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USS Onward (1852)
Encyclopedia
The first USS Onward was a clipper
in the United States Navy
.
Onward was launched 3 July 1852 by James O. Curtis at Medford, Massachusetts
, for Reed, Wade, and Co., of Boston, Massachusetts, and operated in the merchant service between New York City
, Boston, and San Francisco, California
. Purchased by the U.S. Navy at New York City from John Ogden on 9 September 1861, for service in the Civil War
, Onward commissioned at New York Navy Yard on 11 January 1862, Acting
Volunteer Lieutenant
J. Frederick Nickels in command.
robed in the American ensign, the right hand pointing forward, the left, grasping the emblems of harvest, one foot rested on a carved representation of the globe. The stern was curvilinear, ornamented with an American Indian, surrounded with gilt work. Under the name and hailing port, the words 'According to law' appeared in carved, white letters." Overseeing her construction was her first commander, Captain Jesse G. Cotting.
to S.F., under Capt. Cotting, 120 days, arrived December 1, 1852.
New York
to S.F., under Capt. Thomas F. Wade, 150 or 151 days, arrived January 25, 1854. "She was followed closely by the Ocean Pearl, Kingfisher
, Bald Eagle, Courier, and Pampero ... The Kingfisher under Crosby and the Bald Eagle, in command of Caldwell, had sailed a notable race ... They fought it out almost jibboom to jibboom for 17,000 miles and entered San Francisco almost within hailing distance of each other."
New York to S.F., under Capt. Luce, 158 days, arrived October 15, 1856. On this passage she spent 26 days rounding the Horn
, encountering 18 days of hurricane-force winds, damaging the deck house and rigging; and 20 days of almost dead calm after crossing the Equator in the Pacific.
Her passage from San Francisco to Singapore, of 43 days, arriving Dec. 15, 1856, under Capt. E.A. Luce., was stated to be a record, according to the Dec. 23, 1856 "Singapore Times."
Homeward passages, Honolulu to New York, 113 days.
Shanghai to London, 89 days from Anjer.
Melbourne to London in 114 days from Calcutta.
Shanghai to New York in 115 days, arriving June 21, 1861
on 28 January, and operated along the coasts of Georgia
and Florida
before taking station off Charleston
.
On 12 March, with four other Union
ships, she captured blockade runner
Emily St. Pierre of Charleston attempting to slip into Charleston Harbor laden with gunny cloth from Calcutta, India needed for baling Southern cotton
. On 26 April, she forced schooner
Chase aground on Raccoon Key near Cape Romain, South Carolina
, and destroyed her. She drove schooner
Sarah aground at Bull's Bay, South Carolina, where she was destroyed by her own crew to prevent capture on 1 May. Twelve days later off Charleston, she accepted from Robert Smalls
, an escaped slave, who had slipped out of Charleston Harbor with the Confederate steamer
while her officers were ashore.
, in Bahia, Brazil and hemmed them in port until they were forced to sell their fuel and munitions to obtain clearance from port. This delay prevented the tenders from fulfilling their mission.
on 20 June 1865. She recommissioned on 5 September and was used as a storeship at Callao, Peru until decommissioned on 13 November 1884, and was sold there.
Clipper
A clipper was a very fast sailing ship of the 19th century that had three or more masts and a square rig. They were generally narrow for their length, could carry limited bulk freight, small by later 19th century standards, and had a large total sail area...
in 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...
.
Onward was launched 3 July 1852 by James O. Curtis at Medford, Massachusetts
Medford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...
, for Reed, Wade, and Co., of Boston, Massachusetts, and operated in the merchant service between New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Boston, and San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. Purchased by the U.S. Navy at New York City from John Ogden on 9 September 1861, for service in the 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...
, Onward commissioned at New York Navy Yard on 11 January 1862, Acting
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
Volunteer Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
J. Frederick Nickels in command.
Construction
"Her lines were convex; for a figurehead she had the Goddess of LibertyLiberty (goddess)
Goddesses named for and representing the concept Liberty have existed in many cultures, including classical examples dating from the Roman Empire and some national symbols such as the British "Britannia" or the Irish "Kathleen Ni Houlihan"....
robed in the American ensign, the right hand pointing forward, the left, grasping the emblems of harvest, one foot rested on a carved representation of the globe. The stern was curvilinear, ornamented with an American Indian, surrounded with gilt work. Under the name and hailing port, the words 'According to law' appeared in carved, white letters." Overseeing her construction was her first commander, Captain Jesse G. Cotting.
Voyages as California clipper
BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to S.F., under Capt. Cotting, 120 days, arrived December 1, 1852.
New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to S.F., under Capt. Thomas F. Wade, 150 or 151 days, arrived January 25, 1854. "She was followed closely by the Ocean Pearl, Kingfisher
Kingfisher (clipper)
The Kingfisher was an 1853 extreme clipper that sailed on the San Francisco route. She was one of the longest lived clipper ships, with a sailing life of 36 years and 5 months.-Construction:...
, Bald Eagle, Courier, and Pampero ... The Kingfisher under Crosby and the Bald Eagle, in command of Caldwell, had sailed a notable race ... They fought it out almost jibboom to jibboom for 17,000 miles and entered San Francisco almost within hailing distance of each other."
New York to S.F., under Capt. Luce, 158 days, arrived October 15, 1856. On this passage she spent 26 days rounding the Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
, encountering 18 days of hurricane-force winds, damaging the deck house and rigging; and 20 days of almost dead calm after crossing the Equator in the Pacific.
Her passage from San Francisco to Singapore, of 43 days, arriving Dec. 15, 1856, under Capt. E.A. Luce., was stated to be a record, according to the Dec. 23, 1856 "Singapore Times."
Homeward passages, Honolulu to New York, 113 days.
Shanghai to London, 89 days from Anjer.
Melbourne to London in 114 days from Calcutta.
Shanghai to New York in 115 days, arriving June 21, 1861
Assigned to the South Atlantic Blockade
Assigned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, Onward arrived at Port Royal, South CarolinaPort Royal, South Carolina
Port Royal is a town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Largely because of annexation of surrounding areas , the population of Port Royal rose from 3,950 in 2000 to 10,678 in 2010, a 170% increase. As defined by the U.S...
on 28 January, and operated along the coasts of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
before taking station off Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
.
On 12 March, with four other Union
Union Navy
The Union Navy is the label applied to the United States Navy during the American Civil War, to contrast it from its direct opponent, the Confederate States Navy...
ships, she captured blockade runner
Blockade runner
A blockade runner is usually a lighter weight ship used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait, as opposed to confronting the blockaders to break the blockade. Very often blockade running is done in order to transport cargo, for example to bring food or arms to a blockaded city...
Emily St. Pierre of Charleston attempting to slip into Charleston Harbor laden with gunny cloth from Calcutta, India needed for baling Southern cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
. On 26 April, she forced schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Chase aground on Raccoon Key near Cape Romain, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, and destroyed her. She drove schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Sarah aground at Bull's Bay, South Carolina, where she was destroyed by her own crew to prevent capture on 1 May. Twelve days later off Charleston, she accepted from Robert Smalls
Robert Smalls
Robert Smalls was an enslaved African American who, during and after the American Civil War, became a ship's pilot, sea captain, and politician. He freed himself and his family from slavery on May 13, 1862, by commandeering a Confederate transport ship, the Planter, to freedom in Charleston harbor...
, an escaped slave, who had slipped out of Charleston Harbor with the Confederate steamer
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
while her officers were ashore.
Searching for Confederate blockade runners
In September, Onward sailed north for repairs and, when back in fighting trim, she sailed on 30 March 1863 for the South Atlantic and was used for the rest of the war as a cruiser on the high seas hunting Confederate commerce raiders. In May, Onward and cornered Confederate tenders Agrippina and Castor which supplied coal, gunpowder, and provisions for Southern raiders and GeorgiaCSS Georgia (cruiser)
CSS Georgia was built in 1862 as the fast merchantman Japan. The Confederate States Government purchased her at Dumbarton, Scotland, in March 1863. On April 1, she departed Greenock, reputedly bound for the East Indies and carrying a crew of fifty who had shipped for a voyage to Singapore...
, in Bahia, Brazil and hemmed them in port until they were forced to sell their fuel and munitions to obtain clearance from port. This delay prevented the tenders from fulfilling their mission.
Post-war decommissioning and sale
After the war ended, Onward decommissioned at New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on 20 June 1865. She recommissioned on 5 September and was used as a storeship at Callao, Peru until decommissioned on 13 November 1884, and was sold there.