Battle of New Orleans.

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Richard Hill, OS-- Part 3: What Was an Ordinary Seaman?

USS Constitution Museum site.

ORDINARY SEAMAN

Among the enlisted men, Ordinary Seaman stood in the middle of the lower deck hierarchy.  These men had typically sailed just one or two voyages and knew basic seamanship.

Like the Able Seamen (the next higher rank), they could  hand (furl or take in), reef (reduce a sail's area), and steer, but some of the more complicated  maneuvers were foreign to them.

Many  ordinary seamen were numbered among the  topmen, the young and agile crewmembers who were responsible for working aloft on the masts and yards.

The ordinary seaman made $10 a month.

--Brock-Perry


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