The first USS ''Pioneer'' was most likely a barque in the United States Navy, although some reports classify her a

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

and others as a

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the ...

. ''Pioneer'' was built in 1836 at the

Norfolk Naval Shipyard 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 ...

. Commanded by Josiah Tattnall III, she carried General Santa Anna to Veracruz from Washington, D.C. in 1837. She most likely left service in 1844.

References

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Ship builder's records
Barques of the United States Navy {{US-mil-ship-stub