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Samuel Nicholson's commission as captain of USS Constitution, signed by President George Washington.
harassment by British and French forces. In response, the Continental Congress passed the Naval Armament Act of 1794, calling for the construction of six frigates at shipyards along the Eastern Seaboard. Samuel Nicholson also returned to service in 1794 and was appointed captain-and the second highest ranking officer-in the newly reorganized US Navy. 3 Nicho~son's first assignment was to serve as superintendent for the construction of one of those original six, the Constitution in Boston Harbor. It would take four years for the ship to be built. Paul Revere's brass and iron foundry produced many of its brass fittings,4 and George Washington signed Nicholson's commission as its captain. Constitution's launch was set for 20 September 1797, with President John Adams and Massachusetts Governor Increase Sumner present. Her weight was too much for the ways, however, and she moved only twenty-seven feet. A second try two days later only moved the ship another thirtyone feet. After the ways were rebuilt, Constitution was finally launched on 21 October 1797.
SEA HISTORY 142, SPRING 2013
Nine months later, on 22 July 1798, Nicholson, as captain and first commanding officer, took Constitution out of Boston Harbor for her maiden voyage. 5 The ship's historic first cruise off the Adan tic coast was not an easy one. It was beset with personnel problems, and Nicholson captured the British privateer Niger, which he mistook for a French ship because of its French crew (that had been sailing under British orders). 6 Personal tragedy would mar this cruise, when Nicholson's son, Samuel Jr., died while serving under his father's command at sea.7 Nicholson's next cruise in Constitution was in 1799 under Captain John Barry in his flagship, the frigate United States. 8 They were tasked with protecting American shipping from French privateers in the West Indies. On this second cruise, Nicholson regrettably repeated his mistake from Constitution's first outing, this time intercepting Spencer, an English merchant ship, which recently had been taken prize by the French frigate L1nsurgente. Perhaps apprehensive afrer the mix-up with Niger, Nicholson released the ship and her crew
the next morning, despite the fact that Spencer was now technically a French ship operated by a French prize crew. This mistake and other problems on board would make this cruise Nicholson's last, ending his career at sea.A notable fact is that Nicholson was never captured, nor did he lose his ship, as did many others in his day. After a brief stay in Boston Harbor, Constitution went back out to sea under a new captain, Silas Talbot. The new captain and the crew would capture many prizes in the West Indies between 1799 and 1802; however, as peace between the United States and France approached, there was little need for the Constitution ro sail further patrols. The squadron with which the Constitution sailed was ordered back ro the United States and Constitution was placed in ordinary in Boston Harbor in July 1802. Both Constitution and Nicholson would not be out of commission for long. As the Barbary States grew increasingly hostile to American merchant ships in the Mediterranean, Constitution was recommissioned by Captain Edward Preble in May 1803. Under naval reforms made by President 37