- USS Vesuvius (1846)
USS "Vesuvius" (1845) was a 239-ton steamer acquired by the
U.S. Navy for use during theMexican-American War which was an armed military conflict between theUnited States andMexico from1846 to1848 in the wake of the1845 U.S. annexation ofTexas ."Vesuvius", outfitted with a heavy 10-inch mortar that was designed to attack and damage land-based fortifications, was assigned by the Navy to operations in the Mexican battle zones.
Built in New York in 1845
"Vesuvius" -- a coastal cargoman built in
1845 atWilliamsburg, New York , as "Saint Mary" -- was acquired by the Navy atNew York City in1846 for use with the blockading squadrons in theGulf of Mexico .Mexican-American War operations
Records of the ship's service are sketchy at best, especially for her early service in the Navy. However, reports indicate that she apparently operated as "Vesuvius", off Vera Cruz, although one source dates her renaming as occurring on
5 January 1847 . In August of1846 , after many members of her crew contractedyellow fever while she was stationed off Vera Cruz, "Vesuvius" put intoBermuda en route north for recuperation.Laguna del Carmen operations
She was probably refitted at
New York , as records indicate that, under the command of Comdr. George A. Magruder, she departed from that port towards the end of the winter of1846 and1847 , arriving atLaguna del Carmen ,Mexico , on7 March 1847 , for blockade duty. "Vesuvius" was assigned to the port of Laguna. At this juncture, CommodoreMatthew Galbraith Perry -- commanding the Gulf Squadron -- appointed Magruder the military governor of the town, and the commander was of great value to Perry as an administrator. The majority of time spent by "Vesuvius" on the Gulf station was spent at Laguna, where she logged the shipping movements of vessels both inside and outside of the harbor.Attack on Tuxpan, Mexico
In the spring of
1847 , when Commodore Perry launched his expedition againstTuxpan , "Vesuvius" was withdrawn temporarily from Laguna to support the operation. The Mexicans defending the town with 650 men led by General Cos were ideally situated to command its approaches.The assault on the Mexican defensive works was launched by a 1500-man landing force drawn from the ships' crews. Twenty-five officers and men from "Vesuvius", led by Commander Magruder, took part in this action and were present when the
stars and stripes were raised over the captured city.Assault against Tabasco, Mexico
Twelve days later, Perry launched an all-out assault against
Tabasco , the last remaining large port commanded by the Mexicans on the Gulf coast. Although captured earlier by American forces, Tabasco had fallen again to Mexican hands. After leaving guardships atCoatzacoalcos and Tuxpan, Perry arrived off Frontera on14 June 1847 , at the mouth of the river which led to Tabasco.Shifting his flag again to "Scorpion", Perry and his squadron commenced the passage up the tortuous channels. At "Devil's Bend," concealed Mexican
sharpshooters opened fire from the densechaparral along the riverbank. "Scorpion", "Washington", "Vesuvius", and the flat-bottomed "surfboats" returned the fire; "Vesuvius"' 10-inch mortar shells dispersed the snipers; thus allowing the squadron to continue its way upriver. At six in the evening, the squadron anchored for the night and arranged barricades about the decks to protect the American sailors against sniper fire. During the night, Mexican forces placed obstructions in the only navigable channel.Scaling the cliff, and taking the fort
Meanwhile, landing parties from Perry's ships stealthily scaled the steep cliffs which rose from the river. They then rushed the works in a sudden assault which surprised the Mexican troops and put them to flight. During the attack, the
gunboat s forced their way up the river under the command of Lt.David Dixon Porter , who would later win fame during theAmerican Civil War .Fort Iturbide , mounting six guns, soon fell to a landing force commanded by Lt. Porter, thus clearing the final obstacle from the road to Tabasco. Accordingly, detachments from Scorpion and "Spitfire" took possession of this objective on the 16th.Patrol operations
"Vesuvius" remained in the
Gulf of Mexico , at Laguna, through the end of the year1847 . Under the command of Lt. S. W. Godon, the brig captured American schooner "Wasp" on10 October 1847 , which was engaged in illicit trading, and later captured four bungos. "Vesuvius" moved toCampeche on8 March 1848 and then back to Laguna late in April. She operated there until sailing north in mid-summer.Post-war decommissioning
The brig arrived at
Norfolk, Virginia , on1 August and was sold there the following October.References
See also
*
American Civil War
*Union Navy
*Confederate States Navy External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/v2/vesuvius-ii.htm USS Vesuvius]
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