The first USS Severn was a wooden screw sloop of war in commission 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...

 from 1869 to 1871. She was named for Severn River

Severn River (Maryland)

The Severn River runs through Anne Arundel County in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is located south of the Magothy River, and north of the South River.-Geography:...

 in Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

.

Severn was laid down as Masholu in October 1864 by the New York Navy Yard, was launched on 22 December 1867 and commissioned on 27 August 1869, Commander Reigart Bolivar Lowry

Reigart Bolivar Lowry

Commodore Reigart Bolivar Lowry was born at La Guaira, Venezuela, the son of Robert K. Lowry of Maryland, United States Consul.He was appointed a midshipman on January 21, 1840...

 in command.

Service history

Upon completion in December 1869, Severn was assigned to duty as flagship

Flagship

A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...

 of the North Atlantic Squadron

North Atlantic Squadron

The North Atlantic Squadron was a section of the United States Navy operating in the North Atlantic. It was renamed as the North Atlantic Fleet in 1902. In 1905 the European and South Atlantic Squadrons were abolished and absorbed into the North Atlantic Fleet. On Jan...

 under Rear Admiral Charles H. Poor

Charles Henry Poor

Rear Admiral Charles Henry Poor was a U.S. Navy officer of the mid-19th century.Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1808, Poor entered the Navy in 1825 and served nearly 30 years at sea. During the Civil War, he commanded the , , , and . He was promoted to rear admiral in 1868 and commanded the...

 which then consisted of monitor

Monitor (warship)

A monitor was a class of relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s until the end of World War II, and saw their final use by the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.The monitors...

s , , , and ; steamers , , , , Severn, , , and ; tug

Tug

Tuğ is a village in the Khojavend Rayon of Azerbaijan....

 ; and the hospital ship

Hospital ship

A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....

 .

Severn called at Key West

Key West

Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....

 in January 1871 before cruising among West Indies ports into the following year. In April, she investigated alleged mistreatment of the United States consul at Santiago de Cuba

Santiago de Cuba

Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana....

, subsequently returning to Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...

 at the end of July. Departing Hampton Roads for Key West

Key West

Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....

 in December, Severn returned north to 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...

, decommissioning there on 31 December 1871.

In 1875, following repairs, Severn was transferred to New London, Connecticut

New London, Connecticut

New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....

. Returning to New York in 1877, Severn was sold on 2 March 1877 to John Roach as part of his compensation for repairs made to the monitor and broken up.