USS Fairfield (1828)

History
United States
Launched	28 June 1828
Commissioned	20 August 1828
Decommissioned	3 February 1845
Fate	Broken up, 1852
General characteristics
Type	Sloop-of-war
Displacement	700 tons
Length	127 ft (39 m)
Beam	33 ft 9 in (10.29 m)
Draft	16 ft 6 in (5.03 m)
Propulsion	Sail
Complement	190
Armament	4 8", 24 24 pdr

Last updated July 24, 2023

USS Fairfield was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy. Fairfield was launched 28 June 1828 by New York Navy Yard; and first put to sea 20 August 1828, Commander Foxhall A. Parker, Sr., in command.

Reaching Port Mahon in the Balearic Islands 25 September 1828, Fairfield cruised the Mediterranean Sea until returning to Hampton Roads 5 May 1831. Among her crewmembers was midshipman George W. Taylor, later an infantry general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Her second cruise, from 15 November 1831 to 23 July 1832, was in the West Indies as flagship for Commodore Jesse Elliott. During much of this time she patrolled off the coast of Mexico to protect Americans and their property during political disturbances.

On 30 May 1833 Fairfield sailed from New York for duty in the Pacific Squadron, arriving at Valparaiso, Chile, 25 September. During this cruise, she supervised the disarmament and dismantling of a group of ships belonging to an Ecuadorian revolutionary force after American mediation had ended a civil war. Fairfield sailed for Norfolk, Virginia 26 September 1835, arriving in Hampton Roads 1 December. She lay in ordinary at Norfolk until 25 April 1837, when she departed for the Brazil Station, the first 4 months of which her commanding officer Commodore Isaac Mayo was senior officer of the squadron. As a protector for American commerce and interests, she guarded against a blockade of Argentina set by French warships.

Returning to New York 1 April 1840, Fairfield was again in ordinary until 10 May 1841, when she was recommissioned. She sailed to Hampton Roads, from which she took departure 28 July for the Mediterranean, carrying Commodore Charles W. Morgan to take command of the squadron based on Port Mahon. She served as his flagship from April to July 1842 while he conducted negotiations with the Emperor of Morocco to obtain redress for the arrest and detention of the United States Consul at Tangier.

Samuel W. Downing is recorded 29 November 1844 as one of the last commanders of Fairfield serving with a crew of 16 other Marines.^[1] Ironically, Commander Downing was dismissed early in his career as a midshipman by Commodore Morgan who transferred him away from his command in 1814, calling him "disagreeable" and "useless".^[2] Captain John Cassin saw other qualities in Downing and mentored him to become a lieutenant, commander, and finally a captain in 1847.

Fairfield returned to Hampton Roads from this, her last cruise, 17 January 1845, and on 3 February 1845 was decommissioned at Norfolk. Later that year she served briefly as receiving ship, then lay at Norfolk until 1852, when she was broken up.

Related Research Articles

USS Brandywine was a wooden-hulled, three-masted frigate of the United States Navy bearing 44 guns which had the initial task of conveying the Marquis de Lafayette back to France. She was later recommissioned a number of times for service in various theaters, such as in the Mediterranean, in China and in the South Atlantic Ocean.

USS <i>Cumberland</i> (1842) US Navy sailing frigate, 1842–1862

The first USS Cumberland was a 50-gun sailing frigate of the United States Navy. She was the first ship sunk by the ironclad CSS Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Murray (1816–1884)</span>

Rear Admiral Alexander Murray was a flag officer in the United States Navy, who served during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War.

The first USS Bainbridge was a brig in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was named for Commodore William Bainbridge, U.S. Naval Commissioner 1824–1827.

Commodore Josiah Tattnall was an officer in the United States Navy during the War of 1812, the Second Barbary War and the Mexican–American War. He later served in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War.

William Harwar Parker was an officer in the United States Navy and later in the Confederate States Navy. His autobiography, entitled Recollections of a Naval Officer 1841–1865, provides a unique insight into the United States Navy of the mid-19th century during an era when the Age of Sail was coming to an end and the advent of steam power and ironclads was beginning.

USS Saratoga, a sloop-of-war, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of Saratoga of the American Revolutionary War. Her keel was laid down in the summer of 1841 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard. She was launched on 26 July 1842 and commissioned on 4 January 1843 with Commander Josiah Tattnall III in command.

USS Germantown was a United States Navy sloop-of-war in commission for various periods between 1847 and 1860. She saw service in the Mexican–American War in 1847–1848 and during peacetime operated in the Caribbean, in the Atlantic Ocean off Africa and South America, and in East Asia. Scuttled at the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, she was captured and refloated by the Confederate States of America and placed in service with the Confederate States Navy as the floating battery CSS Germantown before again being scuttled in 1862.

The second USS Cyane was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the Mexican–American War.

USS <i>Natchez</i> (1827) Sloops-of-war of the United States Navy

USS Natchez was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy built at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia in 1827. Commanded by Commander George Budd, she departed Hampton Roads on 26 July 1827 for the Caribbean. She patrolled with the West Indies Squadron as a deterrent against a resurgence of piracy until forced to sail north by an outbreak of yellow fever among the crew, returning to New York City on 24 November 1828.

USS Decatur was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the mid-19th century. She was commissioned to protect American interests in the South Atlantic Ocean, including the interception of ships involved in the African slave trade. Decatur served in both the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War.

USS Wright (AZ-1/AV-1) was a one-of-a-kind auxiliary ship in the United States Navy, named for aviation pioneer Orville Wright. Originally built as a kite balloon tender, she was converted into a seaplane tender after kite balloons were no longer used.

The first USS Jamestown was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War.

USS St. Louis was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy through most of the 19th century.

Stephen Decatur Trenchard was a rear admiral in the United States Navy. He was present at the Battle of Taku Forts in 1859, and commanded the supply ship and gunboat Rhode Island throughout the American Civil War, seeing action at both Battles of Fort Fisher. He later commanded the North Atlantic Squadron.

Commodore Reigert Bolivar Lowry was an officer of the United States Navy.

Rear Admiral Henry Kuhn Hoff was a United States Navy officer. During his long career, he took part in combat in Sumatra and in the American Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cicero Price</span> United States Navy admiral

Commodore Cicero Price was an officer in the United States Navy. He served in the American Civil War and was commander of the East India Squadron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George H. Cooper</span>

Rear Admiral George Henry Cooper was an officer in the United States Navy. During his long naval career, he served on the African Slave Trade Patrol, and fought in the Second Seminole War, the Mexican War, the American Civil War, and the Korean Expedition, and rose to command of the North Atlantic Squadron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William J. McCluney</span> United States Navy officer

Commodore William J. McCluney was a United States Navy officer whose service included the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, and the Battle of Ty-ho Bay, China. McCluney commanded two of the flagships—the USS Mississippi and the USS Powhatan—in support of the Perry Expedition to Japan in 1853-1854. As a flag officer, McCluney transported the first Japanese Embassy to the United States aboard his flagship, the USS Roanoke, in 1860 on the last leg of their journey.

References

↑ Muster Rolls of the US Marine Corps 1798-1892, page 421
↑ A Gentlemanly and Honorable Profession: The Creation of the U.S. Naval Officer Corps, 1794-1815; Christopher McKee, Naval Institute Press, 1991, page 190.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.
Footnote 1 - Muster Rolls of the U.S. Marine Corps 1798–1892, page 421
Footnote 2 - Gentlemanly and Honorable Profession: The Creation of the U.S. Naval Officer Corps, 1794–1815; Christopher McKee, Naval Institute Press, 1991, page 190

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Muster Rolls of the US Marine Corps 1798-1892, page 421

[2] A Gentlemanly and Honorable Profession: The Creation of the U.S. Naval Officer Corps, 1794-1815; Christopher McKee, Naval Institute Press, 1991, page 190.

[1]

[2]