The reason why the exploit itself never received the public commendation to which, as a mere military achievement, it was so justly entitled, was connected with the illegality and recklessness of the enterprise in its inception. It follows that this, which may be termed the Constitution's earliest victory, was obtained in the face of law and right. Fortunately the old craft has lived long enough to atone for this error of her youth by many a noble deed achieved in defence of principles and rights that the most fastidious will not hesitate to defend.

The Constitution returned to Boston in Aug. 1800, her cruise being up, not only on account of her orders, but on account of the short period for which men were then enlisted in the navy, which was one year. On the 18th Nov., however, she was ordered to sail again for the old station, still wearing the broad pennant of Talbot. Nothing occurred of interest in the course of this cruise; and, early in the spring, orders were sent to recall all the cruisers from the West Indies, in consequence of an arrangement of the difficulties with France.

It is certain that the good fortune of Old Ironsides did not appear in the course of this, her original service. While Nicholson had her, she does not seem to have captured any thing; and, in Goldsborough's list armed French vessels taken during the years 1798-9, and 1801, a period of near three years, during quite two years of which the ship must have been actively on her cruising grounds, he gives but four to the Constitution. These four vessels—La Tullie and L'Esther, two small privateers, the Sandwich and the Sally—the last of which, by the way, was an American, seized for illegal intercourse with the enemy.

By the peace establishment law, approved March 3d, 1801, all the frigates regularly constructed for the service were permanently retained in the navy. Old Ironsides enjoyed an excellent character among them, and was kept, of course, there being no other use for such a craft, indeed, in the country, than those connected with a military marine. Our frigate, however, was paid off and dismantled at Boston, where she remained unemployed from the spring of 1801 until the summer of 1803, rather more than two years, when Preble was ordered to her, with a broad pennant, in order to repair to the Mediterranean. As this was the commencement of the brilliant portion of Old Ironsides’ career, it may be well to give a list of the officers who were now attached to, and who actually sailed in, her. It was the following:—

 

Commodore.
Edward Preble

Lieutenants.
Thomas Robinson
W.C. Jenckes. Jos. Tarbell
Sam Elbert

Master.
Nathaniel Haraden

 

This gentleman was known in the service by the sobriquet of “Jumping Billy.”

 

Midshipmen.
D.S. Dexter.
J.M. Haswell.
Ralph Izard.
Charles Morris.
John Roe.
A. Laws.
F.C. Hall.
I. Davis. W. Burrows.
D. Deacon.
Heathcote Reed.
T. Baldwin.
Leonard Hunnewell.
Jos. Nicholson.
John Thompson, act'g

 

Of all these gentlemen, the present Commodore Morris and Mr. Hall, who is at present in the Marine corps, are now in the navy and very few of the others still survive. They were not selected from the part of the country where the ship happened to lie, for by this time the nary had assumed so much of a fixed character that the officers were regarded as being at home in any portion of the republic. At Gibraltar, however, some important changes were made. Lt. Jenckes left the ship, and Lts.