Letter from Isaac Hull to John Rodgers, September 2, 1812
Following USS Constitution‘s defeat of HMS Guerriere on August 19, 1812, the victorious ship and her crew arrived at Boston on August 30. Captain Isaac Hull set foot on shore two days later and was greeted by throngs of cheering Bostonians.
Though victorious, Constitution had suffered considerable damage to her hull, spars, and rigging during the battle and was in need of repairs. On September 2, Hull wrote to Commodore John Rodgers, who was in command of American naval forces in the northern Atlantic, requesting a survey of the damage and ordered repairs as necessary. Repair work began five days later and, by October, Constitution was ready to sail again under Commodore William Bainbridge.