USS Hartford (1858)

Type

Sloop of War

Period

19th Century

Nation

United States

Overview: USS Hartford was a screw sloop-of-war built at the Boston Navy Yard, most famous as Rear Admiral David G. Farragut's flagship during the American Civil War. She was the first US Navy ship named for Hartford, Connecticut, and remains one of the most historically significant American warships of the era. Specifications: A wooden-hulled steam-and-sail sloop of about 2,900 tons displacement, 225 ft (69 m) in length with a 44 ft (13 m) beam and 17 ft 2 in draft. She carried a mixed battery that eventually included 20 9-inch smoothbore Dahlgren guns, a 20-pounder Parrott rifle, and two 12-pounder guns, and could make roughly 13.5 knots under steam. Service History: Launched 22 November 1858 and commissioned 27 May 1859, Hartford first served with the East India Squadron before returning home at the outbreak of the Civil War. As Farragut's flagship she took part in the capture of New Orleans in 1862, the Siege of Vicksburg, and famously led the fleet past the forts at the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864, an action where twelve of her crew received the Medal of Honor. After the war she served as a training and flagship vessel, was rerigged as a bark at Mare Island in 1887, and continued in service into the 20th century before decommissioning in 1926. Notable Facts: Preserved for decades as a museum/relic ship after her final decommissioning, Hartford was allowed to deteriorate and ultimately sank at her berth at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 20 November 1956, after which she was dismantled. Her figurehead survives and is displayed at the Connecticut State Capitol, while her billethead, trailboards and other items are on display at the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia. A builder's model is held by the National Museum of the U.S. Navy, both useful references for modelers seeking authentic detail on hull lines and fittings.