August 19, 1812 - USS Constitution takes HMS Guerriere

W.G.Ewald

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USS 'Constitution takes HMS Guerriere in a celebrated fight.

USS Constitution, commanded by Captain Isaac Hull, sailed from Chesapeake Bay on July 12. On July 17, Broke's British squadron gave chase off New York, but the Constitution evaded her pursuers after two days. After briefly calling at Boston to replenish water, on August 19, the Constitution engaged the British frigate HMS Guerriere. After a 35-minute battle, Guerriere had been dis-masted and captured and was later burned. The Constitution earned the nickname "Old Ironsides" following this battle as many of the British cannon balls were seen to bounce off her hull. Hull returned to Boston with news of this significant victory. On October 25, the USS United States, commanded by Captain Decatur, captured the British frigate HMS Macedonian, which he then carried back to port.[65] At the close of the month, the Constitution sailed south, now under the command of Captain William Bainbridge. On December 29, off Bahia, Brazil, she met the British frigate HMS Java. After a battle lasting three hours, Java struck her colours and was burned after being judged unsalvageable. The USS Constitution, however, was relatively undamaged in the battle.
War of 1812 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

Known_Unknown

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The War of 1812 ended in humiliation for the Americans when the British occupied Washington D.C and burned down the White House and Capitol Hill.



Famous White House Fires | White House Sketches

The most famous fire in White House history was the result of hostilities with Great Britain, begun in 1812, culminating in the invasion of Washington on August 24, 1814. British troops entered the defenseless city, where they ate a dinner prepared for the president at the White House, and then torched the building, destroying all but the outer walls.
 

W.G.Ewald

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The burning of the White House followed the Battle of Bladensburg.

The Battle of Bladensburg took place during the War of 1812. The defeat of the American forces there allowed the British to capture and burn the public buildings of Washington, D.C. It has been called "the greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms.
Battle of Bladensburg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The burning of the White House was not the end of the war.

In fact, the major defeat of the British Army at New Orleans occurred after the war was over.

Battle of New Orleans - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812.[3][4] American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the Louisiana Purchase.[5][6][7] The Treaty of Ghent had been signed on December 24, 1814 and was ratified by the United States Senate on February 16, 1815. Hostilities continued until late February when official dispatches announcing the peace reached the combatants in Louisiana, finally putting an end to the war.[8][9] The battle is widely regarded as the greatest American land victory of the war.


The Battle of New Orleans. General Andrew Jackson stands on the parapet of his makeshift defenses as his troops repulse attacking Highlanders. (The Highlanders are incorrectly depicted wearing kilts and feather bonnets as the 93rd Highlanders for this campaign had been ordered to wear tartan trousers and plain bonnets - in fact the uniforms shown are more Victorian in style than Georgian. See, "Historical Records of the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders", Roderick Hamilton Burgoyne, London, 1883.)
 

Kunal Biswas

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If HMS Victory was deployed in those water, that would have been real problem for USS Ships to Operate..



Quite a monster of her time..

Finally her active career ended on 7 November 1812, when she was moored in Portsmouth Harbour off Gosport and used as a depot ship.
 

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