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ness of color and characteristic expression. The picture by Leslie is one of his greatest successes; it is the Anne Page and Master Slender which was painted for the late Philip Hone, and is well known to the public from its having been repeatedly engraved. There is a duplicate of it in the possession of a Scotch nobleman, but this was the original picture. The picture by Maclise will not be likely to increase his reputation on this side of the Atlantic; it is an Italian scene, thoroughly melodramatic in character, and possessing but little merit in point of color or drawing. It represents a lover serenading his mistress by moonlight; he is perched in a most extraordinary manner on the top of an arch, to which he has ascended by a rope-ladder, while two ladies are listening at a corridor just above him. Our artists do not suffer by being exhibited in such company. Among the well-known works of our own artists is the celebrated series by Cole, called the Course of Empire, which belongs to the New-York Gallery. It is for the benefit of this institution, we believe, that the exhibition has been opened, and the proceeds in part are to be appropriated to the purchase of Leutze's Washington at Dorchester Heights, to be placed among the permanent possessions of the gallery.

Art was honored on the occasion of the opening night of the Washington Exhibition by a brilliant assemblage of the fashion of the city, in "evening dress," as though these beautiful productions of genius were not to be gazed at in weekday costume. It was a becoming homage on the part of Fashion to Art. But Art will flourish better when she becomes more familiar with the every-day affairs of the world, and when her productions are found in the homes of the laborer, as well as of the rich and exclusive; and it was that all might enjoy the beneficial effects of her presence that the Art-Union was founded; and it was for this noble purpose that the directors of that noble institution were laboring when they were arrested in their benevolent designs.

-A letter from Rome says, "Page has come to Rome, and is likely to have full employment. He is now painting portraits of Mr. Crawford, the sculptor, and of Mrs. Crawford, both very good subjects. Mr. Story has finished his model for the statue of his father, the late Justice Story. It is very highly spoken of by those who have seen it, and there is a rumor that a duplicate will be ordered for one of the Inns of Court in London."

-The London Spectator, in a notice of the Exhibition of the British Institute, makes the following allusion to the production of a New-York artist, now in London:

"The best figure-piece is 'The Night March,' by Mr. Glass, an artist who has deWell veloped rapidly within the last year. conceived and thoroughly carried out, it presents every requisite of the subject. On a bright moonlight night, a troop of horse defile down a rocky pass, their arms and armor glinting coldly afar. The foremost soldiers have entered a stream which lies in the line of march; the horses bow their necks to drink, but without pausing; and between the two leaders rides a peasant who acts as guide. All is secresy and anxious purpose. The leaders lean their heads in silence, with watchful eyes and ears, to catch the words which accompany the guide's indication of the route; and they hold their pistols ready for use on a moment's suspicion of foul play. There is a manifest capacity and unity in this work amounting to power. The painting is bold, broad, and effective, if somewhat coarse."

The Athenæum, in a notice of a picture, by another New-York artist, in the same exhibition, does not speak of it so flatteringly: "The Sacred Lesson,' by Mr. D. Huntington, has 'story...none to tell, sir." It is chiefly to be commended for the manner in which the old man's head is brought out; but the hands of the young girl are large beyond all proportion. As a composition the subject is quite ineffeetive."

PUTNAM'S MONTHLY.

A Magazine of Literature, Science, and Art.

VOL. I.-MAY 1853.-NO. V.

OLD IRONSIDES.

BY JAMES FENIMORE COOPER.

[The following piece of naval biography is the last literary work upon which the pen of our great novelist was engaged, and we understand it is the only posthumous publication of his writings which will be given to the world. It is printed verbatim from his manuscript, except in a few instances where dates and names are filled into the vacancies, according to his directions, and the narrative of the chase of the Constitution, which is copied, according to direction, from his Naval History.]

IN the course of the events connected

with the naval history and the naval glory of the country, this ship has become so renowned by her services and her success as to be entitled to have her biography written, as well as those who have gained distinction on her deck. Half a century has endeared her to the nation, and her career may be said to be coexistent, as well as coequal in fame, with that of the service to which she belongs. It is seldom, indeed, that men have ever come to love and respect a mere machine as this vessel is loved and respected among the Americans, and we hope the day may be far distant when this noble frigate will cease to occupy her place on the list of the marine of the republic. It is getting to be an honor, of itself, to have commanded her, and a long catalogue of names belonging to gallant and skilful seamen, has already been gathered into the records of the past, that claim this enviable distinction. Among them we find those of Talbot, Nicholson, Preble, Decatur, Rogers, Hull, Bainbridge, and others, sea captains renowned for their courage. enterprise, and devotion to the flag. Neither disaster nor disgrace ever befell any man who filled this honorable station, though the keel of this bold craft has ploughed nearly every sea, and her pennant has been seen abroad in its pride, in the hostile presence equally of the Briton, the Frenchman, and the Turk.

The celebrated craft, of which we are now about to furnish a historical sketch, VOL. I.-31

was built under a law that was approved by Washington himself, as President, March 27th, 1794. This law, which authorized the construction of six frigates, the commencement of an entirely new marine, that of the Revolution having been altogether laid aside, was a consequence of the depredations of the Dey of Algiers upon the commerce of the nation. The keel of one of the four largest of these frigates was laid down at Boston, and was named The Constitution. Her rate was that of a forty-four, though she was to be what is called a single-decked ship, or to possess but one gun deck, in addition to her forecastle and quarter deck. In the last century, it was not unusual to construct vessels of this rate, which carried batteries on two gun decks in addition to those which were mounted on their quarter decks and forecastles; but, in this instance, it was intended to introduce a new style of frigate-built ship, that should be more than equal to cope with the oldfashioned ships of the same rate, besides possessing the advantage of sailing faster on a wind and of stowing much more freely. The gun deck batteries of these four ships were intended to be composed of thirty long twenty-four pound guns, while it was then very unusual for a frigate to carry metal heavier than an eighteen. This plan was carried out in three of the six new vessels; but, owing to some mistake in getting out the frame, that laid down at Norfolk, which was also

intended for a forty-four, was, in the end, the smallest of the thirty-sixes. This was the ill-fated Chesapeake, a ship of which the career in the navy was almost as disastrous as that of the subject of our present memoir has been glorious and successful. The unfortunate Chesapeake would seem to have been commenced in error, and to have terminated her course much as it was begun.

The credit of presenting the plans for the three twenty-four pounder frigates that were built under the law of 1794, belongs of right to Mr. Joshua Humphreys, ship-builder, of Philadelphia, and the father of the gentleman of the same name, who is now the chief naval constructor. We are not certain, however, that the idea of placing such heavy metal in frigate-built ships is due to him, for the Indien, a ship built by order of Congress, at Amsterdam, during the war of the Revolution, had Swedish thirty-sixes in her, though she was not so long a vessel as either of those now built at home. As Mr. Humphreys was a builder of eminence at that time, however, it is possible his suggestions may have been attended to, even in that early day. The English certainly began to construct twenty-four pounder frigates at the close of the last, and near the commencement of the present centuries, as is seen in the Cambrian, Acasta. Endymion, &c. Let these facts be as they may, there is no question that the plans of Mr. Humphreys produced three as fine single-decked ships as were ever put into the water, and it would be difficult to say which was the preferable vessel of the whole number. Two of them, after a lapse of half a century, still remain in service, and both are favorite cruisers with those who like fast, comfortable, and efficient ships. The new frigates are all heavier, but this is almost the only superior quality of which they can properly boast.

The builder who had charge of the Constitution, while on the stocks, was Mr. Cleghorn; but the foreman, and the person who was supposed to be the efficient mechanic, was Mr. Hartly, the father of the present naval constructor, and the builder of the Argus brig, one of the finest vessels of her class that ever sailed under the American ensign.

Captains were appointed to each of the six frigates, as soon as their keels were laid, as indeed were several other subordinate officers. We may as well mention here, that the following rule for regulating the rank of the inferior officers was adopted. The captains having ranks assigned them by the dates or numbers of their commissions, in the usual way, it was or

dered that the senior lieutenant of the ship to which the senior captain was attached should rank all the other first lieutenants, and the others should follow in the same order, down to the junior lieutenant of them all. The officer to whom the original command of the Constitution was confided was Capt. Samuel Nicholson, a gentleman who had served with credit throughout the war of the Revolution, and once had worn a broad pennant. This gentleman, however, is not to be confounded with his elder brother, Capt. James Nicholson, who was at the head of the list of captains in the old navy, after Com. Hopkins was laid aside. Capt. Samuel Nicholson was the second in rank among the six captains appointed by the law of 1794, and all the Constitution's officers subsequently obtained similar rank in consequence. Barry alone ranked Nicholson, and the United States may be said to have ranked the Constitution.

The keel of the Constitution was laid on Charlestown Neck, and some progress had been made in her construction, when a treaty of peace was signed with the Dey of Algiers without firing a shot. Of course this reconciliation was purchased by tribute. Congress now directed that the work on three of the six new frigates should be stopped, while the remainder were to be slowly completed. The three it was determined to complete were The States, Old Ironsides, and The Constellation. These three ships happened to be the most advanced, and the loss would be the heaviest by arresting the work on them.

Owing to these circumstances, the Constitution was more than two years on the stocks, though commenced in haste-a delay that probably had its influence in making her a better ship than she might otherwise have been. Nevertheless the work on her was more advanced than on either ship, and, but for an accident, she would have added the distinction of being the very first vessel of the new and permanent navy that was got into the water, to her other claims for renown. She stuck on the ways, and the States and Constellation were both launched before her. As it was, she was launched Sept. 20th, 1797.

In the course of the session of Congress that succeeded, the relations of the country with France became so seriously complicated, that it was determined to repel the maritime aggressions of the sister republic by force. The sudden armament of 1795 was the consequence, and vessels of war were equipped and sent to sea as fast as circumstances would allow. Although one law was passed July 1st, 1797, “to

man and employ the three frigates," and another was passed March 27th, 1798, appropriating a considerable sum with a similar object, neither was the first vessel got to sea, though the Constellation was one of the first, and the States was not far behind her. This occurred in June and July, 1798. In the latter month, and on the 20th of the month, Old Ironsides was first moved under her canvas. She did not go to sea, however, until the succeeding month, the orders of Captain Nicholson to that effect having been dated Aug. 13th.

On this, her first cruise, the officers attached to the ship appear to have been as follows, viz.:-The celebrated Preble, since the proudest name in American naval annals, was ordered to the ship as her original first lieutenant, but he got relieved from the duty, in consequence of some dislike of her commander, and never sailed in her until he did so with his broad pennant flying on board her. The complement of the frigate was composed of the following persons, and classes of persons, viz.:

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At that time a captain of such a ship as the Constitution received but $100 per month, pay, and eight rations, or $2, per diem; a lieutenant received $40 a month and three rations; midshipmen, $19 and one ration; able seamen, $17 a month and ordinaries, $12.*

It may be well to state here, that in the reports of government, the Constitution was paid for as being 1576, carpenter's measurement, and her cost is stated at $275,000. Considered in reference to ordinary measurement, the first is more than a hundred tons too much; and considered in reference to a complete equipment, the last materially too small. The first cost of such a ship as the Constitution must have exceeded $300,000.

Nicholson sailed in August, 1798, carrying Old Ironsides into blue water for the first time. His cruising ground was

on the coast extending from Cape Henry to Florida, with orders to look out for Frenchmen. But the French, who were then at war with England, sent no heavy ships into the American waters, and it was soon found useless to keep a vessel of the Constitution's weight so near home. We find the ship, still under Nicholson, on the West India station at the close of the year, when she formed one of Barry's squadron. If her captain had originally worn a broad pennant in her, which we much doubt, although he appears to have had several small craft under his orders, it was now struck, Bårry being the only commodore of the windward squadron, while Truxton, Nicholson's junior by four, having the leeward. Little connected with the Constitution occurred during this cruise, or indeed throughout that war, of an importance to be noted. The luck of the ship had not commenced, nor was there much chance of any thing being done of éclat by a vessel of her force, under all the circumstances. The English were every where, while the French had lost so many ships already, that it was of rare occurrence to fall in with one of their frigates. By a singular fortune, the only two frigate actions that took place in the whole of the quasi war with France fell to the share of one and the same ship, the Constellation, which took the Insurgente and beat off La Vengeance. The Constitution returned to Boston.

. and her command was transferred to Talbot, who hoisted a broad pennant in her, as commodore of what was called the St. Domingo station. On this cruise Hull sailed as first lieutenant.

The second cruise of Old Ironsides commenced in August, 1799. Her orders were to go off Cayenne, in the first place. where she was to remain until near the close of September, when she was to proceed via Guadaloupe to Cape François, at which point, Talbot was to assume the command of all the vessels he found on the station. In the course of the season, this squadron grew to be six sail, three frigates and as many sloops, or brigs.

Two incidents occurred to Old Ironsides, while on the St. Domingo station, that are worthy of being noticed, the first being of an amicable, and the second of a particularly hostile character.

While cruising to windward the island, a strange sail was made, which, on closing proved to be the English frigate, the

The commander of this ship and Com.

The writer of this sketch was once asked by a French admiral, "how much America paid her seamen ?" The answer was, $12, $10, and $8, according to class." "You never can have a large marine, then, on account of the cost." That is not so clear. What does France pay for the support of the kingly office?" "About $8,000,000," said Lafayette, who was present, "and America pays $25,000 to her king, or $100,000, if you will, including all expenses" "I think, Admiral, the difference would man a good many ships."

Talbot were acquaintances, and the Englishman had the curiosity to take a full survey of the new Yankee craft. He praised her, as no unprejudiced seaman could fail to do, but insisted that his own ship could beat her on a wind. After some pleasantry on the subject, the English captain made the following proposition; he had touched at Madeira on his way out, and taken on board a few casks of wine for his own use. This wine stood him in so much a cask-now, he was going into port to refit, and clean his bottom, which was a little foul; but, if he could depend on finding the Constitution on that station, a few weeks later, he would join her, when there should be a trial of speed between the two ships, the loser to pay a cask of the wine, or its price to the winner. The bet was made, and the vessels parted.

re

At the appointed time, the appeared; her rigging overhauled, new sails bent, her sides painted, her bottom cleaned, and, as Jack expressed it, looking like a new fiddle. The two frigates closed, and their commanders dined together, arranging the terms of the cartel for the next day's proceedings. That night, the vessels kept near each other, on the same line of sailing, and under short canvas.

The following morning, as the day dawned, the Constitution and the

each

turned up their hands, in readiness for what was to follow. Just as the lower limb of the sun rose clear of the waves, each fired a gun, and made sail on a bowline. Throughout the whole of that day, did these two gallant ships continue turning to windward, on tacks of a few leagues in length, and endeavoring to avail themselves of every advantage which skill could confer on seamen. Hull sailed the Constitution on this interesting occasion, and the admirable manner in which he did it, was long the subject of eulogy. All hands were kept on deck all day, and there were tacks on which the people were made to place themselves to windward, in order to keep the vessel as near upright as possible, so as to hold a better wind.

Just as the sun dipped, in the evening, the Constitution fired a gun, as did her competitor. At that moment the English frigate was precisely hull down dead to leeward; so much having Old Ironsides, or young Ironsides, as she was then, gained in the race, which lasted about eleven hours! The manner in which the Constitution eat her competitor out of the wind, was not the least striking feature of this trial, and it must in a great degree be ascribed to Hull, whose dexterity in handling a craft under her canvas, was ever remarkable. In this particular, he

was perhaps one of the most skilful seamen of his time, as he was also for coolness in moments of hazard. When the evening gun was fired and acknowledged, the Constitution put up her helm, and squared away to join her friend. The vessels joined a little after dark, the Englishman as the leeward ship, first rounding to. The Constitution passed under her lee, and threw her main-topsail to the mast. There was a boat out from the

which soon came alongside, and in it was the English Captain and his cask of wine; the former being just as prompt to "pay" as to "play."

The other occurrence was the cutting out of the Sandwich, a French letter of marque, which was lying in Port Platte, a small harbor on the Spanish side of St. Domingo. While cruising along the coast, the Constitution had seized an American sloop called the Sally, which had been selling supplies to the enemy. Hearing that the Sandwich, formerly an English packet, but which had fallen into the hands of the French, was filling up with coffee, and was nearly full, Talbot determined to send Hull in, with the Sally, in order to cut her out. The sloop had not long before come out of that very haven, with an avowed intention to return, and offered every desirable facility to the success of the enterprise. The great and insuperable objection to its ultimate advantage, was the material circumstance that the Frenchman was lying in a neutral port, as respects ourselves, though watchful of the English who were swarming in those

seas.

The Constitution manned the Sally at sea, near sunset, on the tenth of May, 1800, a considerable distance from Port Platte, and the vessels separated, Hull so timing his movements, as to reach his point of destination about mid-day of a Sunday, when it was rightly enough supposed many of the French, officers as well as men, would be ashore keeping holiday. Short sail was carried that night on board the Sally, and while she was quietly jogging along, thinking no harm, a gun was suddenly heard, and a shot came whistling over the sloop. On looking around, a large ship was seen in chase, and so near, as to render escape impossible. The Sally rounded to, and presently, an English frigate ranged alongside. The boarding officer was astonished when he found himself among ninety armed men, with officers in naval uniform at their head. demanding an explanation, Hull told him his business, when the English lieutenant expressed his disappointment, candidly acknowledging that his own ship was waiting on the coast to let the Sandwich

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