USS Princeton ( PG - 13 ) The third USS " Princeton " was a composite gunboat in the United States Navy . " Princeton " was laid down in May 1896 by J . H . Dialogue and Son , Camden , New Jersey ; launched on 3 June 1897 ; sponsored by Miss Margeretta Updike ; and commissioned on 27 May 1898 at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , Commander C . H . West in command . Service history . Spanish - American War , 1898 – 1899 . After acceptance trials on 7 – 25 July 1898 off Delaware Bay , " Princeton " got underway for Key West where she joined the North Atlantic Fleet on 27 July at the beginning of the Spanish - American War . She was immediately sent ( on 2 August ) to patrol the area from the northern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula to Livingston , Guatemala . After completing this mission on 13 August , she returned to Key West and the Dry Tortugas and remained on this station until departing on 11 January 1899 for New York . Asiatic Fleet , 1899 – 1903 . " Princeton " sailed for the Pacific in early 1899 She passed through the Straits of Gibraltar on 2 February and the Suez Canal from 13 – 17 February , joining the Asiatic Fleet on 16 April at Cavite , Philippines . " Princeton " cruised throughout the Philippines from 4 – 15 May with the gunboat , distributing the proclamation of peace with Spain . Later , she carried Senator Albert J . Beveridge on a tour of the newly acquired Philippine Territory . In late May , " Princeton " commenced blockading the Lingayen Gulf ports of St . Vincent and Musa and extended the blockade to the entire Gulf from 18 – 26 June . During the various local disturbances on Luzon , she landed troops at San Fabian on 2 – 7 November , transported cavalrymen from Vigan to Lingayen , conveyed dispatches , received surrendered arms and carried stores to the Marines at Subic Bay . " Princeton " took formal possession of the Babuyan and the Batan Islands on 10 – 13 January 1900 and continued to patrol off Luzon on 10 February . " Princeton " was later station ship at Iloilo and Cebu from 5 March until 21 June . At the time of the Boxer Rebellion , " Princeton " cruised in Chinese waters ( 26 June – 29 November ) between Hong Kong and Woosung where she received a draft of men from the auxiliary cruiser on 9 August . She returned on 4 December to operations in the Philippine - American War , principally in the Sulu Archipelago , and remained on duty there until 20 July 1902 . " Princeton " was stationed at Cavite beginning 23 July and called at Uraga , Japan ( 9 October – 18 December ) . While at Cavite , she participated in large - scale maneuvers off the Philippines ( 29 December – 3 February 1903 ) . Afterwards , " Princeton " acted as a survey ship ( 13 February – 5 April ) at Malabug Bay , Zamboanga and Dumanquilas Bay until she departed on 13 April for California . " Princeton " decommissioned on 12 June 1903 at Mare Island Navy Yard . Pacific Squadron , 1905 – 1907 . " Princeton " recommissioned on 12 May 1905 at Mare Island Navy Yard and was attached to the Pacific Squadron . She left on 4 June for duty as station ship at Panama City , where she remained until 24 October . On 2 December 1905 , " Princeton " returned to Mare Island Navy Yard and began cruising off the Pacific coast from San Diego , California to Esquimalt , British Columbia . She escorted Rear Admiral C . J . Train ' s remains from Vancouver to Seattle ( 22 – 24 August ) , assisted the protected cruiser ( 6 – 9 December ) which was aground off Bellingham , Washington , and accompanied the armored cruiser on her sea trials off Washington from 10 – 22 September . " Princeton " remained on station off the West coast until directed to rejoin the Pacific Squadron on 3 January 1907 at Magdalena Bay , Mexico . " Princeton " proceeded to Corinto , Nicaragua , arriving 17 March for the purpose of protecting American interests there . She transported troops from Ampala , Honduras , to La Unión , ( 12 April ) and brought General Bonilla back to Salina Cruz , Mexico ( 13 April ) . She returned to San Diego on 30 May and decommissioned on 3 July 1907 at Bremerton , Washington . Nicaraguan Expedition , 1909 – 1911 . " Princeton " recommissioned on 5 November 1909 at Bremerton and sailed on 28 November for Central America for duty with the Nicaraguan Expeditionary Squadron . From 20 December until 21 March 1911 she showed the flag in this area , operating between San Juan del Sur , Nicaragua , and La Unión , El Salvador . She returned to Puget Sound Navy Yard 20 June 1911 for repairs and alterations . 1911 – 1919 . From late 1911 until 1915 she was used as a station ship at Tutuila , American Samoa . Returning to San Francisco on 18 September 1915 , " Princeton " decommissioned and was laid up until 20 February 1917 when she proceeded to Puget Sound for repairs . She commissioned in ordinary there on 16 January 1918 for use as a training ship at Seattle from 9 May 1918 to 25 April 1919 when she decommissioned . " Princeton " was struck from the Navy List on 23 June 1919 and sold to Farrell , Kane and Stratton , Seattle , Washington , on 13 November 1919 .