USS Plymouth, a wooden-hulled screw sloop-of-war

Sloop-of-war

In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...

, was the second ship of 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...

 to be named for Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Plymouths keel was laid down as Kenosha at the New York Navy Yard in 1867; completed in 1868; and commissioned

Ship commissioning

Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...

 on 20 January 1869 with Captain William H. McComb in command.

Service history

Kenosha got underway eastward across the Atlantic on 25 February 1869. While on the European Station she was renamed Plymouth on 15 May 1869. Word of the change reached her at Ville Franche, on 26 June. She then cruised off the Levant

Levant

The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...

 and North Africa

North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...

 under her new name, returning to Marseilles on 19 November. From southern France, she continued on to Portsmouth, England, whence she accompanied the British turreted battleship , carrying the remains of George Peabody

George Peabody

George Peabody was an American-British entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded the Peabody Trust in Britain and the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, and was responsible for many other charitable initiatives.-Biography:...

, American merchant, financier and philanthropist, to the United States for burial. Arriving at Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine

Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...

, on 25 January 1870, she remained there on ceremonial duty 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...

, for refit at the navy yard.

Plymouth departed New York on 12 July 1870 and steamed to the Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

 where Rear Admiral Charles Boggs

Charles Boggs

Rear Admiral Charles Stuart Boggs served in the United States Navy during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.-Early life and career:Boggs was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey...

 selected her as flagship of the European Station, 21 September. During Plymouths service in the European Station, two sailors and one marine were awarded the Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

 for rescuing others from drowning: Quarter Gunner George Holt and Landsman Paul Tobin

Paul Tobin

-External links:...

 at the Port of Hamburg, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, on 3 July 1871 and Corporal James A. Stewart at Ville Franche, France, on 1 February 1872. The ship sailed for the coast of Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

 on 17 February 1872, thence headed home via the West Indies and remained on the Atlantic coast until returning to European waters 1 November 1872. This deployment lasted until the screw sloop sailed for home 6 June 1873. She arrived at 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...

 on 18 June, thence proceeded to 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...

, where she decommissioned on 28 June.

Recommissioned 10 October 1874, the sloop operated along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean Sea

Caribbean Sea

The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....

 until decommissioning again 17 May 1879. In the spring and summer of 1876, six of her sailors were awarded the Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

 for rescuing or attempting to rescue others from drowning: Captain of the Mizzen Top Albert Weisbogel at sea on 27 April; Seaman Emile Lejeune

Emile Lejeune

-External links:...

 at Port Royal, South Carolina

Port 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 6 June; Landsman William Corey

William Corey

-External links:...

, Seaman Charles Gidding

Charles Gidding

-External links:...

, and Ordinary Seaman Thomas Kersey at the Brooklyn Navy Yard

Brooklyn Navy Yard

The United States Navy Yard, New York–better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard –was an American shipyard located in Brooklyn, northeast of the Battery on the East River in Wallabout Basin, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlear's Hook in Manhattan...

 on 26 July; and Ordinary Seaman Michael Connolly at Halifax Harbor, 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...

, on 7 August. Plymouth remained in ordinary at Portsmouth until scrapped in 1884.