USS ''Van Buren'' was a

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

that served as part of the United States Revenue Cutter Service. The ship was named after Martin Van Buren, the eighth president of the U.S. The ship was commissioned and set sail on 2 December 1839, and served a regular tour of duty with the Revenue Service. During the

Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans and ...

, the ship was transferred to 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 ...

, and served as a support ship to troops along the coasts of Florida's rivers. After being transferred back to the control of the Secretary of the Treasury, the ''Van Buren'' began to sail out of its homeport of

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 ...

. Still under the command of the Revenue Cutter Service, the ship participated in 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 ...

, first in the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

, and later as a member of a

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, de ...

under the command of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

John A. Webster. With the squadron, the ''Van Buren'' aided in a blockade off the coast of

Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

. On 4 October 1846, the ship's crew had the ''Van Buren'' declared unseaworthy. It was decommissioned, and then sold for $1,200 on 1 June 1847.

Career

United States Revenue Cutter Service

The ship's construction was approved on 26 June 1839; she was laid out in 1839 in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, Maryland, and reported fully constructed and ready for sailing on 29 November of the same year. The ship was commissioned a few days later, and entered the service of the Revenue Cutter Service on 2 December 1839. The ship performed the regular duties of ships in the Revenue Cutter Service between 1839 and 1840, but few records exist about its specific activities during this period. The commander of the vessel during at this time was

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

John McGowan of the United States Revenue Marines.

Second Seminole War

When the

began in 1835, the

Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...

Mahlon Dickerson Mahlon Dickerson (April 17, 1770 – October 5, 1853) was a justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, the seventh governor of New Jersey, United States Senator from New Jersey, the 10th United States Secretary of the Navy and a United States ...

wrote Thomas Ewing, the

United States Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

at the time for command over a number of Revenue Cutter Vessels; the ''Van Buren'' was among them. The vessel became part of the

Mosquito Fleet The term Mosquito Fleet has had a variety of naval and commercial uses around the world. United States In United States, U.S. naval and maritime history, the term has had ten main meanings: #The United States Navy's fleet of small gunboats, lead ...

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

Thomas T. McLaughlin. The ship served as a river vessel, mainly supporting the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

forces battling the Seminole on land.

Mexican–American War

After a year in the war, the ''Van Buren'' anchored in

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 23 July 1842, where it reentered the Revenue Cutter Service. It was formally transferred back on 18 August 1842. The ''Van Buren'' operated out of the port of

for three years, undergoing repairs once at

, Maryland from May through June 1844. Following the outbreak of the

in 1846,

Robert J. Walker Robert John Walker (July 19, 1801November 11, 1869) was an American lawyer, economist and politician. An active member of the Democratic Party, he served as a member of the U.S. Senate from Mississippi from 1835 until 1845, as Secretary of the ...

, Secretary of the Treasury, ordered the ''Van Buren'' to the

. Under the command of

Thomas C. Rudolph of the United States Revenue Marines, the vessel sailed with three months' worth of ammunition and supplies to report to the Customs Collector of the

Port of New Orleans The Port of New Orleans is an embarkation port for cruise passengers. It is also Louisiana’s only international container port. The port generates $100 million in revenue annually through its four lines of business – cargo (46%), rail (31%) ...

; however, on its way to the port, the lightning struck the

royal mast Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

, forcing the ship back to Charleston. On 2 June 1846, the ship set sail again. On 30 July 1846, the ''Van Buren'' set to harbor in

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

, where it joined the United States Revenue Marines

of Captain John A. Webster and aided in a blockade of Mexico's eastern coast. The ''Van Buren'' in particular was stationed off the coast of

. On 4 October, the ''Van Buren'' was declared unseaworthy, and ordered to New York on 11 November 1846. She was decommissioned and sold on 1 June 1847 for $1,200.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Buren Ships of the United States Revenue Cutter Service Naval ships of the United States Schooners of the United States Navy Age of Sail naval ships of the United States