Why the US Naval Academy fled Maryland aboard “Old Ironsides” in 1861

The Naval Academy’s Civil War Exodus to Newport

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, the U.S. Naval Academy faced a huge risk. Maryland had strong Confederate ties, so Captain George Blake packed up the entire school.

On April 28, 130 midshipmen boarded the USS Constitution “Old Ironsides” and sailed to Newport, Rhode Island. They first lived in damp Fort Adams, taking classes on the ship’s gun deck.

Life got much better when they moved to the posh Atlantic House Hotel, trading hammocks for real beds. The Academy stayed in Newport until 1865.

Today, Fort Adams State Park still stands where these future naval officers once drilled during America’s darkest hour.

Captain Blake Rushed to Save the Naval Academy

Captain George Blake had to think fast in April 1861.

Confederate fans in Maryland might attack the Naval Academy and steal the USS Constitution, their famous training ship. Maryland locals were split between Union and Confederate sides, making Annapolis unsafe.

President Lincoln worried so much he wrote to General Scott about Maryland possibly arming people against the United States. The academy needed to move quickly to keep “Old Ironsides” from becoming Confederate property.

Midshipmen Packed Up and Shipped Out

Orders came on April 27, 1861 to move the Academy to Newport, just two weeks after Fort Sumter fell. Everyone rushed to load students, supplies, gear, and staff onto Constitution at Constitution Wharf.

They packed so much stuff that the ship got stuck in the mud when leaving.

After freeing her, 130 young men from the classes of 1861-1864 climbed aboard Old Ironsides to head north.

Old Ironsides Sailed to Safety

The steamer Baltic towed Constitution to New York, arriving on April 29. From there, the old warship spread her sails and moved toward Rhode Island on her own.

Midshipman John Pegram wrote about passing Beavertail lighthouse in Jamestown as they neared their goal. Small boats full of curious locals paddled out to meet the famous ship as she entered Newport Harbor.

Newport Folks Threw a Welcome Party

Constitution sailed into Newport Harbor on May 8, 1861, where townspeople greeted them with music. Fort Adams fired a 24-gun salute as the ship passed by, and Old Ironsides shot back a salute too.

Captain George Rodgers spotted some locals he knew and called out, “How are the ladies of Newport? ” Someone yelled back, “The ladies are for the union, to a man!”

The steamer Baltic with the rest of the Academy staff and families arrived just two hours after Constitution the next day.

Fort Adams Proved Too Cold and Damp

The school ships dropped anchor off Goat Island while the midshipmen moved into Fort Adams. Every morning, they marched in dress parades on the fort’s parade ground with the Naval Academy band playing.

The fort was dark, damp, and unhealthy, a terrible place to live and study. Staff and students soon started looking for homes around town to escape the awful conditions.

Students Studied on a Warship’s Gun Deck

The plebes (first-year students) lived on Constitution and took classes below decks on the gun deck. The famous ship drew lots of tourists, which made it hard for the young men to focus on their studies.

Students slept in hammocks strung up between the guns, not exactly comfy dorm rooms.

The Naval Academy band played music during marching drills, which always drew crowds of Newport locals who came to watch.

The Hotel Beat Living on Ships

By September 20, 1861, the Academy rented the fancy Atlantic House Hotel. This beautiful building sat at Pelham Street and Bellevue Avenue, looking out over Touro Park.

Midshipman Pegram called it “luxury” compared to ship life.

Upperclassmen got “two men to a room, iron framed beds, bureaus, a table and two chairs,” much better than swinging in hammocks. The Greek Revival hotel, built in 1844, had all the comforts of a resort for rich folks.

Newport Became a Navy Town

The campus grew to include Touro Park and nearby streets, creating a little Navy world in Newport. Each day, midshipmen marched to open fields outside town for drill practice.

Locals got used to seeing groups of young men running double-time down Bellevue Avenue heading back to their hotel.

Newport families often invited teachers and students to dinner parties and social events, and midshipmen enjoyed band concerts and balls around town.

More Training Ships Joined the Fleet

USS Santee arrived in Newport in October 1862 to serve as another school ship. The Navy fixed her up at Boston Navy Yard after she finished blockade duty in the Gulf of Mexico.

Midshipmen now lived, studied, and took classes on both Santee and Constitution.

Later, the Navy sent the schooner/yacht America to Newport as yet another training vessel for the growing school.

Lieutenant Luce Fell in Love with Newport

Lieutenant Commander Stephen Luce came to Newport in January 1862 to lead the Department of Seamanship. During his time there, he got to know Newport and its harbor very well.

He saw how perfect Narragansett Bay was for naval training, and he came back years later to lead the Navy Training Squadron in 1881.

Luce later started the Naval War College in Newport on October 6, 1884, becoming its first president.

The Academy Finally Went Home

The Naval Academy moved back to Annapolis on August 9, 1865, after four years in Rhode Island. USS Santee carried the midshipmen south, tying up near Fort Severn on August 2, 1865.

They found their old campus in terrible shape after Army troops had used it during the war. The lawns were ruined, buildings damaged, and cavalry horses had eaten all the willow trees.

Civil War hero Admiral David Dixon Porter took over as superintendent in 1865, beginning what people called “Porter’s Academy.

Visiting Fort Adams State Park

Fort Adams State Park at 90 Fort Adams Drive in Newport lets you explore where Naval Academy midshipmen lived during their Civil War evacuation from Maryland in 1861. The park opens at sunrise with free parking.

You can take guided tours for $20 (adults) or $10 (youth 6-17) at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm daily except Tuesdays.

Self-guided tours run 10am-3pm May through October, and 90-minute golf cart tours happen Friday-Monday at 2:30pm.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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