USS Constellation on the Dismal Coast

"William Leonard's stunningly detailed and readable account of USS Constellation's cruise off the coast of Africa breathes new life into an often overlooked part of American naval history. Gilliland's masterful edit ensures that this testament will long endure as an indispensable resource for all future scholars of the African Squadron."—John Pentangelo, former curator of the USS Constellation Museum

"Gilliland's editorial comments add scholarly context to this fascinating journal of service on board Constellation during her twenty-six month anti-slavery patrol off West Africa just before the Civil War. Willie Leonard's descriptions of life at sea, liberty on shore, and his transformation from green landlubber to able seaman in an American sloop of war during the glory days of the age of sail are wonderful stuff. Highly recommended."—Andrew C. A. Jampoler, author of Congo and Horrible Shipwreck!

"As the journal of a common American seaman during a cruise to police the illegal slave trade on the West African coast from 1859 to 1861, Willie Leonard's Journal will interest antebellum American historians, but it deserves a much wider audience because of C. Herbert Gilliland's superb editing achievement. Gilliland has skillfully and seamlessly integrated textual commentary which readily explains virtually all of the events, people, ships and naval terms mentioned in the Journal."—John Schroeder, emeritus professor of history, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

"This journal is a readable, fascinating account of life on the Constellation."—Norman C. Delaney, Gilliland, C. Herbert