The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-27
BELL OF THE CONSTITUTION.
Taken From the Guerriere by a Mid
shipmnn just After the Battle.

i"'Ne" II rum the "uerrtere by Mid
shipmnn just After the Battle.
From the Boston Transcript.
About two years. ago Capt. Henry ID.
Smith Of the United States revenue serv-
ice wrote series of eleven articles. en-
titled ION the Deck of Old Ironsides.
which were published In the columns Of
a weekly Journal of this city-the Boston
True Flag. The articles were very inter
esting, and embodied every incident known
to have occurred to this famous old fight
Ing frigate. One of the incidents related
is headed How the Frigate Lost and
Gained Bell"
During the memorable battle between
the Constitution and Guerriere a shot
from the British ship carried away the
bell of old Ironsides. AS the Guerriere
was rolling In the trough of the sea, her
masts shot away, her bell tolled respon-
sively to the movements Of the shattered
craft. The tones were remarkably clear
and melodious, and attracted the atten-
ton of midshipman on the forecastle Of
the Constitution, who had been ordered to
hold himself in readiness to go on board
the Guerrero and superintend the transfer
Of prisoners. Bearing the fact in mind
that Old Ironsides no longer had bell
with which to mark the time he resolv-
ed to transfer the sweet sounding bell of
the captured craft to the deck Of the VIC
tor.
The bell Of the Guerriere was transfer
red to the deck of the Constitution by
the enterprlsing young gentleman, and did
good service for many years. This bell
must have had a history before It found
its way into the British navy, and Just
how II came to perform duty on a man
of-war rs not plain. 1t may be that the
bell was on board the Guerrero when she
was captured from the French in 1906 by
the Blanche, an English frigate of thirty
eight guns. No one was killed on board
the Blanche, and but one officer and three
men wounded, while the Guerrero had
twenty-five men killed and thirty wound
ed.
During one of the many overhaulings ex-
perienced by Old Ironsides, the bell, to-
gether with other valuable trophies, was
removed, became misplaced and forgotten.
In this way the eilver-toned bell lost its
Identity, was sold by auction and passed
into the possession of a gentleman who
placed 1t on a factory near the village of
Saylesville, r. l., where 1t is now. We
echo the words of the author of the In.
teresting account when he says: IF the
venerable relic could be recovered by the
government and placed in its position on
the deck OF old Ironsides,' II would be
fulfilling a mission, certainly more appro-
pirate with it's past record and in keeping
with a spirit of sentiment that should
jealously guard and preserve trophies Of
q grand old type OF fighting vessels that
have forever passed away"
Around this bell, about four inches from
the crown, is the following inscription.
Peter Seest Amsterdam, ammo 1888 me
fecit" The figures carved thereon indi-
cate that the bell was long used on a con-
vent in England, and was sequestered dur
ing the Reformation, or 1t may have done
duty on some continental house of wor-
ship. and thus have found it's way on the
deck of the Guerrero before her capture
from the French.