William Bainbridge

When the War of 1812 broke out, the retired naval captain William Bainbridge rushed to Washington to volunteer his services, only to learn that the navy intended to take a passive role in the conflict. The chagrined Bainbridge immediately allied himself with fellow officer Charles Stewart and set about the task of forcing a revision of that strategy. Their efforts proved successful, and after news of a third major American sea triumph, the secretary of the navy remarked to Stewart that the credit for "these flags and victories" belonged to Bainbridge and himself.
For much of the war, Bainbridge supervised construction of ships in Boston. But he did see some action, and while captain of the U.S.S. Constitution, he distinguished himself with the capture of an English frigate off the coast of Brazil.

Bainbridge's portrait was originally part of a group of likenesses depicting heroes of the War of 1812, which Rembrandt Peale painted for his Baltimore museum.