27 Facts About Isaac Hull

Commodore Isaac Hull was a United States Navy officer who served in the Quasi-War, Barbary Wars and War of 1812.

Isaac Hull served as commandant of the Washington Navy Yard and in the Mediterranean Squadron during the Second Barbary War.

Isaac Hull died in Philadelphia at the age of 69 and was interred at the Laurel Hill Cemetery.

Since Talbot was a squadron commander, much of the everyday running of the ship fell to Isaac Hull and provided him invaluable experience managing a ship of war.

Isaac Hull much admired Talbot, a hero of the American Revolutionary War, and learned a great deal from the older man.

Isaac Hull fired to leeward but did not heave too.

On 2 February 1809 Isaac Hull took command of USS Chesapeake with orders to enforce the trade embargo, but a month later the embargo was repealed and the vessel returned to Boston for minor repairs and filling out the crew.

Isaac Hull found it necessary on occasion to take drastic measures to prevent men lured by bounty money from deserting, as he explained in an April 16,1810 letter to the Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton justifying his placing newly recruited men in irons and confinement prior to sailing.

On 7 May 1810 Isaac Hull was ordered to assume command of the new frigate USS President, but his tenure was short.

The reason for Isaac Hull's short stay was Commodore John Rodgers.

Hamilton agreed, and Isaac Hull apparently was only too happy to swap, for on 17 June 1810 Rodgers took President and Isaac Hull assumed command of Constitution.

Isaac Hull assumed command of the frigate USS Constitution in June 1810; his time on the ship was eventful.

Isaac Hull was, perhaps the greatest all-round seaman in the navy with a genius for ship-handling and navigation that would serve him well in the weeks to come.

Isaac Hull prohibited his officers from punishing seamen or marines in his absence.

Isaac Hull evaded the British squadron by warping his ship ahead and using his long boats to tow Constitution.

Captain Dacres, though wounded, signaled the surrender and Isaac Hull sent boats to Guerriere for their wounded and to take the remaining crew prisoner.

Isaac Hull was a magnanimous victor, complementing Captain Dacres and his crew on their courage, and after Dacres presented him his sword, Isaac Hull graciously returned it.

Isaac Hull commanded the Portsmouth Navy Yard at Kittery, Maine, for the rest of the War of 1812.

Isaac Hull assumed command of the Portsmouth Navy Yard on 9 April 1813 and remained until he was relieved by Commodore Thomas Macdonough on 1 July 1815.

On taking command Isaac Hull was mindful of the Board of Navy Commissioners' 1815 critical report and attempted to fix the problems the BNC noted.

Isaac Hull was aware that his workers were ostensibly striking over more than his newly imposed restrictions.

Isaac Hull speculated that "the mechanics have been acted on by other causes," Hull was concerned that the ten-hour day movement and the Board of Navy Commissioners resistance to reducing the workweek was the actual cause of the strike, and that the calls for general strike that summer by the Philadelphia shipyard workers had found an attentive audience.

The workers felt Isaac Hull often treated them with "silent contempt" which was probably the result of his deafness.

Isaac Hull too received an object lesson in the limits of power; he could order but could not compel.

The whole event left Isaac Hull offended deeply by the strikers' conduct and to some degree by the strong suggestion of the Secretary of the Navy Dickerson to accept the mediated compromise.

On 10 September 1835 Isaac Hull requested and received a year's leave of absence.

Commodore Isaac Hull died at the age of 69 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was interred in Laurel Hill Cemetery.