After the war he was long and honorably employed, both at sea and on
shore, and was retired as Senior Commodore, in 1856, at the age of 78.
In 1862 he was made a Rear Admiral, on the Retired List. He died at
Bordentown, New Jersey, November 6th, 1869, aged 91, having been the
senior officer of the Navy for 17 years, and having been 71 years in
the service.
The repairs of the Constitution occupied so much time that Stewart was
not able to put to sea until the winter of 1814, when he made a cruise
down our Southern coast and through the West Indies.
On her way from the Caribbean Sea she fell in with and chased the
Pique, an English 32, which escaped her in the night; but she soon
after captured the English man-of-war schooner Pictou, 14, and several
merchantmen. When the frigate arrived on the American coast she was
seen by two British frigates which were cruising in company, and chased
into Marblehead; but shortly after managed to get out again and reach
Boston.
About the middle of December she left Boston on another cruise and ran
off to Bermuda, and thence to the neighborhood of Lisbon. Not finding
either an armed enemy or a valuable prize, she next went into the Bay
of Biscay, but with a like want of success.
Again she returned to the vicinity of Lisbon, and cruised for some time
in the very high road of commerce, but only took one or two prizes, of
very moderate value. During this time she was in sight of the British
ship Elizabeth, 74, yet the state of wind and weather prevented them
from coming in collision.
Finding nothing to reward a further stay off Lisbon, Captain Stewart,
on the 20th of February, 1815, ordered the helm put up, and ran off,
south-west, about sixty miles. At one P. M. of that day a strange
sail was seen on the port bow, and the Constitution was hauled up two
or three points, and sail made, in chase. The stranger was soon made
out to be a ship; and, half an hour later, a second vessel was seen,
further to leeward, which was soon ascertained to be another ship.
The Constitution held her course, all three vessels being upon a
bowline, or close hauled, until 4 P. M., when the nearest of the
strange ships made a signal to the one to leeward, and shortly after
kept away and ran down toward her consort, who was about eight miles to
leeward.
No doubt was now entertained, on board the Constitution, that the
strange sails were enemies. The nearest ship had the appearance of a
small frigate, and the vessel to leeward that of a large sloop-of-war.
The first was seen to be carrying studding-sails on both sides, while
the second was running off under short canvas, evidently waiting for
her consort to close.
Captain Stewart came to the conclusion that they were going to try
to escape, and were keeping away on their best point of sailing
until nightfall, when it would be comparatively easy to dodge him.
He, therefore, crowded upon the Constitution every sail that would
draw, with a view to getting the nearest vessel under his guns.
In the course of the afternoon the Constitution carried away her
main-royal-mast, a defective spar, and the chase began to gain. Stewart
now fired a few times from his chase guns, but finding that the shot
fell short, soon ceased.
By half-past five it was seen that it was impossible to prevent the
strange sails from forming a junction, and the Constitution, then a
little more than three miles distant from the furthest ship, cleared
for action. Ten minutes later the two strange sails passed within
hail of each other, and, coming by the wind, with their heads to the
northward, hauled up their courses, and were evidently clearing to
engage. Soon they both suddenly made sail, close by the wind, evidently
in order to weather upon the American frigate. But perceiving that the
latter was closing very fast, they again hauled up their courses and
formed upon the wind, the smallest ship ahead.
By six in the evening the Constitution had them within gun-shot, and
she then showed her ensign. The other ships at once set the English
colors. Five minutes later the American ship ranged up abeam of the
sternmost and largest English vessel, at about a cable’s length
distance, passing ahead with her sails lifting, until the three ships
formed nearly an equilateral triangle, the Constitution being to
windward. In this favorable and masterly position the action began, the
three keeping up a hot and unceasing fire for about fifteen minutes,
when that of the English sensibly slackened.
The sea was now covered with a dense cloud of smoke, and Stewart
ceased firing. Soon the smoke cleared away, and the moon having risen,
the leading ship of the enemy was seen under the Constitution’s lee
beam, while the sternmost was luffing up, evidently intending to tack,
and cross the American frigate’s stern. Delivering a broadside at
the ship abreast of her, the Constitution threw her main and mizzen
top-sails, with the top-gallant-sails set, flat back, shook everything
forward, and let fly her jib-sheets, so that she backed swiftly astern,
compelling the English vessel to fill away, in order to avoid being
raked. This ship now attempted to tack, to cross the Constitution’s
fore-foot, when the latter filled, boarded her fore-tack, shot ahead,
and forced her antagonist to wear under a raking broadside, and to
run off to leeward to escape the weight of the American fire. The
Constitution, perceiving that the largest ship was wearing also, wore
in her turn, and crossing her stern, raked her with effect, although
the Englishman came by the wind immediately, and delivered her port
broadside. As the Constitution then ranged up close on her weather
quarter, she struck. A lieutenant was at once sent to take possession,
the prize proving to be the British ship Cyane, Capt. Falcon.
The other ship, which had run off to leeward, had no intention of
abandoning her consort, but had been forced out of the fight by the
crippled condition of her running rigging, as well as by the weight of
the Constitution’s fire. She was ignorant of the capture of the Cyane,
and, at the end of about an hour, having repaired damages, she hauled
up to look for her consort, and met the American frigate coming down in
quest of her. It was nearly nine o’clock before the two ships crossed
each other, on opposite tacks, the Constitution to windward; and the
English sloop pluckily exchanged broadsides with her, as they passed.
She very naturally found the Constitution’s fire too heavy for her, and
immediately bore up, in doing which she got a raking broadside.
The Constitution then boarded her fore-tack, and made sail after her,
keeping up a very effective chasing fire from her two bow guns, nearly
every shot of which told. The two ships were, indeed, so near each
other that the ripping of the enemy’s planks, as the shot struck, was
heard on board the American ship. There was no chance for the English
sloop, which was unable to stand this treatment very long, and at 10 P.
M. he came by the wind, fired a lee gun, and hauled down his ensign.
When taken possession of she was found to be the Levant, 18, the Hon.
Capt. Douglas.
During this cruise the Constitution mounted fifty-two guns; and she
had a complement of about four hundred and seventy officers and men,
a few of whom were absent in a prize. The Cyane was a frigate-built
ship, that properly rated twenty-four guns, although in Steele’s list
she appeared as only a twenty. But she mounted twenty-two 32-pound
carronades on her gun deck, and ten 18-pound carronades and two chase
guns on her quarter deck and forecastle; making thirty-four guns in all.
The Levant was a new ship, rated as an eighteen. She mounted eighteen
32-pound carronades; a shifting 18 on her top-gallant forecastle, and
two chase guns; making twenty-one in all.
There were taken from the Cyane 168 prisoners, of whom 26 were wounded.
The precise number of killed on board of her was never ascertained.
Captain Stewart, probably judging from an examination of her
muster-roll, computed it at twelve; while the English accounts differ,
some putting the killed at only four, and others at six. Probably it
was between the highest and lowest estimates. Her regular crew was
about one hundred and eighty-five, all told; and there is no reason to
believe that it was not nearly full. Captain Stewart supposed that she
had about one hundred and eighty on board during the action.
The Levant’s regular complement is said to have been one hundred and
thirty, all told; but a statement was published in Barbadoes, where
some of her officers shortly after went, that there were a good many
supernumeraries in both the English vessels, who were going to the
Western Islands, to bring away a ship that was building there.
Stewart supposed the Levant to have had one hundred and fifty-six men
in the action, of whom he believed twenty-three to have been killed and
sixteen wounded. This estimate may have been too high, but the exact
truth was never known.
It is believed that no English official account of this action was ever
published, but the Barbadoes statement makes the joint loss of the two
ships ten killed and twenty-eighty wounded. Other English accounts make
it forty-one in all. Captain Stewart’s account of the wounded must
certainly have been correct, whatever may have been the other estimates
he made. Their loss, when exposed to the heavy and destructive fire of
the Constitution, handled with the skill that that frigate was, could
not fail to be very considerable.
The Constitution had three men killed and twelve wounded.
By midnight of the 20th the frigate was ready for another engagement.
She was not very much cut up for, although it was nearly four hours
from the time the action began until the Levant struck, the actual
fighting did not occupy three-quarters of an hour.
Considering that it was a night action the execution, on both sides,
was remarkable; the English firing much better than usual.
The Constitution was hulled oftener in this action, than in both her
previous battles, although she suffered less in crew than in the combat
she had with the Java. She had not an officer hurt.
The manner in which Captain Stewart handled his ship on this occasion
was the subject of praise among nautical men, of all nations, as it
was an unusual thing for a single ship to engage two opponents and
avoid being raked. So far from this occurring to the Constitution,
however, she actually raked both her opponents, and the manner in
which she backed and filled, in the smoke, forcing her two antagonists
down to leeward, when they were endeavoring to cross her stern, or her
fore-foot, is as brilliant manœuvring as any recorded in naval annals.
It is due to a gallant enemy to say that Captain Douglas commanded the
entire respect of the Americans by his intrepidity and perseverance
in standing by his consort. The necessity of securing possession of
the Cyane employed the Constitution for some time, and gave the Levant
an opportunity of making off; but of this he nobly refused to avail
himself.
Captain Stewart proceeded, with his two prizes, to Porto Praya, in
Saint Jago, Cape de Verdes, where he arrived on the 10th of March. At
this place a vessel was chartered for a cartel, and more than a hundred
of the prisoners were landed, to assist in fitting her for sea.
On the 11th of March, at a little after noon, while a party from the
Constitution was absent in a cutter, to bring the cartel close down
to the frigate, Mr. Shubrick, who was acting as First Lieutenant, was
walking the quarter-deck, when his attention was attracted by a hurried
exclamation from one of the English midshipmen, that a large ship was
in the offing. A severe reprimand, in a low tone, followed from one
of the English Captains. On looking over the quarter Mr. Shubrick
ascertained the cause. The sea, outside the roads, was covered with a
heavy fog, which did not, however, rise very high, so that above it the
upper sails of a large vessel were visible.
She was close hauled, on the wind, standing in shore, and evidently
coming into the roads.
After examining the strange sail the Lieutenant went below and reported
to Captain Stewart. The latter at once remarked that, from the
Lieutenant’s description, she must be either an English frigate or a
large Indiaman; and he directed all hands to be called, so as to get
ready and go out to attack her.
The officer had no sooner given the order to call all hands than he
turned to take another look at the stranger, when he discovered the
canvas of two other vessels rising over the fog bank, in the same
direction.
They were evidently men-of-war, and heavy ships; and were at once
reported to the Captain. That prompt, cool, and decided officer did not
hesitate an instant as to the course he was to take. He knew very well
that the ships were probably English; and that they would disregard the
neutrality of any port that had not force enough to resist them, or
which did not belong to a nation they were bound to respect.
He immediately ordered the Constitution’s cable cut, and got underway,
at the same time making signal for his prizes to follow his motions.
In ten minutes after the order had been given, and in fourteen minutes
after the first ship had been seen, the American frigate was standing
out of the road, under her three top-sails. The cool and officer-like
manner in which sail was made and the ship cast has been much extolled;
not an instant having been lost by hurry or confusion. Her prizes
followed her with like promptitude.
The harbor is to leeward of the island, and the northeast trades
prevail there, and the three vessels passed out to sea hugging the
easterly point; and being then about a gunshot to windward of the
strange squadron. As soon as she was clear of the east point the
Constitution crossed top-gallant-yards, boarded her tacks, and set all
light sail that would draw. The English prisoners who had been sent on
shore at once took possession of a Portugese battery, and fired at the
frigate as she passed out, thus drawing the attention of the incoming
ships.
As soon as the Constitution and her prizes had gained the weather beam
of the enemy, the latter tacked, and the six ships stood off to the
southward and eastward, with a ten-knot breeze, and carrying everything
that would draw.
The fog bank still lay so thick upon the water as to conceal the
hulls of the strange ships; but they were supposed to be two line
of battle-ships and a large frigate; the vessel most astern and to
leeward being the Commodore. The strange frigate weathered upon all the
American ships, and gained upon the Cyane and Levant, but fell astern
of the Constitution; while the larger vessels on that frigate’s lee
quarter held way with her. As soon as she was clear of the land the
Constitution cut adrift two of her boats, which were towing astern, the
enemy pressing her too hard to allow of their being hoisted in.
The Cyane gradually dropped astern and to leeward, rendering it certain
that, if she stood on, the most weatherly of the pursuing vessels
would soon be alongside of her; so, at about one P. M. Captain Stewart
made signal for her to tack. This order the Prize Master, Lieutenant
Hoffman, at once obeyed, and it was expected that one of the chasing
vessels would go about, and follow her, but this hope was disappointed.
The Cyane, finding that she was not pursued, stood on until she was
lost in the fog, when Mr. Hoffman tacked again, supposing that the
enemy might chase him to leeward. This officer very prudently improved
his advantage by keeping long enough on that tack to allow the enemy
to pass ahead, should they pursue him, and then he squared away for
America, and arrived safely, in New York, on the 10th of April.
The three ships still continued to chase the Constitution and the
Levant; and although, as they left the land the fog lessened, it still
lay so low and dense as to put in doubt the exact force of the strange
vessels.
The English officers who were prisoners on board the Constitution
affirmed that the ship which was getting into her wake was the Acasta,
40, Captain Kerr, a ship which carried 24-pounders; and it was thought
that the three composed a squadron that was known to be cruising for
the American ships President, Peacock, and Hornet; consisting of the
Leander, 50, Sir George Collier; Newcastle, 50, Lord George Stuart; and
the Acasta. They subsequently proved to be those very ships.
The vessel on the lee quarter of the Constitution was the Newcastle,
and by half-past two the fog had got so low that her officers were seen
standing on the hammock cloths, though the line of her ports was not
visible.
She now began to fire by divisions, and some opinion of her armament
could be formed as her guns flashed through the fog. Her shot struck
the water quite close to the American ship, but did not rise again.
By three in the afternoon the Levant had fallen so far astern that she
was in the same danger as the Cyane had been, and Captain Stewart made
her signal to tack.
Mr. Ballard, her prize-master, immediately did so, and a few minutes
later the three English ships tacked, by signal, and chased the prize,
leaving the Constitution steering in an opposite direction, and going
eleven knots.
Lieutenant Ballard, finding the enemy bent upon following the Levant,
and that the Acasta was to windward of her wake, ran back into Porto
Praya, where he anchored at about four in the afternoon, within one
hundred and fifty yards of the shore, and under a strong battery. The
enemy’s ships followed her in, having commenced firing as soon as it
was seen that she would gain the anchorage, and, after bearing their
fire for some time, her colors were hauled down. The English prisoners
who had seized the shore battery also fired upon her; but little injury
was done, as Mr. Ballard caused his men to lie down on deck as soon as
the anchor was let go.
Sir George Collier was much criticised for the course he pursued on
this occasion. It was certainly a mistake on his part to call off more
than one ship to chase the Levant, although it may be said that the
position of the Leander, in the fog, and so far to leeward and astern,
did not give the senior officer the best opportunity for observing
the true condition of affairs. There was certainly every prospect of
the Acasta’s bringing the Constitution to action in the course of the
night, if she had kept up the pursuit.
The result would, of course, have been very doubtful, as her consorts
would have been far astern by that time; but she could probably have
sufficiently disabled the American frigate as to render her ultimate
capture certain.
Whatever may be thought of the conduct of the enemy, there could be but
one opinion in regard to that of Captain Stewart.
His promptitude in deciding upon his course when the enemy were
first sighted, the good judgment with which he ordered the prizes to
vary their courses, and the general steadiness of conduct on board
the Constitution, advanced to an exalted position a professional
reputation which was already very high.
This action and the subsequent chase terminated the exploits of the
favorite ship which he commanded--as far as that war was concerned.
Stewart, after landing his prisoners at Maranham, went to Porto Rico,
where he learned that peace was proclaimed; and he at once carried the
ship to New York.
In the course of two years and nine months the Constitution had been in
three actions; had been twice critically chased, and had captured five
vessels of war, two of which were frigates, and one frigate built.
In all her service, as well before Tripoli as in this war, her good
fortune was remarkable. She was never dismasted; never got on shore;
and suffered scarcely any of the usual accidents of the sea.
Though so often in action, no serious slaughter ever took place on
board of her. One of her Commanders was wounded, and four of her
Lieutenants had been killed, two on her decks, and two in the Intrepid.
But, on the whole, she was what is usually called a “lucky ship.” This
was probably due to the fact that she had always been ably commanded;
and in her last two cruises had as fine a crew as ever manned a ship.
They were mostly New England men, and it has been said that they were
almost qualified to fight the ship without her officers.
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