United States and Macedonian

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United States and Macedonian

Post by shipstamps » Sat Aug 30, 2008 3:35 pm


A painting by Coates, in 1811, featuring the United States engaging the British Macedonian is shown on the 30d. stamp. Actually this event was the chief claim to fame of the American ship, which captured the British warship on October 25, 1812, in the Atlantic. The United States was also built to the plans of Josiah Fox, under the direction of Joshua Humphreys, a Quaker of Welsh descent. She was the first frigate of the class to go down the ways and was built by Humphreys himself at Philadelphia and launched on May 10, 1797 (U.S. State Papers). She was reported to be the heaviest built of the three 44-gun ships of the class, as well as the slowest, earning the nickname "Old Wagon". She lasted, with the aid of numerous rebuilding until the Civil War, and was one of the ships sunk when the Federals abandoned the Norfolk Navy Yard, on April 20, 1861. Later she was raised and used as a receiving ship until 1866, when she was finally broken up. The three frigates of the class, United States, Constitution and President, were the largest frigates the world had hitherto seen and perhaps the finest ever to be built. From figurehead to stern they measured 204 ft., the keel was 146.4 ft and at their widest they were 44.3 ft.
Officially they were called 44-gun frigates, but their real armament was 30 long 24-pdrs. on the gun deck and 20 to 22 12-pdrs. on the forecastle and half-decks plus another two long 24-pdrs, on the forecastle. This was the "establishment", but it varied from year to year. These American frigates were 20 ft. longer and 3 ft. broader than the most modern English 44-gun frigates. H.M.S. Macedonian was a 5th Rate. 38 guns, 1,082 tons b.m. completed at Woolwich Dockyard on June 2, 1810. Her length was 154 ft. and beam 39ft.

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