The first USS ''Severn'' was a wooden screw
sloop of war in commission 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 ...
from 1869 to 1871. She was named for
Severn River in
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
.
''Severn'' was laid down as ''Masholu'' in October 1864 by the
New York Navy Yard, was launched on 22 December 1867 and commissioned on 27 August 1869, Commander
Reigart Bolivar Lowry in command.
Service history
Upon completion in December 1869, ''Severn'' was assigned to duty as
flagship of the
North Atlantic Squadron
The North Atlantic Squadron was a section of the United States Navy operating in the North Atlantic. It was renamed as the North Atlantic Fleet in 1902. In 1905 the European and South Atlantic squadrons were abolished and absorbed into the Nort ...
under Rear Admiral
Charles H. Poor which then consisted of
monitor
Monitor or monitor may refer to:
Places
* Monitor, Alberta
* Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States
* Monitor, Kentucky
* Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States
* Monitor, Washington
* Monitor, Logan County, West ...
s , , , and ;
steamers , , , , ''Severn'', , , and ;
tug ; and the
hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. I ...
.
''Severn'' called at
Key West in January 1871 before cruising among
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 ...
ports into the following year. In April, she investigated alleged mistreatment of the United States consul at
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana.
The municipality extends over , and contains ...
, subsequently returning to
Hampton Roads at the end of July. Departing Hampton Roads for
Key West in December, ''Severn'' returned north to 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 ...
, decommissioning there on 31 December 1871.
In 1875, following repairs, ''Severn'' was transferred to
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decade ...
. Returning to New York in 1877, ''Severn'' was sold on 2 March 1877 to John Roach as part of his compensation for repairs made to the monitor and broken up.
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Severn, USS, 1867
Sloops of the United States Navy
1867 ships