USS Peoria (1898)
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USS Peoria (1898) at the Boston Navy Yard, Charlestown, Massachusetts on 19 February 1901.
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| History | |
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 United States
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| Name: | USS Peoria |
| Namesake: | Peoria, Illinois |
| Builder: | Neafie & Levy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Completed: | 1896 |
| Acquired: | 23 May 1898 |
| Commissioned: | 15 May 1898 |
| Decommissioned: | 10 November 1921 |
| Fate: | Sold 16 June 1922 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 487 long tons (495 t) |
| Length: | 131 ft 11 in (40.21 m) |
| Beam: | 25 ft 11 in (7.90 m) |
| Draft: | 10.5 ft 8 in (3.40 m) |
| Speed: | 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) |
| Armament: | |
The second Peoria, a converted steel gunboat, was built as the pilot boat Philadelphia by Neafie and Levy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1896. Purchased by the Navy 23 May 1898 from the Philadelphia Pilots' Association, she was renamed Peoria and commissioned 15 May 1898 with Lt. Thomas W. Ryan in command.
Peoria sailed from Key West, Florida, 25 June 1898, escorting two transports,the steamships Florida and Fanita, carrying a joint Cuban-U.S. landing force. The forces on board these steamships consisted of about 200 Cubans under General Emilio Núñez, 50 troopers of the Tenth United States Cavalry under Lieutenant Johnson, and 17 volunteers under Mr. Winthrop Chanler. There were also on board about 700 tons of munitions of war and supplies, including 4,000 small arms, ammunition, two dynamite field pieces, clothing, etc.
A landing was attempted on the south coast of Cuba 29 June, but Spanish army forces were so overwhelmingly strong in this area that another landing point had to be selected. Steaming further east, the transports debarked their troops the following day west of Tunas, at the mouth of the Tayabacao River. As the landing boats reached the beach, a "very destructive" fire was opened on them by Spanish infantry concealed in camouflaged earthworks. As soon as the enemy's positions could be located, Peoria opened a "very rapid and accurate fire," which soon silenced them. For the rest of the day, Peoria's guns prevented the destruction of the outnumbered landing force, her shells having a telling effect on the well-entrenched defenders. The landing force was later safely withdrawn under cover of darkness.
Joining gunboat Helena 2 July 1898, Peoria engaged Spanish shore batteries newly entrenched around Tunas. Suffering minor damage, the gunboats silenced the batteries, dismounted some guns, and sank several enemy-flag schooners.
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