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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS Princeton (II)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Civil War Medal
Screw Steamer:
  • Laid down as a clipper-built ship in June, 1851 at Boston Navy Yard
  • Launched in October 1851
  • Commissioned USS Princeton, 18 May 1852 at Boston, CDR. Sidney Smith Lee in command
  • Upon completion of the hull at Boston, Princeton proceeded, 19 May 1852, to Baltimore where her machinery was installed at Vulcan Iron Works
  • At Norfolk Princeton was fitted out for duty with Commodore Perry's Squadron in the Far East
  • Sailing from Baltimore, 18 November 1852 she rendezvoused with USS Mississippi off Annapolis
  • Delayed at Norfolk because of boiler trouble she remained at Norfolk while Mississippi continued on without her
  • Decommissioned 1 January 1853 at Norfolk.
  • From July to September 1853 Princeton served as flagship of the Eastern Squadron under the command of Commodore Shubrick
  • Princeton returned to New York upon completion of this assignment and remained there until 31 October 1854 and then got underway for duty in the Gulf of Mexico and the West Indies
  • She returned to Norfolk, 10 June 1855, and was placed in ordinary
  • In 1857 Princeton was taken to Philadelphia where she was stationed as a receiving ship until, 9 October 1866, and then sold
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1370 t.
    Length 177' 6"
    Beam 32' 8"
    Depth of Hold unknown
    Draft 28' 9"
    Speed 8 kts.
    Complement unknown
    Armament
    four 8" guns
    fifty-eight hundred weight shell guns
    six 32-pdr carronades
    Propulsion
    boilers
    propellers
    two Ericsson semi-cylinder design engines
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Princeton 185k Pen and ink drawing of USS Princeton by F. Muller, circa 1900.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo #: NH 60694.    		 Robert Hurst
    Princeton 113k USS Princeton spar plan, copied from Charles B. Stuart's 1853 book "Naval & Mail Steamers of the United States".
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo #: NH 74700.    		 Robert Hurst
    Saratoga 294k US Navy ships of the Japanese Squadron, established to promote free trade with Japan in 1852. From left to right:
    USS Susquehanna,
    USS Saratoga,
    USS St. Mary's,
    USS Supply,
    USS Plymouth,
    USS Perry,
    USS Mississippi and
    USS Princeton.
    From ~ The Archive of the Old Print Man ~ "Gleason's Pictorial Drawing Room Companion", Boston, 1852.    		 Tommy Trampp
    Princeton 101k USS Princeton bell on exhibit at the Jamestown Exposition, Hampton Roads, Virginia, 1907
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo #: NH 12082-A.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Princeton (II)
    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 13 September 2019