- USS Susquehanna (1850)
USS "Susquehanna", a sidewheel steamer, was the first ship of the
United States Navy to be named for a river which rises inLake Otsego in centralNew York and flows acrossPennsylvania and the northeast corner ofMaryland to empty into theChesapeake Bay . Her keel was laid down by theNew York Navy Yard in 1847. She was launched on5 April 1850 ; and was commissioned on24 December 1850 , Captain John H. Aulick in command.After completing her trials, which she began in January 1851, the side-wheel steamer sailed on
8 June for the Far East to become flagship of theEast India Squadron . Aulick's orders included instructions to visitJapan and negotiate a treaty opening diplomatic relations with that country. The following year, after Commodore Aulick had become ill at Canton, "Susquehanna" became Commodore Matthew Perry's flagship and enteredTokyo Bay with his squadron on8 July 1853 . After Perry had presented his requests to the Japanese Government, the American warships departed on17 July . On12 February 1854 , "Susquehanna" returned with the squadron to Japan to receive the signed treaty. The war steamer departed Japanese waters on24 March ; and, after operating on theChina coast, headed home via theIndian Ocean and theCape of Good Hope . She arrived atPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania , on10 March 1855 and was decommissioned on15 March .Recommissioned on
5 May 1856 , the ship joined theMediterranean Squadron in July. After serving as flagship, she returned and was laid up on18 April 1858 . Reactivated at theNew York Navy Yard on17 August 1860 , the steamer sailed forVeracruz, Veracruz , a week later and thence preceded to theMediterranean Sea . On the outbreak of theAmerican Civil War , she departedLa Spezia, Italy , on5 May 1861 and reachedBoston, Massachusetts , on6 June .The ship was assigned to the
Atlantic Blockading Squadron and sailed forHampton Roads . Late in August, "Susquehanna" participated in the joint Army-Navy expedition toHatteras Inlet, North Carolina , which capturedPort Clark andPort Hatteras on29 August . During September, she captured two British schooners: "Argonaut" on13 September and "Prince Alfred" on28 September . In the same month, she also took two Confederate schooners as well: "San Juan" on28 September and "Baltimore" the following day. All four ships were laden with contraband.Late in October, "Susquehanna" joined Flag Officer
Samuel Francis DuPont 's expedition toSouth Carolina waters which capturedPort Royal Sound on7 November ; took possession ofBeaufort, South Carolina , on9 November ; and established a blockade at the mouth of the Broad River the same day. These operations provided the Union Navy with an important base for the future operations of theSouth Atlantic Blockading Squadron . "Susquehanna" served in this important squadron until the following spring, operating primarily on blockade duty offCharleston, South Carolina . There, she took British schooner "Coquette" on3 April 1862 , attempting to slip into Charleston from theBahamas .On
27 April , "Susquehanna" was ordered toHampton Roads to strengthen theNorth Atlantic Blockading Squadron which was then making every effort to support Major GeneralGeorge B. McClellan 's drive up the peninsula towardRichmond, Virginia . The Union forces in the area were then threatened by ironclad CSS "Virginia", the former USS "Merrimack". "Susquehanna" and four other Union warships acting under orders fromPresident of the United States Abraham Lincoln bombarded Confederate batteries atSewell's Point, Virginia , on8 May . Three days later, "Virginia" was blown up by her crew, ending her threat to Union shipping in the Hampton Roads area and freed "Susquehanna" for duty elsewhere.Late in May, the ship was assigned to the
West Gulf Blockading Squadron , and she carried dispatches for Flag OfficerDavid Farragut to theGulf of Mexico . En route, she captured Confederate schooner "Princeton" on11 June , and sent the prize toKey West, Florida . On29 June , she and "Kanawha" seized British steamer "Ann" trying to get intoMobile Bay with a cargo of arms and ammunition. "Susquehanna" continued to operate in theGulf of Mexico until ordered toNew York for repairs in the spring of 1863. While proceeding north, the warship captured schooner "Alabama" off theFlorida coast on18 April . She was decommissioned at theNew York Navy Yard on14 May 1863 .Recommissioned on
20 July 1864 , "Susquehanna" was assigned to theNorth Atlantic Blockading Squadron and participated in the abortive attacks onFort Fisher, North Carolina , on Christmas Eve 1864. However, in mid-February 1865, the double-ender was in the mighty force which finally took that Confederate stronghold and closedWilmington, North Carolina , theConfederate States of America 's last major port. At that time, she was under command of Rear Admiral William Sylvanius Godon.Following the end of the
American Civil War , "Susquehanna" sailed forBrazil and operated on the Atlantic coast of South America until returning home and decommissioning on30 June 1866 . Recommissioned on2 November 1866 , the ship ended her active service as flagship of the North Atlantic Squadron. Decommissioned at theNew York Navy Yard on14 January 1868 , "Susquehanna" was laid up until she was sold for scrapping on27 September 1883 to E. Stannard ofNew York City .See USS "Susquehanna" for other ships of the same name.
References
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