Ship's Crew

Mark Collins joined Constitution ’s crew as an ordinary seaman on June 26, 1812. He re-entered on June 20, 1814. In 1812, he was assigned to the mizzen top and in 1814 he was captain of the mizzen top.

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

Collins participated in a war cruise capturing a small British man-of-war and three merchantmen. He participated in the battle with HMS Java and received $42.30 in prize money. He also participated in the battles with HMS Cyane and HMS Levant and received $51.81 in prize money.

Collins was transferred to USS Congress, then at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on June 1, 1815. His place and date of death are unknown.