The Captain's
Clerk Library of Congress online historical collection created by CDR Tyrone G. Martin , USN (Ret), in 1989 |
USS Constitution John Charles Roach |
Welcome to an archive specifically created
to
Your obedient servant, |
A Database of Naval History. Contains a little
of everything about the History of the Navy. |
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The Captain Speaks In these articles, a commanding officer of USS
Constitution ("Old Ironsides") writes about some of the important moments in her
history and about life aboard the famous frigate. These are pamphlets
that may be printed out for your use. |
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USS Constitution Data Basic Statistical information about the
ship. |
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Basic information about each who
commanded the ship. |
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The Ship's Calendar This shows the history for each month
of the year by day for all the years
that this ship has been in existence! |
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The Ship's Logs "Notes"
and "Quotes" from the Ship's Logs in the National Archives |
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Journals
It was customary, in the early Navy, to require
all midshipmen to maintain journals
as a way for them to learn the proper way to keep a ship's log. Most
midshipmen responded merely by copying the pages from the log of the ship to
which they were assigned, but some went beyond that and the result is a
unique source of information not found in any official documentation. Included here is material from more than two dozen such works, including
some by more senior officers and by enlisted personnel. |
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Itineraries
In her more
than eight decades of regular service, Constitution voyaged around the
world, calling at many ports. Some, she visited often; others, only once.
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Newspapers and Magazines
From the early years starting in 1794 and moving forward. Also included is the Elliott Court-Martial of 1839-1840.
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Memories "Memoires,"
as used here, refers to a group of documents concerning the ship that were written weeks, months, years - even decades - after the events they record.
As a result, less than total recall comes into play and not everything can
be taken as true. Nonetheless, these efforts offer unique, personal
recollections by persons directly involved in the events recorded, and so
add at last "texture" to our knowledge of these matters. "Notes" and
"quotes" again have been employed both to save research time and to reduce
excessive repetition. |
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Laws
Constitution is an offspring of the Congress.
She was created and manned by that body, then maintained, sustained, and
directed by legislation. Collected and transcribed here are the laws that
applied during her days of front-line service - until 1855. |
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Beginning with Commissioner of Revenue Tench
Coxe in 1794, record were kept what materials and equipage was purchased for
the ship, and in what quantities and their cost. These records often are the
sole sources of information on the construction and outfitting of the ship
at any moment in her career. For a selection of some of the earliest such
records may be found in this section. |
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The USS Constitution A Visual Record
For the first century of her service, a multitude of
artist of varying skill sought to portray Constitution in historical
context. Some sought historical accuracy, others sought an impression, and
many were thrilled with her story and did their best regardless of talent.
Beginning in the 1850s, the camera began taking a more critical eye and it
is possible to view the ship in ever greater detail. Present here is a
collection of images of the ship, together with critical comments, as
appropriate. |
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Captains In Court
The major
legal action in the Navy always has been the general court-martial. In
practice, such a court is preceded by a court of inquiry that determines if
an alleged offense is, in fact, present and prosecutable. In her long
history, "Old Ironsides" has had two captains who have been involved in the
process, one who was the subject of a court of inquiry and another was court-martialled. Detailed records of the cases is presented here. |
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National Archives Microfilm Series
The National Archives in
Washington, DC, has copied hundreds of thousands of its documents onto
microfilm and assembled them into useful categories. A number of these
series are related to the creation and operation of the U. S. Navy from its
earliest days. Many of these have been researched and the material relating
to USS Constitution assembled here. Particularly pertinent documents
are transcribed verbatim; routine administrative correspondence has been
paraphrased to save space. |
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Ship's Company Records of more than 15,000 sailors who have served in or on "Old Ironsides," mainly before 1934, are on file. If you have a family member tradition says was on board "Old Ironsides", and you would like to confirm it, send the individual's name and any other information you have, like approximate time of service, to the address below, a check will be made, and you will be notified.
Please use this email address for request of
above information:
matrosse58@gmail.com |
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The Lucky Bag Time and again, professional and vocational
historians, artists, model makers, and others, have sought out information -- or have
argued -- about many items of what should be information basic to an understanding of the
environment of the sailing navy: How many provisions were carried for a six-month cruise?
What did an ammunition load out consist of? What were the dimensions of a rammer? And on
and on and on. There follows here a "lucky bag," a randomly collected
compilation, of such information gleaned from more than twenty years of poring over
contemporary documentation and recording same in The Captain's Clerk. Much of it is
derived from materials relating to USS Constitution. It is a "working document,"
and by no means complete. |
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Some USS Constitution Sites worth visiting
These sites have even more information on this mighty fine ship! |
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Books, Videos, Music, Etc. Just what the title says! |
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Graphics of the Ship Pictures / Paintings of the ship!
Yes these are for sale as well if interested. |
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Pictures are from the Internet and are in the public domain. All of the
photos are clickable for a much larger image.
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The official web site of the
USS Constitution.
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