tern battery.
The intention therefore was, in case of a meeting, to turn the stern
to the enemy and to make a running fight. This not only gave a
superiority of fire to the _Oregon_ so long as the relative positions
lasted, but it tended, of course, to prolong it, confining the enemy
to their bow fire and postponing to the utmost possible the time of
their drawing near enough to open with the broadside rapid-fire
batteries. Moreover, if the Spanish vessels were not equally fast,
and if their rate of speed did not much exceed that of the _Oregon_,
both very probable conditions, it was quite possible that in the
course of the action the leading ship would outstrip her followers so
much as to be engaged singly, and even that two or more might thus be
successively beaten in detail. If it be replied that this is assuming
a great deal, and attributing stupidity to the enemy, the answer is
that the result here supposed has not infrequently followed upon
similar action, and that war is full of uncertainties,--an instance
again of the benefit and comfort which some historical acquaintance
with the experience of others imparts to a man engaged with present
perplexities. Deliberately to incur such odds would be unjustifiable;
but when unavoidably confronted with them, resolution enlightened by
knowledge may dare still to hope.

An instructive instance of drawing such support from the very fountain
heads of military history, in the remote and even legendary past, is
given by Captain Clark in a letter replying to inquiries from the
present writer:--

"There is little to add to what you already know about the
way I hoped to fight Cervera's fleet, if we fell in with it.
What I feared was that he would be able to bring his ships up
within range together, supposing that the slowest was faster
than the _Oregon_; but there was the chance that their
machinery was in different stages of deterioration, and there
was also the hope that impetuosity or excitement might after
a time make some press on in advance of the others. I, of
course, had in mind the tactics of the last of the Horatii,
and hopefully referred to them. The announcement Milligan
(the chief engineer) spoke of was made before we reached
Bahia, I think before we turned Cape Frio, as it was off that
headland that I decided to leave the _Marietta_ and
_Nictheroy_, (now the _Buffalo_), and to push on alone. Yo