USS Nashville (PG-7)
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USS ''Nashville'' (PG-7), a gunboat, was the only ship of its class. It was the first of three ships 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 hold the name ''Nashville''. ''Nashville'' (PG-7) was laid down on 9 August 1894 by
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is the largest industrial employer in Virginia, and sole designer, builder and refueler of United States Navy aircraft carriers and one of two providers of U.S. Navy ...
,
Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...
; launched on 19 October 1895; sponsored by Miss Emma Thompson, and commissioned on 19 August 1897.


Service history


Pre-commissioning

The contract to build ''Nashville'' was awarded on Jan. 22, 1894, the first Navy construction contract won by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. The ship's originally planned sponsor was Miss Maria Guild, daughter of Nashville, Tennessee Mayor
George Blackmore Guild George Blackmore Guild (1834-1917) was an American Democratic politician. He served as the Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee from 1891 to 1895. Biography He was born April 8, 1834, in Gallatin, Tennessee. He attended the University of Alabama in Tu ...
. While Mayor Guild's party was en route to the christening ceremony, word was received that William Guild, Mayor Guild's son, was accidentally shot and killed. The party turned back immediately. Miss Emma Thompson, also from Nashville, christened the ship, with
Joseph E. Washington Joseph Edwin Washington (November 10, 1851 – August 28, 1915) was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 6th congressional district of Tennessee. Early life Washington was born on November 10 ...
standing in for Mayor Guild.


Spanish–American War

Upon commissioning, ''Nashville'' joined the North Atlantic Fleet; and, as
war with Spain War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
became imminent after the sinking of the armored cruiser , she was ordered to the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
. She was credited with firing the first shot of the war when, upon sighting of the ''Buena Ventura'', she fired a blank shot across the Spanish merchantman's bow. She captured four Spanish vessels from 22 April-26 July 1898, and assisted in cutting the undersea telegraph cable just off the shore of
Cienfuegos Cienfuegos (), capital of Cienfuegos Province, is a city on the southern coast of Cuba. It is located about from Havana and has a population of 150,000. Since the late 1960s, Cienfuegos has become one of Cuba's main industrial centers, especial ...
, where many of her sailors and Marines were honored with Medals of Honor. ''Nashville'' remained on duty off
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
until the war's end.


Pre-World War I

The gunboat departed the Caribbean for duty in the
Philippines 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 14 October 1899, arriving at
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
on 31 December via the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
. ''Nashville'' provided gunfire support for American troops in campaigns against Filipino insurgents until June 1900. When the
Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...
erupted in China, ''Nashville'' departed
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 ...
on 8 June for China with a
Marine Detachment A Marine Detachment, or MarDet, was a unit of 35 to 85 United States Marines aboard large warships including cruisers, battleships, and aircraft carriers. They were a regular component of a ship's company from the formation of the United States Ma ...
embarked. She arrived at
Taku Taku may refer to: Places North America * the Taku River, in Alaska and British Columbia ** Fort Taku, also known as Fort Durham and as Taku, a former fort of the Hudson's Bay Company near the mouth of the Taku River ** the Taku Glacier, in Ala ...
on 18 June, disembarked the Marines assigned to the International Relief Expedition, and remained until the allied forces lifted the siege of Peking. After patrol duty off China, ''Nashville'' arrived at Cavite on 3 February 1901, where she based until July. Transferred to the Mediterranean, the gunboat arrived at
Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...
, Italy on 22 September. After a year's patrol duty, ''Nashville'' left
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
on 1 November 1902, arriving at Boston, Massachusetts on 16 January 1903. On the Caribbean Station from 26 May 1903 – 4 March 1904, the ''Nashville'' was instrumental in preventing Colombian troops in Colón using the Panama railway thereby ensuring the success of the revolutionary junta in Panama and securing a treaty with the United States in building the
Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...
. She returned to Boston on 18 June and decommissioned on 30 June. Recommissioned on 8 August 1905 at Boston Navy Yard, ''Nashville'' sailed on 8 September for
Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...
, operating off Cuba,
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
, and Santo Domingo until 26 June 1906, when she returned to Boston to decommission on 23 July. After three years in
reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...
, ''Nashville'' was assigned to the
Illinois Naval Militia The Illinois Naval Militia was a naval militia created by the Illinois General Assembly in 1893, and finally dissolved in 1988. The naval militia was reauthorized by Governor Rod Blagojevich through an executive order in 2006. As a naval militia it ...
on 29 April 1909. From May 1909 – July 1911, she trained militiamen on the
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...
, homeported at Chicago. USS ''Nashville'' caused an incident in 1909 when she was sent to the Great Lakes through the Canadian canal system unarmed. She was then later armed, along with four other ships, in contravention of the Rush–Bagot Treaty of 1817. After extensive overhaul and sea trials, she departed Boston on 7 January 1912, arriving Santo Domingo on 31 January to begin five years of patrol operations in 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 Greater A ...
and off
Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
, protecting United States interests. The ship participated in the
United States occupation of Veracruz The United States occupation of Veracruz (April 21 to November 23, 1914) began with the Battle of Veracruz and lasted for seven months. The incident came in the midst of poor diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States, and was re ...
, proclaimed in April 1914 by United States President
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
, against the Mexican government of
Victoriano Huerta José Victoriano Huerta Márquez (; 22 December 1854 – 13 January 1916) was a general in the Mexican Federal Army and 39th President of Mexico, who came to power by coup against the democratically elected government of Francisco I. Madero wit ...
. After a short period of reduced commission status from 10 May-8 July 1916 in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
, the gunboat returned to Tampico, Mexico, where she remained until the U.S. entered
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
on 6 April 1917.


World War I

After temporary duty off Tampico, ''Nashville'' sailed from
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 ...
on 2 August 1917, arriving
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
on 18 August to patrol off the Moroccan coast. After serving as convoy escort off North Africa and in the western Mediterranean until 15 July 1918, ''Nashville'' departed Gibraltar, arriving on 1 August at
Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
.


Fate

''Nashville'' decommissioned on 21 October 1918 at
Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
, and was sold on 20 October 1921 to J. L. Bernard and Company,
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nashville (PG-7) Patrol vessels of the United States Gunboats of the United States Navy Philippine–American War ships of the United States World War I patrol vessels of the United States Ships built in Newport News, Virginia Boxer Rebellion naval ships of the United States 1895 ships Spanish–American War gunboats of the United States