USS Saginaw (1859) facts for kids
USS Saginaw, probably at Mare Island Navy Yard in 1862.
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Quick facts for kids History |
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  United States |
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| Name | USS Saginaw |
| Laid down | 16 September 1858 |
| Launched | 3 March 1859 |
| Commissioned | 5 January 1860 |
| Decommissioned | 3 January 1862 |
| Recommissioned | 23 March 1863 |
| Fate | Wrecked 29 October 1870 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | sloop-of-war |
| Displacement | 453 long tons (460 t) |
| Length | 155 ft (47 m) |
| Draft | 4 ft 5 in (1.35 m) |
| Complement | 50 officers and enlisted |
| Armament | 1 × 50 pdr (23 kg) gun, 1 × 32 pdr (15 kg) gun, 2 × 24 pdr (11 kg) rifles |
The first USS Saginaw was a special kind of warship called a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy. It was active during the American Civil War. This ship sailed the oceans throughout the 1860s.
However, in 1870, the Saginaw was wrecked on a Pacific island now known as Kure Atoll. The story of its wreck and the amazing rescue mission that followed has been told in several books. One of the small boats that survived the wreck is even kept in a museum today. The remains of the USS Saginaw itself were found in 2003.
Contents
Building and Early Missions
The Saginaw was the very first ship built at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Its construction began on September 16, 1858. The ship was first named Toucey and was launched on March 3, 1859. It was later renamed Saginaw.
On January 5, 1860, the ship was officially ready for duty. Commander James F. Schenck was its first captain.
Sailing to the Pacific
The new ship left San Francisco Bay on March 8, 1860. It sailed all the way to the western Pacific Ocean, reaching Shanghai, China, on May 12. The Saginaw then joined the East India Squadron. Its main job was to patrol the Chinese coast. It protected American citizens and helped stop pirates.
In November, the ship visited Japan. But it soon returned to Chinese waters. On June 30, 1861, the Saginaw faced a challenge. A shore battery fired at the ship near Qui Nhon Bay in Cochin China. The Saginaw fired back and silenced the battery. This happened while the ship was looking for a missing boat and crew from an American ship called Myrtle.
Returning Home and New Duties
On January 3, 1862, the Saginaw was taken out of service in Hong Kong. It then sailed back to Mare Island for repairs, arriving on July 3.
The ship was put back into the water on December 3, 1862. It was ready for duty again on March 23, 1863. This time, the Saginaw joined the Pacific Squadron. Its job was to patrol the West Coast of the United States. This was to prevent any activity from the Confederate States of America during the Civil War.
In the spring of 1863, the Saginaw went to Puget Sound. There were rumors that Confederate ships were being prepared in British Columbia. However, the Saginaw found out that these plans were not going to happen.
Protecting American Interests
In 1864, the Saginaw sailed to ports in Mexico and Central America. Its mission was to protect American interests. These were at risk because of Confederate actions and European involvement in Mexico.
Later that year, the ship escorted steamers carrying valuable gold from California. In the spring of 1865, the Saginaw was briefly assigned to the United States Revenue Cutter Service. But it returned to the Navy on June 2, 1865. For the rest of 1865, it protected Americans in Mexican ports like Guaymas. This was during a time of trouble in Mexico between Emperor Maximilian I and Benito Juárez.
In March 1866, the Saginaw returned to Mare Island. In August, it sailed to Puget Sound again to help settlers in the Pacific Northwest. While there, it helped the Western Union Company lay a cable. This cable brought the first telegraph service to the region. After returning to Mare Island in December 1866, the ship stayed at the navy yard through 1867.
Exploring Alaska
In April 1868, a year after the United States bought Alaska from Russia, the Saginaw headed for the Alaska Territory. For almost a year, it explored and mapped the Alaskan coast. It only returned home once for supplies.
In February 1869, the USS Saginaw was involved in a conflict known as the Kake War. This happened near what is now Kake, Alaska. The ship destroyed three empty villages and two forts. This conflict arose after some people were killed in the area. While no Kake people died directly in the destruction of the villages, the loss of their winter supplies, canoes, and homes led to some deaths during the winter.
After sailing back to San Francisco Bay in April 1869, the Saginaw left again on July 28, 1869. It operated along the coast of Mexico before returning to Mare Island on November 11, 1869.
The Ship's Final Journey
The Saginaw's next mission was to Midway Atoll. Its job was to help with dredging to make the harbor entrance deeper. It arrived at Midway on March 24, 1870, and finished its work on October 21, 1870.
A week later, the ship set sail for San Francisco. On the way, it planned to stop at Kure Atoll (then called Ocean Island). The goal was to rescue any sailors who might have been shipwrecked there. The very next day, October 29, 1870, as it got close to this rarely visited atoll, the Saginaw hit a hidden reef and got stuck.
Before the waves completely destroyed the ship, its 93 crew members managed to move much of their equipment and food to the atoll.
The Brave Rescue Mission
On November 18, a group of five men set out in a small boat. They were led by Lieutenant John G. Talbot, the ship's second-in-command. Their goal was to reach Honolulu and get help for their stranded shipmates.
After 31 days and sailing about 1,500 mi (2,400 km), they neared Kauai. Sadly, their boat was flipped over by big waves. Only Coxswain William Halford survived to get help. He landed on Kauai, where Captain Dudoit of the schooner Wainona offered to take him straight to Honolulu. They arrived in Honolulu on December 24.
The U.S. Consul quickly arranged for a fast sailing ship, the Kona Packet, to leave on December 25. The King of Hawaii, Kamehameha V, also sent an inter-island steamer, the Kilauea, led by Captain Thomas Long. The Kilauea arrived at Kure on January 4, 1871, and the Kona Packet arrived a day later.
After picking up the stranded sailors, the rescue ships went to Midway Island to get more coal. They returned to Honolulu on January 14. Captain Long received a special gold watch from the U.S. Government for his successful rescue mission.
After the Wreck
The Saginaw's small boat, called a gig, survived being overturned. It was sold at auction in January 1871. The person who bought it gave it back to the rescued crew. The gig was then taken to San Francisco. For many years, it was displayed at the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History in Saginaw, Michigan. As of May 2021, the boat is stored by the Naval History and Heritage Command.
The crew of the Saginaw might have known about another shipwreck on the same reef in 1837. That ship was the whaler Gledstanes. Its crew also built a new schooner from the wreckage to get rescued.
The wreck of the Saginaw was found in 2003. It is still under the care of the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command.
Books About the Saginaw
- A Civil War Gunboat in Pacific Waters: Life on Board USS Saginaw by Hans Van Tilburg (2010). This book tells the story of the ship's building, its ten years in the Pacific, and its loss at Kure Atoll. Hans Van Tilburg was the leader of the team that found the wreck in 2003.
- The Wreck of the Saginaw by Keith Robertson (1954). This book focuses on the amazing journey of the five sailors who sailed a small boat to Hawaii to get help for the survivors.
