CONSTITUTION, OR OLD IRONSIDES

other, and kedging and sails kept the Constitution moving in a manner that puzzled her pursuers.

Constitution, or Old Ironsides, the most renowned vessel of the United States navy; built in Boston in 1797; rated as a frigate of 1,576 tons, with an armament At length the British discovered the of forty-four guns, but actually carrying secret, and instantly the Shannon was fifty-two. The frigate, then under command urged onward by the same means, and of Capt. Isaac Hull, had just returned slowly gained on the Constitution. The from foreign service when the War of Guerrière, thirty-eight guns, Captain 1812-15 was declared. She sailed from Dacres, another of the squadron, had Annapolis (July 12, 1812) on a cruise now joined in the chase. All day and to the northward. On the 17th she fell all night the pursuit continued; and in with a small squadron under Captain at dawn of the second day of the chase Broke, when one of the most remarkable the whole British squadron were in sight, naval retreats and pursuits ever recorded bent on capturing the plucky Ameroccurred. The Constitution could not ican frigate. There were now five vessels cope with the whole squadron, and her in chase, clouded with canvas. Expert seasafety depended on successful flight. manship kept the space between the ConThere was almost a dead calm, and she stitution and her pursuers so wide that floated almost independent of her helm. not a gun was fired. She was 4 miles Her boats were launched, and manned by ahead of the Belvidere, the nearest vessel strong seamen with sweeps. A long 18- cf the squadron. At sunset (July 19) a Founder was rigged as a stern chaser, and squall struck the Constitution with great another of the same calibre was pointed fury, but she was prepared for it. Wind, off the forecastle. Out of her cabin win- lightning, and rain made a terrific comdows, which by sawing were made large motion on the sea for a short time, but enough, two 24-pounders were run, and the gallant ship outrode the tempest, and all the light canvas that would draw was at twilight she was flying before her purset. A gentle breeze sprang up, and she suers at the rate of 11 knots an hour. was just getting under headway when a At midnight the British fired two guns, shot at long range was fired from the and the next morning gave up the chase, Shannon, Broke's flag-ship, but without which had lasted sixty-four hours. The effect. Calm and breeze succeeded each newspapers were filled with the praises

of Hull and his good ship, and doggerel verse in songs and sonnets, like the following, abounded:

Guerrière was shot away, her main-yard was in slings, and her hull, spars, sails, and rigging were torn to pieces. By a skilful movement the Constitution now

"Neath Hull's command, with a taught band, fell foul of her foe, her bowsprit running

And naught beside to back her, Upon a day, as log-books say,

A fleet bore down to thwack her.

"A fleet, you know, is odds or so
Against a single ship, sirs,

So 'cross the tide her legs she tried,
And gave the rogues the slip, sirs."

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into the larboard quarter of her antagonist. The cabin of the Constitution was set on fire by the explosion of the forward guns of the Guerrière, but the flames were soon extinguished. Both parties attempted to board, while the roar of the great guns was terrific. The sea was rolling heavily, and would not allow a safe On Aug. 12 Captain Hull sailed from passage from cne vessel to the other. At Boston and cruised eastward in search of length the Constitution became disBritish vessels. He was anxious to find the entangled and shot ahead of the Guerrière, Guerrière, thirty-eight guns, Capt. James when the main-mast of the latter, shatRichard Dacres. The British newspapers, tered into weakness, fell into the sea. The sneering at the American navy, had Guerrière, shivered and shorn, rolled like spoken of the Constitution as a "bundle a log in the trough of the sea, entirely of pine boards sailing under a bit of at the mercy of the billows. Hull sent striped bunting." They had also declared his compliments to Captain Dacres, and that "a few broadsides from England's inquired whether he had struck his flag. wooden walls would drive the paltry Dacres, who was a "jolly tar," looking striped bunting from the ocean." Hull up and down and at the stumps of his was eager to pluck out the sting of these masts, coolly and dryly replied, 'Well, insults. He sailed as far as the Bay of I don't know; our mizzen-mast is gone; Fundy, and then cruised eastward of our main-mast is gone; upon the whole, Nova Scotia, where he captured a num- you may say we have struck our flag." ber of British merchant vessels on their Too much bruised to be saved, the Guerway to the St. Lawrence. On the after- rière was set on fire and blown up after noon of Aug. 19 he fell in with the her people were removed. This exploit of Guerrière, in lat. 41° 40', long. 55° 48'. Hull made him the theme of many toasts, Some firing began at long range. Per- songs, and sonnets. One rhymester wrote ceiving a willingness on the part of his concerning the capture of the Guerrière: antagonist to have a fair yard-arm to "Isaac did so maul and rake her, yard-arm fight, Hull pressed sail to get That the decks of Captain Dacre his vessel alongside the Guerrière. When Were in such a woful pickle, the Guerrière began to pour shot into the As if Death, with scythe and sickle, With his sling, or with his shaft, Constitution, Lieutenant Morris, Hull's had cut his harvest fore and aft. second in command, asked, "Shall I open Thus, in thirty minutes, ended fire?" Hull quietly replied, Not yet." Mischiefs that could not be mended; The question was repeated when the shots Masts and yards and ship descended All to Davy Jones's lockerbegan to tell on the Constitution, and Hull again answered, "Not yet." When the vessels were very near each other, Hull, filled with intense excitement, bent himself twice to the deck and shouted, "Now, boys, pour it into them!" The command was instantly obeyed.

Such a ship, in such a pucker." Hull had seven men killed and seven wounded. Dacres lost seventy men killed and wounded. The news of this victory was received with joy throughout the country. The people of Boston gave Hull and his officers a banquet, at which 600 citizens sat down. The authorities of New York gave him the freedom of the city in a gold box. Congress thanked him and awarded him a gold medal, and the appropriated $50,000 to be distributed as

The guns of the Constitution were double shotted with round and grape, and their execution was terrible. The vessels were within pistol shot of each other. Fifteen minutes after the contest began the mizzen - mast of

prize-money among the officers and crew the finest vessels in the royal navy. They of the Constitution. The British public were then about 30 miles from the were amazed by the event. Their faith in the impregnability of the "wooden walls of Old England" was shaken. Its bearing on the future of the war was incalculable. The London Times regarded it as a serious blow to the British supremacy of the seas. "It is not merely that an English frigate has been taken," said that journal, "but that it has been taken by a new enemyan enemy unaccustomed to such triumphs, and likely to be rendered insolent and confident by them."

shore, southeast of San Salvador. About two o'clock in the afternoon, after running upon the same tack with the Constitution, the Java bore down upon the latter with the intention of raking her. This calamity was avoided, and very soon a most furious battle at short range was begun. When it had raged about half an hour the wheel of the Constitution was shot away, and her antagonist, being the better sailer, had the advantage of her for a time.

Bainbridge managed his crippled ship with so much skill that she was first in coming to the wind on the next tack, and gave her antagonist a terrible raking fire. Both now ran free, with the wind on their quarter, and at three o'clock the Java attempted to close by running down the Constitution's quarter. She missed her aim, and lost her jib-boom and the head of her bowsprit by shots from the Con

After his decisive victory over the Guerrière, Captain Hull generously retired from the command of the Constitution to allow others to win honors with her. Capt. William Bainbridge was appointed his immediate successor, and was placed in command of a small squadronthe Constitution, Essex, thirty-two guns, and Hornet, eighteen. Bainbridge sailed from Boston late in October, 1812, with the Constitution and Hornet. The Essex stitution. In a few moments the latter was ordered to follow to designated ports, poured a heavy raking broadside into the and, if the flag-ship was not found at any stem of the Java. Another followed, of them, to go on an independent cruise. when the fore-mast of the Java went by After touching at these ports, Bainbridge the board, crushing in the forecastle was off Bahia or San Salvador, Brazil, and main-deck in its passage. At that

ahead,

where the Hornet blockaded an English moment the Constitution shot sloop-of-war, and the Constitution con- keeping away to avoid being raked, and tinued down the coast. On Dec. 29 she fell finally, after manoeuvring nearly an hour, in with the British frigate Jara, forty- she forereached her antagonist, wore, nine guns, Capt. Henry Lambert, one of passed her, and luffed up under her quar