Commodore Isaac Hull: American Hero-- Part 2: The Hat

He was commissioned a 4th Lt. in the U.S. Navy in 1798 and eventually assigned to the USS Constitution.

The Constitution was designed by Quaker Joshua Humphreys of Pennsylvania and was a state-of-the-art war machine when launched in 1797 as one of the first six U.S. Navy ships, all named by George Washington.

In 1799, Hull became second in command of the ship as 1st Lt and in 1806, became its captain.

In 1812, it narrowly escaped a British squadron and then attained a historic defeat of the British 38-gun frigate HMS Guerriere off Nova Scotia August 19th.  During the battle, the Constitution's 25-inch thick wooden sides caused the British shot to bounce off.  A sailor saw this and yelled, "Huzza!  Her sides are made of iron!"

After half an hour, the outgunned Guerriere was forced to surrender in the mismatched battle.  Its captain, James Daores had known Hull before the war and once in the same port had bet his hat that if the two ships weer ever to fight, that he'd win.  When the two met, Hull refused the traditional surrender sword, but did want his hat.

Hull and his men became instant heroes.  Afterwards, Hull was ordered to Portsmouth's Navy Yard in Kittery where he served for the rest of the war.

After the war, he settled in Philadelphia where he died Feb. 13, 1843, with his last words, "I Strike my flag."  The house he was born in no longer stands.

American hero.  --Brock-Perry