USS Fredonia (1845)
Encyclopedia
USS Fredonia (1845) was a 800-ton bark
that served the U.S. Navy as a transport and as a storeship. After several voyages to California
by way of Cape Horn
, she became the station warehouse in Arica, Chile
, where she was destroyed by an earthquake.
Fredonia, a bark built in 1845 at Newburyport, Massachusetts
, was purchased at Boston, Massachusetts, 14 December 1846 for $52,000. The vessel was fitted out as a storeship and on 5 January 1847 was placed in commission under command of Lieutenant C. W. Chauncey.
. On 16 February she arrived off Anton Lizardo
where she remained until October, rendering assistance to vessels in distress and performing duty as guard ship while dispensing provisions, wood, water, ordnance equipment, and ammunition to the squadron of Commodores David Conner
and Matthew C. Perry engaged in the bombardment and occupation of Vera Cruz
, Tuxpan, and Tabasco
, Mexico.
Before sailing for home on 8 October Fredonia embarked invalids from the squadron and men whose enlistments had expired for transportation to New York City, where she arrived 22 November. The storeship made one more trip to the Gulf of Mexico
with supplies for the squadron before the end of the Mexican-American War, departing New York 9 January 1848 and arriving off Sacrificios 9 February. She sailed for home in June, via Pensacola, Florida
, to land hospital supplies from Salmadina, and on 23 July arrived at Norfolk, Virginia
, to disembark a battalion of U.S. Marines and invalids from the Gulf Squadron.
, after stopping at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Valparaíso, Chile, and Callao, Peru. She remained on the west coast a year, departing San Francisco, California
, 4 July 1850, stopping at Valparaíso for urgent repairs and arriving at New York City 7 January 1851. She was decommissioned on the 18th and placed in ordinary at the New York Navy Yard.
. She sailed from New York on 21 November and arrived at San Francisco 19 June 1853.
at Callao, Fredonia was moved to Arica, in the southern coast of Peru, where on 13 August she was destroyed by a violent earthquake
. The first severe shock occurred about 5:05 p.m., followed by successive shocks and a tremendous tsunami
. , also anchored in the harbor of Arica, was washed ashore, while the storeship was completely broken up with a loss of 27 lives.
Only five of Fredonia's complement survived—three officers, who were on shore, and two enlisted men who were rescued the following morning from a portion of the wreck. The earthquake, reported to be the most devastating and extensive that ever occurred in South America, destroyed not only Arica but a number of other large cities on the west side of the Peruvian Andes Mountains.
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
that served the U.S. Navy as a transport and as a storeship. After several voyages to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
by way of Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
, she became the station warehouse in Arica, Chile
Arica, Chile
Arica is a commune and a port city with a population of 185,269 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica and Parinacota Region, located only south of the border with Peru. The city is the capital of both the Arica Province and the Arica and Parinacota Region...
, where she was destroyed by an earthquake.
Fredonia, a bark built in 1845 at Newburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...
, was purchased at Boston, Massachusetts, 14 December 1846 for $52,000. The vessel was fitted out as a storeship and on 5 January 1847 was placed in commission under command of Lieutenant C. W. Chauncey.
Operations during the Mexican-American War
Assigned to the Home Squadron, Fredonia sailed from Boston 9 January 1847 for the east coast of MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. On 16 February she arrived off Anton Lizardo
Antón Lizardo
Antón Lizardo is a fishing town located 23 km in the Mexican state of Veracruz.It is located south of the port city of Veracruz, near Boca del Río, in the municipality of Alvarado....
where she remained until October, rendering assistance to vessels in distress and performing duty as guard ship while dispensing provisions, wood, water, ordnance equipment, and ammunition to the squadron of Commodores David Conner
David Conner
David Conner may refer to:* David Conner , Dean of Windsor and Bishop to the Armed Forces* David Conner , officer of the United States Navy* David Philbrick Conner, CEO of Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation...
and Matthew C. Perry engaged in the bombardment and occupation of Vera Cruz
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
, Tuxpan, and Tabasco
Tabasco
Tabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
, Mexico.
Before sailing for home on 8 October Fredonia embarked invalids from the squadron and men whose enlistments had expired for transportation to New York City, where she arrived 22 November. The storeship made one more trip to the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
with supplies for the squadron before the end of the Mexican-American War, departing New York 9 January 1848 and arriving off Sacrificios 9 February. She sailed for home in June, via Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, to land hospital supplies from Salmadina, and on 23 July arrived at 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....
, to disembark a battalion of U.S. Marines and invalids from the Gulf Squadron.
Assigned to take cargo to the U.S. West Coast
Fredonia proceeded to New York City in October 1848 to take on a cargo destined for the west coast. She sailed from New York 11 December and on 31 July 1849 arrived in San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
, after stopping at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Valparaíso, Chile, and Callao, Peru. She remained on the west coast a year, departing San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, 4 July 1850, stopping at Valparaíso for urgent repairs and arriving at New York City 7 January 1851. She was decommissioned on the 18th and placed in ordinary at the New York Navy Yard.
Ordered to carry troops from New York City to California
In 1852 Fredonia transported troops of the 4th Infantry, with equipment and supplies to CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. She sailed from New York on 21 November and arrived at San Francisco 19 June 1853.
Converted to a permanent storeship at Valparaíso, Chile
She then proceeded to Valparaíso, Chile, arriving 12 September, and was converted to a permanent storeship for the Pacific Squadron. She served in this capacity fifteen years, stationed at Valparaíso until 1862 when she was towed to Callao, Peru, by .Fredonia caught up in an earthquake and is destroyed
In 1868, owing to yellow feverYellow 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....
at Callao, Fredonia was moved to Arica, in the southern coast of Peru, where on 13 August she was destroyed by a violent earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
. The first severe shock occurred about 5:05 p.m., followed by successive shocks and a tremendous tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
. , also anchored in the harbor of Arica, was washed ashore, while the storeship was completely broken up with a loss of 27 lives.
Only five of Fredonia's complement survived—three officers, who were on shore, and two enlisted men who were rescued the following morning from a portion of the wreck. The earthquake, reported to be the most devastating and extensive that ever occurred in South America, destroyed not only Arica but a number of other large cities on the west side of the Peruvian Andes Mountains.