[WAR OF 1812]. Constitution & Guerriere. [N.p., ca. late August-September 1812]. Broadside poem or song (268 x 222 mm), text in nine stanzas of six lines set in two columns, woodcut vignette of the two ships engaged in battle, title misspelling the British ship (actually Guerriere); dampstained near top half, some soiling, spotting. Framed and glazed. A RARE BROADSIDE CELEBRATING THE AMERICAN VICTORY IN THE FIRST MAJOR NAVAL ENGAGEMENT OF THE WAR OF 1812. In a battle on 19 August 1812 off the coast of Nova Scotia, the USS Constitution, a 44-gun frigate, under the command of Captain Isaac Hull, was engaged in a fierce naval battle with the British ship HMS Guerriere. The British tried to engage the Constitution at a distance, hoping to weaken its hull with long-range gunfire. However, the Constitution, known for its sturdy construction, withstood the British fire, earning its famous nickname, “Old Ironsides”. The Constitution eventually won the decisive victory having caused significant damage to the British ship’s hull, masts, and rigging, causing the Guerriere to surrender. The American triumph boosted the morale of their naval forces and rallied support for the War. A great number of commemorative broadsides were quickly published throughout the country, but the present one is very uncommon. Lawrence, Music for Patriots, Politicians, and Presidents, p. 194.