- USS Fredonia (1845)
USS "Fredonia" (1845) was a 800-ton bark that served the
U.S. Navy as a transport and as astoreship . After several voyages toCalifornia by way ofCape Horn , she became the station warehouse inArica, Chile , where she was destroyed by an earthquake."Fredonia", a bark built in
1845 atNewburyport, Massachusetts , was purchased atBoston, Massachusetts ,14 December 1846 for $52,000. The vessel was fitted out as a storeship and on5 January 1847 was placed in commission under command of Lieutenant C. W. Chauncey.Operations during the Mexican-American War
Assigned to the Home Squadron, "Fredonia" sailed from Boston
9 January 1847 for the east coast ofMexico . On16 February she arrived offAnton Lizardo where she remained until October, rendering assistance to vessels in distress and performing duty as guard ship while dispensing provisions, wood, water, ordnance equipment, and ammunition to the squadron of CommodoresDavid Conner andMatthew C. Perry engaged in the bombardment and occupation of Vera Cruz, Tuxpan, andTabasco , Mexico.Before sailing for home on
8 October "Fredonia" embarked invalids from the squadron and men whose enlistments had expired for transportation toNew York City , where she arrived22 November . The storeship made one more trip to theGulf of Mexico with supplies for the squadron before the end of theMexican-American War , departing New York9 January 1848 and arriving off Sacrificios9 February . She sailed for home in June, viaPensacola, Florida , to land hospital supplies fromSalmadina , and on23 July arrived atNorfolk, Virginia , to disembark a battalion ofU.S. Marines and invalids from the Gulf Squadron.Assigned to take cargo to the U.S. West Coast
"Fredonia" proceeded to New York City in October
1848 to take on a cargo destined for the west coast. She sailed from New York11 December and on31 July 1849 arrived inSan Francisco Bay , after stopping atRio de Janeiro, Brazil ,Valparaiso, Chile , andCallao, Peru . She remained on the west coast a year, departingSan Francisco, California ,4 July 1850 , stopping at Valparaiso for urgent repairs and arriving at New York City7 January 1851 . She was decommissioned on the 18th and placed in ordinary at theNew York Navy Yard .Ordered to carry troops from New York City to California
In
1852 "Fredonia" transported troops of the 4th Infantry, with equipment and supplies toCalifornia . She sailed from New York on21 November and arrived at San Francisco19 June 1853 .Converted to a permanent storeship at Valparaiso, Chile
She then proceeded to
Valparaiso, Chile , arriving12 September , and was converted to a permanent storeship for the Pacific Squadron. She served in this capacity fifteen years, stationed at Valparaiso until1862 when she was towed toCallao, Peru , by "Wyoming"."Fredonia" caught up in an earthquake and is destroyed
In
1868 , owing toyellow fever at Callao, "Fredonia" was moved to Arica, in the southern coast of Peru, where on13 August she was destroyed by a violentearthquake . The first severe shock occurred about 5:05 p.m., followed by successive shocks and a tremendoustidal wave . "Wateree", also anchored in the harbor of Arica, was washed ashore, while the storeship was completely broken up with a loss of 27 lives.Only five of "Fredonia's" complement survived -- three officers, who were on shore, and two enlisted men who were rescued the following morning from a portion of the wreck. The earthquake, reported to be the most devastating and extensive that ever occurred in
South America , destroyed not only Arica but a number of other large cities on the west side of the PeruvianAndes Mountains .The United States Squadron comes to aid of earthquake victims
The officers and men of the United States Squadron, under command of Rear Admiral T. Turner, immediately rushed assistance to the stricken inhabitants of Arica, providing food, clothing and medicines from the ships' supplies and conveying surgeons, nurses, provisions and other necessities from Callao and Valparaiso.
References
See also
*
United States Navy
*Mexican-American War External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/f4/fredonia-i.htm USS Fredonia]
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