The first USS ''Wyoming'' 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 ...
was a wooden-hulled
screw sloop
A screw sloop is a propeller-driven sloop-of-war. In the 19th century, during the introduction of the steam engine, ships driven by propellers were differentiated from those driven by paddle-wheels by referring to the ship's ''screws'' (propelle ...
that fought on the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
side during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
. Sent to the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...
to search for the
CSS ''Alabama'', ''Wyoming'' eventually came upon the shores of
Japan and engaged Japanese land and sea forces. On 16 July 1863, ''Wyoming'' won the first-ever
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
naval victory over Japan in the
Battle of Shimonoseki Straits.
Service history
The ship was laid down at the
Philadelphia Navy Yard
The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries.
Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the ci ...
in July 1858, launched on 19 January 1859, sponsored by
Mary Florida Grice, and commissioned in October 1859, Commander
John K. Mitchell in command. She was named for the
Wyoming Valley
The Wyoming Valley is a historic industrialized region of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The region is historically notable for its influence in helping fuel the American Industrial Revolution with its many anthracite coal-mines. As a metropolitan ...
in Pennsylvania, not the state of Wyoming which did not yet exist.
West Coast, 1859–1862
''Wyoming'' soon sailed via
Cape Horn
Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramí ...
for the Pacific and arrived off the coast of
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...
in April 1860. There, she relieved and operated along the Pacific coast of the United States and Central America into the spring of 1861. During that time, she participated in the search for ''Levant'' when that warship disappeared in the late autumn of 1860.
The outbreak of the Civil War found ''Wyoming'' at
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, preparing for another cruise. She was instructed to remain in the vicinity of the
Golden Gate
The Golden Gate is a strait on the west coast of North America that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is defined by the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Peninsula, and, since 1937, has been spanned by t ...
to protect
mail steamer
Packet boats were medium-sized boats designed for domestic mail, passenger, and freight transportation in European countries and in North American rivers and canals, some of them steam driven. They were used extensively during the 18th and 19th ...
s operating off the California coast, but CDR Mitchell — a naval officer of Southern origin and persuasion — defied his orders and took his ship to
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 ...
instead.
Mitchell's flagrant disobedience cost him his command and also resulted in his dismissal from the service. As a result, ''Wyoming'' came under the temporary command of her executive officer, Lt.
Francis K. Murray, on 4 July 1861. While returning to
Monterey, California, ''Wyoming'' was plagued by mishaps. First, her bottom struck a
coral head off
La Paz, Baja California Sur
La Paz (, en, Peace) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur and an important regional commercial center. The city had a 2020 census population of 250,141 inhabitants, making it the most populous city in the state. Its ...
, and was pulled free only after three days aground during which she lost her
false keel The false keel was a timber, forming part of the hull of a wooden sailing ship. Typically thick for a 74-gun ship in the 19th century, the false keel was constructed in several pieces, which were scarfed together, and attached to the underside of ...
. She then ran short of
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when ...
and arrived at Monterey with empty bunkers.
''Wyoming'' subsequently shifted to San Francisco where, on 9 August, she received a new commanding officer, Commander
David McDougal
David Stockton McDougal (September 27, 1809 – August 7, 1882) was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War most noted for his leadership during a naval battle off of Japan.
Biography
Born in Ohio, McDougal was appointed ...
. The warship then proceeded to the coast of
Lower California to protect American
whaling
Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution.
It was practiced as an organized industr ...
interests against possible incursions by Confederate cruisers. After that service, she operated in South American waters into 1862.
Far East, 1862–1863
Following repairs at
Mare Island
Mare Island ( Spanish: ''Isla de la Yegua'') is a peninsula in the United States in the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the ...
, ''Wyoming'' received orders — dated 16 June 1862 — to proceed immediately to the Far East in search of "armed piratical cruisers fitted out by the rebels" and soon headed west, bound for the Orient.
Word of the Union ship's subsequent appearance in Far Eastern waters spread fast and far. In the
Sunda Strait, off
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...
, Captain
Raphael Semmes
Raphael Semmes ( ; September 27, 1809 – August 30, 1877) was an officer in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War. Until then, he had been a serving officer in the US Navy from 1826 to 1860.
During the American Civil War, Semmes wa ...
, the commanding officer of Confederate cruiser ''Alabama'', learned from an English brig of ''Wyoming's'' arrival in the East Indies; and a Dutch trader later confirmed this report. On 26 October, Semmes wrote confidently in his journal that "''Wyoming'' is a good match for this ship," and "I have resolved to give her battle. She is reported to be cruising under sail — probably with banked fires — and anchors, no doubt, under
Krakatoa
Krakatoa (), also transcribed (), is a caldera in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Indonesian province of Lampung. The caldera is part of a volcanic island group ( Krakatoa archipelago) comprising four islands. T ...
every night, and I hope to surprise her, the moon being near its full."
Although in their search for each other, ''Wyoming'' and ''Alabama'' unknowingly came close to each other, they never met; and it would be up to another Union warship, the sloop , to destroy the elusive Confederate raider. Yet, despite being unsuccessful in tracking down Confederate cruisers, ''Wyoming'' did render important service to uphold the honor of the American flag in the Far East the following year, 1863.
Ordered to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
that spring — after what had been a largely fruitless cruise — ''Wyoming'' was in the midst of preparations to leave the
East Indies
The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around ...
when an event occurred that changed her plans.
The Battle of the Straits of Shimonoseki, 1863
On 10 May 1863, ''Wyoming'' at
Yokohama
is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...
,
Japan. Attempts by to refloat her were unsuccessful as the tide was falling. She was refloated the next day and taken in to ''Yokohama''.
''Wyoming'' was stationed there as a
show of force
A show of force is a military operation intended to warn (such as a warning shot) or to intimidate an opponent by showcasing a capability or will to act if one is provoked. Shows of force may also be executed by police forces and other armed, non ...
, standing by to protect American lives and property during an outbreak of anti-foreign agitation in Japan. Nevertheless, that agitation continued into the early summer months, as the ''
sonnō jōi
was a ''yojijukugo'' (four-character compound) phrase used as the rallying cry and slogan of a political movement in Japan in the 1850s and 1860s during the Bakumatsu period. Based on Neo-Confucianism and Japanese nativism, the movement soug ...
'' movement grew in strength with increasing resentment by the Japanese to the terms of the recent
unequal treaties
Unequal treaty is the name given by the Chinese to a series of treaties signed during the 19th and early 20th centuries, between China (mostly referring to the Qing dynasty) and various Western powers (specifically the British Empire, France, the ...
signed with the western powers.
Emperor Kōmei
was the 121st Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')孝明天皇 (121)/ref> Kōmei's reign spanned the years from 1846 through 1867, corresponding to the final years of the ...
issued a decree setting 25 June 1863 as the date for the expulsion of all aliens from Japan.
Although the
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
was largely powerless to force compliance with this directive, the powerful pro-''
sonnō jōi
was a ''yojijukugo'' (four-character compound) phrase used as the rallying cry and slogan of a political movement in Japan in the 1850s and 1860s during the Bakumatsu period. Based on Neo-Confucianism and Japanese nativism, the movement soug ...
''
daimyō
were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominal ...
of
Chōshū Domain, the
Mōri Takachika
was the 13th daimyo of Chōshū Domain. His domain was a traditional enemy of the Tokugawa shogunate, and he became a key player in its downfall during the Bakumatsu period. He was also the first daimyo to return his lands to the Emperor during ...
took the decree literally and decided to attack foreign ships passing through the
Straits of Shimonoseki, which the domain regarded as part of its territory.
At one o'clock on the morning of 26 June, two armed vessels of Chōshū Domain attacked the American merchantman ''Pembroke'', bound for
Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan.
It became the sole Nanban trade, port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hi ...
and
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 flowin ...
, as she lay anchored in the Strait of Shimonoseki. ''Pembroke'' suffered no casualties; got underway; and moved out of danger, escaping via
Bungo Strait
The is a strait separating the Japanese islands of Kyushu and Shikoku. It connects the Pacific Ocean and the Seto Inland Sea on the western end of Shikoku. The narrowest part of this channel is the Hōyo Strait.
In the English-speaking worl ...
and continuing her voyage for Shanghai, post-haste, without making her scheduled stop at Nagasaki.
Word of the incident did not reach Yokohama from Japanese sources until 10 July. That evening, mail from Shanghai brought "authentic information" confirming the Japanese report. The
United States Minister in Japan,
Robert H. Pruyn, sent for the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Japanese government and informed him — in the presence of Comdr. McDougal — of the gravity of the situation, stressing that an insult to the American flag was a serious matter. After being told by Pruyn that the United States government would demand satisfaction and expect a statement from the Japanese concerning the offense, the Japanese diplomat begged that the Americans do nothing until his government at
Edo took action.
After the Japanese left, McDougal told Pruyn that he had decided to proceed instantly to the Shimonoseki Strait to seize and, if necessary, to destroy, the offending vessels. The two men agreed that lack of punitive action would encourage further anti-foreign incidents.
''Wyoming'' battling in the Shimonoseki Straits.
Accordingly, ''Wyoming'' prepared for sea. At 4:45 a.m. on 13 July, CDR McDougal called all hands; and the sloop got underway 15 minutes later, bound for the strait. After a two-day voyage, ''Wyoming'' arrived off the island of Himeshima on the evening of 15 July and anchored off the south side of that island.
At five o'clock the following morning, ''Wyoming'' weighed anchor and steamed toward the Strait of Shimonoseki. She went to general quarters at nine, loaded her
pivot gun
A pivot gun was a type of cannon mounted on a fixed central emplacement which permitted it to be moved through a wide horizontal arc. They were a common weapon aboard ships and in land fortifications for several centuries but became obsolete aft ...
s with shell, and cleared for action. The warship entered the strait at 10:45 and beat to quarters. Soon, three signal guns boomed from the landward, alerting the Chōshū
coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications.
From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of ...
batteries and warships of ''Wyoming's'' arrival.
At about 11:15, after being fired upon from the shore batteries, ''Wyoming'' hoisted her colors and replied with her 11-inch pivot guns. Momentarily ignoring the batteries, McDougal ordered ''Wyoming'' to continue steaming toward a bark, a steamer, and a brig at anchor off the town of Shimonoseki. Meanwhile, four shore batteries took the warship under fire. ''Wyoming'' answered the Japanese cannon "as fast as the guns could be brought to bear" while shells from the shore guns passed through her
rigging.
''Wyoming'' then passed between the brig and the bark on the starboard hand and the steamer on the port, steaming within a pistol shot's range. One shot from either the bark or brig struck near ''Wyoming's'' forward broadside gun, killing two men and wounding four. Elsewhere on the ship, a Marine was struck dead by a piece of
shrapnel
Shrapnel may refer to:
Military
* Shrapnel shell, explosive artillery munitions, generally for anti-personnel use
* Shrapnel (fragment), a hard loose material
Popular culture
* ''Shrapnel'' (Radical Comics)
* ''Shrapnel'', a game by Adam C ...
.
''Wyoming'', in hostile territory, then grounded in uncharted waters shortly after she had made one run past the forts. The Japanese steamer, in the meantime, had slipped her cable and headed directly for ''Wyoming'' — possibly to attempt a boarding. The American man-of-war, however, managed to work free of the mud and then unleashed her 11-inch
Dahlgren gun
Dahlgren guns were muzzle-loading naval artillery designed by Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren USN (November 13, 1809 – July 12, 1870), mostly used in the period of the American Civil War. Dahlgren's design philosophy evolved from an accidental e ...
s on the enemy ship, hulling and damaging her severely. Two well-directed shots exploded her boilers and, as she began to sink, her crew abandoned the ship.
''Wyoming'' then passed the bark and the brig, firing into them steadily and methodically. Some shells were "overs" and landed in the town ashore, setting it on fire. As Comdr. McDougal wrote in his report to
Gideon Welles
Gideon Welles (July 1, 1802 – February 11, 1878), nicknamed "Father Neptune", was the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869, a cabinet post he was awarded after supporting Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election. Although opposed ...
on 23 July, "the punishment inflicted (upon the daimyo) and in store for him will, I trust, teach him a lesson that will not soon be forgotten."
After having been in combat for a little over an hour, ''Wyoming'' returned to Yokohama. She had been hulled 11 times, with considerable damage to her smokestack and rigging. Her casualties had been comparatively light: four men killed and seven wounded — one of whom later died. Significantly, ''Wyoming'' had been the first foreign warship to take offensive action to uphold treaty rights in Japan.
Hunting the raiders, 1863–1864
However, the ship's projected return to Philadelphia did not materialize due to the supposed continued presence of ''Alabama'' in Far Eastern waters. She repaired her damages, resumed the search and sailed to the
Dutch East Indies. She subsequently voyaged to
Christmas Island
Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. It is located in the Indian Ocean, around south of Java and Sumatra and around north-west of the ...
, examining it to determine whether or not it was used as a supply base for "the use of rebel cruisers." Finding the island uninhabited and the report of its use as a supply base unfounded, ''Wyoming'' returned to Anjer, Java, where McDougal found out, to his surprise, that ''Alabama'' had passed the
Sunda Strait on 10 November — only a day after ''Wyoming'' had sailed for Christmas Island. At noon that day, ''Alabama'' and ''Wyoming'' had been only 25 miles apart.
Writing from
Batavia
Batavia may refer to:
Historical places
* Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands
* Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
on 22 November, McDougal later reported that ''Wyoming'' had scoured the waters of the East Indies, visiting "every place in this neighborhood where she (''Alabama'') would likely lay in case she intended to remain in this region." Although acknowledging that the condition of ''Wyoming's'' boilers prevented a heavy pressure of steam from being carried, McDougal promised to make every effort in his power to find and capture ''Alabama''.
''Wyoming'' then cruised to
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
in search of the Confederate raider, but found nothing, and continued on to the Dutch settlement of
Rhio, near Sunda Strait. She subsequently sailed north, putting into
Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...
,
Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
, in the
Philippine Islands
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, on Christmas Eve. There, through the courtesy of the
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, ...
, ''Wyoming'' underwent much-needed boiler repairs and coaled. She then sailed for
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
and
Whampoa, China.
''Wyoming'' continued her search for the elusive ''Alabama'' into February 1864. She sailed to
Foochow
Fuzhou (; , Fuzhounese: Hokchew, ''Hók-ciŭ''), alternately romanized as Foochow, is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian province, China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute t ...
, China, to protect American interests and proceeded thence, via Hong Kong, to the East Indies. When the sloop-of-war reached Batavia, however, CDR McDougal found that there was now no alternative but to return to the United States for repairs, because the ship's boilers were in such poor condition. Accordingly, ''Wyoming'' began her long-delayed return voyage to the United States, via Anjer, the
Cape of Good Hope,
St. Helena
Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constit ...
, and
St. Thomas. After a voyage of almost three months, she arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 13 July 1864; having completed a circumnavigation of the globe begun when she left that port following her commissioning.
The presence of
CSS ''Florida'' off the East Coast, however, meant another change in plans for the weary ''Wyoming''. Commodore
Cornelius Stribling, Commandant of the Philadelphia Navy Yard, ordered the newly arrived screw sloop to sea to search for ''Florida''. "It is with regret that I send you on this service," Stribling wrote McDougal, "After so long a cruise, and one in which you have rendered such important service, yourself, officers and crew, were entitled to a respite from active service; but the great importance of capturing the rebel privateer will, I hope, be an incentive to all under your command cheerfully to perform this service."
Although ''Wyoming'' required extensive repairs, she nevertheless sailed. As events proved, however, ''Wyoming's'' machinery — so long from repairs in an American Navy Yard — proved unequal to the strain. For five days, the ship attempted to carry out the orders given her — contending with fresh northeast winds and a head sea — but returned to Philadelphia on 19 July, due to a leaky boiler. She was decommissioned on 23 July for a complete overhaul.
East Indies Station, 1865–1868
Recommissioned on 11 April 1865, Comdr.
John P. Bankhead in command, ''Wyoming'' proceeded to the East Indies Station, via Cape Horn, and reached Singapore on 25 September 1865, in time to participate in the search for
CSS ''Shenandoah'', a Confederate raider which remained at sea for one month after the end of the Civil War. Following service on the East Indies Station into 1866, the screw sloop-of-war was made part of the
Asiatic Squadron
The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century. It was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded. Vessels of the squadron were primarily inv ...
with that unit's establishment in 1867.
Sailing from Yokohama on 28 April 1867, ''Wyoming'' headed for the island of Formosa (
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
). On 13 June, she participated in a
punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a political entity or any group of people outside the borders of the punishing state or union. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong beh ...
against Formosan natives who had murdered the crew of the American merchant bark ''Rover'' that had been wrecked off the coast of Formosa a short time before. During that action, she sent a landing party ashore in company with one from the sloop .
Subsequently, returning to the United States having performed her last service in the Far East, ''Wyoming'' was decommissioned on 10 February 1868 and placed "
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 ...
" at
Boston, Massachusetts. After extensive repairs at
Portsmouth Navy Yard
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Founded in 1800, PNS is U.S. Navy's oldest continuo ...
, during 1870 and into 1871, ''Wyoming'' was recommissioned on 14 November 1871, Comdr.
John L. Davis in command.
North Atlantic Station, 1872–1878
From 1872 to 1874, ''Wyoming'' operated on the
North Atlantic Station. Her ports of call included Havana, Cuba; Key West, Florida.; Aspinwall, Panama; Santiago, Cuba; Kingston, Jamaica; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Key West; Hampton Roads, Va.; and New Bedford, Mass. After that tour of duty, cruising and "showing the flag" in the West Indies and Gulf of Mexico, ''Wyoming'' was decommissioned at the
Washington Navy Yard
The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is the former shipyard and Weapon, ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy.
The Yard currently serv ...
on 30 April 1874 and remained laid up there for the next two years.
In 1876, the Wyoming was deployed to the Potomac river in order to defend Washington DC at rumors of an invasion by Southern separatists after the controversial election between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden.
The veteran screw sloop-of-war became the
receiving ship
A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Hulk may be used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, an abandoned wreck or shell, or to refer to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipmen ...
at Washington in 1877 and apparently served in that capacity into early the following year. Recommissioned on 20 November 1877, ''Wyoming'' left Washington, loaded articles for the
Paris Exposition, and departed the East Coast of the United States on 6 April 1878, bound for
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. After discharging the cargo at
Le Havre
Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very ...
, France, the ship visited
Rouen, France, and
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
, England, before she departed the latter port on 25 June and headed for the United States. She reached Norfolk on 22 August, shifted to Washington in mid-September, and to New York in early November, before she sailed on 26 November for the
European Station
The European Squadron, also known as the European Station, was a part of the United States Navy in the late 19th century and the early 1900s. The squadron was originally named the Mediterranean Squadron and renamed following the American Civil Wa ...
.
European Station, 1878–1881
''Wyoming'' reached
Villefranche, France, near the port of Nice, on Christmas Eve 1878 and remained there into 1879 before getting underway for Smyrna on 24 January 1879. ''Wyoming'' remained in the Mediterranean into November 1880, touching at many of the more famous ports in that historic body of water — and in the Black Sea — before heading home late in 1880.
''Wyoming'' returned to the United States in early 1881, arriving at Hampton Roads on 21 May. She sailed for Beaufort, S.C., on 15 June and thence proceeded to Annapolis, Md.
Naval Academy, 1882–1892
Decommissioned on 30 October 1882 and turned over to the Superintendent of the Naval Academy, ''Wyoming'' spent the next decade employed as a practice ship for midshipmen. Later taken to Norfolk, Va., she was sold at the port on 9 May 1892 to
E. J. Butler, of
Arlington, Massachusetts
Arlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The town is six miles (10 km) northwest of Boston, and its population was 46,308 at the 2020 census.
History
European colonists settled the Town of Arlington in 1635 as a village w ...
.
See also
*
Bibliography of early American naval history
Historical accounts for early U.S. naval history now occur across the spectrum of two and more centuries. This Bibliography lends itself primarily to reliable sources covering early U.S. naval history beginning around the American Revolution per ...
*
Confederate States Navy
The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the Navy, naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the Amer ...
*
List of sloops of war of the United States Navy
*
Union Navy
The Union Navy was the United States Navy (USN) during the American Civil War, when it fought the Confederate States Navy (CSN). The term is sometimes used carelessly to include vessels of war used on the rivers of the interior while they were un ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wyoming (1859)
Ships built in Philadelphia
Sloops of the United States Navy
Ships of the Union Navy
1859 ships
Maritime incidents in May 1863