E OF YOUTH

War was declared. The President, James Madison, proclaimed it June 18,
1812. Hostilities opened promptly. True, England's navy was largely
engaged with France in the tremendous effort to keep Napoleon confined
within the boundaries that he had at one time assented to by treaty, but
at that period she had over a thousand vessels afloat, while America had
only seventeen warships in her navy to brave them.

There was a call for men and money. The Indian troubles had been
fomented largely by England. There had been fighting on the borders, but
the battle of Tippecanoe had broken the power of Tecumseh--for the time,
at least. But now the hopes of the Indian chieftain revived, and the
country was beset by both land and naval warfare.

The town had been all along opposed to war. It had been said of Boston a
few years before that she was like Tyre of old, and that her ships
whitened every sea. Still, now that the fiat had gone forth, the latent
enthusiasm came to the surface, and men were eager to enlist. A company
had been studying naval tactics at Charlestown, and most of them offered
their services, filled with the enthusiasm of youth and brimming with
indignation at the treatment our sailors were continually receiving.

Still, the little navy had proudly distinguished itself in the
Mediterranean, and the _Constitution_ had gained for herself the
sobriquet of "Old Ironsides"--a Boston-built vessel, though the live
oak, the red cedar, and the pitch pine had come from South Carolina. But
Paul Revere had furnished the copper bolts and spikes, and when the ship
was recoppered, later on, that came from the same place. Ephraim Thayer,
at the South End, had made her gun carriages, and her sails were
manufactured in the Old Granary building.

"A bunch of pine boards with a bit of striped bunting" had been the
enemy's disdainful description of our youthful navy. And now they were
to try their prowess with the Mistress of the Seas, who had defeated the
combined navies of Europe. No wonder the country stood astounded over
its own daring.

Everything afloat was hurriedly equipped as a war vessel. The solid,
far-sighted men of New York and New England shook their heads over the
great mistake Congress and the President had made.

Warren Leverett began to talk about enlisting. Business had been running
behind. True, he could appeal to his brother-in-law King. He had sounded
Hollis, who declared he had all he could do t