Ship's Crew
Frederick Baury
Rank(s): Midshipman
Dates of Service: -
Birth Date: 1792
Death Date: 11/1814
Early Life
Baury was born in Middletown, Connecticut, about 15 miles south of Hartford, in 1792.
Early Experience
Baury became a midshipman on May 18, 1809 in the US Navy and served aboard the USS Essex, a 36-gun frigate. As midshipman, Baury was ranked below a lieutenant but was not a commissioned sea officer. By 1811 Baury would have been eligible for promotion after an examination.
Baury was transferred to the USS Constitution on July 6, 1811 in Norfolk, Virginia.
Baury held the position of signal officer on the quarterdeck at the stern of the ship. His duties aboard the Constitution earned him $19 per month. One of his greatest accomplishments during his service was that he kept a journal of his travels and the events during the war. By the war’s end he had completed a total of three journals that gave insight into life in the Navy during that time.
Battles and Engagements
Fluent in French, Baury was an asset to the Constitution while she was on a diplomatic mission to France and Holland. He also partook in the victories over HMS Guerriere on August 19, 1812 and HMS Java on December 29, 1812. He later volunteered to aid Commodore John Rodgers to confront the threat of a British squadron off the coast of Boston, but eventually no battle took place.
On October 6, 1813, Baury was transferred to the USS Wasp. Four months later in February of 1814, the Wasp was chased by HMS Majestic until the Majestic broke chase for a French ship. He later assisted in the capture of HMS Reindeer on June 20, 1814. Baury posthumously received his lieutenant’s commission after the Wasp went missing, with all her crew, in the South Atlantic in November of 1814, one month before the Peace Treaty of Ghent between the United States and the United Kingdom was signed.
Crew ID
1542
