Unusual paint-scheme of USS Constitution in 1844 - 45. Paintings? Sources?

For my money regarding anything regarding the USS Constitution, if Capt. Maritn says it is so, then it is so. One could spend hundresds of hours of research to conclude that Capt. Martin was right in the beginning.

searat12 wrote:

I think they are referring to the 'hammock cloth,' which is essentially a canvas that covers the hammock racks on the bulwarks on either side amidships (the sailors hammocks were rolled up neatly every morning and stowed in the racks, which would then be covered with a canvas to keep them from getting wet).

I think it was intended as a joke, but i could be wrong.

searat12 wrote:

I think they are referring to the 'hammock cloth,' which is essentially a canvas that covers the hammock racks on the bulwarks on either side amidships (the sailors hammocks were rolled up neatly every morning and stowed in the racks, which would then be covered with a canvas to keep them from getting wet).

Correct - that was just a misspelling - sorry!

Here´s the source itself:

8. May 1844: .. the ship painted with white lead; the gu streak, red ...

by Lieutenant John B. Dale Journal

I think they are referring to the 'hammock cloth,' which is essentially a canvas that covers the hammock racks on the bulwarks on either side amidships (the sailors hammocks were rolled up neatly every morning and stowed in the racks, which would then be covered with a canvas to keep them from getting wet). 

So, what is a hammopck cloth?

I followed your advice and did send an e-mail - and here is what I got as answer (part of it - the captains clerk is very polite and I got really a lot answers meanwhile!).

Turning to the ship, the white hull with red gun streak are well documented. Captain Percival hoped thereby to ameliorate living conditions while in the tropics.  The change was made while the ship was at Rio (the hammopck cloths being kept black, by the way), and was maintained until the stop at Tourane, Cochin China, when the black and white scheme was restored.  I have no doubt that by the time she reached the later port, she looked rather bedraggled.

He did not mention sources - except one: the report of one of the officers or midshipmen. I have to look for it at home again, sorry. But unfortunatly no picture, no painting and no YouTube-movie was made in that period ...

Marcus:

So far as I know there are no paintings or photos of the Constitution in her odd white'red paint scheme. If there were, Martin's research would have turned them up.

I have read through Martin's text in that instance and looked at the sources he cited for that chapter. In the text he quotes someone, probably Capt. Percival or one of the ship's officers, with regard to the Brazilian's reaction to the odd paint job. If he is using a direct quote, it seems certain it is from a primary source. I could not imagine Martin using such a quote that did not come from a primary source.

Looking at the bibliography for that chapter, the most likely primary sources would be either the ship's log or one of the several journals kept by the midshipmen on board. I checked Martin's website where he gives excerpts from the ship's log and there is no mention of the paint job in the log excerpts. One would think if the paint job had been noted in the log, Martin would have excerpted that on his website. He did not, so that leaves the midshipmen's journals noted in the bibliography as the most likely sources for the description of the white and red paint job in 1844.

If you are really curious, go to Martin's website and send him an email asking him for the source for that detail. I am sure he can tell you where he found it.

Russ