At 2.00 p.m. on August 19, the USS Constitution sighted a large ship to leeward, and bore down to investigate. The weather was cloudy, and the wind was brisk. The strange ship proved to be the British warship, HMS Guerriere, whose crew recognised Constitution at about the same moment. Both ships prepared for action. As the Constitution closed, the Guerrierre slowed as best they could to fire a broadside, which fell short, and then ran before the wind for three quarters of an hour with the Constitution on her quarter. The British warship then yawed several times to fire broadsides at the Constitution, but the Guerrierre's broadsides were generally inaccurate. The Constitution fired back, and a give and take of cannon fire resulted; many of which hitting their intended targets. During this fight, a sailor aboard the Constitution witnessed the Guerrierre's cannon balls bouncing harmlessly off the thick wooden sides of the American ship, and is said to have joyously exclaimed, "Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!" This is the instant when the the Constitution received her famous moniker, "Old Ironsides".
Once the range had closed to within a few hundred yards, the Constitution's Captain Isaac Hull ordered extra sail (the foresail and main topgallant sail) to be set, to close the distance quickly. The Guerrierre's Captain James Richard Dacres ordered his ship toward the American ship as well. Now the two ships began to exchange broadsides at "half pistol-shot",with the Constitution to starboard and Guerriere to port.
After fifteen minutes of this exchange, during which Guerriere suffered far more damage than the Constitution due to the American frigate's larger guns and thicker hull, Guerriere's mizzenmast fell overboard to starboard, acting like a rudder and dragging her around. This allowed Constitution to cross ahead of Guerriere, firing a raking broadside which brought down the main yard. Hull then brought the ship to cross Guerriere's bow again, firing another raking broadside, but the manoeuvre was cut too close and the Guerriere's bowsprit became entangled in the rigging of the Constitution's mizzenmast. On both ships, boarding parties were summoned, while musket fire broke out from each ship, however, only the narrow bowsprit provided a way to cross between the ships, and in the heavy sea, neither side could venture across it.
Some of the gunners aboard Guerriere fired at point-blank range into Hull's stern cabin, setting the American ship on fire briefly, but the flames were soon extinguished. The two locked ships slowly rotated clockwise with the current until they broke free. Not soon after, The Guerriere's foremast and mainmast both snapped off at deck level, leaving her helpless and rolling heavily in the churning sea. Captain Dacres attempted to set sail using only the bowsprit to bring his ship before the wind, but it too had been damaged and broke. The Constitution meanwhile ran downwind for several minutes, repairing damage to the rigging, before once again wearing and beating upwind to return to battle.
As the Constitution prepared to renew the action, the Guerriere fired a shot in the opposite direction of the Constitution. Sensing that this was an attempt to signal surrender, Captain Hull ordered a boat to take a Lieutenant over to the British ship. When the Lieutenant walked onto the Guerriere and asked if Guerriere was prepared to surrender, Captain Dacres responded "Well, Sir, I don't know. Our mizzen mast is gone, our fore and main masts are gone-I think on the whole you might say we have struck our flag."
Captain Dacres was escorted aboard the Constitution. Captain Hull refused to accept Dacres' sword of surrender, saying he could not accept the sword from a man who had fought so gallantly. Hull wanted the Guerriere towed in as a prize ship. The Constitution lay by the Guerriere during the night but at daybreak it was obvious that the Guerriere could not be salvaged. The prisoners and the American salvage parties were brought aboard Constitution and at three o'clock in the afternoon, the Guerriere was set on fire, and soon blew up.
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| The USS Constitution and the HMS Guerrierre Engaging in Battle |
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