USS Concord (1828)
Encyclopedia
USS Concord was a wooden-hulled, three-masted Sloop-of-war
of the United States Navy
and was launched on 24 September 1828 from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
in Kittery, Maine
. She was the first US Navy vessel to bear the name 'Concord' and was so named after the town of Concord
for its role at the beginning of the American Revolution
. When empty, the vessel displaced a total of 700 tons. The Concord had a complement of 190 officers and seamen with an armament of 20 guns and saw service protecting American merchant ships and other interests in several places around the world. The ship and her crew, who also functioned as Marines
, fought in the Seminole Wars
in Florida. Concord ran aground while on a patrolling mission along the African coast. Despite determined efforts from the crew, with three losing their lives in the process, the Concord was unable to be refloated.
s and ships of the line, which generally displaced upwards of 1500 and 2200 tons respectively. The sloop type provoked dissatisfaction, due to the navy board's
insistence that they be made to carry 24 guns, despite their dimensions making them better suited to carrying 20 guns. They were criticized for being slow, due in part to their full after body and often being overloaded, a practice typical of vessels in a navy during peace time. Concord as designed was 127 feet long, but had a draft of 16 feet, resulting in an increase in displacement without an increase in length.
from 22 April 1830 to 10 December 1832. Under Perry's command the Concord was used to transport the US envoy John Randolph
of Roanoke, Virgina to the Imperial Russian court at St. Petersburg in 1832. The ship's naval surgeon was William Turk of Whitehall, New York
who kept a log book
detailing names of officers, crew illness and the various treatments administered, weather conditions, and accounts of local events at various ports along their journey.
In 1835 the Concord was ordered to the western Florida coast at the beginning of the Second Seminole War
to survey the rivers, inlets, and bars along that stretch of the Florida seaboard. Because of the extreme shortage of trained soldiers in the territory a Commander Dallas agreed to provide crewmen from the Concord to assist in the fighting against the Seminole Indians. Some 60 men from the Concord's crew under the command of Lieutenant Thomas J. Leib were sent North from Tampa
to the newly completed Fort Foster at the Hillsborough River
Bridge to relieve the troops of the garrison
there so they could search the surrounding swamps for the Seminoles who had been harassing the fort and other locations in the area. The crewmen served there for three months, and then returned to the Concord where they set sail west to the Mexican coast to protect American shipping interests there.
The Concord also saw service in the West Indies from 1836 to 1837 and again in 1838, and at the Brazil station in 1842 protecting American commerce in the South Atlantic, and finally in the waters between Madagascar
and Mozambique
in 1842, protecting a fleet of American whaling ships.
In late 1838 the Concord again returned to the waters off the western Florida coast to prevent agents working for the Spanish and British from smuggling gun powder, shot and other supplies to the hostile Seminoles.
On 2 October 1842, while under the command of Commander Boerum, the Concord ran aground on a sandbar at the mouth of the Ligonha River in Mozambique
. Three crew members died during unsuccessful attempts to re-float the ship. Among them was her captain, when they were swept away by strong currents while they were trying to make their way to shore crossing the sandbar. Boerum was replaced by Lieutenant J. M. Gardner, who decided that the situation was hopeless, and consequently the Concord was abandoned by the remainder of her crew. Gardener then chartered the Portuguese brig
Union to take the crew of the Concord to Rio de Janeiro
. Among the officers who also served aboard the ship was Midshipman
John Rodgers, son of the famous Commodore John Rodgers who served in the War of 1812
.
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...
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...
and was launched on 24 September 1828 from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard , often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is used for remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships...
in Kittery, Maine
Kittery, Maine
Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,543 at the 2000 census. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals...
. She was the first US Navy vessel to bear the name 'Concord' and was so named after the town of Concord
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
for its role at the beginning of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. When empty, the vessel displaced a total of 700 tons. The Concord had a complement of 190 officers and seamen with an armament of 20 guns and saw service protecting American merchant ships and other interests in several places around the world. The ship and her crew, who also functioned as Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, fought in the Seminole Wars
Seminole Wars
The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between the Seminole — the collective name given to the amalgamation of various groups of native Americans and Black people who settled in Florida in the early 18th century — and the United States Army...
in Florida. Concord ran aground while on a patrolling mission along the African coast. Despite determined efforts from the crew, with three losing their lives in the process, the Concord was unable to be refloated.
Characteristics
As a sloop of war Concord was a three masted ship with a displacement of 700 tons and was a smaller vessel compared to frigateFrigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s and ships of the line, which generally displaced upwards of 1500 and 2200 tons respectively. The sloop type provoked dissatisfaction, due to the navy board's
Board of Navy Commissioners
The Board of Naval Commissioners was a United States Navy administrative body in existence from 1815 to 1842, with responsibility for the Navy's material support. The three-member Board was created as part of an expansion of the U.S. Navy Department at the end of the War of 1812. The system was...
insistence that they be made to carry 24 guns, despite their dimensions making them better suited to carrying 20 guns. They were criticized for being slow, due in part to their full after body and often being overloaded, a practice typical of vessels in a navy during peace time. Concord as designed was 127 feet long, but had a draft of 16 feet, resulting in an increase in displacement without an increase in length.
History
The Concord was commissioned on 7 May 1830 with a crew of 190 men and placed under the command of Commodore Matthew C. Perry and saw service as part of the US squadron in the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean 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...
from 22 April 1830 to 10 December 1832. Under Perry's command the Concord was used to transport the US envoy John Randolph
John Randolph of Roanoke
John Randolph , known as John Randolph of Roanoke, was a planter and a Congressman from Virginia, serving in the House of Representatives , the Senate , and also as Minister to Russia...
of Roanoke, Virgina to the Imperial Russian court at St. Petersburg in 1832. The ship's naval surgeon was William Turk of Whitehall, New York
Whitehall (town), New York
Whitehall is a town in Washington County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town population was 4,035 at the 2000 census.The Town of Whitehall contains a village also named Whitehall.- History :...
who kept a log book
Log book
A log book, in records management, may refer to:* A book of log tables* Logbook a log of important events in the management, operation, and navigation of a ship; or of the important events of a trip or expn* Inventor's notebook...
detailing names of officers, crew illness and the various treatments administered, weather conditions, and accounts of local events at various ports along their journey.
In 1835 the Concord was ordered to the western Florida coast at the beginning of the Second Seminole War
Second Seminole War
The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars...
to survey the rivers, inlets, and bars along that stretch of the Florida seaboard. Because of the extreme shortage of trained soldiers in the territory a Commander Dallas agreed to provide crewmen from the Concord to assist in the fighting against the Seminole Indians. Some 60 men from the Concord's crew under the command of Lieutenant Thomas J. Leib were sent North from Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
to the newly completed Fort Foster at the Hillsborough River
Hillsborough River (Florida)
The Hillsborough River is a river located in the state of Florida in the USA. It arises in the Green Swamp near the juncture of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties, and flows through Pasco and Hillsborough Counties to an outlet in the city of Tampa on Tampa Bay. The name Hillsborough River first...
Bridge to relieve the troops of the garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
there so they could search the surrounding swamps for the Seminoles who had been harassing the fort and other locations in the area. The crewmen served there for three months, and then returned to the Concord where they set sail west to the Mexican coast to protect American shipping interests there.
The Concord also saw service in the West Indies from 1836 to 1837 and again in 1838, and at the Brazil station in 1842 protecting American commerce in the South Atlantic, and finally in the waters between Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
and Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
in 1842, protecting a fleet of American whaling ships.
In late 1838 the Concord again returned to the waters off the western Florida coast to prevent agents working for the Spanish and British from smuggling gun powder, shot and other supplies to the hostile Seminoles.
On 2 October 1842, while under the command of Commander Boerum, the Concord ran aground on a sandbar at the mouth of the Ligonha River in Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
. Three crew members died during unsuccessful attempts to re-float the ship. Among them was her captain, when they were swept away by strong currents while they were trying to make their way to shore crossing the sandbar. Boerum was replaced by Lieutenant J. M. Gardner, who decided that the situation was hopeless, and consequently the Concord was abandoned by the remainder of her crew. Gardener then chartered the Portuguese brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
Union to take the crew of the Concord to 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...
. Among the officers who also served aboard the ship was Midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
John Rodgers, son of the famous Commodore John Rodgers who served in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.