USS Vesuvius ( 1846 ) USS " Vesuvius " ( 1845 ) was a 239 - ton steamer acquired by the U . S . Navy for use during the Mexican - American War which was an armed military conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U . S . annexation of Texas . " Vesuvius " , outfitted with a heavy 10 - inch mortar that was designed to attack and damage land - based fortifications , was assigned by the Navy to operations in the Mexican battle zones . Built in New York in 1845 . " Vesuvius " – a coastal Cargo ship built in 1845 at Williamsburg , New York , as " Saint Mary " – was acquired by the Navy at New York City in 1846 for use with the blockading squadrons in the Gulf of Mexico . Mexican - American War operations . Records of the ship ' s service are sketchy at best , especially for her early service in the Navy . However , reports indicate that she apparently operated as " Vesuvius " , off Vera Cruz , although one source dates her renaming as occurring on 5 January 1847 . In August 1846 , after many members of her crew contracted yellow fever while she was stationed off Vera Cruz , " Vesuvius " put into Bermuda en route north for recuperation . Laguna del Carmen operations . She was probably refitted at New York , as records indicate that , under the command of Comdr . George A . Magruder , she departed from that port towards the end of the winter of 1846 and 1847 , arriving at Laguna del Carmen , Mexico , on 7 March 1847 , for blockade duty . " Vesuvius " was assigned to the port of Laguna . At this juncture , Commodore Matthew Galbraith Perry – commanding the Gulf Squadron — appointed Magruder the military governor of the town , and the commander was of great value to Perry as an administrator . The majority of time spent by " Vesuvius " on the Gulf station was spent at Laguna , where she logged the shipping movements of vessels both inside and outside of the harbor . Attack on Tuxpan , Mexico . In the spring of 1847 , when Commodore Perry launched his expedition against Tuxpan , " Vesuvius " was withdrawn temporarily from Laguna to support the operation . The Mexicans defending the town with 650 men led by General Cos were ideally situated to command its approaches . The assault on the Mexican defensive works was launched by a 1500 - man landing force drawn from the ships ' crews . Twenty - five officers and men from " Vesuvius " , led by Commander Magruder , took part in this action and were present when the flag of the United States was raised over the captured city . Assault against Tabasco , Mexico . Twelve days later , Perry launched an all - out assault against Tabasco , the last remaining large port commanded by the Mexicans on the Gulf coast . Although captured earlier by American forces , Tabasco had fallen again to Mexican hands . After leaving guardships at Coatzacoalcos and Tuxpan , Perry arrived off Frontera on 14 June 1847 , at the mouth of the river which led to Tabasco . Shifting his flag again to " Scorpion " , Perry and his squadron commenced the passage up the tortuous channels . At " Devil ' s Bend , " concealed Mexican sharpshooters opened fire from the dense chaparral along the riverbank . " Scorpion " , " Washington " , " Vesuvius " , and the flat - bottomed " surfboats " returned the fire ; " Vesuvius " ' 10 - inch mortar shells dispersed the snipers ; thus allowing the squadron to continue its way upriver . At six in the evening , the squadron anchored for the night and arranged barricades about the decks to protect the American sailors against sniper fire . During the night , Mexican forces placed obstructions in the only navigable channel . Scaling the cliff , and taking the fort . Meanwhile , landing parties from Perry ' s ships stealthily scaled the steep cliffs which rose from the river . They then rushed the works in a sudden assault which surprised the Mexican troops and put them to flight . During the attack , the gunboat s forced their way up the river under the command of Lt . David Dixon Porter , who would later win fame during the American Civil War . Fort Iturbide , mounting six guns , soon fell to a landing force commanded by Lt . Porter , thus clearing the final obstacle from the road to Tabasco . Accordingly , detachments from Scorpion and " Spitfire " took possession of this objective on the 16th . Patrol operations . " Vesuvius " remained in the Gulf of Mexico , at Laguna , through the end of the year 1847 . Under the command of Lt . Sylvanus William Godon , the brig captured American schooner " Wasp " on 10 October 1847 , which was engaged in illicit trading , and later captured four bungos . " Vesuvius " moved to Campeche on 8 March 1848 and then back to Laguna late in April . She operated there until sailing north in mid - summer . The brig arrived at Norfolk , Virginia , on 1 August and was sold there the following October .