Thanks to the fact that nowadays more and more books are
digitized we are able to read books that are some times for decades no longer
available for the public for several reasons. That's quite a pity while these
books contains useful information while the archives are destroyed, incomplete
or nor accessible. In this specific magazine was an article titled “The
National Defence Madness” published in which the British navy was compared with
several other navies and the results were presented in the British Parliament.
P. 361: “The United States of America do not pretend to
maintain a great navy. A few ships are kept in commission, more for training
officers and seamen than for naval battles or aggression. The latest naval
return, Sept, 1851, gives 10 ships of the line of 74 guns; 1 of 120 guns; 2
frigates of 36 guns; 12 frigates of 44 guns, and 1 of 54 guns; 16 sloops-of-war
of 20, 1 of 18, and 4 of 16 guns; 4 brigs of 10 guns; 3 surveying-schooners, 7
steamers and 5 store-ships of 1 to 2 guns.
Besides which, there were 1 steam-ship of 11O guns in the
Mediterranean, 1 steam-frigate of 8 guns in the Indian Seas ; 1 of 6 guns, home
squadron, and 2 of 6 guns, in ordinary ; 10 smaller steamers of from 1 to 4
guns, 1 of which is on the Lakes, 1 receiving-ship, Philadelphia, 3 as tenders,
1 in the
Pacific, 2 home squadron, and 2 of the largest in ordinary.
Of the ships of the line, 3 only were in commission, as
receiving-ships at Norfolk, New York and Boston; 1 are on the stocks, 1 of
which is in Sackett's Harbour, Lake Ontario, and the remaining are in ordinary.
Of the frigates, 1 of 54 is in the Mediterranean, 1 of 44 in the Pacific, 1 of 4 4
on the coast of Brazil, I fitting for sea, 7 of 44 and 2 of 30 in ordinary, and 2 of 44
on the stocks. Of the 20-gun sloops, 2 are on the coast of Africa, 2 in the Indian Seas, 1 on the
coast of Brazil, 1 fitting for the Pacific, 2 in the home squadron, 4 in the Pacific, 1 a receiving-ship, and 3 in ordinary ; one sloop of
18 guns is a receiving ship at Baltimore. Of 10-gun sloops, 1 is used as a
naval school, 1 in
the Indian seas, 1 in
the Pacific, 1 on the coast of Africa. Of 10-gun brigs, 2 are on the coast of
Africa, 1 on the coast of Brazil, and 1 in the Pacific. Now to guard the vast
commerce of the United States in all parts of the world, there is no sailing
line of battle ship at sea—in the Mediterranean, 1 frigate of 54 guns, and 1
screw-steamer of 110 guns ; in the Pacific, 1 44-gun frigate, 6 sloops, 1
gun-brig, and 1 small steam-ship; in the Indian Seas, 2 sloops of 20 guns, 1 of
10 guns, and 1 steamboat with 8 guns. On the coast of Brazil, 1 frigate of 44
guns, 1 sloop of 20 guns, and 1 brig of 10 guns. On the coast of Africa (by
treaty with England and France), 2 sloops of 20 guns, 1 of 10 guns, 2 brigs of
10 guns ; and on the home squadron, 2 frigates of 44 guns, 2 steam frigates,
and 2 small steamers. Or, in all, 1 frigate of 5 4 guns, 4 of 44 guns, 13
sloops, 1 gun brig, 1 first-class steam-ship, 3 frigates, and 3 small
steam-boats.”
Source
William Tait. “The National Defence Madness: in: Tait’s
Edingburgh magazine, January-December 1852.
