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On February 20, 2015 in Charlestown Navy Yard ... the crew of USS
Constitution commemorated the bicentennial of Old Ironsides' final
battle during the War of 1812, her unprecedented dual-victory over
Royal Navy ships HMS Cyane and HMS Levant.
Constitution
Sailors fired the ship's saluting battery at noon to commemorate the
start of the battle, and visitors to the ship received dramatic
accounts of the battle from Constitution crew members throughout the
day. At sunset, the saluting gun was fired again in commemoration of
the conclusion of both the battle and the War of 1812.
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February 20, 2015 - Sailors assigned to USS Constitution fire a round from the ship's saluting battery to commemorate the bicentennial anniversary of Old Ironsides' dual victory against the Royal Navy ships HMS Cyane and HMS Levant in its final battle of the War of 1812. The battle, which took place on Feb. 20, 1815 near the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira, was fought three days after the U.S. Senate ratified the Treaty of Ghent, which officially ended the war. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Peter Melku)
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The evening gun salute was followed by a ceremony and
reception at the USS Constitution Museum. The reception
opened with welcoming remarks from Cmdr. Sean D. Kearns,
Constitution's 73rd commanding officer, and Anne Rand,
president of the USS Constitution Museum, and then featured
an account of the battle from a current crew member, Damage
Controlman Fireman Terray Franklin, followed by remarks from
the guest speaker, Professor James Holmes of the Naval War
College in Newport, Rhode Island.
"The ceremony today
was a great way to commemorate what was arguably
Constitution's greatest victory under the command of perhaps
her greatest captain," said Kearns. "It was also a fitting
time to reflect on the entire war and the peace which has
existed among the belligerents ever since. As Professor
Holmes mentioned in his remarks, it is as important now as
it was then for us to be able to look past old enmities and
strive for peace and partnership with other nations."
Representatives from Boston's Canadian and
Irish consulates were also on hand to give remarks and toast
the 200 years of peace that has existed between the U.S.,
Canada and Great Britain since the conclusion of the war.
"The War of 1812 helped solidify the North American
borders, and helped create a peace between Canada and
America," said Frank Ruddock, Canada's consul general in
Boston. "The war helped forge a truce between the countries,
and allowed us to move forward together."
Constitution's battle against Cyane and Levant originally
took place on Feb. 20, 1815 near the Portuguese archipelago
of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean. At the start of the
battle, Constitution was confronted by the two Royal Navy
ships simultaneously, as British officers were now under
orders to only confront solo American frigates in pairs or
as part of a squadron. Under the command of Capt. Charles
Stewart, Constitution was able to out-maneuver and
eventually cause the British ships to separate from one
another.
With the Cyane and Levant split up, Stewart
was able to battle and capture the Royal Navy ships as if he
were fighting two separate one-on-one battles. The Cyane-Levant
battle is still studied at the Naval War College today to
better understand the superior tactical strategies utilized
by Stewart and the crew of Old Ironsides 200 years ago.
Breandan O Caollai, Ireland's consul general in Boston,
spoke of the relationship between Capt. Charles Stewart, and
the Irishman Charles Stewart Parnell, Stewart's grandson.
Parnell is regarded as one of the most famous patriots in
Ireland's history and was founder and leader of the Irish
Parliamentary Party.
"Our histories are intertwined,"
said O Caollai. "Charles Stewart greatly influenced our
Charles Stewart Parnell, and helped forge Parnell into the
history of Ireland. Growing up, I would learn about Parnell
and pass his namesake street, and now to represent Ireland
at the ship celebrating his grandfather's victory is truly
an honor."
The event on February 20th was the finale
of Constitution's three-year bicentennial commemoration of
the War of 1812, which concluded in 1815. Old Ironsides'
first two victories in the war were against HMS Guerriere on
Aug. 19, 1812 and HMS Java on Dec. 29, 1812.
USS
Constitution, the world's oldest commissioned warship
afloat, actively defended sea lanes against global threats
from 1797 to 1855. Now a featured destination on Boston's
Freedom Trail, Constitution and her crew of U.S. Navy
Sailors offer community outreach and education about the
ship's history and the importance of naval seapower to more
than 500,000 visitors each year.
USS Constitution is scheduled to be dry docked in Charlestown
Navy Yard in the spring of 2015 for a three-year planned restoration
period.
By U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Victoria Kinney
Navy News Service
Copyright 2015
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