“Thus when they invaded New York and defeated us at Danbury, they fully expected us to cry uncle and wanted to talk about settling. Since we haven’t, we understand they are a little confused and frustrated. They know they can’t sustain their operation forever. It was not their intention to go to a full war of nations against us, and it still isn’t. They do not want an extended stay in New York.
“On the other hand,” he said with a grim smile, “we will do all in our power to make their adventure an uncomfortable and unpleasant one. Mac, I hate frontal assaults like what happened so tragically at Danbury. I have seen them fail everywhere. They cost too much in humanity and I will not have it. Some criticize me as a general who is overcautious. Well, I’ll accept that if the alternative is to be reckless.”
MacArthur nodded. “A siege then? Combined with irregular operations?”
“Exactly. And for however long it takes.”
“And what if they decide to continue toward Hartford and Boston instead of staying in their forts? At the rate they are enlarging their force and piling up supplies, they could soon be strong enough to do it.”
“If that happens,” said Longstreet, “then we will fight them in open battle and God help us. And please, General MacArthur, no frontal assaults. Let them come to us.”
The next day’s meeting had a significantly different cast and approach. Longstreet and Roosevelt were there, but Hay was not. Secretary of the Navy John Long attended, and Adm. George Dewey, the hero of Manila Bay and ranking naval officer, was the primary guest.
And “guest” was the proper term. Longstreet as a four-star general reported directly to the secretary of war; Dewey, the senior admiral, reported directly to the secretary of the navy. Thus the rivalry between the two services was legitimized and institutionalized by a table of organization that emphasized their separateness. It was somewhat affected too, by the fact that Theodore Roosevelt had served as assistant secretary of the navy and was sometimes accused of considering the fleet his personal toy.
Longstreet greeted Dewey cordially. It was the first time they’d ever met and they took stock of each other warily, like two dogs meeting on a street. Dewey was a trim and fit-looking man of average height and build but of impressive bearing and commanding presence. One could easily envision him on the bridge of the Olympia, white mustache flaring, while directing the battle and daring fate to get his white uniform dirty, much less harm him.
Dewey was sixty-four years old and smiled slightly behind his bushy mustache. “I am honored to finally meet you, General.”
“And I to meet you, sir.”
“General, if you are the slightest bit concerned that I may be difficult to work with, let me assure you of my fullest cooperation. Please recall that I serve in the same navy where Admiral Porter and General Grant worked wonders in cooperation, and I have assured both Secretary Long and the president that you will have that cooperation. Utterly and totally.”
Longstreet responded with mild sarcasm. “I seem to recall some of those wonders causing the fall of Forts Donaldson and Henry, as well as enabling the successful siege of Vicksburg. Don’t you wonder whether we’d be having this conversation if they hadn’t cooperated so fully?”
Dewey joined in the mild laughter. Good, Longstreet thought. Good. “Admiral, I know that you and Captain Mahan have been discussing possible actions. Would you be so kind as to share those thoughts with us?”
“Of course. Have you read Mahan’s books?” Dewey asked, and Longstreet nodded. Alfred Thayer Mahan’s texts were required reading for naval officers throughout the world, and it was rumored that the kaiser had tried to memorize them.
Dewey continued. “Specifically, his theories hold that we should take aggressive action with our main battle fleet as soon as possible. Second, he has felt that a war against an enemy’s commerce is a waste of time. Needless to say, I do not totally agree with him. It is now my goal and obligation to find ways in which the American navy can help win a land war against the Germans, and those ways include cutting off their supply lines and starving them to death.”
Dewey walked briskly to the map. “We have right now about a hundred ships in our navy that can be classified as warships. Most, however, are small, and a disturbing group are old as well. Further, not all are in the Atlantic. A significant number of smaller warships are still on the West Coast or in the Philippines. Frankly, I see no reason to bring them here. Some are so decrepit they might not make the passage around Cape Horn.
“However, the key to our fleet is the existence of our eleven capital ships. These are nine true battleships, including the ancient Texas, and two armored cruisers. They have all successfully made their way to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and are now protected by the British fleet under Admiral Fisher. We also have about two dozen other ships—monitors, cruisers, and gunboats—up there as well, and a few more are scheduled to arrive as soon as and as best they can. The way the British have defined the gulf and excluded the Germans from entering, we are safe in a fairly large body of water.
“Unfortunately, the German navy is larger than ours. They have sixteen capital ships in our waters. If we were to force a fleet action right now we would lose. If that were to happen, we would be opening our shores to bombardment again. It would even permit the Germans to simply take by force the lands they covet without fear of retribution. Without a navy, we could do nothing about it, either now or in the future. They also have about thirty smaller ships—cruisers and the like. One cruiser squadron is in Long Island Sound; the main portion of their fleet is either in New York harbor or just outside it. Quite frankly, I believe they are waiting for us. They know we will have to come to them sooner or later, and they would be able to fight close to their own base and not risk missing us in the Atlantic.”
Dewey paused and took a sip of water. “Other than our fleet in Canada, we have a half dozen older cruisers, about a score of torpedo boat destroyers, and one submarine in various Atlantic ports. There are also some naval reserve ships available, but I would consider these obsolete and useless.”
Longstreet raised an eyebrow. “A submarine?”
“Yes, we took possession about a year ago. A certain John Holland has been trying to build and sell us submarines for a few years now. Some of the European navies have them, so why not us?”
“Do the Germans have any of the things?”
“Not that I am aware of. I also have no idea how well a submarine might work under actual combat conditions.”
“Ah.”
Dewey continued. “Now, our fleet in Canada has not been idle. We have been working with the British under Admiral Fisher and practicing long-overdue fleet maneuvers. We have also been working hard to improve our gunnery techniques. I assume you are aware that a very small percent of our shells fired against the Spanish actually hit them, even though many of their ships were stationary targets.” He sighed. “Despite the victory, it was not an inspiring performance. It seems the technology of the gun has outstripped our ability to use it effectively. Well, a young British officer named Percy Scott has been working with one of our naval officers, William Sims, and they have established both a friendship and a professional rapport. They have also developed a gun-firing technique that appears to improve matters. Evans used it against the German cruisers off Florida, and we are practicing it intensely.”
“Excellent. Are the Germans using it?”
Dewey smiled. “Again, not that we are aware of.”
Dewey returned to a map, this time one of the world. “Germany’s naval ambitions puzzle me. I am a fighting man and not a military philosopher, but I do not understand the Germans. Naval theories say that the oceans can be either a moat or a highway, or, in special cases, both. England is such a special case. The waters around her are her protective moat, which is constantly patrolled by the Royal Navy. Thus any increase in the size of the German fleet is an immediate threat to England’s moat and will be matched by England. Therefore, Germany will never be permitted to catch up to England. Obviously too, the waters of the world are England’s highway and enable that small island to carry on commerce with her far-flung empire and other lands, thereby making her rich and powerful.
“The situation is similar with us. We have long considered the oceans our moat, but they also function as our commercial highways. The fact that our moat has been breached, we hope temporarily, is a sobering lesson.