USS Grampus (1821)

USS "Grampus" was a schooner in the United States Navy. She was the first ship of the to be named for two members of the dolphin family (Delphinidae): "Grampus griseus", also known as Risso's Dolphin, and "Orcinus orca", also known as the orca.

"Grampus" was built at the Washington Navy Yard under the supervision of naval constructor William Doughty, based on a design by Henry Eckford. Her 73-foot keel was laid down in 1820. She was launched in early August 1821. The need to suppress piracy and to maintain ships to catch slavers led to the building of five such schooners, the largest of which was "Grampus". This was the first building program undertaken by the Navy since the War of 1812.

ervice history

Lieutenant Francis Gregory commanded "Grampus" on her first cruise, which took her to the West Indies in pursuit of pirates. In the company of USS|Hornet|1805, brig|2, USS|Enterprise|1799|2, USS|Spark|1813|2, USS|Porpoise|1820|2, and USS|Shark|1821|2, "Grampus" engaged in convoying merchant vessels throughout 1821, the presence of the squadron having a marked effect on piratical activity among the islands.

On 16 August 1822, "Grampus" gave chase to a brig flying Spanish colors, but which Lieutenant Gregory suspected was a pirate. When he called upon her commander to surrender, he was met with cannon and small arms fire. "Grampus" answered in turn, and reduced the bogus Spaniard to a floating wreck in 3½ minutes. The brig struck her colors and Lieutenant Gregory discovered that she was "Palmyra", a Puerto Rico-based pirate carrying the papers of a privateer as a subterfuge.

In 1825, Captain John Slout, commander of the "Grampus", engaged Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresí in battle. Cofresí was captured along with eleven members of his crew, and they were turned over to the Spanish government. Cofresí was jailed in El Castillo del Morro in San Juan. [cite web| url=http://www.preb.com/biog/hcofresi.htm| author=Luis R. Negrón Hernández, Jr.| title=Roberto Cofresí: El pirata caborojeño| language=Spanish| accessdate=2007-05-25]

"Grampus" had a small part in the "Amistad" trials: in November and December 1839, the United States government had "Grampus" standing by in New Haven Harbor, so that if the court ruled in favor of the slaves' Spanish "owners," they could deport the Africans to Cuba before they could file an appeal. However, the district judge ruled that the Africans had been illegally enslaved and must be returned to Africa. It was the government that appealed on behalf of the slaveholders, and "Grampus" was not needed.

"Grampus" continued her duties in the protection of shipping in the Caribbean Sea and in the South Atlantic Ocean until August 1841, when she was detached from the Africa Squadron while lying at Boston Navy Yard and attached to the Home Squadron at Norfolk, Virginia on 23 January 1843.

"Grampus" was last spoken to by USS|Madison|1832|2 off St. Augustine, Florida, on 15 March 1843. She is presumed to have foundered in a gale off Charleston, South Carolina with all hands. Because of that location, some credit her otherwise unremarkable loss to the Bermuda Triangle.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/g7/grampus-i.htm