BGuthrie Photos: MD -- Annapolis -- US Naval Academy -- Museum -- History: Pre-Civil War

MD -- Annapolis -- US Naval Academy -- Museum -- History: Pre-Civil War:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. NAMUP1_130106_014.JPG: Leadership & Service: Since 1845, the Naval Academy has prepared young men and women -- imbued with the legacy of those who have gone before -- to assume the responsibilities of leadership in the service of their Nation. These exhibits explore that history and the contributions of our graduates in war and peace.
2. NAMUP1_130106_016.JPG: Revolutionary War: A New Nation, a New Navy: The thirteen colonies were seafaring states, protected for a century and a half by the presence of the Royal Navy. But, rebellion from England created demands for a naval force to attack British commerce and furnish General Washington's army with vital supplies. On October 13, 1775, the Continental Congress ordered two vessels fitted out to intercept transports carrying supplies to the British. This act marks the birth of the Continental Navy and, ultimately, the United States Navy.
3. NAMUP1_130106_025.JPG: A Navy for the Colonies: Did the thirteen rebellious colonies need a navy? Some said no, but practical considerations led to the creation of a variety of naval forces. Individuals fitted out privateers to attach British merchant ships, states created navies to protect their own harbors, and the Continental Congress laid the foundation of a national navy by purchasing, then building warships, and commissioning officers in the Navy and Marine Corps. Washington's Navy -- August 24, 1775: The Continental Army needed all kinds of supplies, from muskets and powder to uniforms and blankets. Without a source of ready cash, the Continental Congress was unable to provide for its own army. Washington improvised by renting vessels from local ship owners. The first of these, the schooner Hannah, was leased from John Glover of Marblehead, Massachusetts. By the end of October 1775 the Naval Committee had expanded its commission and purchased additional vessels, the 30-gun Aldred and 28-gun Columbus, and two brigs, 16-bun Andrea Doria and 14-gun Cabot.
4. NAMUP1_130106_030.JPG: Thirteen Frigates -- December 1775: In December 1775, the Rhode Island delegation to the Continental Congress called for "an American fleet." In response, Congress authorized 13 frigates, one for each of the colonies. The frigates had brief careers. Several had some success in commerce raiding, but seven were burned when British troops seized their building ports, one was captured running the blockade, another burned to avoid capture, and three were captured at sea. Raising the Cost of War: Both the Continental Navy and privately armed vessels, called privateers, sailed in search of British prizes. A successful commander could become wealthy, but more importantly British losses were American gains. The cargoes of captured vessels provided needed supplies to the Army and to civilians. And the losses to the British merchants raised the price of commodities, raised insurance rates, and undermined British support of the war. Two Continental Navy commanders, who took the war right to the shores of England, were Lambert Wickes and Gustavus Conyngham.
5. NAMUP1_130106_043.JPG: Sword of Capt Charles Alexander: Charles Alexander received his commission as captain in the Continental Navy in 1776 and ordered to command of the new frigate Delaware. Upon commissioning the next year, the frigate aided in the defense of Philadelphia, but ran aground and was captured by the British. Captain Alexander later commanded the Hornet and Wasp, both of which had been purchased in Baltimore by Navy Agent Col Benjamin Harrison. Alexander carried this sword during the war.
6. NAMUP1_130106_051.JPG: "What think you of an American Fleet?" -- John Adams to James Warren, October 19, 1775
7. NAMUP1_130106_056.JPG: Benedict Arnold 1741-1801 The man whose name became synonymous with "treason" was once an ardent American patriot. With the outbreak of war, he led an expedition to capture Quebec, then fought in battles at Valcour Isle and Saratoga. His soldiers loved him, but influential rivals ensured that he was passed over for promotion -- despite the fact that he was twice wounded in the service of his country. His resentment grew as Congress continually investigated his conduct. Arnold finally switched his allegiance to the British in 1780. Ironically, American independence is a direct consequence of his superior leadership.
8. NAMUP1_130106_062.JPG: Flintlock Swivel Gun: Flintlock swivel guns, such as this, were common on board naval vessels. All of Arnold's vessels mounted many of these as antipersonnel weapons.
9. NAMUP1_130106_070.JPG: Model of a Gundalow: The nine gundalows built for Arnold's fleet were 40 to 50 feet in length and mounted one 12-pounder cannon and two 6- or 9-pounders along with eight swivel guns. In the 1930s one of the gundalows, the Philadelphia, was raised from Valcour Bay and is displayed in the Smithsonian's Museum of American History.
10. NAMUP1_130106_073.JPG: Strategic Victories: Of all the engagements of the Revolutionary War, two naval battles stand out as crucial to securing American independence. One, fought on an island lake far from the sea, was a tactical defeat for the rebellious colonies. The other battle, which included no American forces, was a tactical draw. Both battles set in motion a series of events that led to significant land victories. The Battle of Valcour Island may have resulted in lost ships and men for the Americans, but it slowed the British drive to split the American states. The Battle of Virginia Capes, won by America's French allies, forced capitulation of British General Cornwallis' army at Yorktown. Valcour Island -- October 1776: British strategy called for the separation of New England from the rest of the colonies along the Richeliue-Champlain-Hudson River corridor. Lake Champlain was vital to the fulfillment of that strategy. Gen. Benedict Arnold was determined to prevent British control of Lake Champlain. The British had many more ships and greater firepower, so Arnold focused his considerable energy on expanding his fleet. Arnold initially eluded the enemy, but the British eventually caught up with him and destroyed most of his vessels. Dozens of Americans were killed and many more captured. Yet there was a glimmer of hope. British commander Guy Carleton could have continued on, claiming territory from Albany to New York City. Instead, he retired north to Canada because he believed it was too late in the season. The following year, the British tried to push south, only to surrender at Saratoga.
11. NAMUP1_130106_077.JPG: Virginia Capes -- September 1781: News of the American victory at Saratoga prompted France to join the revolutionary cause in early 1778. Now the Americans had access to naval resources comparable to the British Royal Navy. But the Battle of the Virginia Capes was strictly an old-world affair -- no American forces were involved. On September 5, 1781, a British fleet, trying to relieve the army besieged at Yorktown, met a French fleet outside the Virginia Capes. Fighting that day resulted in slightly heavier British losses. Over the next three days, the two navies drifted in becalmed waters. On September 9, seven additional French ships arrived from Newport, allowing de Grasse to establish dominance over the Chesapeake. The Battle of the Capes was a tactical draw, but a strategic victory of the greatest importance for the Americans and their French allies. Six weeks after the battle, General Cornwallis was forced to surrender his army. War's End: Although the war would drag on for two years after Cornwallis' surrender, the war party in England had lost its support. By 1780, the Dutch and Spanish had joined France in formally supporting the American cause, increasing pressure on British resources. Fighting the colonists had become too costly. The British House of Commons voted to end the war February 27, 1782. The formal end to the Revolution came on September 3, 1783 with the Treaty of Paris. The treaty's terms included recognition of independence for the United States. The US Congress ratified the treaty on January 14, 1784.
12. NAMUP1_130106_082.JPG: "I have yet begun to fight" diorama: Capt. John Paul Jones is shown on the quarterdeck of his ship, Bonhomme Richard, responding to a call for surrender. Although the exact words were not recorded, tradition has it that his answer was: "I have not yet begun to fight!"
13. NAMUP1_130106_094.JPG: John Paul Jones 1747-1792 Remembered as the first great American naval hero, Jones was actually born in Scotland. He went to sea at 13 and by 21 was master of a merchant vessel. He immigrated to Virginia in the early 1770s and, with the onset of the rebellion against England, sought a commission in the Continental Navy. Jones served in flagship Alfred, and then received command of other naval vessels. His many career highlights included capturing two British ships in English waters and receiving the first salute to the Stars and Strips from a foreign power. Following independence, Jones served with the Russian navy and was appointed to represent the United States in negotiations with the Dey of Algiers. Before he could take up the appointment, he died in Paris.
14. NAMUP1_130106_121.JPG: Medal Dies: These original dies for the Congressional Gold medal awarded to John Paul Jones were designed by Augustine Dupre in Paris about 1790.
15. NAMUP1_130106_132.JPG: Quasi- & Barbary Wars: Trials of Independence: The new United States, a confederation of seafaring states clustered along the Atlantic coast heavily reliant upon maritime trade, was a nation without the protection of a navy. American merchants, setting sail in search of new markets around the world, were soon beset by predators along the North African coast, and renewed war between England and France. These troubles would lead to the founding of the United States Navy. And the Navy's first wars. 1798-1801, 1801-1805, 1815
16. NAMUP1_130106_139.JPG: Barry Decanter Set: This decanter set was presented to Commo John Barry by the citizens of Bridgeport, Connecticut, about 1795. The decanters are fine examples of early American blown glass. On the cover is one of the earliest appearances of the motto "E Pluribus Unum."
17. NAMUP1_130106_149.JPG: Mullowny Journal: Lt John Mullowny served on board the frigate United States and the armed ships Montezuma and Ganges from July 1798 to June 1801. His journal from the period covers his activities during the Quasi-War with France.
18. NAMUP1_130106_157.JPG: The Need for a Navy: Independence deprived the young United States of its traditional markets and the protection of the Royal Navy. Venturing into new ports exposed American merchants to new threats. In 1785, when the powerless and impoverished United States, governed under the Articles of Confederation, was unable to meet their demands, Algerians kidnapped the crews of two American merchant vessels and held them for ransom. In 1793, renewed war between England and France challenged American neutrality and subjected American vessels to seizure and confiscation by both of the warring powers. And, freed from European constraints, North African corsairs ranged into the Atlantic. The Naval Act of March 1794, signed by President George Washington, marked the rebirth of the American navy, designed to protect American interests in the Mediterranean.
19. NAMUP1_130106_160.JPG: "[The new frigates] combine such qualities of strength, durability, swiftness of sailing, and force as to render them equal, if not superior, to any frigates belonging to any of the European powers." -- Henry Knox, Secretary of War
20. NAMUP1_130106_164.JPG: USS Constitution: The Naval Act called for four 44-gun and two 36-gun frigates. A clause in the Act stipulated, however, that construction on the ships would cease upon a peace settlement with Algiers. ... The Constitution, still in active duty and berthed in Boston, was designed to outmatch any ship of its class. The construction -- frames and knees of live oak -- made her almost impervious to the enemy's shot, earning her the nickname of "Old Ironsides."
21. NAMUP1_130106_179.JPG: Quasi War with France: The United States was a pawn in the struggle for maritime domination between England and France. Trouble erupted when Jay's Treaty of 1795 seemed to recognize England as American's primary trading partner. Angry that the United States would turn its back on its long-time ally, France released privateers and warships to attack American commerce in the West Indies. When the American government sent its small navy to the West Indies to protect American shipping, the result was an undeclared naval war; a Quasi-War with France. Delaware vs La Croyable -- July 1798: The unofficial war with France provided the occasion for the US Navy's first capture of an enemy ship. The Delaware's commander, Stephen Decatur, Sr. learned that French privateers were operating off New Jersey. On the morning of July 7, Decatur saw a schooner he believed to be one of the privateers. To attract its attention, Decatur pretended that his ship was a merchant vessel and stood away. The ruse worked, as La Croyable ranged alongside, Decatur turned the tables.
22. NAMUP1_130106_183.JPG: Stephen Decatur, Sr. (1752-1808): Decatur spent his life at sea. He commanded his first ship, a merchant sloop, at the young age of 22. He earned a fortune during the Revolutionary War through privateering. After the war, he returned to the merchant service. When the Navy was rebuilt in the 1790s, Decatur offered his services. Commissioned a captain in 1798, he initially commanded the ship Delaware. By the end of the war, Decatur was in command of the frigate Philadelphia, which, by a bizarre twist of fate, his own son would destroy a few years later. Benjamin Stoddert (1751-1813): On April 30, 1798, the Navy Department was established. The first Secretary: Benjamin Stoddert. Stoddert was a dynamic leader and organizer. In two years he acquired 50 vessels to cruise the West Indies, acquired the land for seven navy yards, drafted the bill for government of the Marine Corps, and began construction of a Navy Hospital at Newport, Rhode Island. His vision and energy gave shape and permanence to the United States Navy. Constellation vs L'Insurgent -- February 9, 1799: Truxten went ti sea at the age of twelve and commanded a ship by twenty. He was a successful privateer during the Revolutionary War. When Congress authorized new frigate construction in 1794, he was appointed captain and oversaw the building of the frigate Constellation in Baltimore. With the outbreak of hostilities with France, Truxton took command of a squadron, with Constellation as his flagship, for a cruise in the West Indies. On February 9, 1799, he encountered L'insurgente.
23. NAMUP1_130106_187.JPG: Thomas Truxtun 1755-1822 Experienced at sea and a veteran of the American Revolution, Truxton was one of the first six captains commissioned into the US Navy. Given command of the new frigate Constellation, he patrolled the West Indies. The Quasi-War with France afforded Truxton two career highlights. On February 9, 1799, Constellation captured the French frigate L'Insurgente. A year later, Constellation met the large French frigate La Vengeance. After a five-hour battle in the dark, during which the French tried to surrender, the two ships separated.
24. NAMUP1_130106_195.JPG: Silver Sugar Bowl and Snuff Box: A silver sugar bowl and a snuffbox made of shell were owned by Capt. Thomas Truxton.
25. NAMUP1_130106_199.JPG: Commemorative Silver Medal: Congress authorized a gold medal struck to honor Capt. Thomas Truxton for his service during the Quasi-War. Silver and bronze copies were issued to the officers and crew. This is the silver version.
26. NAMUP1_130106_208.JPG: Of the four Barbary States along the North African coast, Tripoli was the most bold and troublesome to American merchants venturing into the Mediterranean. Crews of American merchant ships, as well as the crew of the USS Philadelphia, were imprisoned and enslaved by the Tripolitan ruler. When US naval efforts failed to free the prisoners, the American consul at Tunis, William Eaton, made an overland attempt.
27. NAMUP1_130106_212.JPG: Barbary Wars: Peace with France freed the new American Navy for other duties. Of primary concern: ongoing conflict in the Mediterranean. The Barbary, or North African, states had stepped up their demands, threatening war if increased "tributes" of money and naval stores were not met. President Thomas Jefferson, long an opponent of tribute, ordered a "squadron of observation" to cruise of Tunis, Tripoli, and Algiers. Although the squadron's primary objective was protecting American merchant shipping, it was prepared for war. Burning the Philadelphia -- February 1804: Commo Edward Preble arrived at Gibraltar in 1803, and ordered the schooner Vixen and frigate Philadelphia to blockade Tripoli. In November, he learned that Philadelphia had run aground while chasing a Tripolitan vessel. Philadelphia's commander William Bainbridge was forced to surrender the ship and the crew was taken captive. Tripoli now had a powerful warship -- unless it could somehow be destroyed. Lt. Stephen Decatur, the son of an earlier captain of Philadelphia, proposed an audacious solution.
28. NAMUP1_130106_216.JPG: Taking on Tripoli -- August-September 1804 With Philadelphia removed, Commodore Preble determined on more forceful action to persuade Tripoli to free its prisoners and settle with the United States. On August 3, he launched an attack on the city. While the frigate Constitution used her heavy guns to reduce the city's batteries and bomb vessels lobbed exploding shells, American and Tripolitan gunboats dueled. While dramatic, the Battle of Tripoli did not produce the conciliatory results Preble was hoping for. He agreed to another daring venture, this time using Intrepid as a giant bomb ... with disastrous results. To the Shores of Tripoli -- April 1805: Soon after the Intrepid explosion, a new commodore arrived [to] take command of the Tripoli situation. Samuel Barron continued the blockade, but ended naval assaults. He did sanction a plan to oust Tripoli ruler Yusuf Karamanli. Meanwhile, American army and marine forces gathered in Egypt and marched to the city of Derna. The Navy provided support from the brigs Argus and Hornet and schooner Nautilus. Derna fell on April 28, 1805, after a fierce two-hour battle. Facing imminent overthrow, Karamanli accepted an offered payment and released Philadelphia's kidnapped crew. The Tripoli Monument at the Naval Academy is the oldest military monument in the United States. It honors six young officers who lost their lives, including Richard Somers, commander of Intrepid.
29. NAMUP1_130106_221.JPG: USS Constitution Logbook: The Constitution's sailing master recorded in the ship's log the grounding of the frigate Philadelphia off Tripoli.
30. NAMUP1_130106_233.JPG: Congressional Gold Medal: Congress voted a gold medal to Commodore Preble on March 3, 1805, and Preble gave a gilded copper copy to Lt. John Trippe. The same resolution, voted to award a sword to each commissioned officer and midshipman; apparently the swords were never presented.
31. NAMUP1_130106_252.JPG: Silhouette and Uniform Jacket: This jacket belonged to Midn George Washington Mann, who is portrayed in this silhouette. A native of Annapolis, Mann sailed on board the brig Argus and participated in the assault on Derna. At the end of the battle, Mann and Lieutenant O'Bannon raised an American flag over foreign territory for the first time.
32. NAMUP1_130106_265.JPG: Return to the Mediterranean: The capitulation of Yusuf Karamanli did not end trouble with North Africa. During the War of 1812, Algiers resumed its attacks on American shipping. In 1815, eight days after Congress ratified the treaty that ended war with England, President James Madison recommended war with Algiers. Two squadrons were readied for service. Stephen Decatur commanded one, and William Bainbridge the other. From then until the Civil War, the United States kept a squadron in the Mediterranean, the predecessor of today's Sixth Fleet.
33. NAMUP1_130106_275.JPG: Dont [sic] Give up the Ship: Originally made in 1813 to inspire American sailors going into battle, this historic flag and its motto, have, for two hundred years, continued to inspire midshipmen and, indeed, all those who serve their country, with a spirit of dedication, devotion, and sacrifice. The patches and wear in the flag document a long, mostly unrecorded, history that for many years lay hidden behind the blue covering. Master Commandant James Lawrence commanded the American frigate Chesapeake in battle with the British frigate, Shannon. In the brief engagement, Lawrence was mortally wounded. As he was carried below, he urged his crew: "Don't give up the ship. Fight her until she sinks." The training and experience of the British crew proved superior to the Americans, and Chesapeake was forced to strike her flag.
34. NAMUP1_130106_280.JPG: Oliver Hazard Perry had this flag made in the memory of his good friend Lawrence and to inspire his crew in battle. After the defeat of the British squadron on Lake Erie, the flag was apparently sent to Washington DC, with the trophy flags taken from the British ships. In 1849, President James Polk ordered that all trophy flags captured by American naval forces should be deposited at the Naval School for their preservation and display. In the 1850s, a midshipman described the flag as "black, the color of death, with white letters." When the Academy was moved to Newport, Rhode Island, during the Civil War, the flag was taken and displayed in the midshipmen's temporary quarters in the Atlantic Hotel. After the Civil War, the flag was returned to Annapolis. In 1871, it was displayed in the Gunnery Room of the Naval Academy Lyceum. Five years later, it was described by Professor James Russell Soley as "a square red flag." Curatorial investigations in 2007-08 reveal no indications of any dye. The conclusion is that the flag's natural black wool is actually dark brown. In 1912, Mrs Amelia Fowler was contracted to conserve the Academy's collection of trophy flags, including the "Dont Give Up The Ship" flag. According to a catalog of the flags prepared the next year, the flag was displayed in the ceiling of the Mahan Hall auditorium. The flag was removed from Mahan Hall in 1924 and displayed above the central door of the Memorial Hall. In 1958, in conjunction with the installation of the memorial to those Naval Academy alumni who had been killed in action, the flag was remounted in the window above the memorial. It remained there until July 2002, when it was removed for conservation. A replica flag, donated by Robert F Sumrall, now graces Memorial Hall.
35. NAMUP1_130106_286.JPG: In the course of her conservation treatment, Mrs. Amelia Fowler mounted the fragile flag of a heavy linen or canvas carrier. On the reverse side of the carrier, Mrs. Fowler added an identifying label. This is the identification for the "Dont Give Up the Ship" flag.
36. NAMUP1_130106_297.JPG: Edward Preble 1761-1807 Over the course of Preble's distinguished career, he trained an entire generation of naval officers, imbuing them with his high standards of professionalism. He began as an officer in the Massachusetts navy during the Revolutionary War. During the Quasi-War with France, Preble was appointed first lieutenant in the US brig Pickering. He then commanded the frigate Essex during a voyage around the Cape of Good Hope, making her the first American naval vessel to enter the Indian Ocean. In 1803, Preble assumed command of the Mediterranean Squadron, negotiating a treaty with Morocco and establishing the blockade of Tripoli.
37. NAMUP1_130106_302.JPG: Naval Regulations: In 1775, the Continental Congress approved a set of rules for the governance of the navy written principally by John Adams. With the re-establishment of the Navy in 1798, Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert asked several senior navy officers to revise the earlier rules. With modest changes, these were issued on January 25, 1802. Edward Preble received his copy on March 3, 1802.
38. NAMUP1_130106_310.JPG: Cameo: This cameo of Commodore Preble is based on a sketch by Rembrandt Peale.
39. NAMUP1_130106_317.JPG: Congressional Gold Medal and Box: For his services against Tripoli, Congress awarded Preble a gold medal. Engraved by John Reich of Philadelphia, the medal shows a profile of Preble based on a drawing by Rembrandt Peale on the obverse. The reverse is a depiction of the attack on Tripoli.
40. NAMUP1_130106_326.JPG: Miniature Portrait: This portrait, from a miniature by Olivio Sozzi, was completed after Decatur's promotion to captain.
41. NAMUP1_130106_334.JPG: War of 1812: Fame & Glory on the Seas: The United States declared war against England, the world's most powerful maritime nation, for many reasons, including the desire for western land and to protest Britain's impressment of American sailors. The treaty ending the war recognized none of the war aims; but peace in the great European war removed the provocations. American naval successes at sea and on Lakes Erie and Champlain were a point of pride, heightening support for the navy, and providing vital training for a new generation of naval leaders. 1812-1815
42. NAMUP1_130106_338.JPG: Why War? Impressment, violations of neutral rights, and the continued British presence along northern borders drew Congress to a declaration of war on June 18, 1812. After years of conflict with France, England won command of the sea and no longer tolerated American trade with her enemies. Britain enforced its own interpretation of maritime rights, stopping and inspecting neutral shipping and often impressing Americans. President James Monroe estimated that from 1803 to 1812, more than 6,000 American sailors had been impressed, or forcibly enlisted, into the Royal Navy.
43. NAMUP1_130106_346.JPG: Discharge Document: The British, desperate to man their ships, had long depended upon the forced recruitment of sailors as long as they were Englishmen. For example, sailor John Snow was impressed into the Royal Navy on August 29, 1799, and discharged a week later, having satisfactorily proved that he was an American.
44. NAMUP1_130106_367.JPG: Staffordshire Naval Ceramic: This pitcher, commemorating Capt Stephen Decatur's victory over HMS Macedonian in the War of 1812, is one of many "Naval Jugs" made in England for the American market. The kilns of Staffordshire and Liverpool produced these transfer printed ceramics despite the fact that they represented defeats of their fellow countrymen during that war.
45. NAMUP1_130106_380.JPG: Silver Medal: Congress voted a gold medal to Capt Stephen Decatur Jr for the capture of HM frigate Macedonian on October 25, 1815. Silver copies were awarded to his junior officers. The rim of this medal is engraved to Lt John Nicholson who served in the United States during the battle.
46. NAMUP1_130106_396.JPG: John Rodgers 1772-1838 Rodgers entered the Navy in March 1798. Assigned to the frigate Constellation as second lieutenant, he helped capture the French frigate L'Insurgente. On the evening of May 16, 1811, Rodgers, in command of President, chased the British sloop-of-war Little Belt. When the British ship opened fire, President quickly subdued the smaller vessel. During the War of 1812, Rodgers captured 23 prizes and helped defend Baltimore during the attack on Fort McHenry. After the war, Rodgers sat on the Board of Navy Commissioners until his retirement in 1837. He died the following year.
47. NAMUP1_130106_400.JPG: Oliver Hazard Perry 1785-1819 Perry was born to the Navy. His father had fought in the Revolution, his four brothers served in the Navy, and two of his three sisters married naval officers. He was appointed a midshipman at age 14 and commissioned lieutenant three years later. At the outbreak of war, he was assigned to gunboats in Newport, Rhode Island. Although he really desired a sea-going billet, he accepted duty on Lake Erie, where action was a possibility. It is said that Perry was lucky: fog and dark helped him get his vessels past the British at Fort Erie; temporary absence of the British enabled him to float his brigs over the bar at Presque Isle; and a fortunate shift of wind gave him the weather gauge in the Battle of Lake Erie. But this luck came as a result of hard work and diligent preparation.
48. NAMUP1_130106_405.JPG: Isaac Hull 1773-1843 Hull is closely associated with the USS Constitution. In fact, he began his naval career as a lieutenant in this ship during the naval war with France. He demonstrated his valor in that conflict by capturing a fort at Porto Plata, Santo Domingo, and taking a French ship anchored under the fort's guns. He went onto [sic] command the brig Argus during the Barbary Wars and Constitution early in the War of 1812. He later commanded the Washington Navy Yard, and the Pacific and Mediterranean Squadrons.
49. NAMUP1_130106_410.JPG: Snuffbox: This snuffbox, decorated with a harbor scene, was used by Captain Hull to keep a ready supply of snuff, a popular form of tobacco.
50. NAMUP1_130106_416.JPG: Ditty Bag: The bag was a convenient way to store personal belongings or toiletries on board ship.
51. NAMUP1_130106_424.JPG: Miniature: Charles Stewart was one of the earliest officers commissioned on the outbreak of war with France. His commission was signed by President John Adams.
52. NAMUP1_130106_433.JPG: Commission: Charles Stewart was one of the earliest officers commissioned on the outbreak of war with France. His commission was signed by President John Adams.
53. NAMUP1_130106_438.JPG: Billethead: This beautifully carved billethead was salvaged from the British frigate Cyane. The ship served in the United States Navy after her capture by the Constitution in the War of 1812.
54. NAMUP1_130106_453.JPG: Ships of the Line: The United States Navy authorized its first ships of the line during the War of 1812. These were the battleships of the day. American ships were rated to carry 74 cannons on two decks, but could mount upwards of 90 guns. These sloops took huge numbers of men and resources to keep them at sea. With worldwide demands for naval ships to protect American interests, smaller vessels, such as sloops of war, were more suitable.
55. NAMUP1_130106_457.JPG: "We have met the enemy, and they are ours..." -- Commo Oliver Hazard Perry to Gen. William Henry Harrison
56. NAMUP1_130106_460.JPG: Sextant and Case: After the battle, the American squadron and its prizes returned to South Bass Island. A hospital was set up where the wounded of both sides received the best care possible given the primitive conditions of the wilderness. Barclay, who had lost his left arm in an earlier battle, had been severely wounded in the right arm during this one. After he returned to England, Barclay sent his personal sextant as a gift to Perry in gratitude for the kindnesses shown to him and his sailors.
57. NAMUP1_130106_467.JPG: Gold Medal: Gold medal awarded to Oliver Hazard Perry by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for his services on Lake Erie during the War of 1812.
58. NAMUP1_130106_477.JPG: Epaulet from a uniform worn by Perry
59. NAMUP1_130106_485.JPG: Pocket Watch and Key used by Perry
60. NAMUP1_130106_493.JPG: Pistol: Less than a month after the naval battle on the lake, the British were forced to retreat to Fort Malden at Amherstburg. With command of the lake, Perry transported General Harrison's troops across the lake in pursuit of the British and their Indian allies. The two forces met in the Battle of the Thames, the Americans winning a tactical victory. In the battle, the famed Indian leader Tecumseh was killed. Perry, who had joined General Harrison, used this .54 caliber Model 1808 flintlock pistol in the battle.
61. NAMUP1_130106_505.JPG: On Inland Waters: The frigate battles on the high seas brought glory to the fledgling United States Navy and fame to its captains, but it was two battles, fought between small fleets on lakes, that earned strategic and long-lasting gains for the Nation. One object in going to war with England was to seize Canada and use it as a bargaining chip. This plan collapsed almost immediately when Gen William Hull surrendered Detroit to an inferior British army. The threat of invasion from the west and down the Lake Champlain-Hudson River water highway turned attention to the northern frontier.
62. NAMUP1_130106_509.JPG: Battle of Lake Erie -- September 9, 1813: British troops occupying Detroit depended on supplies shipped across Lake Erie. Robert Herior Barclay, a veteran officers in the Royal Navy, was given the mission of protecting the shipping. Oliver Hazard Perry was ordered to stop it. For nearly two grueling hours, Perry's flagship Lawrence fought virtually alone. With the brig nearly a wreck, Perry shifted his flag to Niagara. A fresh ship with a fresh crew turned the battle, every British vessel was forced to surrender. Battle of Lake Champlain -- September 11, 1814: This naval engagement echoed Benedict Arnold's battle at Valcour Bay during the American Revolution. Once again, the British tried driving a wedge between New England and the South. Again, a naval building race ensued. And again, the inexperienced Americans fought at anchor. The British occupied the northern end of Lake Champlain, and Americans the southern. British commander George Dowrie either had to destroy the American fleet, or leave it to harass his supply lines. He chose the former course. American commander, Thomas Macdonaugh, was prepared for him.
63. NAMUP1_130106_512.JPG: Peace on Christmas Eve -- December 24, 1814: One objective of British strategy in the north was to force the Americans to make territorial concessions, preserving land for Indians that could be a buffer between the United States and Canada. The losses on the lakes undercut the British bargaining position in peace negotiations at Ghent, Belgium. The resulting treaty led to status quo. Neither side gained territory; issues that led to war went unresolved. The United States Navy had shown, however, ship for ship , it was more than equal to the world's greatest sea power.
64. NAMUP1_130106_518.JPG: Staffordshire Commemorative Plate: Despite the fact that the Americans were the enemy in the War of 1812, British craftsmen produced numerous souvenirs honoring American naval victories and heroes, including this piece commemorating Commo Thomas Macdonough's victory in the Battle of Lake Champlain, September 11, 1814. The plate was made of Enoch Wood and Sons, Burselm, Staffordshire, England, about 1830.
65. NAMUP1_130106_525.JPG: Presentation Sword and Scabbard: Commodore Macdonough was born in New Castle County, Delaware, on December 31, 1783. This brass mounted sword was made in Philadelphia with blade by William Rose and Sons and etched by John Meer. It is believed to be the sword given to the commodore by his home state of Delaware following the Battle of Lake Champlain.
66. NAMUP1_130106_541.JPG: Thomas Macdonough 1783-1825 Macdonough, appointed a midshipman in 1800, first came to public attention during the first Barbary War. He was part of the crew that destroyed Philadelphia after the frigate ran aground in Tripoli Harbor. During the War of 1812, he commanded the American naval forces on Lake Champlain. He was promoted to captain in recognition of his defeat of the British naval squadron on the lake. After the war, Macdonough commanded the Portsmouth Navy Yard, then the new frigate Guerriere in the Mediterranean. During a second cruise to the Mediterranean, in command of Constitution, he requested that he be relieved because of ill health. He died at sea on his way home.
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2013 photos: Trips this year: three Civil War Trust conferences (Memphis, TN, Jackson, MS [to which I added a week to to visit sites in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee], and Richmond, VA), and my 8th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including sites in Nevada and California). Ego Strokes: Aviva Kempner used my photo of her as her author photo in Larry Ruttman's "American Jews & America's Game: Voices of a Growing Legacy in Baseball" book. Equipment this year: I mostly used my Fuji XS-1 camera but, depending on the event, I also used a Nikon D7000 and Nikon D600. Number of photos taken this year: just over 570,000.
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