Ship's Crew
Lewis S. German
Rank(s): Midshipman
Dates of Service: 7/30/1813 -
Death Date: 4/14/1819
Early Life
Lewis S. German’s place and date of birth are not known.
His father was Obadiah German, a U.S. senator from New York from 1809 to 1815. His wife was Lucy German, They had a daughter, Francis M. who died at age six in 1825, and a son, Lewis S., born in 1816.
German received his midshipman’s warrant on November 15, 1809. He entered Constitution for the first time on July 17, 1810. He was placed under arrest for unspecified reasons on August 26, 1811. He must have been transferred to another station in the interim, because on March 3, 1812, he received a letter in Washington, D.C. from the Secretary of the Navy requiring him to report to the Constitution once more. During the battle with HMS Guerriere, “he received a wound in the hand which disabled one of the fingers.” For his service, he was promoted lieutenant on 24 July 1813. He transferred from USS Constitution to USS Siren on July 30, 1813 at Boston, Massachusetts.
Battles and Engagements
German was on board for the battles with HMS Guerriere and HMS Java.
German was on board USS Siren when it captured by HMS Medway on July 12, 1814. He spent the rest of the war at Dartmoor prison. He died of illness on April 14, 1819 in Sacket’s Harbor, New York.
Crew ID
5227
