Ship's Crew
Luke Antonio
Rank(s): Ordinary Seaman
Dates of Service: 8/14/1813 - 6/1/1815
Early Life
Antonio’s place and date of birth are unknown.
Antonio joined Constitution ’s crew as an ordinary seaman on August 14, 1813 at Boston. He was transferred to USS Congress at Portsmouth, NH on June 1, 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.
Battles and Engagements
Antonio was 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 the Cyane and received $22.19 for Levant . During the battle he served as a side tackle man to gun no. 14 and also tended the ship’s pumps and acted as a sail trimmer when needed.
Antonio’s place and date of death are unknown.
Crew ID
371
