What was nicknamed old ironsides

The Constitution finally pulled from her pursuers by lowering her boats and having seamen pull the frigate by towing it. With this escape from superior forces behind him, Hull was eager for a better match-up. And then he encountered Guerriere. The two ships approached each other, and the Guerriere began firing at the Constitution while it largely sailed out of range. As one shot bounced off the hull of the Constitution , a seamen reportedly gave her the nickname that would last until this day.

A relatively one-side fight followed. The Constitution , with a tougher hull, more and bigger guns and a better captain, quickly bested the Guerriere. During a minute battle, Old Ironsides shot the Guerriere to pieces with her masts crashing on her decks. With little choice, Dacres signaled surrender and struck his flag. With the British sailors transferred to the Constitution , Hull tried to keep the Guerriere afloat so that he could tow it home as a prize.

But he had no hope of success. Over the past two centuries, Brenckle says the USS Constitution was almost lost to history on more than one occasion. And then there really was the period after the Civil War, of neglect and disrepair. It wasn't until it was brought back to Boston and started this cycle of restorations that is still going on today. These days the primary mission of the USS Constitution is education and public outreach. The ship is the the last stop on Boston's Freedom Trail.

The ship also has been declared America's Ship of State. That designation, in , allows the president, top administration officials and members of Congress to use Old Ironsides to host visiting heads of state. Constitution returned to sea in August as the flagship for Captain Edward Preble, bound for the Mediterranean and operations against the Barbary Pirates in North Africa. Stephen Decatur burned Philadelphia on February 16, , but a larger attack on Tripoli that summer, which Constitution assisted by bombarding the outer defenses, proved abortive.

Constitution blockaded Tripoli, capturing three ships in the process. Commodore Samuel Barron took command and directed a landing expedition to Derna today in eastern Libya between Benghazi and the Egyptian border , after which the Tripolitanians concluded a peace aboard Constitution on June 3, Constitution spent the next two years cruising the Mediterranean.

Captain Hugh Campbell assumed command in The Chesapeake-Leopard incident in delayed her relief, and Campbell narrowly averted a mutiny by his homesick crew. Constitution arrived back in Boston in October , fifty months after her departure. Hull sailed in early July to join an assembling U. The British gave chase, and in very calm winds it looked like Constitution would be captured. Hull wet his sails to catch all gusts, put out boats to tow the ship, and even used the kedge anchors to winch her along.

After a short stop in Boston to resupply, Hull put to sea again on August 2. Over the next two weeks Constitution took three prizes in the Gulf of St. On August 19 she ran across the British frigate Guerriere, who accepted battle.

In a short and sharp engagement, Constitution wrecked Guerriere while suffering only slight damage herself. In a highly successful cruise, she captured five merchantmen in three months. Mast problems forced a return to Boston, but Constitution again came south in the fall of Stewart brought her to New York on May 15,