USS ''Decoy'' was a schooner in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during the 1820s. ''Decoy'' was purchased 27 December 1822 by Commodore David Porter in New York under the name ''Zodiac''. On 16 January 1823 she sailed from New York under the command of Lieutenant Lawrence Kearny to join the West Indies Squadron. Newly organized by the Navy for the suppression of

piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

in the West Indies, this force was composed of small shallow-draft ships capable of cruising close in shore and ascending rivers in carrying out their mission. ''Decoy'' was employed as a storeship carrying supplies from New York to the West Indies for this fleet until 22 December 1825, when she arrived at

Norfolk Navy Yard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...

. ''Decoy'' was sold early in January 1826.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Decoy Schooners of the United States Navy 1822 ships