USS St. Mary's (1844) facts for kids
_in_drydock_at_Mare_Island.jpg)
USS St. Mary's in drydock at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, around 1854
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Quick facts for kids History |
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| Name | USS St. Mary's |
| Builder | Patterson shipright St Mary's Georgia |
| Laid down | 1843 |
| Launched | 1844 |
| Commissioned | 1844 |
| Decommissioned | 1873 |
| Fate | Scrapped, 1908 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Sloop-of-war |
| Displacement | 958 long tons (973 t) |
| Length | 149 ft 3 in (45.49 m) |
| Beam | 37 ft 4 in (11.38 m) |
| Draft | 18 ft (5.5 m) |
| Propulsion | Sail |
| Complement | 195 officers and enlisted |
| Armament |
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The second USS St. Mary's was a special type of sailing ship called a sloop-of-war used by the United States Navy. It was built between 1843 and 1844 at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.. The ship began its service in the fall of 1844, led by Commander John L. Saunders.
Contents
Serving the Nation
Early Missions in the Gulf of Mexico
The St. Mary's was first planned to join the Mediterranean Squadron. However, things changed when there was a lot of tension between Mexico, Texas, and the United States. This was happening during the winter of 1845.
On March 1, President John Tyler signed a resolution to add Texas to the United States. Mexico then ended its diplomatic ties with the U.S. government. Because of this, the St. Mary's and other ships were sent south to the Gulf of Mexico. They were there to help Commodore David Conner's squadron.
In April, the ships sailed to Galveston, Texas. They waited there while Texas decided to join the U.S. On July 3, the St. Mary's was sent to join Conner's Squadron. The next day, Texas officially approved joining the United States. The St. Mary's then went to New Orleans, Louisiana. Its job was to escort ships carrying U.S. Army troops to Texas.
These troops, led by General Zachary Taylor, boarded the ships on July 22 and 23. By July 25, they were camped on St. Joseph Island, near Corpus Christi, Texas. The St. Mary's stayed near Corpus Christi while other U.S. ships were off Vera Cruz.
Diplomatic Efforts and Blockade
In September, the U.S. government tried to talk with Mexico again. Negotiations continued into November. The St. Mary's was chosen to carry a new U.S. minister, John Slidell, to Mexico. On November 30, Slidell arrived at Vera Cruz. However, when he reached Mexico City, the Mexican government refused to meet with him.
Through the winter of 1846, the St. Mary's continued to patrol the Gulf of Mexico. In February, it carried messages between Commodore Conner and General Taylor. They were trying to get Mexico to restart talks. But in March, the ship arrived at the Antón Lizardo anchorage. From there, it could start a blockade of Tampico if war broke out.
In mid-April, the ship sailed to Pensacola, Florida for supplies. By the time it returned in May, war had already begun.
The Mexican–American War
On May 19, the St. Mary's anchored near the mouth of the Panuco River, close to Tampico. The next day, it announced a blockade of Tampico and the Mexican coast. The crew faced challenges like illness and limited supplies. They worked to stop Mexican gunboats and prevent the city's defenses from getting stronger.
The ship continued its blockade duty through the summer. By September, the difficult conditions had affected the crew.
A little over a month later, the St. Mary's was called back to the Panuco River. On November 14, it helped in taking Tampico without a fight. Then, it went back to its blockade duties. In late December, it was ordered to Brazos Santiago. From there, in January 1847, it moved to Lobos. This was to help protect General Winfield Scott's troops as they moved.
In early March, the St. Mary's escorted transport ships into the Antón Lizardo anchorage. On March 8, it moved closer to Vera Cruz. The next day, its small boats carried U.S. troops to Collado Beach. General Scott's forces landed there easily in less than five hours.
Supporting the Siege of Veracruz
The St. Mary's stayed in the area to support the siege of Vera Cruz. On March 22, one of its large 8-inch guns was moved ashore. It was placed on a ridge near Fort Santa Barbara to help the Army's cannons. The attack on the city began that same day. On March 29, the city officially surrendered.
After this, the St. Mary's went back to Antón Lizardo. From there, it sailed to Alvarado to help capture that town. But by the time it arrived, the town had already fallen. So, the ship went back to its blockade duties. On April 10, the Secretary of the Navy ordered it back to the United States. In early May, the St. Mary's sailed for Norfolk, Virginia, carrying captured Mexican guns.
Pacific Ocean Adventures
The St. Mary's stayed in Norfolk for almost a year. On April 11, 1848, it sailed to join the Pacific Squadron. For the next five years, it traveled along the coasts of California and Chile, in the Central Pacific, and in the Far East. In 1853, it returned to the east coast of the United States for repairs in Philadelphia. It then went back to the Pacific in 1854.
For the next two years, it cruised in the eastern and southern Pacific. In December 1856, it arrived in Panama City. There, a new crew, led by Commander Charles Davis, took over from Commander Theodorus Bailey's crew.
From Panama, Commander Davis took the St. Mary's to the Jarvis and New Nantucket Islands. Then, it returned to Central America. It waited off Nicaragua as William Walker tried to keep control of his "empire" there. On February 6, 1857, the St. Mary's anchored at San Juan del Sur. It stayed there for months as Commander Davis tried to negotiate an end to the fighting. In early May, Walker surrendered to Davis. Walker and the other Americans in his army were taken aboard the St. Mary's and transported to Panama City. From there, they returned to the United States.
The St. Mary's then continued its journey. It collected information about the ocean and land while doing its other duties. In March 1858, it arrived at Mare Island, California, for repairs. There were delays due to lack of money and workers leaving for the gold fields. So, the ship stayed in the shipyard into the summer. In late August, it sailed south to patrol off Central America. In February 1859, its officers and crew were replaced in Panama City.
The ship then sailed north to patrol the Mexican coast as a revolution spread in Mexico. In the fall of 1860, it returned to Panama City. There, with HMS Clio, it helped local officials stop an uprising.
A few months later, the Civil War began in the United States. During this war, the St. Mary's remained with the Pacific Squadron. Its job was to protect Union merchant ships and search for Confederate raiders. After the war, it continued to cruise the Pacific until September 1866. Then, it went to Mare Island and was put out of service for four years. In the fall of 1870, it returned to active duty. After a trip to Australia and New Zealand, it came back to Mare Island. In November 1872, it left for Norfolk.
A New Role: School Ship
On June 3, 1873, the St. Mary's returned to Norfolk. It stayed there, out of service, until 1875. Then, it was given to the New York Nautical School in New York. It served as a training ship for students until 1908.
In June of that year, the ship was ordered to be sold. Even though former students tried to raise money to save it, they couldn't. Two months later, a company called Thomas Butler and Company in Boston, Massachusetts, bought it. In November, the historic ship was taken apart for scrap.
