USS ''Plymouth'' was a
sloop-of-war
In the 18th century and most of the 19th, a sloop-of-war in the Royal Navy was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. The rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above; thus, the term ''sloop-of-war'' enc ...
constructed and commissioned just prior to 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 ...
. She was heavily gunned, and traveled to Japan as part of Commodore
Matthew C. Perry
Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) was a commodore of the United States Navy who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). He played a leading role in the o ...
's effort to force Japan to open her ports to international trade. She also served in European and Caribbean waters and, later in her career, she was used to train
midshipmen
A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...
.
''Plymouth'' was the first ship of 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 ...
to be named for
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Plymouth (; historically known as Plimouth and Plimoth) is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Located in Greater Boston, the town holds a place of great prominence in American history, folklore, and culture, and is known as ...
, a town on
Plymouth Bay
Plymouth Bay is a small, well-protected bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the western shore of larger Cape Cod Bay along the coastline of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Plymouth Bay retains historical significance for the landing at Plymouth Rock in ...
, about southeast of
Boston, Massachusetts. Plymouth was founded by the
Pilgrims in 1620.
Built in Boston
Built by the
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 ...
, she departed
Boston, Massachusetts, on 3 April 1844 for the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
, Commander Henry Henry in command.
After over a year in European waters, she sailed westward and arrived at
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
on 4 October 1846.
Far East
Following service on the U.S. East Coast, ''Plymouth'' departed New York City, 13 February 1848, for the Far East, returning to
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
, from the East Indies on 29 January 1851. On 23 August 1851 she stood out from
Hampton Roads, Virginia
Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James, Nansemond and Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point where the Chesapeake Bay flows into the Atlantic O ...
, bound once again for the Orient.
After duty on the
East India Squadron
The East India Squadron, or East Indies Squadron, was a squadron of American ships which existed in the nineteenth century, it focused on protecting American interests in the Far East while the Pacific Squadron concentrated on the western coast ...
, she joined Commodore
Matthew C. Perry
Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) was a commodore of the United States Navy who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). He played a leading role in the o ...
's
expedition to Japan, entering
Edo Bay
is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan, and spans the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. The Tokyo Bay region is both the most populous ...
on 8 July 1853 and departing on 17 July. She returned in February of the following year and before heading home put into
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
where she sent a party ashore to support a coordinated British-American expedition against hostile forts in the area.
Training Navy midshipmen
Returning to Norfolk, Virginia, 11 January 1855, ''Plymouth'' began an extended tour in the Atlantic Ocean. Assigned as a midshipmen training ship during the summers of 1855 and 1856, she tested new ordnance under the command of Commander
John A. Dahlgren in 1858 and resumed duties as a
training ship
A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house classr ...
for midshipmen during the summers of 1859 and 1860.
American Civil War
''Plymouth'' was at Norfolk, Virginia, for repairs during the secession crises in the winter of 1860–1861. After Virginia seceded from the Union, she was scuttled and partially burned there, 20 April 1861, to prevent her capture by the forces of the
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...
when the
Gosport 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 ...
fell into their hands.
The
Confederates raised her by 23 June 1861, despite her being 30 feet (9.1 meters) deep in mud and water, and planned to sail her up the James River to Richmond. However, when the Navy Yard was recaptured by the Union on 10 May 1862, she had not been moved and the Confederates scuttled her to avoid capture. She was again raised and her hulk sold at auction on 8 February 1864.
See also
*
Union Navy
), (official)
, colors = Blue and gold
, colors_label = Colors
, march =
, mascot =
, equipment =
, equipment_label ...
References
External links
George P. Ryan Journal of the U.S.S. ''Plymouth'', 1860, MS 9an
George M. Bache Journal of the U.S.S. ''Plymouth'', 1860, MS 10held by Special Collections & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plymouth
Mexican–American War ships of the United States
Ships of the Union Navy
Ships built in Boston
Sloops of the United States Navy
Gunboats of the United States Navy
Training ships of the United States Navy
1844 ships
Shipwrecks of the American Civil War
Shipwrecks of the Virginia coast
Ship fires
Scuttled vessels
Maritime incidents in April 1861
Vessels captured from the United States Navy
Maritime incidents in May 1862