The USS Constellation, docked in Baltimore, MD’s Inner Harbor, is a large warship that was commissioned in 1855. The 22-gun sloop was active for 100 years and served in several military conflicts.
The vessel also played a central role in ending the foreign slave trade by capturing slave ships off the coast of Africa. Total, the crew captured three slave ships and freed 705 Africans, including 199 women and children. The USS Constellation ended its tour off the coast of Africa to assist the Union in the Civil War. While not steam-powered, the USS Constellation still proved essential to the Union War efforts.
In addition to protecting American interests abroad, the ship assisted in the capture of the Confederate steam cruiser the CSS Sumter. The USS Constellation was eventually decommissioned in 1955 after 100 years of service. This vessel is the only surviving ship from the Civil War Era.
Gruesome deaths are said to have taken place on the USS Constellation. Neil Harvey, a crewmember who left his station and gun during battle, was seen as a traitor. Lieutenant Starrett punished him by sticking him with his sword. Harvey then was executed by being tired to the front of a cannon and blown to bits. The madness of the sea doesn’t stop there, 2 sailors were said to have stabbed a 11-year-old boy, surgeon’s assistant, to death for no reason. The sailing hallucinations were so bad for one of the Sailors on the vessel that he hung himself.
Sightings of the Phantom Crew still wonder around the vessel and are seen in the windows peering out. Smell of gunpowder takes over in certain parts of the ship. People say they see an officer in an old navy uniform on forecastle deck. Is this Captain Thomas Truxtun, the 1st commander of the USS Constellation, manning his ship. Hitting of pots and pans are heard throughout the night.
The USS Constellation welcomes you aboard to explore its decks and see for yourself why the ship is considered to be one of the most haunted places in the US.
