Of course I cannot guarantee that we shall be here when we are most needed, for no doubt the gunboats from Cette and Marseilles will both be patrolling the coast; besides, we may be a hundred miles away in pursuit of a prize.
In an hour and a half the gunboats were near enough to open fire, and two balls struck the water at a short distance from the schooner.
In half-an-hour it will be a stark calm, and I should not be surprised if they send gunboats out from Toulon when they hear that a schooner and a barque, the latter probably a prize, are lying here becalmed.
I hope that the gunboats will not get sight of her until it is too late for them to escape; but I fear that is too good to be even hoped for.
We are going to have a bout with two gunboats behind us.
She was going to convoy a prize we took, and it is about time for her to be back again, and you may be sure that the gunboats will make off as fast as they can if they see her coming.
As soon as the gunboats had been seen, Peter had run below, and called through the doors for the ladies to get up and dress at once, as two gunboats had come out from Marseilles.
The loss of the gunboats from the Gulf is almost irreparable.
Soon the Sauveur and the gunboats joined in the attack on the shipping, and, in the end, seven vessels were destroyed and three captured.
What you say of the accessible nature of the southern reef surprises me, and strengthens your recommendation of gunboats as the means of defence which are least to be neglected.
Desiring that thus the coast should be immediately protected by efficient gunboats, he desired no less to augment the naval strength of the country by means of improved war-ships as much likegunboats as possible.
On the 29th, he secured a large Spanish privateer, in spite of five gunboats which fought in her defence.
I unhesitatingly assert that gunboats not only would suffice, but are by far the most available, and infinitely the cheapest defensive force amongst the rocks around the island of Bermuda.
I suspect fuel could be obtained cheaper here than at Megara; and I see no reason for incurring the expense of transport of wood to Poros for construction of gunboats when a great majority of the Greek vessels are constructed here.
I have the two gunboats and one mistico out to bring me information, and I can receive nothing.
A furious artillery duel, our gunboats and siege guns joining with their hoarser voices, was kept up until night cast its welcome shadows over the scene of horror.
But its advance was obstructed by an almost impassable ravine, at which point thegunboats Tyler and Lexington attacked it vigorously.
Signal rockets from the gunboats flashing against the sky, and the shells from the mortar fleet describing in their flight an immense curve of fire, making the noise of a distant wind storm, and bursting in fitful flashes over the doomed city.
We could only conjecture the cause of it then; but learned afterwards that it was the gunboats Tyler and Lexington, which convoyed the fleet, engaging the enemy's batteries at Eastport, Miss.
One hundred and fifty-four shots were fired, two of the largestgunboats firing three-hundred and six- hundred pounders.
The Government House and residence of the President was guarded in all directions by the 2nd Battalion of the Line, the firemen and a detachment of police, but on the river side were four gunboats of the revolutionary party.
Dey ain't never do no fightin' 'round us, but dey's gunboats down de bayous a ways and us could hear de big guns from de other fights.
One of dem Yank gunboats come up de river and shell around here.
A deadlock now ensued; the gunboats were afraid to attack the ships, and the ships' boats were just as afraid of the gun-boats.
The exact proportions in which this force was distributed among the gunboats can not be told, but it may be roughly said to be 41 in each large galley and 26 in each small one.
Pawnee out in the river, the other twogunboats being farther down, and around a bend of the river.
At this time the Federal gunboats were very annoying in Stono River, coming as high up as possible daily, and shelling our pickets, and it was determined to make a diversion.
Frequently, when the tide was high, some of the Federal gunboats came into the inlet in front of Battery Haskell, and about half a mile off, and threw a number of shells into it.
A day or two after, while our men were still on Battery Island, but Cole's Island having been deserted, several Federal gunboatsentered the river, shelling the woods and empty batteries as they advanced.
While on duty on these outpost lines, the Federals frequently shelled us from their gunboats in Stono River.
Frequently the Federal gunboats would ascend the river, and there would be interchanges of shots between them and the fort.
And, to cap the climax, Tennessee river was overflowing its banks, and several Federal gunboats were anchored just below Mussel Shoals, firing at us while crossing.
Gunboats and transports were busily crossing Buell's army all of Sunday night.
Then the fire waxed hot and heavy on both sides, the gunboats knocking geyser-spouts of earth about the fort, and the fort knocking gigantic splinters out of the gunboats.
McClellan sadly missed McDowell, whose corps was to have taken the fort at Gloucester Point that prevented the Federal gunboats from turning the enemy's lines at Yorktown.
He even threatened them with shells from the gunboats nearby.
He had seven ironclads, of which three were larger vessels and four were gunboats built by Eads, a naval constructor with orignal ideas and great executive ability.
Waving his hand to the Federals, who had just arrived too late, Stuart pushed on the remaining thirty-five miles to Richmond, rounding the Federal flank within range of Federal gunboats on the James.
Foote's flotilla advanced gallantly, the four ironclads leading in line abreast, the two wooden gunboatshalf a mile astern.
There was a stiff fight, in which the Union gunboats did good work.
The Confederates came upstream to the attack, expecting to ram the gunboats in the stern as they had at Fort Pillow.
They found little rest there, being harassed all through the bleak dark by the big shells that the gunboatsthrew among them.
The unsupported Federal gunboats were stopped and turned back at the boom near Drewry's Bluff.
Bright and early the next morning the captain of one of the twenty-seven gunboats that were attached to the Burnside expedition, came out of his cabin to take a breath of fresh air before sitting down to his breakfast.
You did not do a very bright thing when you brought her there, for the first thing you know the Yankees will send some of their gunboats up to the island, and then you will be blocked in.
I have a brother in your service, and he is aboard one of your gunboats at this moment.
A few hours' pounding by gunboats and shore batteries brought the boastful rebel to his senses, and he was glad to escape further punishment by hauling down his own flag, and sending a white one up in place of it.
The Tripolitan War seems to have inspired him with a single fixed idea--that for defensive purposes gunboats were superior to frigates and less costly.
He promised the spectators who lined the terraces that they would witness some rare sport; they should see his gunboats put the enemy to flight.
The new gunboats were deployed in two divisions, one commanded by Decatur, and fully met expectations by capturing two enemy ships in most sanguinary, hand-to-hand fighting.
He resolved to fit out a fireship and to send her into the very jaws of death, hoping to destroy the Tripolitan gunboats and at the same time to damage the castle and the town.
For this purpose he had strengthened his squadron at Syracuse by purchasing a number of flat-bottomed gunboats with which he hoped to engage the enemy in the shallow waters about Tripoli while his larger vessels shelled the town and batteries.
The crews of the Tripolitan gunboats swarmed aboard and set about plundering right and left.
In feverish letters he implored Preble to bombard the town, to sink the gunboats in the harbor, to recapture the frigate or to burn her at her moorings--anything to take away the bitterness of humiliation.
He would have constructed only one-half of the proposed fleet since the large seaports could probably build thirty gunboats in as many days, if an emergency arose.
Then the young commanders of the windward gunboats knew that if the attack was to be made they alone would have the glory of the first onslaught.
It was Somers who led one division of the gunboats to attack the Tripolitan fleet while Decatur was leading the other.
The gunboats were unwieldy craft, flat-bottomed, and, as the sea made clean breeches over them, they were a dozen times in danger of sinking.
When the mist cleared they saw that one of the enemy's largest gunboats had disappeared and two others were so badly shattered that they lay upon the shore for repairs.
The other Tripolitan gunboats had scurried back to safety, so Decatur, with his two prizes, made his way out towards the flagship unmolested.
As they reached the line of breakers, one of the gunboats to leeward, under Richard Somers, was obliged to go about, and in a moment the two others followed.
When the forts were passed, there followed a fierce fight with the gunboats and the invincible ram "Tennessee.
One by one he saw the gunboats sink, until only the "Tennessee" had to be accounted for.
Old Ironsides" shook the reefs out of her topsails and, spreading her top-gallant-sails, she beat up for the entrance of the harbor of Tripoli with two of the gunboats in tow.
The Tripolitans ashore and on thegunboats had hastened to their guns, and now, as the ketch was plainly seen, their batteries belched forth a terrific storm of shot that flew across the water.
Some of our gunboats were with us, in advance, and as soon as they came within range of the town began shelling it, and the woods beyond.
I couldn't imagine how such a contemptible looking thing had stood off ourgunboats as long as it did.
The enemy's oarsmen advanced their entire fleet in line of battle until the fire from the gunboats caused severe losses and some confusion in the movements of the barges.
They had been enlisted about the city after the gunboats were destroyed; men of all nations, not a third of them speaking the English language.
The guns of these were now turned upon Lieutenant Jones' gunboats in a combined attack of the fleet of barges, forty-five in number, and a supporting squad of marines.
Officers with an hour to spare came up from the gunboats in the canal to smoke a pipe by the fire.
The three English gunboats were patrolling the sea.
Side by side with these gunboats are the ordinary canal boats of the region, serving as homes for that part of the populace which remains, with women knitting on the decks or hanging out lines of washing overhead.
These nine gunboatswere the greatest blessings the Philippines had received for many years.
The Lakes of Bay and Bombon (Taal) were guarded by armed steam-launches and other small craft, whilst thegunboats of the squadron patrolled the sea coast.
It so happened that the Spaniards evacuated Zamboanga before any American forces arrived, and the insurgents promptly took possession of the gunboats already paid for and proceeded to plunder them of everything useful to them.
In this year two steam sloops and nine steam gunboats were added to the naval forces, and now the Moros could only put to sea running great risks of destruction.
At this time the steam gunboats continually hostilised the Moros of Jolo, and caused them great losses.
A native account says that they took thegunboats up the Rio Grande into the interior, but this is denied by the Americans.
There were the Russian gunboats inside the bar of the harbour of Abo, firing at us with all their might.
So the gunboats retired out of range, and the artillery with the Whitworth guns returned to Fort Fisher.
Gunboats were constructed so fast that they were called "ninety-day gunboats.
The part played by the gunboats on the upper Mississippi had been most conspicuous, as had been the operations of Farragut's heavier ships in the lower waters of the same river.
The troops with their supplies marched round through a network of lakes and streams to a point south of Vicksburg; Admiral Porter's gunboats and the transports along with them "ran" the batteries.
He took his wooden ships into action against forts and iron-clad gunboats and captured New Orleans.
The bank was a parapet, behind which the gunboats crouched, firing up the bayou as through an embrasure.
Just where the enemy had pushed his right flank to the river was the mouth of a wide bayou, and here two gunboats had taken station.
A ball from one of the gunboats on the river, while this skirmish was taking place, went through one of the houses down near the shore and tore the covering from the bed on which the mistress of the house had just been lying.
Hertford itself felt little of the fury of the storm of the War of Secession, though during the awful cataclysm the peaceful Perquimans was often disturbed by the gunboats of the Northern Army.
Four of their little gunboats fought as well as gunboats could.
Whether 'improved' or not, these gunboats were found worse than useless as a substitute for 'the ruinous folly of a navy.
The gunboats had little to do with the result; though the odds of all those actually engaged were greatly in favour of Macdonough.
In June they took the American gunboats at Isle-aux-Noix on the Richelieu; in July they raided Lake Champlain; while in October and November they defeated the two divisions of the invading army at Chateauguay and Chrystler's Farm.
Communication with our gunboats on the Yazoo was opened, and we had plenty to eat and ammunition enough to bombard a dozen cities.
My own regiment was put on to one of the iron gunboats and ferried over the Mississippi at a point close to Grand Gulf.
Our gunboats shelled this "Fort Greenwood" in vain, and now Rebels were gathering around and behind us and guerrillas were beginning to fire on the boats.
Two or three of Grant's ironclad gunboats had run past these awful batteries one night, their sides banged to pieces and their iron mail scooped up as if it had been made of putty.
On the 20th of June, at four o'clock in the morning, all the cannon on Grant's lines and all the cannon on the gunboats opened fire on the town and thundered at it for six mortal hours.
The whole Mississippi River seems on fire, the roar of the gunboats answering the howling cannon on the shore, the terrific lightnings from the batteries, the screeching shells above the decks.
The gunboats tremble from the impact of shot against their sides, and at times the little steamers are caught in the powerful eddies of the river and are whirled three times around right in front of the hot firing batteries.
The negroes on the plantation, amazed at our coming, wondered if it was the day of Jubilee or if it was another Noah's flood and that these iron gunboats arks of safety.
Our gunboats too, down in the river now commenced hurling mighty bombs and balls into the city.
As daylight appeared two feluccas, which had not been able before to escape, were discovered endeavoring to get away, but, a shot from one of the gunboats killing five of their men, they both surrendered.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "gunboats" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
