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 in Lake Otsego in central New York and flows across Pennsylvania and the northeast corner of Maryland to empty into the Chesapeake Bay. Her keel was laid down by the New York Navy Yard in 1847. She was launched on 5 April 1850; and was commissioned on 24 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 the East India Squadron. Aulick's orders included instructions to visit Japan 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 entered Tokyo Bay with his squadron on 8 July 1853. After Perry had presented his requests to the Japanese Government, the American warships departed on 17 July. On 12 February 1854, "Susquehanna" returned with the squadron to Japan to receive the signed treaty. The war steamer departed Japanese waters on 24 March; and, after operating on the China coast, headed home via the Indian Ocean and the Cape of Good Hope. She arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 10 March 1855 and was decommissioned on 15 March.

Recommissioned on 5 May 1856, the ship joined the Mediterranean Squadron in July. After serving as flagship, she returned and was laid up on 18 April 1858. Reactivated at the New York Navy Yard on 17 August 1860, the steamer sailed for Veracruz, Veracruz, a week later and thence preceded to the Mediterranean Sea. On the outbreak of the American Civil War, she departed La Spezia, Italy, on 5 May 1861 and reached Boston, Massachusetts, on 6 June.

The ship was assigned to the Atlantic Blockading Squadron and sailed for Hampton Roads. Late in August, "Susquehanna" participated in the joint Army-Navy expedition to Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina, which captured Port Clark and Port Hatteras on 29 August. During September, she captured two British schooners: "Argonaut" on 13 September and "Prince Alfred" on 28 September. In the same month, she also took two Confederate schooners as well: "San Juan" on 28 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 to South Carolina waters which captured Port Royal Sound on 7 November; took possession of Beaufort, South Carolina, on 9 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 the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. "Susquehanna" served in this important squadron until the following spring, operating primarily on blockade duty off Charleston, South Carolina. There, she took British schooner "Coquette" on 3 April 1862, attempting to slip into Charleston from the Bahamas.

On 27 April, "Susquehanna" was ordered to Hampton Roads to strengthen the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron which was then making every effort to support Major General George B. McClellan's drive up the peninsula toward Richmond, 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 from President of the United States Abraham Lincoln bombarded Confederate batteries at Sewell's Point, Virginia, on 8 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 Officer David Farragut to the Gulf of Mexico. En route, she captured Confederate schooner "Princeton" on 11 June, and sent the prize to Key West, Florida. On 29 June, she and "Kanawha" seized British steamer "Ann" trying to get into Mobile Bay with a cargo of arms and ammunition. "Susquehanna" continued to operate in the Gulf of Mexico until ordered to New York for repairs in the spring of 1863. While proceeding north, the warship captured schooner "Alabama" off the Florida coast on 18 April. She was decommissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 14 May 1863.

Recommissioned on 20 July 1864, "Susquehanna" was assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and participated in the abortive attacks on Fort 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 closed Wilmington, North Carolina, the Confederate 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 for Brazil and operated on the Atlantic coast of South America until returning home and decommissioning on 30 June 1866. Recommissioned on 2 November 1866, the ship ended her active service as flagship of the North Atlantic Squadron. Decommissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 14 January 1868, "Susquehanna" was laid up until she was sold for scrapping on 27 September 1883 to E. Stannard of New York City.

See USS "Susquehanna" for other ships of the same name.

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