USS Ohio (1820)

The second USS "Ohio" was a ship of the line of the United States Navy. She was designed by Henry Eckford, laid down at New York Navy Yard in 1817, and launched May 30, 1820. She went into ordinary and in the ensuing years decayed badly. Refitted for service in 1838, "Ohio" sailed October 16, 1838 to join the Mediterranean Squadron under Commodore Isaac Hull. Acting as flagship for two years, she protected commerce and suppressed the slave trade off the African coast. "Ohio" proved to be an excellent sailor repeatedly making more than 12 knots. One of her officers stated, "I never supposed such a ship could be built—a ship possessing in so great a degree all the qualifications of a perfect vessel." In 1840 "Ohio" returned to Boston where she again went into ordinary. From 1841 to 1846 "Ohio" served as receiving ship.

To meet the needs of the Mexican-American War, "Ohio" recommissioned December 7, 1846, and sailed January 4, 1847 for the Gulf of Mexico, arriving off Veracruz March 22. "Ohio" landed ten guns on March 27 to help in the siege of Veracruz; but the city soon surrendered.

"Ohio" drew too much water for coastal operations in the gulf. However, 336 of her crew participated in the Tuxpan River Expedition. In 1847 the entire distance from the mouth of the river to the town was covered with thick jungle growth. The enemy had constructed three well-positioned forts on bluffs overlooking bends in the river. On April 18 Commodore Matthew Perry arrived off the mouth of the river with 15 vessels. At 10 p.m. light-draft steamers "Scourge", "Spitfire", and "Vixen", each towing a schooner, moved up stream. Bombships "Etna", "Hecla", and "Vesuvius" followed closely while 30 surf boats containing 1,500 men brought up the rear. Approaching the town, the squadron came under hot fire from Fort LaPena. Commodore Perry ordered Commander Franklin Buchanan to disembark the surf boats and storm the fort. As the landing party swept ashore, the Mexicans abandoned their position. The other two forts fell in a like manner, with only light casualties substained by the squadron. Men from "Ohio" retrieved the guns of brig "Truxtun" which had foundered in a storm near Tuxpan September 16, 1846. The town was occupied and all military stores destroyed.

Following Tuxpan, "Ohio" sailed from Veracruz and arrived in New York May 9, 1847. On June 26 she sailed to bolster the Pacific Squadron, first carrying the U.S. minister to Brazil and operating off the east coast of South America until December. In Valparaíso, on January 21, 1848, Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones took her as the flagship of the Pacific Squadron, intending to blockade the western Mexico ports. The "Ohio" arrived at Mazatlán on May 6, shortly after the Mexican-American War ended. Jones used the fleet to help transport to Monterey, California, those that had aided the United States in the war, arriving there October 9. The "Ohio" then sailed to Sausalito, in San Francisco Bay. "Ohio" spent the next two years in the Pacific protecting commerce and policing the newly acquired California Territory during the chaotic early months of the gold rush.
Scurvy struck the crew in the spring of 1849 in San Francisco Bay so Jones sent the "Ohio" to the Sandwich Islands for fresh food.

In 1850 she returned to Boston where she again went into ordinary. In 1851, "Ohio" became a receiving ship and continued this duty until again placed in ordinary in 1875. "Ohio" was sold at Boston to J. L. Snow of Rockland, Maine September 27, 1883. She was burned in the following year, in Greenport Harbor, New York; the remains are still accessible to scuba divers. The wreck is off Fanning Point, in about 20 feet of water.

ee also

*Samuel P. Carter - first American officer to be awarded both the rank of Rear Admiral and Major General

References

* Howard Chapelle, "The History of the American Sailing Navy: the Ships and their Development" (New York: Norton, 1949)

* Log book of the USS "Ohio" (National Archives)

* Gene A. Smith, "Thomas ap Catesby Jones, Commodore of Manifest Destiny" (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2000) ISBN 1-55750-848-8

External links

* [http://www.wreckhunter.net/DataPages/ohio-dat.htm Info on location of wreck]
* [http://www.ussohio.org Historic pictures & model of vessel]