USS Colorado (1856)

The first USS "Colorado", a steam screw frigate, was launched 19 June 1856 by the Norfolk Navy Yard. It was sponsored by Miss N. S. Dornin, and commissioned 13 March 1858, Captain W. H. Gardner in command.

Putting to sea from Boston 12 May 1858, "Colorado" cruised in Cuban waters deterring the practice of search by British cruisers until 6 August when she returned to Boston and was placed in ordinary until 1861.

American Civil War operations

"Colorado" was recommissioned 3 June 1861 and sailed from Boston 18 June to join the Union Navy's Gulf Blockading Squadron. On 14 September, an expedition under Lieutenant J. H. Russell from "Colorado" cut out the schooner "Judah", believed to be preparing for service as a privateer and spiked one gun of a battery at the Pensacola Navy Yard, losing three men in the raid. On 11 December another expedition was sent to Pilot Town and succeeded in capturing a small schooner and two men. "Colorado" assisted in the capture of the steamer "Calhoun" (or "Cuba") 23 January 1862 off South West Pass at the mouth of the Mississippi River, and a week later engaged four Confederate steamers. She returned to Boston 21 June 1862 and was decommissioned from 28 June to 10 November 1862.

"Colorado" sailed from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 9 December 1862 to rejoin the blockading force off Mobile, Alabama - 13 March 1863. She shared in the capture of the schooner "Hunter", 17 May 1863. Returning to Portsmouth Navy Yard, 4 February 1864, she was again placed out of commission from 18 February to 1 September 1864.

Clearing Portsmouth - 6 October 1864, she joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and cruised off the coast of North Carolina until 26 January 1865. The USS "Colorado" participated in the bombardment and capture of Fort Fisher from 13 January to 15 January 1865 She was struck six times by enemy fire which killed one man and wounded two.

International operations

From 3 February to 25 May 1865 "Colorado" was again out of commission at New York Navy Yard. Ordered to the European Squadron as flagship, she sailed 11 June and cruised off England, Portugal, and Spain, and in the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas until she departed Cherbourg 23 July 1867 for New York where she was placed in ordinary from 7 September 1867 to 15 February 1870.

The USS "Colorado" was the flagship of a 5 ship US Asiatic Squadron, that saw action in Korea, in June 1871, in an incident known as the "Sinmiyangyo". The United States had emerged from the civil war and its imperial foreign policy at the time was to rival the European powers (France, Russia and Britain) in their efforts to establish trade and spheres of influence, in China, Japan and Korea.

The USS "Colorado" cruised on the USN Asiatic Station from 9 April 1870 to 15 March 1873. As flagship for Rear Admiral J. Rodgers' squadron, she carried the U.S. Minister (to China and Korea) on a diplomatic mission, in April 1871. An unprovoked attack was made on two ships of the squadron by shore batteries from two Korean forts on 1 June 1871 and when no explanation was offered, a punitive expedition destroyed the forts and inflicted heavy casualties on the Koreans on 10 June. Clearing Hong Kong on 21 November 1872, "Colorado" sailed by way of Singapore and Cape Town for New York, arriving 11 March 1873.

The USS "Colorado" sailed from New York, on 12 December 1873 to cruise the North Atlantic Station, and became flagship of the North Atlantic Squadron on 27 August 1874.

Returning to New York 30 May 1876 "Colorado" was placed out of commission 8 June. From 1876 to 1884 she was used as receiving ship at New York Navy Yard. She was sold 14 February 1885.

Historical facts and trivia

The USS "Pueblo", an electronic spy ship, was seized by North Korean forces in 1968. The USS "Pueblo" (that was seized) was the third U.S. naval ship to bear that name. The first USS "Pueblo" came into being when "Pueblo" was chosen to be the name of the former USS "Colorado". This small undistinguished, cruiser was the second US ship to carry that name. In 1916, the US Navy wanted the name "Colorado" for a much bigger and more important ship, so it renamed the old third rate cruiser after the small Colorado town of Pueblo.

But the renamed USS "Colorado", (USS "Pueblo") was the second U.S. warship to bear that state's name. The first USS "Colorado" was the flag ship of the five ship squadron, whose Marines invaded Kanghwa Island, Korea, in 1871.

Bibliography

*Noon-Eu-Ro-Bo-Nen Han-Gook-Yauk-Sa #11 by Jang Pyungsoon. (C) 1998 Joong-Ang-Gyo-Yook Yaun-Goo-Won, Ltd. Printed in Korea.

ource

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c11/colorado-i.htm