| President | 2420 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominal Guns | 44 | W012 | |
| Nationality | United States | W012 | |
| Ordered | 1794/03/27 | B90 | |
| Launched | 1800/04/10 | B90 | |
| How acquired | Purpose built | B90 | |
| Shipyard | New York Navy Yard | W012 | |
| Designed by | Joshua Humphreys | B90 | |
| Constructor | Christian Bergh | W012 | |
| Category | Fifth Rate | W012 | |
| Ship Type | Frigate | W012 | |
| Captured | 1815/01/15 | W012 | |
| Becomes | British fourth rate frigate 'President' (1815) | W012 | |
Dimensions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension | Measurement | Type | Metric Equivalent | W012 |
| Length of Gundeck | 175' 0" | Imperial Feet | 53.34 | Length of Keel | 157' 10" | Imperial Feet | 48.1076 | Breadth | 44' 4" | Imperial Feet | 13.5128 | Depth in Hold | 13' 11" | Imperial Feet | 4.2418 | Burthen | 1,576 | Tons BM |
Armament | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | Broadside Weight = 855 | W012 | ||
| Upper Gun Deck | 32 | American 24 Pounder | ||
| Spardeck | 1 | American 18 Pounder | ||
| Spardeck | 22 | American 42-Pounder Carronade | ||
| 1815/01/15 | Broadside Weight = 816 | B044 | ||
| Upper Gun Deck | 32 | American 24 Pounder | ||
| Spardeck | 20 | American 42-Pounder Carronade | ||
| Spardeck | 1 | American 24-Pound Carronade | ||
| Crew Complement | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | # of Men | Notes | Source |
| 1812 | 450 | B044 | |
| Flag Officers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Rank | Name | Source |
| 1801 | 1802 | Commodore | Richard Dale | W012 |
| Commanders | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Rank | Name | Source |
| 1800 | 1802 | Captain | Thomas Truxtun | W012 |
| 1802 | 1806 | Captain | James Barron | W012 |
| 1808/12 | 1811 | Captain | William Bainbridge | W012 |
| 1811 | 1813 | Captain | John Rodgers | W012 |
| 1811/12/24 | 1813 | Master Commandant | Charles Ludlow | W012 |
| 1814 | 1815/01/15 | Captain | Stephen Decatur | W012 |
| Petty Officers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Rank | Name | Source |
| 1810/10 | 1813/11 | Midshipman | Matthew C Perry | |
| 1810/12/17 | 1812/08/23 | Midshipman | John H Bird† | |
| 1812 | 1814 | Midshipman | Edward Rutledge Shubrick | W065 |
| 1812/06/15 | Unknown | Midshipman | Joel Abbot | W064 |
| 1812/08/23 | Unknown | Midshipman | John Taylor | W064 |
| 1815/01/15 | Unknown | Midshipman | Irvine Shubrick | W064 |
| Marines | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Rank | Name | Source |
| 1812/08/23 | Unknown | Marine Lieutenant | John Heath | |
| Service History | Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1800/08/05 | Maiden cruise | |
| 1801 | Flagship of the Mediterranean squadron until 1802 | |
| 1804 | Service in the Mediterranean until 1805, including action against Tripoli | |
| 1809 | Cruises off the eastern coast of the United States | |
| 1811/05/12 | Met and fired on the British sloop Little Belt (20) off Cape Henry. Little Belt suffered damage and casualties but returned to port | |
| 1811/05/16 | Action vs Little Belt - President vs Little Belt | |
| 1812/06/21 | Left New York in company with the United States , Congress , Hornet and Argus | |
| 1812/06/23 | Action vs Belvidera - Belvidera vs President | |
| 1812/10/10 | Chased the Nymphe | |
| 1812/10/21 | Contacted Galatea convoying two vessels, Congress took one, the Argo | |
| 1812/12/31 | Returned to Boston | |
| 1813/04/30 | Cruise off the Cape Verde Islands and the Brazilian coast with Congress | |
| 1813/05/02 | Unsuccessful chase of the British sloop Curlew (18) | |
| 1813/05/08 | Parted company with Congress | |
| 1813/07/19 | Chased by two British sail for four days. These were the Alexandria and Spitfire | |
| 1813/09/24 | Took the Unrated Schooner Highflyer | |
| 1813/09/27 | Put into Newport, Rhode Island | |
| 1813/12/04 | Sailed for a cruise to the West Indies | |
| 1813/12/25 | Escaped from two French Frigates Nymphe (40) and Meduse (40) | |
| 1814/02/18 | Returned to New York and was then blockaded by the British | |
| 1815/01/14 | Sailed from New York, ran onto a sandbar after midnight on the 15th and got off later in a damaged state | |
| 1815/01/15 | Present at the Capture of the President | |
| 1815/01/15 | Taken by Endymion , Pomone , Tenedos , Majestic | |
| Notes on Ship | |
|---|---|
| Explosion | |
| During the chase of the Belvidera the main deck bow chaser exploded, killing and wounding 16 men, amongst the wounded was Commodore John Rodgers. | |
| Sources | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ID | Description | Author | Type |
| W012 | Dictionary of American Fighting Vessels | Unknown | Web Site |
| B90 | The U.S. Sailing Navy, 1775-1853 | Paul H Silverstone | Book |
| B044 | The Naval War of 1812 - Vol 1 | Theodore Roosevelt | Book |
| W065 | Shubrick Family Tree | Rob Salzman | Web Site |
| W064 | USS Abbot - DD629 | Web Site | |