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USS
Iroquois
A
powerful and warlike Indian confederacy formerly inhabiting central
I
(StSlp:
t. 1,016; l. 198'11"; b. 33'10"; dr. 13'; s. 11 k.; a. 1 50-pdr., 4 32-pdrs., 1
12-pdr. how.)
The
first Iroquois, a steam sloop of war, was launched by the New York Navy Yard 12
April 1859 and commissioned 24 November 1859, Comdr. J. S. Palmer in command.
Iroquois
got underway
from
The
ship operated in the
Iroquois
was sent
later in 1862 to join Flag Officer Farragut at the mouth of the
After
the great victory Iroquois advanced up the river with Farragut, with the aim of
eventually joining Flag Officer Foote, who was driving southward. A landing party was sent ashore at Baton
Rouge 8 May 1862 and Comdr. Palmer received the surrender of the Louisiana capital that day. Iroquois, along with Oneida,
also took possession of Natchez 13 May
as the fleet moved steadily toward
the Southern stronghold at Vicksburg. Within a week they were below the
city and preparing to pass the formidable
batteries.
After periodic shelling
Flag Officer Farragut, supported by the
mortar boats, passed the Vicksburg batteries 28 June after a heavy exchange of gunfire. Iroquois survived the action virtually unscathed. With the rest
of the fleet she met Flag Officer
Davis and his Western Flotilla above
Vicksburg. This was but the first step of Lincoln's order to "clear the river." Iroquois remained in the Vicksburg area until late July, helping in
the bombardments and preparations for expeditions into the surrounding marshlands.
In early September she again entered
the Gulf of Mexico to take part in the strangling blockade of Southern commerce, but boiler trouble
sent her north 21 September. She
arrived New York 2 October and
decommissioned 6 October 1862 for repairs.
Iroquois
recommissioned
8 January 1863, Comdr. Henry Roland in command, and got underway later that month to
convoy monitor Weehawken to Newport News. Joining the North Atlantic
Blockading Squadron off North Carolina,
she captured blockade runner Merrimac 24 July and helped in the capture of Kate 12 days earlier. After several more months on arduous blockade, she
steamed to Baltimore for repairs,
decommissioning 8 October 1863.
The ship recommissioned 31
March 1864, Comdr. C. R. P. Rodgers in
command. After serving briefly in the North
Atlantic, Iroquois steamed to the Mediterranean to protect American commerce and- interests. She
also took part in the giant search for
the Confederate raider Shenandoah,
finally arriving Singapore in May
1865 after a long voyage around South
America and across the Pacific. With the war over, she sailed in July for the United
States, arriving New York 1 October 1865. She decommissioned
there 6 October 1865.
Upon
recommissioning 7 January 1867, Comdr. Earl English in command, the veteran ship sailed 3
February for duty
with the Asiatic Squadron. She was present at Osaka, Japan, when that port and neighboring Hiogo
were opened to
foreign commerce 1 January 1868; and she took part in the rescue operations following the overturning of Rear Admiral Henry
H. Bell's boat in the harbor 11 January. Despite the best efforts of the ships present, the
squadron commander and 11 others were drowned. During the local conflicts which
engulfed the ports
during January, Iroquois stood by to protect American interests, and carried the
foreign ministers to Hiogo 1 February when they were expelled from Osaka. She remained on this critical duty
with the Asiatic Squadron until returning to the United States in February 1870. She decommissioned at League Island, Pa., 23 April
1870.
Iroquois
recommissioned
23 August 1871 under Comdr. H. A. Adams. She operated on the East Coast until 18 March 1872. She then sailed
for another cruise with the Asiatic Fleet, making the long voyage via the Mediterranean,
the Suez Canal, and the Indian Ocean. The ship remained off China and Japan until returning to
San Francisco 1
July 1874. She again decommissioned for repairs 23 July 1874.
Following
a long period of inactivity, Iroquois recommissioned 12 April 1882,
Comdr. J. H. Sands in command. On Pacific station, she patrolled to South America,
Hawaii, Australia, and Pacific islands
protecting American interests and
commerce. She took part in naval action
in Panama in the spring of 1885, helping to land Marines to protect American commerce during the revolution. After 10 years of service on the Pacific
Station, Iroquois arrived Mare Island 24 April 1892 and decommissioned there 12 May 1892.
The
ship was transferred to the Marine Hospital Service and served until she recommissioned 13
December 1898,
Lt. Charles Pond in command. She cruised in the Pacific for 6 months before decommissioning at Honolulu 30 June
1899. Iroquois was then transferred again to the Marine Hospital Service. Her name was changed
to
lonie 30 November 1904. Her name was struck from
the Navy List 26 August 1910.
USS Iroquois,
Screw Sloop-of-War served from 1859 to 1910.
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