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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS Benicia (I)

Confiance Class Screw Sloop:
  • Laid down, date unknown, at Portsmouth Navy Yard
  • Launched, 18 August 1868, as Algoma
  • Renamed Benicia, 15 May 1869
  • Commissioned 1 December 1869, Commander S. Nicholson in command.
  • Assigned to the Asiatic Station from March 1870 to August 1872 protecting American interests in the Far East
  • USS Benicia took part in RADM Rodgers' expedition to Korea, 16 May to 11 June 1871
  • Following repairs at Mare Island Navy Yard, Benicia joined the North Pacific Squadron 6 December 1872, cruising in Mexican, Central American, and Hawaiian waters
  • USS Benicia arrived at San Francisco with King Kalakana of Hawaii and his suite, 29 November 1874
  • USS Benicia made a cruise to Alaska from 11 May to 21 July 1875 before decommissioning at Mare Island, 29 November 1875
  • Sold 3 May 1884
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 2,400 t.
    Length 250' 6"
    Beam 38"
    Draft 18'
    Speed 11.5 kts
    Complement 291
    Armament
    one 11" Smooth Bore
    ten 9" Smooth Bore
    one 60-pdr Rifle
    two 20-pdr Breech Loading Rifle
    Propulsion steam and sail
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Benicia 70k USS Benicia at anchor, with awnings triced up, circa 1870-1875.
    US Naval Historical History and Heritage Command photo # NH 61895    		 Robert Hurst
    Benicia 84k USS Benicia at anchor in the Han River, Korea, during the Korean expedition of May-June 1871.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 66305, from the collection of Rear Admiral Ammen C. Farenholt, USN (Medical Corps).    		 Robert Hurst
    Benicia 324k A Montage of photographs by Bradley & Rulofson, No. 129 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA., circa mid-1875 of USS Benicia officers. A view of the ship, taken off the Mare Island Navy Yard, is in the center. It is surrounded by portrait photographs of her officers. Many of them are identified by hand-written names on the prints as, top row, left to right: Lieutenant Frederick Singer; Lieutenant Walton Goodwin; Lieutenant Commander William H. Whiting; Captain William E. Hopkins, ship's Commanding Officer; unidentified Lieutenant Commander; Lieutenant William H. Parker, Jr.; and Lieutenant William J. Barnette. middle row, left to right: Surgeon George W. Woods; unidentified officer; First Assistant Engineer Albert C. Engard; Gunner William Halford; and three unidentified officers. bottom row, left to right: Second Lieutenant Otway C. Berryman, USMC (listed as assigned to the Mare Island Marine Barracks); unidentified officer (small print); Paymaster Henry T. Wright; "Wilburn" (possibly Ensign Willie Kilburn?); Master Corwin P. Rees; and two unidentified officers.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 54143.    		 Robert Hurst
    Benicia 409k USS Benicia at anchor, date and location unknown.
    US Navy Photo    		 Jim Kurrasch
    Battleship Iowa Pacific Battleship Center
    USS Benicia (I)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 12 July 2019