Her old officers, when they came to try her, scarce knew the ship, she proved to be so much lighter and livelier than before. There is little question that Jumping Billy's precaution served Old Ironsides in the arduous trial she was now so soon to undergo.

RUMORS of an approaching war began to circulate freely before the Constitution got fully equipped, and she soon dropped down as low as Alexandria. This was about the beginning of June, 1812. At this time the ship had about two hundred and fifty men on board her, that had been collecting for a few weeks previously, and some of her late officers rejoined her. She was still off Alexandria when the news came down that war was actually declared against Great Britain. Read was the oldest lieutenant then on board, and he had all hands called and made them a speech. When he had ended, the men asked permission to cheer; a request that was granted of course, and nine hearty cheers succeeded. This demonstration of feeling, however, was scarcely over, when several of the crew came forward, and stated that they were English deserters, and they were afraid to serve against their native country. The case was stated to Hull, who ordered them all discharged. This done, the remainder of the people were perfectly ready to engage. About this time Beekman Verplanck Hoffman joined as one of the lieutenants.

The frigate gradually dropped down lower, receiving stores, and was joined again by Morris and Wadsworth, the former as her first, and the latter as her second lieutenant. Shortly after she went up the bay to Annapolis, where the equipment of the vessel was completed. Here John Shubrick and Aylwin, a new master, joined, and a draft of men came on also. This nearly filled up the complement; and Hull, who had joined in the river, was ordered to carry the vessel round to New-York. On the 5th of July the anchor was weighed, and Old Ironsides proceeded down the bay and to sea, on the 13th to cruise in the third and last of her wars.

At this time the principal officers of this well-known frigate were Isaac Hull, Esq., captain; Messrs. Charles Morris, Alexander Wadsworth, George Campbell Read, Beekman Verplanck Hoffman, John Templer Shubrick, and Charles W. Morgan,4 (acting) lieutenants; Messrs. Bush and Contee, lieutenants of marines; Wm. C. Aylwin, master; T. J. Chew, purser; and Amos A. Evans, surgeon. Among the midshipmen were Messrs. Gilliam, Beatty, Madison, Salter (now a captain), German, Cordon, Field, Baury (lost in the Wasp), Cross, Belcher, W. Taylor, Eskridge, Delany, Greenleaf, Griffin, and Tayloe. Morris, Read, and Wadsworth are still living, as commodores; but Shubrick and Hoffman are both dead.

The Constitution got under way, from her moorings off Annapolis, July 5th, 1812, or sixteen days after the declaration of war. The intermediate time had passed in completing the crew and the equipments of the ship. A draft of men having arrived only the previous evening, Morris was occupied in stationing them, as the vessel was leaving the bay. Many of the guns even had been taken on board low down in the Potomac, and a vast deal of necessary work had been done between the time when the ship left the Potomac and her day of going to sea.