Ship's Crew

Ayers joined Constitution ’s crew as an ordinary seaman at Boston on June 11, 1813. He was paid off in Boston on June 15, 1815.

Among the enlisted men, ordinary seamen stood in the middle of the lower-deck hierarchy. These men had typically sailed one or two voyages and knew basic seamanship. Like the able seamen, they too could “hand, reef, and steer,” but some of the more complicated maneuvers were foreign to them. Many ordinary seamen would have been numbered among the topmen, the young and agile crewmembers who were responsible for working aloft on the masts and yards. The ordinary seaman made $10.00 per month. He was a member of the larboard watch and was part of the afterguard. He could sign his name and spelled it Ayres on a prize money roll, even though the muster roll has it as Ayers

Battles and Engagements

Ayers was on board during a war cruise in 1814 when Constitution captured one small British man-of-war and three merchant ships. He was also on board during the engagement with HMS Cyane and HMS Levant on February 20, 1815. He shared in the $20,000 in prize money for Cyane and received $22.19 for Levant . During the battle he served as powder passer for gun no. 7 on the gun deck.

Ayers’ date and place of death are unknown.