USS John Adams (1799)
Columbia and John Adams bombarding Muckie, Sumatra, 1 January 1839
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
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| Cost: | $113,505 |
| Launched: | 5 June 1799 at Charleston, South Carolina |
| Commissioned: | circa 1 October 1799 |
| Decommissioned: | September 1865 |
| Struck: | 1865 (est.) |
| Fate: | Sold, 5 October 1867 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen: | 544 (bm) |
| Length: | 139 ft (42.4 m) (between perpendiculars) |
| Beam: | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 16 ft 4 in (5.0 m) |
| Propulsion: | sail |
| Complement: | 220 officers and enlisted |
| Armament: |
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The first John Adams was originally built in 1799 as a frigate for the United States Navy, converted to a corvette in 1809, and later converted back to a frigate in 1830. Named for President John Adams, she fought in the Quasi-War, the First and Second Barbary Wars, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War. At the end of her career, she participated in the Union blockade of South Carolina's ports. She then participated in a historic raid that Harriet Tubman, the former slave and Union operative, organized with Union colonel Montgomery. John Adams led three steam-powered gunboats up the Harbor River to Port Royal. The squadron relied on local black mariners to guide it past mines and fortifications. The squadron freed 750+ slaves and unsettled the Confederacy. Tubman was the first woman in U.S. history to plan and execute an armed expedition.
This John Adams should not be confused with the frigate USS Adams.
John Adams was built for the United States by the people of Charleston, South Carolina, under contract to Paul Pritchard and launched in the latter's shipyard some 3 miles (4.8 km) from Charleston 5 June 1799.
Captain George Cross sailed John Adams on or about 1 October for Cayenne, French Guiana, to operate against French privateers based at that port. By the time she arrived off South America, the British had captured Surinam, which made the French base in Guiana unsafe for privateers. Captain Cross therefore decided to sail her on to Guadeloupe to join her squadron.
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Wikipedia