The USS Constitution Sets Sail Again-- Part 3

Continued from July 3rd.

All the iron in the Constitution, Old Ironsides but named for its wooden hull, came from the northwest hills of Connecticut which has a rich vein of the iron hematite.  This iron was forged at the Mt. Riga blast furnace in Salisbury, Connecticut.  The 44 cannons were also forged there.

One of Isaac Hull's lieutenants during its famous fight with the HMS Guerriere was Glastonburg, Ct., native George Campbell Read.  Hull asked Read to accept the Guerriere's surrender.

The same George Read was on the USS United States on October 25, 1812, under the command of Stephen Decatur when it captured the HMS Macedonian, the second British ship captured during the war.

The same George Read even commanded the USS Constitution for a short month in 1826.

Commodore Oscar C. Badger, born in Mansfield, Ct., commanded the Constitution from January 9, 1878 to August 2, 1879.  His son and grandson went on to become US Navy admirals.  His cousin, George E. Badger, was the 12th Secretary of the Navy.  Five different naval ships have been named for these four men, most recently, the DE-1071 which served from 1970 to 1988.

Now You Know.  --Brock-Perry