Hometown: Wilmington, DE
Branch: U.S. Marine Corps
Unit: USS Constitution
Date of Sacrifice: August 19, 1812 - KIA at sea, Atlantic Ocean, 200 miles east of Halifax, Nova Scotia
Age: 26
Conflict: War of 1812

Born in July of 1786, William Sharp Bush was among the first generation of Americans to be born in the new nation and to sacrifice everything to defend it. He was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, some 30 miles southwest of Philadelphia—where the Declaration of Independence was signed just ten years prior.

His father, John Bush, and three of his uncles fought in the Revolutionary War (1775-1783). According to the USS Constitution Museum:

The family’s circumstances prevented the young man [William] from attending college, but he did receive the benefits of a private tutor, enabling him to “acquire a fund of information calculated to give him a dignified rank in the general round of conversation.” With a good “English” education under his belt, his father placed him in the care of a merchant to learn the secrets of a successful business. The world of the counting house held no appeal for Bush, however, and he soon moved to the country to take up farming.

When William was 21, in the spring of 1807 the Royal Navy vessel HMS Leopard attacked an American frigate, the USS Chesapeake, off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia. The hostilities began over a dispute about possible British deserters.

The incident, combined with William’s “ambition and love of country” moved him to seek a commission in the state militia. That summer, his request was granted, and on July 3, 1809, he received a commission as second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. By March of 1811 he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant.

Not yet three decades removed from the revolution that stunned the world, the United States again declared war on Great Britain on June 18, 1812. Disputes over territorial expansion, trade restrictions, and British impressment of American seamen forced the young country to take on the greatest naval power in the world for a second time—with a Navy that was short on ships and experienced officers.

A week prior, on June 11, 1812, Bush had been given command of a detachment of Marines assigned to the USS Constitution. Aboard ship, Marine lieutenants had full responsibility for the training and supervision of their men but were subordinate to the ship’s captain and to the officer of the watch.

1stLt Bush was responsible for daily inspections, ensuring that his Marines were clean, sober, healthy, and battle-ready. He made sure his Marines were properly positioned as guards and sentries. During combat, his men would be organized in the waist of the ship, acting as sharpshooters and repelling hostile boarders.

That day came on August 19, 1812, off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, when the Constitution encountered the British frigate HMS Guerriere. An intense firefight broke out between the two ships. According to the Naval History and Heritage Command:

The Constitution’s thick hull, composed of white oak planking and live oak frames, proved resilient to enemy cannonballs. During the engagement, an American sailor was heard exclaiming, “Huzza! Her sides are made of iron! See where the shot fell out!”

The Marines aboard Constitution were called aft as the two vessels came together. 1stLt Bush, sword in hand, positioned himself on the quarterdeck—poised to lead his men in an attack. Under the command of the ship’s captain, Bush sought the order to advance, shouting, “Shall I board her?”

At that moment, a British musket ball hit 1stLt Bush in the head, striking down the young Marine officer at age 26. After a night of intense battle, Captain Isaac Hull of HMS Guerriere was forced to surrender. Despite the loss of 1stLt Bush, the victory for the Constitution would inspire the young nation and earn the vessel its nickname: “Old Ironsides.”

The United States Navy would recognize the service and sacrifice of 1stLt William Sharp Bush more than a century later. In February 1919, Bush (Destroyer No. 166) was commissioned—followed by a second destroyer, Bush II (DD-529), named in his honor and launched in February 1942.

Sources
USS Constitution Museum: Ship’s Crew—William Sharp Bush
USS Constitution Museum: From the Desk of a Marine
Digital Commonwealth, Massachusetts Collections Online: William Sharp Bush to Jabez Caldwell, March 5, 1811
Naval History and Heritage Command: USS Constitution in the War of 1812
Naval History and Heritage Command: USS Constitution vs HMS Guerriere
Find a Grave: Lieut William Sharp Bush

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