U.S.S. CONSTITUTION ENGAGES H.M.S. JAVA

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=60 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>                         UNITED STATES FRIGATE CONSTITUTION ENGAGES THE  H. M. S. JAVA</B></div> <div> <B>                                                                    29 DECEMBER 1812</B></div> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#993300" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id121.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="U.S.S. CONSTITUTION CHALLENGES H.M.S. JA"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id123.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="U.S.S. CONSTITUTION DEFEATS H.M.S. JAVA"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id137.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Oil Paintings Printed on Canvas 15 x 30 "><U><B><IMG SRC="00d0d1d0.gif" border=0 width="13" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> <A HREF="id137.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Oil Paintings Printed on Canvas 15 x 30 "><U><B>Return to Water Color & Oil page</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=420 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div>   <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT>           </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>At 1:50 p. m. on the afternoon of Tuesday, 29 December 1812, the United States Frigate Constitution engaged the British Frigate Java in battle about thirty miles of the coast of what is now San Salvador Island in the Bahamas.  The Java’s jib boom was the first to go and at approximately 3:00 p.m the Java’s foremast was shot away just below the top.  Shortly after  her main topmast was taken off just above the cap.  The battle lasted another hour until 4:00 p.m. giving the United States a decisive victory in the War of 1812.</B></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>