Ship's Crew

Dunn joined Constitution’s crew on September 2, 1813 in Boston as an ordinary seaman. He was assigned to the starboard watch and, in battle, served as a boarder for carronade no. 1 in the forecastle. He deserted the ship June 26, 1814 at Boston.

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.

Battles and Engagements
In early 1814, Dunn participated in a war cruise capturing three merchantmen and a small British man-of-war.

Dunn’s place and date of death are unknown.