held its place amid the
national defences, although a plan devised by President Jefferson came
near putting an end to the old organization. This plan provided for
the construction of great numbers of small gunboats, which should be
stationed along the coast, to be called out only in case of attack by
an armed enemy. A contemporary writer, describing the beauties of this
system, wrote, "Whenever danger shall menace any harbor, or any
foreign ship shall insult us, somebody is to inform the governor, and
the governor is to desire the marshal to call upon the captains of
militia to call upon the drummers to beat to arms, and call the
militia men together, from whom are to be _drafted_ (not impressed) a
sufficient number to go on board the gunboats, and drive the hostile
stranger away, unless during this long ceremonial he should have taken
himself off." Fortunately the gunboat system did not work the total
extinction of the old navy.

In 1811 the British aggressions began again, and the situation became
more and more warlike. So bold had the privateers become, that they
captured a richly laden vessel within thirty miles of New York.
Shortly after, the British frigate "Guerriere" stopped an American
brig eighteen miles from New York, and took from her a young sailor.
The sea was running very rough, and a stiff breeze blowing, when the
"Spitfire" was halted by the frigate; but the American captain went
with the captured lad to the war-vessel, and assured the commander
that he had known the