UNDER STEAM. BY FOXHALL A. PARKER, CAPTAIN U. S. NAVY. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. BY AUTHORITY OF THE NAVY DEPARTMENT. NEW YORK: D. VAN NOSTRAND, PUBLISHER, 23 MURRAY AND 27 WARREN STREET. - Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by D. VAN NOSTRAND, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York. PREFACE. U. S. NAVY YARD, BOSTON, Sept. 22d, 1869. In his preface to "Squadron Tactics under Steam," published early in 1864, the author remarked: "The 'Naval Warfare' of Sir Howard Douglas, and the 'Tactique Navale' of the French, are, at present, the only works on steam tactics deserving consideration." To these must now be added, "Nouvelles Bases de Tactique Navale," by Rear-Admiral Grégoire Boutakov, of the Russian Navy, a book of far greater scientific merit than anything that has preceded it. Believing, however, that a plain, practical work on this subject is still needed, the author has been encouraged to publish this volume, which is simply an adaptation of military to naval tactics, as put to the practical test during the two years that he commanded the Potomac flotilla. "The tactician," says Ramatuelle, "is one who is gifted with quickness of apprehension and clearness of thought, and such correctness of judgment as shall enable him to make choice of the movements best suited to the time and situation." In other words, great commanders, by sea as well as on land, are "born, not made; " yet an excellent "recipe for a good admiral" is that given by Rear-Admiral Charles Ekins, "in the person who combines theory with practice, is blessed with a clear head, and has his heart in the right place." |