Ship's Crew
Joseph Pope Cheever
Rank(s): Unknown
Dates of Service: 10/28/1812 - 12/29/1812
Birth Date: 8/5/1792
Death Date: 1/24/1813
Early Life
Joseph Cheever was born on August 5, 1792 in Marblehead, Massachusetts, son of Mary Calley and John Cheever.
Before 1812, Cheever resided in Marblehead, Massachusetts. He had a sister and two brothers, one of whom, John Cheever, who also served abroad Constitution.
Early Experience
In 1807, he was 5 feet, 3 inches tall with a dark complexion.
Cheever joined Constitution ’s crew before October 28, 1812. His rank or rate is unknown. In 1812, he was assigned to gun no. 5, 2nd loader/1st boarder.
Battles and Engagements
Cheever was mortally wounded in the victory over HMS Java on December 29, 1812. He died from his wounds on January 24, 1813. His older brother John also died on the day of the battle.
Joseph and John Cheever’s mother, Mary, was already a widow and was left destitute by the boys’ deaths. Congress awarded her a “gratuity” of $25.00 quarterly. This was not a death benefit or pension but an acknowledgement of the loss she had suffered.
Crew ID
1982
