The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog
The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog
The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog
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builders; but, <strong>in</strong>stead of conforniiiii; to tlic drafts and <strong>in</strong>structions from me, he curtailed the dimentions of that ship<br />
from a 44 to a 36; but by whose authority the alterations was made I [was] never able to f<strong>in</strong>d out; this ship always<br />
spoke for herself as well as the others did. Old fellows like myself like to tell what they did <strong>in</strong> their younger days,<br />
and I will say to you that I built the first frigate ['Randolph'], and fitted out the first fleet, under Com. Hopk<strong>in</strong>s,<br />
that sailed under the United States, <strong>in</strong> the year 1774. <strong>The</strong> great mark of attention you have shown me <strong>in</strong> send<strong>in</strong>g<br />
me so beautiful a present, has made me proud, although <strong>in</strong> my 86 year of age, a time of life when I ought to Ix;<br />
more humble.<br />
" <strong>The</strong> cane I shall leave as a Talisman to my grandson & namesake, son of my son Samuel, that, should he<br />
ever coMe <strong>in</strong>to action, he will recollect the bravery of the oflicers of the 'Old Ironsides.'<br />
" ShouUl you ever come this way, I should be most glad to see you and spend some time with us. I live <strong>in</strong><br />
H rford Township, Delaware County, Pa., seven miles west of the Schuylkill Bridge.<br />
"I am, with very great respect.<br />
Address, "JosiAH B.\rker, "Yours, &c.,<br />
"Naval Constructor, "Josnu.\ HuMPHREVS."<br />
" Charlestown, Mass."<br />
<strong>The</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g article appeared <strong>in</strong> the New York Tribune of Dec. 26, i38i:<br />
"AN OLD SEA DOG."<br />
" <strong>The</strong> frigate Constitution, which arrived at the Brooklyn Navy Yard recently, has now been put out of com-<br />
mission, hav<strong>in</strong>g been pronounced unseaworthy and <strong>in</strong>capable of repairs. Nearly fifty years ago an order was issued<br />
from the Navy Department direct<strong>in</strong>g that she should be broken up. Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes took a poet's view<br />
of the matter and wrote his well-known lyric, beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g 'Ay, tear her tattered ensign down.' His verses had an<br />
excellent effect, and the order was recalled. All such ships have a history, and the history of this one is e.xceptionally<br />
<strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g. If it were a matter of writ<strong>in</strong>g her obituary, there would be no default of detail. She was one of the<br />
six frigates ordered <strong>in</strong> 1794 by Congress to be completed, launched and put <strong>in</strong>to commission. It is a curious fact<br />
ihit when Cooper wrote his Naval History, three of these ships, viz., the United .States, the Constellation and the<br />
Constitution, were still afloat and <strong>in</strong> the service, neither hav<strong>in</strong>g been long out of commission. <strong>The</strong> Constitution<br />
carried forty-four guns. She with the other ships had been got afloat the year previous. She was a large vessel,<br />
with batteries of thirty twenty-four-pounders on her gun deck—such a ship as the EngUsh'were then <strong>in</strong> the habit of<br />
rat<strong>in</strong>g as a thirty-eight. She went <strong>in</strong>to the West India Squadron under the command of Capta<strong>in</strong> Samuel Nicholson,<br />
and under the flag of Commodore Barry, then senior ofliicer of the service, with a general rendezvous at Pr<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
Rupert's Bay. Her consorts made several important captures from the French, but there is no special mention of<br />
her own. Her crew were engaged <strong>in</strong> the cutt<strong>in</strong>g out of a French letter of marque at Port au Platte, under the<br />
command of Mr. Hull, an ofiicer afterward to be dist<strong>in</strong>guished. <strong>The</strong> Constitution did not emerge <strong>in</strong>to her private<br />
and personal glory until some time after. Congress, <strong>in</strong> iSoi, saved her from the ignom<strong>in</strong>y of be<strong>in</strong>g disposed of. In<br />
1804 she was <strong>in</strong> the squadron operat<strong>in</strong>g aga<strong>in</strong>st Tripoli under Preble, and dist<strong>in</strong>guished herself by her fierce attack<br />
upon the town, batteries and castle. It was remarked at the time that though she was long with<strong>in</strong> the reach of the<br />
enemy's grape, many of which hit her, she had not a man hurt. In fact, she was always a lucky ship. In this<br />
action she had several of her shrouds, back-stays, trusses, spr<strong>in</strong>g stays, cha<strong>in</strong>s, lifts and a great deal of her runn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
rigg<strong>in</strong>g shot away, and yet her hull was hardly touched.<br />
"<strong>The</strong> Constitution won no more especial laurels until the war with Great Brita<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> 1812; but then the days<br />
of her great glory were at hand. She had just before been sent to Europe, under the command of Capta<strong>in</strong> Hull,<br />
hav<strong>in</strong>g on board specie for the payment of the <strong>in</strong>terest on the debt due <strong>in</strong> Holland. After a short stop, hav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
fulfilled her commission, at Portsmouth, England, she sailed, and outsailed several English men-of-war sent <strong>in</strong> pursuit<br />
of her, as there had been some difficulty while she was <strong>in</strong> port about deserters. <strong>The</strong> open<strong>in</strong>g of the war found her<br />
at home. On the 12th of July, 1812, still under command of Capta<strong>in</strong> Hull, she sailed from Annapolis and stood to<br />
the northward. On Friday, July 17, she discovered a sail to the northward and eastward, which subsequently proved<br />
to be the Gucrriere. But the Constitution was soon encountered by a British fleet, and then began that chase,<br />
unexampled <strong>in</strong> naval annals, which redounded so much to the glory of the officers and men of the Constitution. She<br />
sailed proudly <strong>in</strong>to Boston with a record of seamanship which has never been surpassed, and never will be, and<br />
which places Capta<strong>in</strong> Hull among the first of naval commanders of any age. But the Constitution was not kept<br />
idle at Boston. Sail<strong>in</strong>g from that port on the 19th of August, Capta<strong>in</strong> Hull sighted and soon encountered his old<br />
enemy the Guerricre. <strong>The</strong> particulars of the action have been a hundred times related and need not here be told<br />
aga<strong>in</strong>. No victory ever made a deeper moral impression. <strong>The</strong>re was no talk of absolute British supremacy at sea<br />
afterward. <strong>The</strong> old ship, which had been badly knocked about, went back to Boston to refit, after a battle which<br />
was decided <strong>in</strong> her favor <strong>in</strong> about half an hour. <strong>The</strong> first serious conflict of the war was immortality for the Con-<br />
stitution. Hull honorably gave up the command of the ship, under the <strong>in</strong>fluence of a feel<strong>in</strong>g that others should be<br />
allowed to dist<strong>in</strong>guish fhemselve.-.