Morning journal and courier., 1888-04-12
The Constitution,s FIgure-Head.


 As boy, I used to enjoy visiting the Charlestown navy-yard, and there my interest was especially excited in the hgure-head of the Constitution, which was preserved near the dry dock. This by the way was not the original fgure-head of "Old Ironsides," !" which represented Hercules with an uplifted club and was shot away before Tripoh. The next fgure-head of the historic craft, with which she entered on her glorious career in 1812, was that of Neptune, which is referred to in the old song:
 By the trident of Neptune" brave H un cried It points to the track of the bullying Gurriere"
 There is @ representation of this fgure- head in Drake's "Old Land-Marks of Bos- ton," to which I am indebted for the facts herein stated. The third fgure-head of the Constitution was bust of General Jackson, and there is @ special interest asso slated with it from the circumstances connected with 8 successful assault upon the wooden image while the vessel was at Charlestown nearly 6fty-four years ago. This was called the "affair of the fgure-head," and throws an ties of those days.
 President Jackson had visited Boston the year before, and though received with the courtesy due to his official position and made an LID. at Cambridge, where, as Dr. Pea body relates in his 'tHarvard "Reminiscences :" his bearing excited the admiration of Presi- dent Quincy and others of his strong politi- .cal opponents, yet the pressure of popular feeling was marked against him on account of his political acts. The intelligence that Commodore Elliott, the commander of the navy-yard, intended to put fgure-head of Jackson on the Constitution, and that 6 Bos- ton carver, Laban s. Beecher, was at work sS tad openly declared that the endeared frigats should not go to sea with this image at her bows. Some idea of the excitement which prevailed over the affair may be had from the fact that the artist was offered large bribes to destroy the fgure-head, and that he barred his garret, which served him for a studio, against assault. Commodore Elliott, however, felt that it was not safe to leave the head in the carver's house and therefore had it removed by an armed boats crew to the navy yard. There it was placed in the en- gine-house, where Beecher finished it ct his leisure. Jackson was represented in the Hermitage scene, holding in his hand scroll with the motto, 'sThe Union, it must be pre- served" His image was fastened to the frigate's bow, but on the 3d of July, 1884, it was found to be lacking the head, which had been sawed off, leaving only the body be- hind.
 This daring act was committed the night before while sentinels were working the ship'e deck and while two seventy-four-gun ships were moorsd on each side of her. A violent 1 thunder storm prevailed at the time, and l this favored the efforts of the bold assailant, 1 Captain Dewey, a Boston ship master. He had dropped down with the tide to the frig- l ate's moorings, and after fastening his boat | had climbed stealthily up the chains and be. gan his desperate undertaking. As he had to cut through copper bolt besides saving 1 through the tough wood, he must have made considerable noise, and the sentry is said te | have looked from the deck over the bow seY.