JOURNAL OF PASSED MIDSHIPMAN FRANK A. BACON, 1835‑6
IN WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

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19 Aug 1835 Sailed from Staten Island, NY -- 1600 crossed the bar and discharged the pilot

11 Sep 1835 1800 Arrived at Gibraltar.

12 Sep 1835 2100 Sailed, "leaving behind 5 officers who had not returned to the ship at sunset as ordered."

19 Sep 1835 1000 Arrived at Port Mahon. "An officer can not pass through the streets without being beset by a legion of 1/2 clad boys with countenances wrinkled into a thousand shapes of woe, beseeching charity in the following language, 'Officer give me one penny for the "mange." At meal times on board an American man of war (if permitted) the decks are always crowded beggar girls who come on board for their meals. If this permission is refused they look upon it as an invasion of their rights."

27 Sep 1835 [Sunday] "Is memorable as being the day on which I was first incarcerated & forced to consider myself a prisoner. A part of us had been attending a party at the Dutch consuls, and a part of the officers had attended a low dance at which they got themselves in some difficulty with the townsmen, but very wisely if not courageously left the place. Information of the disturbance was conveyed to the guards while they were going their rounds the party were at the Consuls started to go on board & while we were walking quietly down the main street, were charged upon by a body of Soldiers who disputed our passage with fixed bayonet. & with threats & abusive language ordered us to go with them to prison, at which our party under the direction of Lts. Chauncey & Colhoun drew our side arms & fairly beat back the guard & had well nigh secured our passage (10 against 12)when the soldiers were reinforced by an other [sic] guard back[ed] by the rabble of the city. The fight became general, we were soon overpowered by numbers & taken prisoners, but not till a part of the party had received ample proof that the officers of the Constitution now are the same in spirit that they were 21 years ago. Give me but one watch of the Constitution's crew & I will compromise to sweep every vestage [sic] of a Soldier from Mahon. information [sic] was communicated to Como. Elliott of our situation that evening, & a correspondence commenced between him & the Governor, but we were not liberated 'till after some harsh threats had been made by Como. E. & his boats were armed and mann'd alongside the vessel. an [sic] English commander would have landed & rescued us that night at all hazzards [sic]. when [sic] safely lodged under lock & key I found I was much bruised & "missed" a watch & the tails of my coat. much [sic] of our party were more or less hurt & Lieut. Colhoun badly wounded with a bayonet in the back. this [sic] happened at the commencement of the affray & I carried him into the first house I saw, & returned just in time to have violent hands laid upon me by the reinforcement. I hope that none of the squadron will be permitted to winter here. this [sic] will distress them more than any thing [sic] else we can do, as many of the inhabitants obtain their living through the squadron."

27 Oct 1835 Passed Midshipman Bacon transferred to SHARK.

1 Nov 1835 CONSTITUTION sailed.

5 Jan 1836 CONSTITUTION sailed from Smyrna with SHARK.

16 Feb 1836 SHARK arrived at Lisbon to find CONSTITUTION already there.

13 Mar 1836 Passed Midshipman Bacon transferred to JOHN ADAMS.

7 Apr 1836 JOHN ADAMS arrived at Lisbon; CONSTITUTION there.

13 Apr 1836 The squadron sailed.

19 Apr 1836 Saw CONSTITUTION anchored off Malaga. CONSTITUTION sailed that afternoon for Gibraltar.

23 May 1836 Sailed from Port Mahon with CONSTITUTION and rest of squadron.

25 May 1836 Squadron arrived at Toulon.

1 Jun 1836 Squadron sailed.

2 Jun 1836 Squadron arrived at Genoa.

7 Jun 1836 Squadron sailed.

9 Jun 1836 Squadron arrived at Leghorn.

18 Jun 1836 Commodore Isaac Hull, who had commanded CONSTITUTION in her viictory over HMS GUERRIERE in 1812, visited the squadron and received a 13 gun salute.

19 Jun 1836 Squadron sailed.

22 Jun 1836 Squadron arrived at Civitavecchia.

30 Jun 1836 Squadron sailed at midnight.

2 Jul 1836 Squadron arrived at Naples.

10 Jul 1836 Squadron sailed.

13 Jul 1836 Squadron arrived at Palermo.

? Jul 1836 Squadron (less SHARK) sailed.

22 Jul 1836 Squadron arrived at Messina.

25 Jul 1836 Squadron sailed.

30 Jul 1836 Squadron arrived at Corfu, where SHARK at anchor.

1 Aug 1836 "...the officers of the squadron attended a Ball given to them by Sir Howard Douglass (Governor of the Ionic Isls [sic] & author of a scientific work on marine gunnery). The most splendid private party I ever attended, well calculated to please a Naval officer, being in a great manner devoid of punctilia & etequett [sic] common on those occasions‑‑ Sir Howard himself is one of the most perfect gentlemen I ever met with."

7 Aug 1836 CONSTITUTION sailed.

11 Aug 1836 CONSTITUTION, POTOMAC and JOHN ADAMS arrived at Milo.

12 Aug 1836 All three sailed.

14 Aug 1836 The three arrived at Napoli di Romana.

17 Aug 1836 All three sailed.

19 Aug 1836 The three arrived at Piraeus.

24 Aug 1836 CONSTITUTION, UNITED STATES (which had arrived and replaced POTOMAC) and JOHN ADAMS sailed.

26 Aug 1836 The three arrived at Candia.

29 Aug 1836 The three sailed.

4 Sep 1836 The three arrived at Sidon.

5 Sep 1836 The three sailed.

6 Sep 1836 The three arrived at Beirut.

11 Sep 1836 The three sailed.

12 Sep 1836 The three arrived at Tripoli, Syria.

16 Sep 1836 CONSTITUTION visited by Ibrahim Pasha.

17 Sep 1836 The three sailed.

20 Sep 1836 The three arrived at Jaffa.

29 Sep 1836 The three sailed.

1 Oct 1836 The three arrived at Alexandria, Egypt.

4 Oct 1836 Mahomet Ali visited CONSTITUTION.

7 Oct 1836 The three, as well as SHARK, sailed. CONSTITUTION and UNITED STATES parted company from others that night.

? Oct 1836 JOHN ADAMS arrived at Tripoli, Libya, to find CONSTITUTION and UNITED STATES already there. All sailed that afternoon.

20 Oct 1836 All arrived at Tunis.

12 Nov 1836 JOHN ADAMS arrived at Port Mahon. CONSTITUTION there.