USS Truxtun (1842) facts for kids
The USS Truxtun was a type of sailing ship called a brig in the United States Navy. It was named after a famous naval officer, Commodore Thomas Truxtun. This ship played an important role in the Mexican–American War.
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Building the Truxtun
The Truxtun was built at the Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth, Virginia. Its construction began in December 1841. The ship was officially launched into the water on April 16, 1842. It was ready for service and officially joined the Navy on February 18, 1843. Lieutenant George P. Upshur was its first commander.
Early Voyages
On June 16, the Truxtun left Hampton Roads for its first journey. The ship arrived in Gibraltar on July 9. After a short visit, it sailed again on July 18. On July 26, it reached Mallorca and anchored in Port Mahon the next day.
The Truxtun stayed there until August 28. Then, it continued its journey into the eastern Mediterranean Sea. It visited several ports in the Aegean Sea before reaching Constantinople on September 29. The ship completed some tasks there for the American representative. It then left the Levant in late October.
After another stop in Port Mahon, the Truxtun left the Mediterranean in mid-November. It sailed back to Norfolk, Virginia, arriving on December 28. In January 1844, the ship moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was taken out of service on February 6.
Return to Service and African Patrol
The Truxtun was put back into service on June 13, 1844. Commander Henry Bruce was now in charge. Two weeks later, the ship sailed down the Delaware River and into the Atlantic Ocean.
After visiting Funchal in Madeira, the warship joined the African patrol. Its job was to help stop the slave trade. The Truxtun was stationed off Tenerife in the Canary Islands. For 16 months, the ship patrolled the Atlantic coast of Africa.
During this time, it visited Monrovia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. It also stopped at the islands of Maio, St. Jago, and St. Vincent. The Truxtun even captured a schooner (a type of sailing ship). This captured ship was later used by the United States Navy and named Spitfire.
On October 30, 1845, the Truxtun left Monrovia and headed back to the United States. It arrived at the Gosport Navy Yard on November 23. The ship was taken out of service again on November 28, 1845.
Mexican–American War Service
In mid-May 1846, a war began between the United States and Mexico. The Truxtun was put back into service at Norfolk on June 8. Lieutenant Edward Weston Carpender was its new commander.
On June 15, the ship sailed past El Morro castle and anchored in Havana harbor, Cuba. For the next six weeks, the Truxtun operated near the coast of Cuba. On August 2, the warship left Havana. On August 9, it joined the American fleet that was blocking Mexican ports. This fleet was near Sacrificios Island, off the Mexican coast.
Grounding and Capture
On August 12, Lieutenant Carpender received orders. He was told to take over from the sloop of war John Adams near Tampico. In the early evening of August 14, the Truxtun was sailing north in a strong storm. It was about 100 miles from its destination.
The ship turned towards land to get supplies the next morning. This move brought it too close to Tuxpan Reef, and the ship ran aground. The storm continued, pushing the ship harder onto the reef. Even so, the officers and crew tried to free the ship. They refused an offer from the Mexicans to surrender. On the morning of August 15, the Truxtun sent one of its small boats to Anton Lizardo to ask for help.
Even though it was stuck, the warship refused to lower its flag (which means to surrender). It continued to try and block the port as best it could. On August 16, the crew saw another ship in the distance. The storm was still making the sea rough. The Truxtun sent a small boat to check out the ship. The boarding party found it was a Mexican ship and quickly captured it.
They sailed the captured ship towards the Truxtun to help the stranded warship. But they could not get close enough to assist. Lieutenant Carpender finally decided that trying to save his ship was pointless. He sent some supplies to the men on the captured Mexican ship. He ordered them to go to Anton Lizardo with the captured ship. They also carried a message saying he intended to surrender to the Mexicans.
Prizes and Rescue Efforts
After dropping off the Mexican crew at Tuxpan, the captured ship headed for Anton Lizardo. On the way, it met another schooner. A long chase followed. But late in the evening of August 18, the Truxtun's captured ship captured a new one of its own! With four crew members on board the new captive, the two small ships set off for the American anchorage. They got separated in the night, but both captured ships reached their destination. The first arrived on August 22, and the second a day later.
Meanwhile, the St. Mary's had arrived at Anton Lizardo. It had already picked up the small boat and crew that the Truxtun had sent for help on August 15. Commodore David Conner, the commander of the Home Squadron, learned this information from the St. Mary's. He ordered the Princeton and Falmouth to go help the Truxtun.
The Princeton reached the grounded Truxtun early in the afternoon of August 20. It sent a landing party ashore with a flag of truce. The landing party learned that Lieutenant Carpender and the rest of his crew had surrendered three days earlier. The next day, the Princeton sent a boarding party to the Truxtun. They finally managed to get on board on August 22. They found that the Mexicans had already taken most of what could be saved. The American crew took the rest and then set fire to the ship. The Truxtun burned down to the waterline. It was then officially removed from the Navy list.