USS Constellation (1797)
USS Constellation by John W. Schmidt
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | USS Constellation |
Namesake | The 15 stars in the contemporary United States national flag[2] |
Ordered | 27 March 1794[2] |
Builder | David Stodder[1] |
Cost | $314,212 |
Launched | 7 September 1797[1] |
Homeport | Baltimore Maryland USA |
Nickname(s) | "Yankee Racehorse" |
Fate | Broken up, 1853[2] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | 38-Gun frigate[2] |
Displacement | 1,265 tons[2] |
Length | 164 ft (50 m) between perpendiculars[1] |
Beam | 41 ft (12 m)[1] |
Depth of hold | 13.5 ft (4.1 m)[1] |
Decks | |
Propulsion | Sail (three masts, ship rig) |
Complement | 340 officers and enlisted[1] |
Armament |
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USS Constellation was a nominally rated 38-gun wooden-hulled, three-masted frigate of the United States Navy.
The ship was built under the direction of David Stodder at The Joseph and Samuel Sterett shipyard on Harris Creek in
The name "Constellation" was among ten names submitted to President
Joshua Humphreys designed these frigates to be the young Navy's capital ships, and so Constellation and her sisters were larger and more heavily armed and built than standard frigates of the period. The Constellation's first duties with the newly formed US Navy were to provide protection for American merchant shipping during the Quasi-War with France and to defeat the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War.
Design and construction
American
Constellation was built under the direction of Colonel David Stodder at his naval shipyard on Harris Creek in
An earlier visitor to the Harris Creek naval shipyard of David Stodder, east of Baltimore Town in 1796, the Duke de la Rochefoucaule-Liancourt, saw Constellation under construction and noted in his journal: "I thought her too much encumbered with wood-work within, but in other respects she is a fine vessel being built of those beautiful kinds of wood, the ever-green oak and cedar; she is pierced for 36 guns."[12]
Armament
The Naval Act of 1794 had specified 36-gun frigates; however, Constellation and her sister-ship Congress were re-rated to 38's because of their large dimensions, being 164 ft (50 m) in length and 41 ft (12 m) in width.[13][14][Note 1]
The "ratings" by number of guns were meant only as an approximation, as Constellation could and often did carry up to 48 guns.[17] U.S. Navy ships of this era had no permanent battery of guns such as modern Navy ships carry. The guns were designed to be completely portable and often were exchanged between ships as situations warranted. Each commanding officer outfitted armaments to his liking, taking into consideration factors such as the overall tonnage of cargo, complement of personnel aboard, and planned routes to be sailed. Consequently, the armaments on ships changed often during their careers, and records of the changes were not generally kept.[18]
Quasi-War
The Quasi-War between France and the States came about when after the French Revolution, the United States refused to repay remaining debt to France on the grounds that it had been owed to the previous regime. French outrage led to a series of attacks on American shipping by privateers. Constellation convoyed American merchantmen from June through August 1798 before sailing under the command of Captain Thomas Truxtun for the West Indies in December 1798 to protect the United States's commerce in the Caribbean.
On 2 February, 1799 she exchanged fire with a French fort at Saint-Pierre, Martinique.[19]
Constellation vs. L'Insurgente
On 9 February 1799, under the command of Truxtun, Constellation fought and captured the frigate
Reefing sail just long enough to weather the short squall, Constellation hardly paused but the same was not to be for L'Insurgente: the ship's topmast snapped and slowed the ship to the onrushing Constellation.[22] Captain Barreaut ordered L'Insurgente to lay up and prepared to fight. Constellation was outfitted with 24 pounder guns that caused her to lean too much to lee due to topweight and thus had to surrender the weather gage to L'Insurgente. (The ship was refitted with 18-pounder long guns in the next refit.[clarification needed]) L'Insurgente raised the French Tricolor and Captain Barreaut asked for parley. Captain Truxtun refused to answer, as his orders were to attack any French warship or privateer, and answered when his last gun could be brought to bear.[23] American warships of this period fired for the hull (as did the British) and each of the 24-pounders had been double shotted. L'Insurgente fired as per training at Constellation's masts and rigging. Constellation's masts were saved when the sail was reduced, taking pressure off the damaged mast.[23] L'Insurgente was devastated by Constellation's first broadside with many dead and others deserting their guns. L'Insurgente tried to board and slowed to close but this allowed Constellation to shoot ahead and crossed bows for a bow rake with another broadside. Constellation crossed to windward and L'Insurgente turned to follow with both crews now exchanging port broadsides instead of starboard.[24] One of Constellation's 24-pounders smashed through the hull of L'Insurgente. L'Insurgente's 12-pounders were not equal to the same task against Constellation's hull. Captain Barreaut had been shown one of Constellation's 24 pound cannonballs and understood that he was in a completely unequal contest with sails down and nothing comparable to reply with many already dead and wounded. He struck colors— the first major victory by an American-designed and built warship.[25]
On 14 March, 1779 she captured the French Letter of Marque schooner Union off Basse-Terre Roads, Guadeloupe.[26]
On 15 April recaptured British merchant Brothers, captured by a French privateer on 14 April.[27]
On 17 April, 1799 she and USS Insurgente captured French letter of marque schooner Diligente off Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe.[28]
She arrived at Hampton Roads 19 May, 1799.[29] She sailed from Chesapeake Bay 30 June, 1799.[30]
After returning from that cruise she departed Hampton Roads on 24 December escorting a stores ship and several merchantmen passing Cape Henry the next day.[31]
Constellation vs. La Vengeance
Constellation sailed under Captain Thomas Truxtun from Saint Kitts on 30 January 1800, and encountered the French frigate
At the end of the Quasi-War with France, Constellation returned to the United States. While anchoring in Delaware Bay on 10 April 1801, she was caught in winds and an ebb tide that laid her over on her beam ends. She suffered damage requiring extensive repairs.
First Barbary War
During the United States' preoccupation with France during the Quasi-War, troubles with the Barbary States were suppressed by the payment of tribute to ensure that American merchant ships were not harassed and seized.[41] In 1801 Yusuf Karamanli of Tripoli, dissatisfied with the amount of tribute he was receiving in comparison to Algiers, demanded an immediate payment of $250,000.[42] In response, Thomas Jefferson sent a squadron of frigates to protect American merchant ships in the Mediterranean and pursue peace with the Barbary States.[43][44]
The first squadron, under the command of Richard Dale in President, was instructed to escort merchant ships through the Mediterranean and negotiate with leaders of the Barbary States.[43]
Sailing with the squadron of
War of 1812
Constellation underwent repairs at Washington, D.C., in 1812–1813, and with the advent of the
Second Barbary War
Soon after the United States declared war against Britain in 1812,
Constellation, attached to the Mediterranean Squadron under Commodore Stephen Decatur, sailed from New York on 20 May 1815 and joined in the
Later career
In the spring of 1819 Secretary of the Navy
Despite the efforts to reach
From 12 November 1819 to 24 April 1820, Constellation served as flagship of Commodore
In 1825, Constellation was chosen as flagship for Commodore Lewis Warrington and began duty with the West India Squadron to eradicate waning piracy operations in the Caribbean. During an outbreak of yellow fever at Key West, Florida, Warrington moved the squadron's home port to Pensacola, Florida where a permanent base was established. Other ships operating with Constellation during this period in the West Indies were John Adams, Hornet, Spark, Grampus, Shark, Fox and Decoy. Warrington returned to the United States with Constellation in 1826.[51][52]
In August 1829, Constellation cruised to the Mediterranean to watch over American shipping and to collect indemnities from previous losses suffered by U.S. merchantmen. While en route to station, the ship carried the American ministers to France and the United Kingdom to their posts of duty. Returning to the United States in November 1831, she underwent minor repairs and departed again for the Mediterranean in April 1832 where she remained until an outbreak of cholera forced her to sail for home in November 1834.
In October 1835, Constellation sailed for the Gulf of Mexico to assist in defeating the Seminole uprising. The crew landed shore parties to relieve the Army garrisons and sent boats on amphibious expeditions. After the mission had been accomplished, they then cruised with the West India Squadron until 1838 serving part of this period in the capacity of flagship for Commodore
The decade of the 1840s saw Constellation circumnavigate the globe. As flagship of Captain Kearny and the East India Squadron, their mission, as assigned in March 1841, was to safeguard American lives and property against loss during the
Fate
In 1853 Constellation was disassembled at the
Commemorative copper coins were struck from parts of Constellation and have become collector's items.[53][54]
Notes
- ^ Officially in congressional documents Constellation was a 36-gun frigate.[15] Chapelle states Constellation and Congress were re-rated to 38's during construction by Humphreys because of their large dimensions.[13]
Canney references Chapelle when rating Constellation a 38-gun frigate, but also questions "... exactly what Humphreys had in mind with rating these ships as 44- or 36-gun frigates when the number of ports certainly did not correspond to the rating and, in fact, the ships rarely carried their rated batteries, reflecting contemporary usage. That first U.S. Secretary of the Navy, Benjamin Stoddert re-rated Constellation andbCongress to 38's once he compared the dimensions of the two ships with the also recently completed USF Chesapeake, which had been reduced in size from a 44 to the extent that she was smaller.[14]
Other sources, such as Lardas & Bryan, use the official ratings and note, "The US Navy officially carried only three rates of frigate during the period 1794–1826: 44-gun, 36-gun, and 32-gun. The rating was independent of the size of the ship or the weight of its armament, but important in terms of crew size, pay, and money spent to support the ship."[16]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Chapelle 1949, p. 536
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Constellation". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
- ^ Pickering, Timothy (14 March 1795). Letter to George Washington. Founders Online, National Archives. Retrieved 25 September 2019
- ISBN 9781934757147.
- ^ Allen (1909), pp. 41–42.
- ^ Beach (1986), p. 29.
- ^ An Act to provide a Naval Armament. 1 Stat. 350 (1794). Library of Congress. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
- OCLC 43456786.
- ^ Toll (2006), pp. 49–53.
- ^ Beach (1986), pp. 29–30, 33.
- ^ Allen (1909), pp. 42–45.
- ^ Francois Alexandre Frederic duc de La-Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, Travels Through the United States of North-America, the Country of the Jroquois and Upper Canada, in the Years 1795, 1796 und 1797, Volume 2, R. Phillips, London, 1799, p.343
- ^ a b Chapelle (1949), p. 128.
- ^ a b Beach (1986), p. 32.
- ^ Number of vessels in service, and estimates of repairing and fitting for service those in ordinary, including frigate Constellation, S. Doc. 91, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, 12th Congress, 1st session, 1812.
- OCLC 183265266.
- ^ Roosevelt (1883), p. 53.
- OCLC 1291484.
- ^ "Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France Volume 2 Part 1 of 3 Naval Operations November 1798 to March 1799" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- ^ Toll (2006), p. 114.
- ^ Toll (2006), p. 115.
- ^ a b Toll (2006), p. 116.
- ^ a b Toll (2006), p. 117.
- ^ Toll (2006), p. 118.
- ^ Toll (2006), p. 119.
- ^ "Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France Volume 2 Part 3 of 3 Naval Operations November 1798 to March 1799" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France Volume 3 Part 1 of 4 Naval Operations April 1799 to July 1799, April, 1799 Pg. 54" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ "Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France Volume 3 Part 1 of 4 Naval Operations April 1799 to July 1799, April, 1799 Pg. 62" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ "Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France Volume 2 Part 2 of 4 Naval Operations April 1799 to July 1799 May Pg. 271" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ "Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France Volume 2 Part 4 of 3 Naval Operations April 1799 to July 1799 July Pg. 451" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ "Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France Volume Part 3 of 3 Naval Operations August 1799 to December 1799, December Pg. 566" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ a b Toll (2006), p. 135.
- ^ "Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France Volume Part 2 of 4 Naval Operations January to May, 1800, February, 1800-March, 1800 Pg. 163-164" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ a b Toll (2006), p. 132.
- ^ Toll (2006), p. 133.
- ^ a b Toll (2006), p. 134.
- ^ "Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France Volume Part 2 of 4 Naval Operations January to May, 1800, February, 1800-March, 1800 Pg. 162-163" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France Volume Part 2 of 4 Naval Operations January to May, 1800, February, 1800-March, 1800 Pg. 166" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France Volume Part 2 of 4 Naval Operations January to May, 1800, February, 1800-March, 1800 Pg. 193" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
- ^ "Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War Between the United States and France Volume Part 2 of 4 Naval Operations January to May, 1800, February, 1800-March, 1800 Pg. 259" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- ^ Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 1, pp. 215–216.
- ^ Allen (1905), pp. 88, 90.
- ^ a b Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 1, p. 228.
- ^ Allen (1905), p. 92.
- ^ Roosevelt (1883), pp. 162–163.
- ^ Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 2, pp. 4–5.
- ^ Maclay and Smith (1898), Volume 2, p. 6.
- ^ Allen (1905), p. 281.
- ^ Johnson, Robert Erwin (1963). "Chapter 2: The Cruise of the Macedonian". Thence round Cape Horn. United States Naval Institute.
- ^ a b Johnson, Robert Erwin (1963). "Chapter 3: From Ship to Squadron". Thence round Cape Horn. United States Naval Institute.
- ^ Wheeler (1969), pp. 167–171.
- ^ "Warrington". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History & Heritage Command. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
- ^ "THE CONSTELLATION SOUVENIR MEDAL". Coinbooks.org.
- ^ "1797 US – FRIGATE CONSTELLATION COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL". Vcoins.com.
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
Bibliography
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- —— (1909). Our Naval War With France. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin. OCLC 1202325.
- OCLC 12104038.
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- OCLC 1471717.
- OCLC 197401914.
- Hill, Frederic Stanhope (1905). Twenty-Six Historic Ships. New York and London: G.P. Putnam's Sons. OCLC 1667284.
- Maclay, Edgar Stanton; Smith, Roy Campbell (1898) [1893]. A History of the United States Navy, from 1775 to 1898. Vol. 1 (New ed.). New York: D. Appleton. OCLC 609036.
- —— (1898) [1893]. A History of the United States Navy, from 1775 to 1898. Vol. 2 (New ed.). New York: D. Appleton. OCLC 609036.
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- Wegner, Dana M.; Ratliff, Colan D.; Lynaugh, Kevin (September 1991). "Fouled Anchors: The Constellation Question Answered" (PDF). Bethesda: (PDF) from the original on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
- Wheeler, Richard (1969). In Pirate Waters. New York: Crowell. OCLC 6144.