USS Constitution
USS Constitution was among the original six frigates constructed under The Naval Act of 1794. The three-masted, forty-four gun vessel was one of only fifteen operational US Navy warships in 1812. Captain Isaac Hull was in command of the 450 man crew, many of which had yet to see action.
HMS Guerriere
The HMS Guerriere was a three-masted frigate of French construction, captured and impressed into the Royal Navy in 1806. Armed with thirty eight 18-pound guns, she was commanded by Captain James Richard Dacres at the time of the War of 1812.
Constitution Sights Her Prey
On the morning of August 19, 1812, the Constitution patrolled the waters off the coast of Nova Scotia in search of a British warship reportedly operating in the area. By afternoon, the morning fog had surrendered to a moderate breeze from the northwest, producing a heavy sea. A large sail was spotted on the horizon to the south-southeast and Hull unhesitatingly ordered full sail to close the distance and identify the ship. A pursuit of over an hour revealed the vessel as a frigate, likely of British registry for there were no other American ships known to be in the area. All doubt was removed when the unknown contact drew in her mainsail and awaited her pursuer. It was the HMS Guerriere, and Captain Dacres was not about to shy away from a chance to clash with a Yankee.
Opening Maneuvers
Captain Hull ordered the ship cleared for action and the eager, yet untested crew responded by asking to be laid along side their foe. Constitution approached with the wind behind. Guerriere hoisted her ensigns and greeted the interloper with a broadside of 18-pound cannon. The rounds soared over Constitution’s rigging as the British frigate reversed turn to unleash another salvo. Shot from the second volley struck the target, only to bounce harmlessly off its dense, oaken hide. Constitution pressed onward through the choppy waters, yawing periodically to avoid being raked by successive British fusillades. Hull resisted First Lieutenant Charles Morris’ pleas to return fire, exclaiming: “Mr. Morris, I‘ll tell you when to fire, so stand and see that not a shot is thrown away!”
Constitution Strikes
Nearly four hours after first sighting his quarry, Hull drew abreast on Guerriere’s port side and discharged a broadside from a range of fifty yards. A hail of grape and double shot erupted from the starboard batteries and fell upon the Briton’s rear quarter, producing a cloud of splinters and shearing off the mizzenmast. An animated Hull lauded his sailors, “Huzza, my boys, we’ve made a brig of her!”
The American frigate then overtook her opponent and swung to port, presenting her larboard guns as she crossed Guerriere’s bow. Once again, spheres of iron battered the hull and decking of the British ship. Guerriere replied with her bow guns. The rolling waves caused the rounds to fly high into the American’s top rigging, causing minimal damage. Constitution slowed as she pointed into the wind, in danger of being raked if Dacres could cross her stern. As Hull adjusted his course to catch the breeze, Guerriere’s bow collided with Constitution’s aft port quarter. Dropping into the American’s wake, Guerriere’s bowsprit became entangled among the enemy’s mizzen rigging.
Boarders sought to engage across the merged vessels, but were discouraged by the heaving decks. Snipers positioned among the mastheads rained lead down upon the decks, inflicting more carnage than any of the previous cannonades. Most casualties of the entire engagement were sustained as the two were locked together, with Constitution’s First Lieutenant Morris and Captain Dacres himself among the injured.
"Old Ironsides" Triumphs
With a boarding action not possible due to the heavy sea and unable to bear any of his guns on the Guerriere, Captain Hull ordered sails raised to pull away. As they separated, Guerriere’s bowsprit snapped upwards, loosening the lines that attached it to the foremast. The riddled timber swayed under the stress and then snapped, collapsing upon the mainmast, sending both into the ocean. Now at the mercy of the rolling sea and with Constitution circling to reengage, Captain Dacres has little choice but to strike his colors. The engagement has left fifteen British sailors dead and sixty-three wounded, compared to seven of each on the Constitution. The duel had left the English frigate in tatters, with thirty shot and several feet of water within the hull. A six foot gouge was present at the waterline. Hull decided that the British ship was too far gone to be towed into port, and ordered her crew to be transported to Constitution. On August 20, Guerriere was set afire and exploded fifteen minutes after.
Reference:Linda McKee, American Heritage; December 1964, Volume XVI, Number 1
"By Heaven, that Ship is Ours!"
