USS ''Falmouth'' was a sloop of war 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 mid-19th century. ''Falmouth'' was launched on 3 November 1827 by

Boston Navy Yard The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. It was established in 1801 as part of the recent establishment of t ...

, and declared ready for sea 19 January 1828, Commander C. W. Morgan in command. Between 1828 and 1840, ''Falmouth'' made two cruises with the West Indies Squadron and two with the

Pacific Squadron The Pacific Squadron was part of the United States Navy squadron stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Initially with no United States ports in the Pacific, they operated out of storeships which provided naval s ...

. Between cruises, she was

in ordinary ''In ordinary'' is an English phrase with multiple meanings. In relation to the Royal Household, it indicates that a position is a permanent one. In naval matters, vessels "in ordinary" (from the 17th century) are those out of service for repair o ...

for repairs and refittings at either New York or

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

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 ...

. Recommissioned after such a period

16 December 1841, ''Falmouth'' joined the recently organized

Home Squadron The Home Squadron was part of the United States Navy in the mid-19th century. Organized as early as 1838, ships were assigned to protect coastal commerce, aid ships in distress, suppress piracy and the Atlantic slave trade, make coastal surveys, ...

. ''Falmouth'' cruised from the Banks of Newfoundland to the mouth of the

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

and in the Caribbean and

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

with this squadron until 1846, aside from necessary repair periods. She operated chiefly in the Gulf of Mexico, carrying messages and Government officials, convoying Army transports to Texas, and protecting American interests in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. From September 1845 to March 1846, she was flagship for the Squadron's commander,

Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore ...

David Conner. During the opening months of the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

, from April to September 1846, she blockaded Mexican ports, then sailed north for repairs. She lay

at Boston from 22 November 1846 until recommissioned on 26 April 1849. Sailing for the Pacific on 16 May 1849, ''Falmouth'' protected the new American settlements on the west coast, and voyaged to various Pacific islands before returning to Norfolk on 29 January 1852. Again she lay

, from 4 February 1852 until 18 November 1854. Between 16 December 1854 and August 1855 ''Falmouth'' cruised through the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...

in an unsuccessful search for news of , missing since September. Returning to New York, she was

until 12 January 1857, when she was recommissioned for service on the

Brazil Station The Brazil Squadron, the Brazil Station, or the South Atlantic Squadron was an overseas military station established by the United States in 1826 to protect American commerce in the South Atlantic during a war between Brazil and Argentina. When th ...

. ''Falmouth'' joined in the

Paraguay expedition The Paraguay expedition (1858–1859) was an American diplomatic mission and nineteen-ship squadron ordered by President James Buchanan to South America to demand redress for certain wrongs alleged to have been done by Paraguay, and seize its cap ...

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

late in 1858, when relations with the United States were strained, and cruised in the Paraná River and the

Río de la Plata The Río de la Plata (, "river of silver"), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and fo ...

until tension eased. She sailed into New York Harbor on 19 May 1859, and on the 24th was decommissioned. Fitted out as a stationary storeship, ''Falmouth'' departed New York on 1 April 1860 for Aspinwall,

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

, the port later known as Colón. She served there as store ship for operating in the Gulf of Mexico, until sold in October 1863.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Falmouth Sloops of the United States Navy Ships built in Boston Mexican–American War ships of the United States Ships of the Union Navy 1827 ships