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USS Mayflower (1866)
Encyclopedia
USS Mayflower (1866) was a screw tugboat
acquired by the United States Navy
at the end of the American Civil War
. She performed a variety of duties, including survey work, along the New England
and mid-Atlantic
coasts of the United States
. On completion of her official duties, she was recommissioned and issued to the United States Naval Academy
at Annapolis, Maryland
, for use as a training ship for midshipmen.
, by James Tetlow. She got underway from the Boston Navy Yard
16 February 1866 and arrived Norfolk, Virginia
, on 21 February.
for a possible inter-oceanic canal. The expedition got underway from Hampton Roads, Virginia, 14 October and reached Minatitlan, Mexico
, 11 November. After gathering valuable data about the topography
of Central America
during the winter and spring, Mayflower returned to the Washington Navy Yard
25 May.
until sailing for Portsmouth, New Hampshire
, 19 August 1872 for duty as a dispatch boat
. In the years that followed she served at Norfolk, Annapolis, and Washington, D.C.
until she decommissioned 20 October 1874.
, Mayflower recommissioned 11 May 1876, and two days later got underway for Annapolis for duty as a training ship at the United States Naval Academy
. Her valuable service teaching the art of seamanship
to the Nation’s future naval leaders continued until Mayflower was struck from the Navy list
23 September 1892.
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
acquired by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
at the end of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. She performed a variety of duties, including survey work, along the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and mid-Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
coasts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. On completion of her official duties, she was recommissioned and issued to the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
at Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, for use as a training ship for midshipmen.
Constructed in Massachusetts
Mayflower -– the first U.S. Navy ship to bear that name -- was a screw tug built for the Navy in 1866 at Chelsea, MassachusettsChelsea, Massachusetts
Chelsea is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States directly across the Mystic River from the city of Boston. It is the smallest city in Massachusetts in land area, and the 26th most densely populated incorporated place in the country.-History:...
, by James Tetlow. She got underway from the Boston Navy Yard
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. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
16 February 1866 and arrived Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, on 21 February.
Supporting the Tehuantepec expedition
Laid up in ordinary in the Norfolk Navy Yard until 1870 she sailed for Annapolis, Maryland, 30 September to prepare for service on the expedition to Tehuantepec, Mexico, to survey the isthmusIsthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
for a possible inter-oceanic canal. The expedition got underway from Hampton Roads, Virginia, 14 October and reached Minatitlan, Mexico
Minatitlán, Veracruz
Minatitlán is a city in southeastern Mexican state of Veracruz in the Olmec region of the state and the north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.In 2010 the greater metropolitan area had a population of 356,020...
, 11 November. After gathering valuable data about the topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
of Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
during the winter and spring, Mayflower returned to the Washington Navy Yard
Washington Navy Yard
The Washington Navy Yard is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy...
25 May.
Service as a dispatch boat
She remained in the Potomac RiverPotomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
until sailing for Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
, 19 August 1872 for duty as a dispatch boat
Dispatch boat
Dispatch boats were small boats, and sometimes large ships, tasked to carry military dispatches from ship to ship or from ship to shore or, in some cases from shore to shore...
. In the years that followed she served at Norfolk, Annapolis, and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
until she decommissioned 20 October 1874.
Serving the Naval Academy
After repairs at Camden, New JerseyCamden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, Mayflower recommissioned 11 May 1876, and two days later got underway for Annapolis for duty as a training ship at the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
. Her valuable service teaching the art of seamanship
Seamanship
Seamanship is the art of operating a ship or boat.It involves a knowledge of a variety of topics and development of specialised skills including: navigation and international maritime law; weather, meteorology and forecasting; watchstanding; ship-handling and small boat handling; operation of deck...
to the Nation’s future naval leaders continued until Mayflower was struck from the Navy list
Navy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
23 September 1892.