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USS Guard (1857)
Encyclopedia
USS Guard (1857) was a large steamship with powerful 8-inch rifled guns, acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War
.
She was placed into service as a storeship and assigned to support the ships blockading the ports of the Confederate States of America. Post-war she was recommissioned several times for various tasks including supporting the American fleet stationed in Europe with supplies and participating in the Darien expedition.
, in 1857; purchased 6 July 1861 by the Union Navy
, and commissioned 23 December 1862, Acting Master William Lee Hays in command.
, Haiti
. A routine trip to Key West, Florida
, for supplies in June 1865 turned into a voyage to Boston, Massachusetts, for quarantine
and decommissioning when yellow fever
broke out among the crew, leaving National Guard with a sick list of over twenty.
, for supplies and minor repairs, she sailed for Cadiz, Spain, arriving there 16 August. For the next 3 years Guard served as supply ship for the European Fleet, carrying supplies and occasional passengers to such diverse ports as Lisbon
, Portugal; Cartagena, Spain
; Majorca, Spain; Palermo
, Italy; Gibraltar
, Naples
, Italy; Madeira
, Spain; and Villa Franca, France.
During this period she also made three voyages to New York City, carrying passengers and some invalids for hospitals there and returning with fresh supplies. Guard returned to New York City 12 October 1869 and decommissioned 5 November.
, Guard conducted hydrographic
surveys to determine what route, if any, would be best for a snip canal across the isthmus
. The five routes explored during the 2 years she was on this special duty all proved impractical at the time, and the dream of an inter-ocean canal went unfulfilled until the completion of the Panama Canal
two generations later.
Guard's duty in Central America was interrupted 12 August 1870 – 3 October 1870 when she sailed from New York City to Prince Edward Island
and Nova Scotia
with supplies. Leaving the Darien Expedition in June 1870, Guard returned to New York City 22 July and decommissioned there 3 August.
She arrived at Trieste
, then a part of Austro-Hungary, via Gibraltar
and Brindisi
3 May. After discharging her cargo for the exposition, Guard remained there undergoing minor repairs. Many of the articles not disposed of at the exposition were then reloaded, as well as some European goods intended for the American Centennial Exposition in 1876, and Guard sailed for New York City 31 December 1873, arriving there 14 April 1874 via Messina, Sicily
, and Gibraltar. She decommissioned 27 April and remained laid up in ordinary until 1877.
the longitudes between Lisbon
, Madeira
, the Cape de Verde Islands
, Pernambuco
, and Buenos Aires
.
Sailing from New York 29 October, she reached Lisbon 30 November and remained there until 3 February 1878, when she sailed to Madeira and from there to the Cape de Verde Islands. Her next stop was Porto Grande
, St. Vincente, where she delivered a shipment of astronomical equipment for the observatory there before sailing for Rio de Janeiro
20 April.
Arriving there 1 June, Guard conducted further astronomical surveys of the Brazilian coast until, her work completed, she sailed for Portsmouth, New Hampshire
, arriving there via Norfolk, Virginia
, 4 December.
.
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 was placed into service as a storeship and assigned to support the ships blockading the ports of the Confederate States of America. Post-war she was recommissioned several times for various tasks including supporting the American fleet stationed in Europe with supplies and participating in the Darien expedition.
Constructed in Connecticut in 1857
National Guard was built by George D. Morgan, Portland, ConnecticutPortland, Connecticut
Portland is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,732 at the 2000 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place . It is situated across the Connecticut River from Middletown....
, in 1857; purchased 6 July 1861 by the Union Navy
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...
, and commissioned 23 December 1862, Acting Master William Lee Hays in command.
Service during the Civil War as the USS National Guard
From commissioning until she decommissioned in 1865, National Guard served as supply ship for the West India Squadron based at Cap-HaïtienCap-Haïtien
Cap-Haïtien is a city of about 190,000 people on the north coast of Haiti and capital of the Department of Nord...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
. A routine trip to Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, for supplies in June 1865 turned into a voyage to Boston, Massachusetts, for quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
and decommissioning when yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
broke out among the crew, leaving National Guard with a sick list of over twenty.
Recommissioned in 1865 and renamed as Guard in 1866
Decommissioned at Boston, Massachusetts, 10 November 1865, Guard recommissioned 13 March 1866, Acting Master Lewis A. Brown in command. She was renamed as Guard on 2 June 1866.Serving as supply ship to the American fleet in Europe
After a trip to Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, 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....
, for supplies and minor repairs, she sailed for Cadiz, Spain, arriving there 16 August. For the next 3 years Guard served as supply ship for the European Fleet, carrying supplies and occasional passengers to such diverse ports as Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal; Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
; Majorca, Spain; Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, Italy; Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy; Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
, Spain; and Villa Franca, France.
During this period she also made three voyages to New York City, carrying passengers and some invalids for hospitals there and returning with fresh supplies. Guard returned to New York City 12 October 1869 and decommissioned 5 November.
Recommissioned for the Darien Expedition in 1870
Guard recommissioned 17 January 1870, Lt. Comdr. Edward P. Lull in command, to take part in the Darien Expedition; she sailed from New York City 28 January, arriving in Caledonia Bay, off the Isthmus of Darien, 18 February.Exploring the potential for a canal being dug at Panama
In company with and , under the overall command of Comdr. Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr.Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr.
Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr. , son of Thomas O. Selfridge, was an officer in the United States Navy.Born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Selfridge graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1854.-Civil War:...
, Guard conducted hydrographic
Hydrography
Hydrography is the measurement of the depths, the tides and currents of a body of water and establishment of the sea, river or lake bed topography and morphology. Normally and historically for the purpose of charting a body of water for the safe navigation of shipping...
surveys to determine what route, if any, would be best for a snip canal across the isthmus
Isthmus
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...
. The five routes explored during the 2 years she was on this special duty all proved impractical at the time, and the dream of an inter-ocean canal went unfulfilled until the completion of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
two generations later.
Guard's duty in Central America was interrupted 12 August 1870 – 3 October 1870 when she sailed from New York City to Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
and Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
with supplies. Leaving the Darien Expedition in June 1870, Guard returned to New York City 22 July and decommissioned there 3 August.
Recommissioned to carry exhibits to the Vienna Exposition of 1873
On 1 February 1873, Guard again recommissioned, Comdr. Charles A. Babcock commanding, and sailed from New York City 22 March with goods, exhibits, and construction materiel for the Vienna Exposition of 1873.She arrived at Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, then a part of Austro-Hungary, via Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and Brindisi
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
3 May. After discharging her cargo for the exposition, Guard remained there undergoing minor repairs. Many of the articles not disposed of at the exposition were then reloaded, as well as some European goods intended for the American Centennial Exposition in 1876, and Guard sailed for New York City 31 December 1873, arriving there 14 April 1874 via Messina, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, and Gibraltar. She decommissioned 27 April and remained laid up in ordinary until 1877.
Recommissioned for survey work in 1877
Guard's final tour of duty began 18 August 1877 as she recommissioned at New York City, Lt. Comdr. F. M. Green commanding. Her mission was to determine by means of the submarine communications cableSubmarine communications cable
A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean....
the longitudes between Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
, the Cape de Verde Islands
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
, Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
, and Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
.
Sailing from New York 29 October, she reached Lisbon 30 November and remained there until 3 February 1878, when she sailed to Madeira and from there to the Cape de Verde Islands. Her next stop was Porto Grande
Porto Grande
For São Vicente's main port, see Porto Grande, Cape VerdePorto Grande meaning large port) is a municipality located in the southeast of the state of Amapá in Brazil. Its population is 14,675 and its area is 4,402 km²...
, St. Vincente, where she delivered a shipment of astronomical equipment for the observatory there before sailing for Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
20 April.
Arriving there 1 June, Guard conducted further astronomical surveys of the Brazilian coast until, her work completed, she sailed 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...
, arriving there via 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....
, 4 December.
Final decommissioning and disposal by sale
She decommissioned 15 December 1878 and was laid up in ordinary until 27 September 1883, when she was sold to C. A. Williams & Co. of New London, ConnecticutNew 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....
.