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In 1800, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was established upriver on Fernald's
Island (now part of Seavey's Island), and the fort was rebuilt.
Walls were doubled in height, and new brick buildings added.
Work was completed in 1808, when the defense was renamed Fort Constitution.
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View of northeast interior wall ruins, looking from the north
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A Return of the Men Employed at this Post by the Commisioners
Mens Names -- Occupation -- Wages p month -- [comments]
Jonathan Lawrence -- Clerk of the Check? -- L5
Adolph Dogrove -- Steward -- L3 -- Just discharged
John B. Carich - overseer of the works and care of the tools -- L4 - Just discharged
Peter MaCay - carpenter - L g(?)
James Ford - carpenter - L g(?)
Samuell Holonde - carpenter - L g(?)
Joshua marriner - carpenter - L g(?)
Barney McKenny - black Smith - L g(?)
James Duncan - Assistant D---? - L4,10
Thomas McCarty - Cook to commissn - L2, 10
James Dodge - Waiter on D---? - L2, 10
Hans Hamilton - Cook to the Orfificer(?) - L 2,10
James Crocker - Barge Keeper - L2, 10
Fort Constitution, June 20th, 1776
[Submitted by K. Torp]
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On July 4, 1809, an accidental explosion marred the Independence Day celebration at the fort, killing a number
of soldiers and civilians.
News Story from the time:
July 26, 1809
From the New Hampshire Centinel, July 5
On Tuesday afternoon much damage was done at Fort Constitution by the accidental explosion of about 350 pounds
of gun powder. It appears that a quantity of cartridges (prepared for the purpose of firing a salute) had been
placed without being secured in anything, upon the platform close to two chests filled with cartridges, and that
the cartridges having caught fire communicated it to the chests. It is impossible with any degree of precision
to ascertain the manner in which fire was communicated to the cartridges; by some it is attributed to a spark from
the match which had been lighted for the purpose of firing the guns and with which a soldier was observed at no
great distance from the spot where the cartridges were - whilst others do not think it unlikely, but that the mischief
may have been caused by some lighted cigar, from someone of the many spectators which the occasion had drawn together.
However this may be, we regret to say that it is already ascertained that eight persons ( men and boys) have been
killed - that several are missing; and that many more are dangerously wounded, some of whom it is expected cannot
long survive their wounds.
The bodies of the dead and wounded are mangled in a most shocking manner - and the force of the explosion was such,
that some of the unfortunate sufferers were torn limb from limb, and carried to a great distance from the foot
in different directions. One of the bodies, which was picked up yesterday in the river, was totally stripped of
every article of clothing except one small piece of shirt close to the elbow. Pieces of human flesh have been
discovered scattered in different spots - A thigh in one place - a leg and a foot in another - and a hand in a
third - in short, we do not recollect to have witnessed a more distressing or appalling sight.
Some pieces of a woman's petticoat have likewise been found, and as we are informed one or more, are missing, we
think she shared the same fate with the rest. To give some idea of the force which attended the explosion, we have
only to inform our readers that a leg and foot actually penetrated through a double door in the captain's house,
and made its way to the inner parts of the room, almost every window in the fort was stove in and in the house
occupied by the commandant the doors were taken from their hinges, the windows broken, the shelves in the closets
torn down, the ceiling much injured; in short, the building is almost in ruins.
It is probable that many more would have fallen victims to the explosion had not that kind Providence, without
whose Almighty will, not a sparrow falls to the ground, graciously called their attention and directed their steps
to a distance from the fatal spot. We are credibly informed that had the explosion taken place four or five minutes
sooner, it is next to impossible but that 100 persons more would have been killed; but fortunately the sound of
a fiddle at some distance caused almost everyone to flock towards the spot from whence it proceeded, and by so
doing they avoided an untimely grave. In the present disposition, many in the strength of manhood and the prime
of youth have been snatched as "in a moment, as in the twinkling of an eye."
Names of persons killed and wounded, as far as has come to our knowledge.
Killed: Ephraim Pickering, Esq., of Newington; a young man by the name of Paul, aged 14 years belonging to Kittery;
John Mitchell and another lad by the name of Tresethern, belonging to New Castle; a young gentleman, name unknown,
aged about 18, who had come as a spectator to see the fort; Sergeant Albert, Peletiah McDaniels, Theodore Witham.
Badly wounded - Samuel Stevens, Ben Gamoth, Gideon Gould, Edmund Hard, John Ricker, Robert Miller and several others,
names unknown.
[The Centinel, Gettysburg, PA - Submitted by Nancy Piper]
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