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USS Saratoga (known in Japan as one of Perry's Black Ships) |- ! style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy;"| Career ! style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy;"| Image:USN-Jack.png |- |Ordered: | |- |Laid down: |1841 |- |Launched: |26_July 1842 |- |Commissioned: |4_January 1843 |- |Decommissioned: |8_October 1888 |- |Fate: |sold for scrap |- |Stricken: | |- !colspan="2" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy;"| General Characteristics |- |Displacement: |882 tons |- |Length: |146 ft 4 in (45 m) |- |Beam: |35 ft 3 in (10.7 m) |- |Depth of Hold: |16 ft 3½ in (5.0 m) |- |Propulsion: | |- |Speed: | |- |Range: | |- |Complement: |210 officers and men |- |Armament: |four eight-inch shell guns,
18 32-pounders |} '''USS ''Saratoga''''', a Sloop-of-war, was the third ship of the United_States_Navy to be named for the Battle_of_Saratoga of the American_Revolutionary_War. Her keel was laid down in the summer of 1841 by the Portsmouth_Navy_Yard. She was launched on 26_July 1842 and commissioned on 4_January 1843 with Commander Josiah Tattnall in command. The ship sailed from Portsmouth,_New_Hampshire, on 16_March 1843 but was dismasted in a gale the next day and forced to return to Portsmouth for repairs. She got underway again on 3_May and proceeded down the coast to New_York_Harbor to prepare for service on the west coast of Africa. On the morning of 5_June, she was towed to Sandy_Hook,_New_Jersey, where, at noon, Commodore Matthew Perry came on board and broke his broad pennant as Commander of the Africa_Squadron. At mid-afternoon, the ship stood out to sea, proceeded via the Canary_Islands and the Cape_Verde_Islands and reached Monrovia,_Liberia, on 1_August. ''Saratoga'' operated along the coast of western Africa protecting American citizens and commerce and suppressing the slave trade. She occasionally returned to the Cape Verdes for replenishment and rest for her crew. At Porto_Grande,_Cape_Verde, ''Saratoga'' rendezvoused with ''Decatur'' and ''Macedonian'' on 9_September, and Perry shifted his flag to the latter two days later. Much of ''Saratoga'''s service in the Africa Squadron was performed in implementing Perry's policy of supporting Liberia which had been founded some two decades before on the African "Grain Coast" as a haven for freed Negroes from the United_States. The new colony was deeply resented by the local, coastal tribes which had acted as the slave trade's middlemen, buying slaves from their bushmen captors and selling them to masters of Slave_ships. Missing their former profits from the now outlawed commerce in "black ivory", these natives gave vent to their anger by harassing, threatening, and sometimes attacking the black colonists from America. From time to time, they also preyed upon American merchant shipping. Perry's problem was one of reconciling the conflicting demands of protecting American interests on the African coast, of remaining aloof from African internal affairs, and encouraging the colonists in Liberia. The Commodore's prudence, firmness, fairness, and tact in reconciling these conflicting objectives was illustrated by his handling of two incidents soon after the squadron returned to Liberia in the early autumn. Reports greeted him upon arrival that the hostile tribes had been making trouble for the colonists in the colony of Sinoe and had killed two sailors from American schooner, ''Edward Burley''. ''Saratoga'' sailed from Monrovia on 21_November, and Perry followed two days later with the rest of the squadron bringing along as a guest Liberian Governor Joseph_Jenkins_Roberts. The American warships assembled at Sinoe on 28_November. The next day, a large force of sailors and Marines accompanied the Commodore and Governor ashore for a conference with an assembly of tribal kings. First on the agenda was the ''Edward Burley'' incident. Governor Roberts' questioning of a number of witnesses divulged the following story: After the schooner's skipper, Captain Burke, had paid a Krooman in advance for serving in the ship's crew, the native deserted. Burke retaliated by capturing two canoes and taking their crews prisoner. Then he dispatched two of his own men after a third canoe, but these sailors were themselves captured. After cruelly torturing the two Americans, they killed them. Once he felt sure of the story, Perry held that, while the homicides were unjustified, the Americans had been the aggressors. Perry then stated that the United States government wished to remain friendly with all African tribes but had sent him to protect American lives and property and to prevent Americans from wronging natives. He then dropped the matter, but remained in the area while Liberian colonists aided by friendly tribes drove trouble-making natives back into the hinterland. In mid-December, the squadron sailed to Little_Berebee to investigate the plundering of trading schooner, ''Mary Carver'', and murder of her entire crew. During the ensuing palaver, when Perry refused to accept the far-fetched explanation of King Ben_Krako, a native fired a musket at the American party. The king and his interpreter, who was known to be one of the murderers, attempted to escape. Commander Tattnall of ''Saratoga'' killed the interpreter with a rifle shot and the king was also killed in attempting to flee. After demonstrating the determination and ability of the United_States to control events along the coast of Africa, the squadron got underway late in the year for Madeira where it arrived on 18_January 1844. She returned to the African coast via the Cape Verdes and reached Monrovia on 2_March. The late spring was devoted to a cruise eastward along the coast to the Bight_of_Biafra. Yellow_fever plagued the crew during the summer. The ship sailed for the Cape Verdes on 8_July and reached Porto_Praia on 21_July. The ship returned to Liberia in September for a last visit before leaving the African coast in mid-October and heading home. She reached Norfolk,_Virginia, on 22_November and decommissioned there on 10_December 1844. Recommissioned on 15_March 1845 with Commander Irving Shubrich in command, ''Saratoga'' was assigned to a squadron commanded by Commodore Robert_P._Stockton and originally intended for duty in European waters. However, on 22_April, because of tension between the United_States and Mexico over an impending annexation of Texas, this naval force was ordered to the Gulf_of_Mexico. ''Saratoga'' departed Norfolk on 27_April and proceeded to the Texas coast. She remained at Galveston,_Texas, with Stockton for the remainder of spring. The Commodore sailed for Washington,_DC, on 23_June after ordering ''Saratoga'' and the rest of his squadron to Pensacola,_Florida, to replenish their stores. On 3_July, Secretary_of_the_Navy George_Bancroft transferred ''Saratoga'' to Commodore David_Conner's Home Squadron which was then operating "... in such a manner as will be most likely to disincline Mexico to acts of hostility ..." ''Saratoga'' operated in the Gulf attempting to help Conner carry out this mission until she sailed from Pensacola on 4_December for Rio_de_Janeiro to join the Brazil_Squadron. The sloop-of-war cruised along the South American coast until mid-summer. Then, under orders to the Pacific for service under Commodore John_D._Sloat on the California coast, she got underway on 24_August and headed south along the coast. However, after rounding Cape_Horn, the sloop-of-war ran into a fierce storm which caused severe damage and forced her to turn back toward home. She reached Hampton_Roads on 29_December and decommissioned on 9_January 1847. Repaired at the Norfolk_Navy_Yard, ''Saratoga'' was recommissioned in 1847, Commander David_G._Farragut in command. Assigned to the Home_Squadron, she rounded Cape_Henry on 29_March, sailed south along the coast, entered the Gulf_of_Mexico, and joined Commodore Perry's Home Squadron off Veracruz, on 26_April. Three days later, the sloop-of-war was ordered to proceed some 150 miles up the coast to blockade Tuxpan. She reached the station on 30_April and remained there until heading back toward Veracruz on 12_July. About a fortnight later, she got underway for Tabasco, carrying dispatches; remained at that river port but a day, and returned to Veracruz on 11_August. On 1_September, ''Saratoga'' relieved Decatur at Tuxpan and remained on station there, despite a serious outbreak of Yellow_fever on board, for about two months before heading back to Veracruz. After a month there, the ship got underway for the Florida coast to land her sick and replenish her stores. She arrived at Pensacola on 6_January 1848; and, after disembarking all the seriously sick patients at the base hospital, got underway north on the last day of the month. She made New_York_City on 19_February and was decommissioned a week later. On 17_April, a week after recommissioning, the sloop-of-war departed New_York_City and proceeded via Norfolk,_Virginia, to the West_Indies for service in the Home_Squadron. She returned to Hampton_Roads on 27_November 1849 and decommissioned at the Norfolk_Navy_Yard on 30_November. Recommissioned on 12_August 1850, ''Saratoga'' got underway on 15_September and proceeded to the western Pacific for service in the East_India_Squadron. The highlight of her service in the Far East was her participation in Commodore Perry's opening of Japan. After visiting Japan with Perry in July 1853, she sailed for the China coast and protected American interests at Shanghai while Japanese officials discussed Perry's proposals. She returned with Perry in February 1854, and, after the formal signing of a treaty between the United_States and Japan on the last day of March, sailed for the Sandwich_Islands carrying Commander Henry_A._Adams, to whom Perry had entrusted the American copy of the treaty. After leaving Adams at Honolulu, ''Saratoga'' sailed south, rounded Cape_Horn, reached Boston,_Massachusetts, in September, and was decommissioned on 10_October 1854. The sloop-of-war was recommissioned on 6_September 1855 and, but for a period out of commission in ordinary at Norfolk early in 1858, cruised in the Caribbean_Sea and the Gulf_of_Mexico until decommissioning at Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania, on 26_June 1860. Reactivated on 5_November 1860, she sailed from Philadelphia ten days later to return to the scene of her first cruise, the west coast of Africa. On 21_April 1861, she captured slaver, ''Nightingale'', off Kabenda,_Africa, freeing a cargo of numerous slaves. After word of the outbreak of the American_Civil_War reached ''Saratoga'', she returned to the United States and decommissioned at Philadelphia on 25_August 1861. Recommissioned on 24_June 1863, the ship was ordered to the Delaware_Capes for guard duty off the Delaware breakwater protecting Union shipping approaching and departing Delaware_Bay and performed this duty through the end of the year. On 13_January 1864, she was ordered to Carolina waters for duty in the South_Atlantic_Blockading_Squadron. During her service off the lower Atlantic coast, landing parties from the ship made several raids in August and September which resulted in the capture of many prisoners and the taking or destruction of substantial quantities of ordnance, ammunition, and supplies. A number of buildings, bridges, and salt works were destroyed during the expedition. As the American_Civil_War was drawing to a close, ''Saratoga'' was detached on 4_April 1865, sailed north, and was decommissioned on 28_April. For the next decade, only two periods in commission for coastal operations (1_October 1867 to 7_July 1869 and 16_May to 14_October 1871) interrupted the veteran ship's rest in ordinary. ''Saratoga'' reactivated on 1_May 1875 for a year as a gunnery ship at Annapolis,_Maryland. Another year in ordinary beginning 7_May 1876 preceded her final recommissioning on 19_May 1877 to start more than eleven years as a school ship training naval apprentices. This duty took her to various naval bases and yards along the Atlantic coast and to Europe on occasion. She decommissioned 8_October 1888. The ship served on loan to the state of Pennsylvania between 1890 and 1907, operating as a state marine school ship in Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania, until sold there on 14_August 1907 to Thomas_Butler_&_Company of Boston. See USS ''Saratoga'' for other ships of the same name. == References == {{DANFS}} Saratoga Saratoga