The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-05-06
OLD VESSEL
History of the Portsmouth
Which Is Being Fitted
Up for the Naval
Reserve.
BAPTIZED IN THE MEXICAN WAR
she Has Sailed Every Sea and Has
Captured Many Prizes
in War.

The Jersey City and Newark boys who
composed the Battalion of the East
Naval Reserves, are to be congratulated
upon having assigned to them one o1
the most interesting vessels in the ole
navy-the Portsmouth.
The Portsmouth's stability and history
la made it eagerly sought after by
the Naval Reserve organizations of
many States. New Jersey is securing
the gallant ship. which will doubtless
be an object of general interest as soon
as she arrives at her moorings in Ho-
boken. The waves of every sea have
tossed her, and for half a century she
has carried the Stars and Stripes with
honor.
The Portsmouth went out of commits
sion last January. Up to that time she
had been used as a training-ship for
several years. She was taken to the
partially d~ismantled. Now that impor-
tant service has been found for her in
New. Jersey. she will resume her natural
trappings. and her brass mountings will
again glisten in the sunlight.
WAS IN THE MEXICAN WAR.
The Portsmouth is of the class of
warships which includes the Hartford,
Ohio. Vermont. Monongahela, Saratoga,
Constitution and jamestown. These are
all graceful, taper-masted wooden YES
sells. which have won glory in war and
veneration in peace. For forty years
the Portsmouth sailed the seas. She
was launched in 1913. She is of 1000
tonnage. Her length is 151 feet. Her
armament was light. but effective for
those days. 1t consisted of four S-ineh
smoothbore guns n eighteen 32-pound-
ers. together with the usual small
arms. Her complement Of officers
and men amounted to 2l0 souls. Her pay
roll was about $780, 900 q year. She was
called a sloop-of-war, and for. beauty,
strength and speed she had few superb
ors among the war vessels of the world
The Portsmouth performed her first
service and received her first baptism
of blood in the Mexican war. She was
cruising in the Pacific off the coast of
Southern California, when she fell in
with the big full-rigged ship Admit
lance, which was in the service of the
Mexican Government. It was like a
fight between a giant and a STRIPPING.
The Portsmouth flew at her huge antag-
onist with her thirty-two Founders. A
lOt lEt was TGIuIll6d, Dut III an IlOuT
the Admittance struck her. eolors and
the Portsmouth proudly towed her first
prize into port. On October 10, she and
the Congress bombarde the town Of
captured it after a fierce fight. While
the victorious vessels lay quietly at an
ehor in the harbor that night the Chilli
an brigartine ArgO sailed in, unaware
Of the capture. A handful of men under
a lieutenant and two midshipmen silent
ly put off in boats from the Portsmouth
and captured the Argo without firing a
shot or striking a blow.
TOOK MANY PRIZES.
m menidaa took coast nam amy h griz crew a hadF ma shs
adventures ashore. In 1s4s she. sailed
for Africa where she Joined Commo-
dore cooper,s squadron and became his
principally in looking out for slave ships.
The Portsmouth was also a member Of
~gonlnodore's Perry's fleet when he SAIL
which opened, up japanese ports to
however, began in 1856. when she was
she returaed in 1858 her log-book show
ed that she had travelled 40, 900 miles.
On this cruise she discovered the famous
Portsmouth Breakers n her guns were
off Canton her gig was fired on from
the fort at that place. Commander
Foote started in to resent the insult on
under cover Of the fire of the Ports
mouth. The fort was defended by G,0t0
shinese. A brilliant assault was made
civilizations: The Americans then re-
ur1led to their ship and the Chinese
we're very careful afterwards to leave
IN 4 ARnEfsan p peTsflS ssVf FLHe aIRnf
IN the civil war the Portsmouth did
-allant service. She was one OF Farra-
gut's feet below New orleans and was
manded the mortar flotilla. The fleet
was preparing to make the. famous. run
;1p the river past Forts Jackson and st;
phi1ip. The Portsmouth, with. Admiral
Parfer ON board. was in the midst of the
,otilla Echooners. which has been paint
I'd mud color and had trees and branch
81 dashed to their masts In order to pre-
rent the occupants Of the forts distin-
gushing them from the woods on the
5ther side. It was the night Of April ie
F sng' tb the ps afaeT e e. the e foTrt at 9 me po way
mouth could not make Roadway under
sail, SO she threw a line to a small
steamer and proe farasses uP o the rivera riyeT With =
rearfpl fire on the fleet and shells few
as thick as hail. With her guns thun-
1ering. the Portsmouth moved on with.
Iackson. Then a shell severed her. tow
inc and she began to drift helplessly
! Town the stream. The enemy perceived
concentrated fire upon her. The Ports
mouth. however. ESCAPED, and after that
sre sailors always said she bore a charm
RAN AGROUND.
In December last. while the Ports
mouth was on her way up the East
s RigaI f rs & Mi GFnese Ground on shf Res spu and w Sas
',e1d fast for four hours. She fioated
of ct high tide and was found to be
It is Commander jacques intention to
| muster IN the New Jersey Reserves and