USS Massachusetts (1845)
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
|
|
| Launched: | 1845 |
| Acquired: | 1 August 1849 |
| Commissioned: | 1 August 1849 |
| Decommissioned: | May 1859 |
| In service: | 17 June 1863 |
| Out of service: | February 1867 |
| Fate: | sold, 15 May 1867 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 765 |
| Length: | 178 ft (54 m) |
| Beam: | 32 ft 2 in (9.80 m) |
| Draft: | 15 ft (4.6 m) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Armament: | 4 guns |
USS Massachusetts (1845) was a steamer built in 1845 and acquired by the U.S. War Department in 1847. She was used by the U.S. Army as a transport during the Mexican-American War before being transferred to U.S. Navy Department in 1849. She traveled widely, including transiting Cape Horn several times as part of her official duties on both sides of the Americas. During her years of service she spent most of her time on the west coast of North America.
Massachusetts, was a wooden steamer, was built in the shipyard of Samuel Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, under the supervision of Edward H. Delano for Mr. R. B. Forbes in 1845. As an auxiliary steam packet, she helped pioneer commercial steamer service between New York City and Liverpool, England. She was purchased by the War Department in 1847 and served during the Mexican-American War as a troop transport for the Army. In 1848, she steamed round Cape Horn to San Francisco, California, possibly transporting some members and intended for the use of a Joint Commission of Navy and Army Officers (Joint Commission-also called the "Joint Board of Army and Navy Officers" and "Joint Board of Engineers and Naval Officers) who were assigned to explore the U.S. West Coast to identify potential sites for forts, lighthouses and buoys. The Joint Commission consisted of three army engineers: Maj. John L. Smith, Maj Cornelius A. Ogden and 1st Lt. Danville Leadbetter; and three naval officers: Comdr Louis M. Goldsborough, Comdr. G.J. Van Brunt, and Lt. Simon F. Blunt.
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