The U.S.S. Constitution (Old
Ironsides), as a combat vessel, carried 48,600 gallons of fresh water for her
crew of 475 officers and men. This was sufficient to last six months of
sustained operations at sea. She carried no evaporators (i.e. fresh water distillers).
According to her ship's log, "On
July 27, 1798, the U.S.S. Constitution sailed from Boston with a full
complement of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon
shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and
79,400 gallons of rum."
Her
mission: "To destroy and harass English shipping."
Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took
on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum.
Then she headed for the
Azores , arriving there 12 November. She provisioned with 550 pounds of
beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine.
On 18 November, she set sail for
England. In the ensuing days she defeated five British men-of-war and captured
and scuttled 12 English merchant ships, salvaging only the rum aboard each.
By 26 January, her powder and shot were
exhausted. Nevertheless, although unarmed, she made a night raid up the Firth
of Clyde in Scotland . Her landing party captured a whisky distillery and
transferred 40,000 gallons of single malt Scotch aboard by dawn. Then she
headed home.
The U.S.S. Constitution arrived back in
Boston on 20 February, 1799, with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, no rum,
no wine, no whisky, and 38,600 gallons of water.
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