USS Van Buren (1839)
Encyclopedia
USS Van Buren was a schooner
that served as part of the United States Revenue Cutter Service
. The ship was named after Martin Van Buren
, the eighth President of the United States
. The ship was commissioned and set sail on December 2, 1839, and served a regular tour of duty with the Revenue Service. During the Second Seminole War
, the ship was transferred to the United States Navy
, and served as a support ship to troops along the coasts of Florida
's rivers.
After being transferred back to the control of the Secretary of the Treasury, the Van Buren began to sail out of its homeport of Charleston, South Carolina
. Still under the command of the Revenue Cutter Service, the ship participated in the Mexican-American War, first in the Gulf of Mexico
, and later as a member of a squadron
under the command of Captain John A. Webster. With the squadron, the Van Buren aided in a blockade off the coast of Veracruz
. On October 4, 1846, the ship's crew had the Van Buren declared unseaworthy. It was decommissioned, and then sold for $1,200 on June 1, 1847.
began in 1835, the Secretary of the Navy Mahlon Dickerson
wrote Thomas Ewing
, the United States Secretary of the Treasury
at the time for command over a number of Revenue Cutter Vessels; the Van Buren was among them. The vessel became part of the Mosquito Fleet
of Lieutenant Thomas T. McLaughlin. The ship served as a river vessel, mainly supporting the United States Army
forces battling the Seminole
on land.
, on July 23, 1842, where it reentered the Revenue Cutter Service. It was formally transferred back on August 18, 1842. The Van Buren operated out of the port of Charleston, South Carolina
for three years, undergoing repairs once at Baltimore, Maryland from May through June 1844. Following the outbreak of the Mexican–American War
in 1846, Robert J. Walker
, Secretary of the Treasury, ordered the Van Buren to the Gulf of Mexico
. Under the command of Captain Thomas C. Rudolph of the United States Revenue Marines, the vessel sailed with three months' worth of ammunition and supplies to report to the Customs Collector of the Port of New Orleans
; however, on its way to the port, the lightning struck the royal mast, forcing the ship back to Charleston. On June 2, 1846, the ship set sail again.
On July 30, 1846, the Van Buren set to harbor in Belize
, where it joined the United States Revenue Marines squadron
of Captain John A. Webster and aided in a blockade of Mexico
s eastern coast. The Van Buren in particular was stationed off the coast of Veracruz
. On October 4, the Van Buren was declared unseaworthy, and ordered to New York
on November 11, 1846. She was decommissioned and sold on June 1, 1847 for $1,200.
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
that served as part of the United States Revenue Cutter Service
United States Revenue Cutter Service
The United States Revenue Cutter Service was established by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in 1790 as an armed maritime law enforcement service. Throughout its entire existence the Revenue Cutter Service operated under the authority of the United States Department of the Treasury...
. The ship was named after Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson ....
, the eighth President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. The ship was commissioned and set sail on December 2, 1839, and served a regular tour of duty with the Revenue Service. During 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...
, the ship was transferred to 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 served as a support ship to troops along the coasts of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
's rivers.
After being transferred back to the control of the Secretary of the Treasury, the Van Buren began to sail out of its homeport of Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. Still under the command of the Revenue Cutter Service, the ship participated in the Mexican-American War, first in 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...
, and later as a member of a squadron
Squadron (naval)
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
under the command of Captain John A. Webster. With the squadron, the Van Buren aided in a blockade off the coast of Veracruz
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...
. On October 4, 1846, the ship's crew had the Van Buren declared unseaworthy. It was decommissioned, and then sold for $1,200 on June 1, 1847.
United States Revenue Cutter Service
The ship's construction was approved on June 26, 1839; she was laid out in 1839 in Baltimore, Maryland, and reported fully constructed and ready for sailing on November 29 of the same year. The ship was commissioned a few days later, and entered the service of the Revenue Cutter Service on December 2, 1839. The ship performed the regular duties of ships in the Revenue Cutter Service between 1839 and 1840, but few records exist about its specific activities during this period. The commander of the vessel during at this time was First Lieutenant John McGowan of the United States Revenue Marines.Second Seminole War
When the Second Seminole WarSecond 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...
began in 1835, the Secretary of the Navy Mahlon Dickerson
Mahlon Dickerson
Mahlon Dickerson was an American judge and politician. He was elected Governor of New Jersey as well as United States Senator from that state. He was twice appointed Secretary of the Navy - under Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin van Buren...
wrote Thomas Ewing
Thomas Ewing
Thomas Ewing, Sr. was a National Republican and Whig politician from Ohio. He served in the U.S. Senate as well as serving as the Secretary of the Treasury and the first Secretary of the Interior.-Biography:...
, the United States Secretary of the Treasury
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, which is concerned with financial and monetary matters, and, until 2003, also with some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United...
at the time for command over a number of Revenue Cutter Vessels; the Van Buren was among them. The vessel became part of the Mosquito Fleet
Mosquito Fleet
The term Mosquito Fleet has had nine main meanings in U.S. naval and maritime history:#It is the term used to describe the United States Navy's fleet of small gunboats, leading up to and during the War of 1812, most were part of the New Orleans Squadron....
of Lieutenant Thomas T. McLaughlin. The ship served as a river vessel, mainly supporting the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
forces battling the Seminole
Seminole
The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creeks from what is now Georgia and Alabama, who settled in Florida in...
on land.
Mexican–American War
After a year in the war, the Van Buren anchored in 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....
, on July 23, 1842, where it reentered the Revenue Cutter Service. It was formally transferred back on August 18, 1842. The Van Buren operated out of the port of Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
for three years, undergoing repairs once at Baltimore, Maryland from May through June 1844. Following the outbreak of the Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
in 1846, Robert J. Walker
Robert J. Walker
Robert John Walker was an American economist and statesman.- Early life and education :Born in Northumberland, Pennsylvania, the son of a judge. He lived in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania from 1806 to 1814, where his father was presiding judge of the judicial district. Walker was educated at the...
, Secretary of the Treasury, ordered the Van Buren 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...
. Under the command of Captain Thomas C. Rudolph of the United States Revenue Marines, the vessel sailed with three months' worth of ammunition and supplies to report to the Customs Collector of the Port of New Orleans
Port of New Orleans
The Port of New Orleans is a port located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the 1st in the United States based on volume of cargo handled, second-largest in the state after the Port of South Louisiana, and 13th largest in the U.S. based on value of cargo...
; however, on its way to the port, the lightning struck the royal mast, forcing the ship back to Charleston. On June 2, 1846, the ship set sail again.
On July 30, 1846, the Van Buren set to harbor in Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, where it joined the United States Revenue Marines squadron
Squadron (naval)
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
of Captain John A. Webster and aided in a blockade of Mexico
Mexico
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...
s eastern coast. The Van Buren in particular was stationed off the coast of Veracruz
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...
. On October 4, the Van Buren was declared unseaworthy, and ordered to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on November 11, 1846. She was decommissioned and sold on June 1, 1847 for $1,200.