- USS Truxtun (1842)
The first USS "Truxtun" was a
brig in theUnited States Navy ."Truxtun" was laid down in late December
1841 atPortsmouth, Virginia , by theNorfolk Navy Yard , launched on16 April 1842 ; and commissioned on18 February 1843 , LieutenantGeorge P. Upshur in command.On
16 June , "Truxtun" stood out ofHampton Roads for her first cruise. The brig reachedGibraltar on9 July , received a visit from the American consul on the 16th, and sailed on the 18th to continue her cruise. On26 July , she hove into sight ofMajorca and, the following day, dropped anchor inPort Mahon . She remained there until28 August when she resumed her cruise. During the ensuing month, the brig proceeded to the easternMediterranean Sea and visited severalAegea n ports before putting intoConstantinople on29 September . There, she conducted several missions for the American chargé d'affaires before departing theLevant late in October. Sailing via Port Mahon again, "Truxtun" left the Mediterranean in mid-November and headed forNorfolk, Virginia where she arrived on28 December . In mid-January 1844, she moved toPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania where she was placed out of commission on6 February .On
13 June 1844 , "Truxtun" was placed back in commission, Commander Henry Bruce in command. Two weeks later, she sailed down theDelaware River and passed between the capes into the Atlantic. After visitingFunchal ,Madeira , the warship joined theAfrica n patrol. She took up station offTenerife in theCanary Islands to begin duty suppressing theslave trade . For 16 months, "Truxtun" patrolled off the Atlantic bulge of the African continent. During that time, she visitedMonrovia ,Liberia ; andSierra Leone as well as the islands of Maio,St. Jago , and St. Vincent. She also took at least one prize, aschooner which was outfitted and taken into the United States Navy as "Spitfire". On30 October 1845 , the brig weighed anchor at Monrovia, and she headed west toward the United States. On23 November , she arrived at theGosport Navy Yard where she was placed out of commission once more on28 November 1845 .In mid-May 1846, war broke out between the United States and
Mexico . "Truxtun" was recommissioned at Norfolk on8 June under the command of Lt.Edward W. Carpender . On the 15th, she passedEl Morro castle and anchored inHavana harbor,Cuba . For the next six weeks, the brig operated off the coast of Cuba. On2 August , the warship cleared Havana and, on the 9th, joined the blockading American fleet just off the Mexican coast at Sacrificios Island. On the 12th, Lt. Carpender received orders instructing him to relievesloop of war "John Adams" on station offTampico . Early in the evening on14 August , the brig was heading north in a gale about 100 miles from her destination. She turned in towards land in order to be able to provision ashore the following morning. That maneuver brought her dangerously close to Tuxpan Reef, and she soon ran hard aground. The gale continued to blow and drove her harder upon the reef. Still, her officers and crew tried to free her and declined a Mexican offer to surrender. On the morning of the 15th, she dispatched one of her cutters to the anchorage at Anton Lizardo to seek help.Though stuck fast on the reef, the little warship refused to strike her colors and prosecuted the blockade to the best of her ability. On the 16th, she sighted a sail on the horizon. With the gale still churning the sea, "Truxtun" dispatched a cutter to investigate the stranger. The boarding party discovered that she was Mexican and promptly seized her. They sailed the prize toward "Truxtun" in an effort to help the stricken warship but could not get close enough to assist her. Lt. Carpender finally determined that further effort to save his ship would be fruitless. He sent some supplies to the men on board the captured Mexican and ordered them to Anton Lizardo with the prize and with a message indicating his intention to surrender to the Mexicans.
After putting the Mexican crew ashore at
Tuxpan , the prize headed for Anton Lizardo. En route, she encountered a schooner. A long sea chase ensued; but, late in the evening of the 18th, "Truxtun's" prize claimed one of her own. With a prize crew of four on board the new captive, the two small ships set off for the American anchorage. Though they became separated in the night, both prizes reached their destination—the first, on the 22d; and the second, a day later.Meanwhile, "St. Mary's" had entered Anton Lizardo after having previously picked up the cutter and crew "Truxtun" had dispatched for help on the 15th. In response to the information given him by "St. Mary's", Commodore David Conner, the commander of the Home Squadron, ordered "Princeton" and "Falmouth" to "Truxtun's" aid. "Princeton" hove into sight of the grounded brig early in the afternoon of the 20th and sent a landing party ashore under a flag of truce. The landing party learned that Lt. Carpender and the remainder of his crew had surrendered three days earlier. The following day, "Princeton" sent a boarding party to "Truxtun"; but they did not succeed in getting on board until the
22 August . Finding that the Mexicans had already taken most of what was salvageable, they took the rest and set fire to the ship. She burned to the waterline and was subsequently struck from the Navy list.See USS "Truxtun" for other ships of this name.
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