USS Portsmouth (1843)

The second "USS Portsmouth" was a wooden sloop-of-war in the United States Navy in service during the mid and late 1800s. She was designed by Josiah Barker and built in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on the lines of a French-built privateer. She was described as an improvement over the "USS Saratoga", built in the same shipyard a year earlier. The "Portsmouth" was launched at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, 23 October 1843 and commissioned 10 November 1844, with Commander John Berrien Montgomery in command.

The "Portsmouth" was an important ship during the Mexican-American War, when her crew liberated the town of Yerba Buena, whose name was changed to San Francisco in 1847. She set sail 25 January 1845 from Norfolk, Virginia, on a cruise around Cape Horn to join the Pacific Squadron under the command of Commodore John D. Sloat. En route, she made stops in Rio de Janeiro, Valparaiso, Callao, the Sandwich Islands, and Acapulco. To prevent the possibility of Great Britain acquiring California, she was initially engaged in protecting San Francisco Bay by watching the movements of British vessels off the California coast. After the declaration of war with Mexico, a detachment of Marines under the command of Second Lieutenant Henry Bulls Watson rowed ashore and raised the American flag over Yerba Buena on 9 July 1846, seizing California for the United States. The plaza where this occurred in San Francisco is now called Portsmouth Square in honor of the "Portsmouth" and is located in Chinatown. The "Portsmouth" remained in San Francisco Bay until November 1846 when she was sent to San Diego. During 1847, the "Portsmouth" was assigned to blockade Mexico's west coast. On the morning of 3 January 1848, the "Portsmouth" finally got underway for the cruise back to the United States east coast.

Returning to Boston in May 1848 she departed again 29 August and sailed east to the African coast. There until 1 February 1849 she patrolled with Royal Navy ships to suppress the slave trade. Between September 1849 and May 1851 she again cruised off the West African coast, returning to Boston 26 June.

Six months later "Portsmouth" left Boston for duty in the Pacific. On 5 April 1855 she returned to the east coast for overhaul at Norfolk and on 3 May 1856 got underway for the Pacific again. Under Commander Andrew H. Foote she reached Batavia 94 days later, whence she sailed to China. There she participated in the engagement with the Barrier Forts (Canton, November 16-November 22, 1856). Ordered home in January 1858, she remained at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, until sailing for Africa again for a three year tour, 1859–61.

"Portsmouth" refitted at Portsmouth between September and December 1861, then sailed for the Gulf of Mexico and duty with the Gulf Blockading Squadron. By the end of February 1862 she had captured two blockade runners off Texas. In April she participated in operations against Forts Jackson and St. Philip, then from May 1862 to August 1865 operated as station ship at New Orleans.

Continuing her varied career after the American Civil War "Portsmouth" served as quarantine vessel at New York, 1866–67; cruised off Brazil and Africa, 1869–71; carried relief personnel to Brazil in early 1872; and participated in survey assignments in the eastern Pacific, 1873–74. In 1875 she conducted a cruise off the west coast of Latin America and on 14 July 1878 was decommissioned as a cruiser and assigned as a training ship for boys.

In 1878 "Portsmouth" returned to the east coast, arriving at Washington, D.C., 16 February. In March she sailed to France, returning in December to resume training ship duties which she continued until 1911, first with naval apprentices, then with the New Jersey Naval Militia (17 January 1895–March 1911). "Portsmouth" was then loaned to the Public Health Service, Quarantine Station, Charleston, S.C. to serve as a boarding launch. She was struck from the Navy List 17 April 1915 and subsequently sold.

In its final chapter, the "Portsmouth" was taken to Governors Island, Boston Harbor, and burned on the night of September 6-7, 1915, the culmination of a South Boston carnival. The event was well attended by politicians and others, and a fireboat siren shrieked a salute as flames poured out of her empty gun ports.

See also

See "USS Portsmouth" for other ships of this name.