Silas Talbot Silas Talbot ( January 11 , 1751 – June 30 , 1813 ) was an officer in the Continental Army and in the Continental Navy during the American Revolution . Talbot is most famous for commanding the USS " Constitution " from 1799 to 1801 . Early life . Talbot was born in Dighton , Massachusetts and came from a poor family . He first took to seafaring at the age of twelve serving as cabin boy in a coasting vessel . Talbot ' s performance proved to be outstanding and in 1772 had saved up enough money to buy and settle a home in Providence , Rhode Island . Military and naval service . On June 28 , 1775 Talbot received the commission of a captain in the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment . He was commissioned a captain in the Continental Army on July 1 , 1775 . After participating in the siege of Boston Talbot and the American Army began their march to New York . Along the way they stopped at New London whose port had just received Esek Hopkins who had just landed from a sailing exposition in the Bahamas . After learning that Hopkins was going to petition General Washington for 200 volunteers needed to assist his squadron in reaching Providence , Talbot volunteered his services in this effort . After Talbot made his way back to New York where he aiding in the transportation of troops , he obtained command of a fire ship and attempted to use it to set fire to the British warship " HMS Asia ( 1764 ) " on September 14 , 1776 . The attempt failed , but the daring it displayed , and that Talbot was severely burned during the effort , won him a promotion to major on October 10 , 1777 retroactive to September 1 . After suffering a severe wound at Fort Mifflin , while fighting to defend Philadelphia , on October 23 , 1777 , Talbot returned to active service in the summer of 1778 and fought a the Battle of Rhode Island on August 28 , 1778 . As commander of " Pigot " ( which he had captured from the British ) , and later " Argo " , both under the Army , he cruised against Loyalist vessels that were harassing American trade between Long Island and Nantucket and made prisoners of many of them . On November 14 , 1778 the Continental Congress passed a resolution which recognized his success in capturing the " Pigot " and promoted him to lieutenant colonel on the same date . Because of his success fighting afloat for the Army , Congress made him a captain in the Continental Navy on September 17 , 1779 . However , since Congress had no suitable warship to entrust to him , Talbot put to sea in command of the privateer " General Washington " . In it , he took one prize , but soon thereafter ran into the British fleet off New York . After a chase , he struck his colors to " Culloden " , a 74 - gun ship - of - the - line and remained a prisoner until exchanged for a British officer in December 1781 . After the war , Talbot settled in Johnstown , New York , the county seat of Fulton County , where he purchased the former manor house and estate of Sir William Johnson , founder of Johnstown . He was a member of the New York State Assembly in 1792 and 1792 - 93 . In January 1793 , Talbot was elected as a Federalist to the 3rd United States Congress , and served from March 4 , 1793 , to March , 1795 , when President George Washington chose him third in a list of six captains of the newly established United States Navy . He was ordered to superintend the construction of the frigate USS President at New York . In 1797 , Talbot supervised the building of the USS " Constitution " , " Old Ironsides , " at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston , Massachusetts . With the outbreak of the Quasi - War with France , Talbot was commissioned as a captain in the United States Navy on May 11 , 1798 . He served as commander of the USS " Constitution " from June 5 , 1799 until September 8 , 1801 , sailing it to the West Indies where he protected American commerce from French privateers during the Quasi - War . He commanded the Santo Domingo Station in 1799 and 1800 and was commended by the Secretary of the Navy for protecting American commerce and for laying the foundation of a permanent trade with that country . It is said that Talbot was wounded 13 times and carried 5 bullets in his body . Captain Talbot resigned from the Navy on September 21 , 1801 and died in New York City on June 30 , 1813 . He was buried in Trinity Churchyard in lower Manhattan . Legacy and honors . The first USS " Talbot " ( Torpedo Boat No . 15 ) was named for Lt . John Gunnell Talbot ; the second and third Talbots ( " Talbot " ( DD - 114 ) and " Talbot " ( FFG - 4 ) , respectively ) were named for Captain Silas Talbot .