USS Ta - Kiang ( 1862 ) USS " Ta - Kiang " ( 1862 ) was a 510 - ton steamer was chartered by the Union Navy during the American Civil War . Ta - Kiang was assigned by the Navy to be part of the Allied fleet proceeding to Japan to enforce the opening of the Shimonoseki straits in that country , in keeping with treaties already signed with Japan . Built in New York City in 1862 . " Ta - Kiang " ( sometimes spelled " Takiang " and meaning “ big river ” in Chinese ) - - an oak - hulled , screw steamer built in 1862 at New York City by the shipbuilding firm of Rosevelt and Joyce — was active in the China trade , probably under the British flag to avoid being molested by Confederate raiders and cruisers . Growing pressure for the opening of Japan . In the summer of 1864 , the British government chartered the ship to bring troops to Kanagawa , Japan , because of the anti - foreign sentiment then prevalent among certain segments of the Japanese population who were resisting westernization . As an outgrowth of this hostility to aliens in the summer of 1863 , a Prince of Nagato , Mori , of the clan of Choshiu , fortified one side of the Strait of Shimonoseki to close that waterway to western commerce . The following year , the western Treaty powers determined to open those waters once and for all . However , the only American warship then in that part of the world was the sail - powered sloop - of - war " Jamestown " , which could not overcome the strong currents in the strait and thus was unable to participate in any allied expedition to open navigation to foreign shipping . Chartered by the U . S . Navy . On 18 August 1864 — so that the United States would be represented in the joint Anglo - French - Dutch force — Robert K . Pruyn , the minister resident of the United States in Japan , and Captain Cicero Price , the commanding officer of " Jamestown " , chartered " Ta - Kiang " from the firm Walsh , Hall , and Co . , the agents for the steamer " Ta - Kiang " . Under the terms of the agreement , she was " to carry a landing party , and in every way to assist in the common object , but not to be under fire of the forts . " Before the joint expedition set sail , a mail steamer arrived bringing Japanese diplomats back from France with a treaty that had stipulated , among other provisions , that the Strait of Shimonoseki would be opened within three months . " Ta - Kiang ' s " charter was cancelled when word of the treaty first arrived , but the Japanese appeared unwilling to be bound by the agreement . This intransigence left the western powers no alternative to opening hostilities with Choshiu . Accordingly , the United States government rechartered " Ta - Kiang " and took her over on 28 August 1864 . Arming the " Ka - Kiang " . Capt . Price placed Lt . Frederick Pearson , of " Jamestown " , in command of the ship and also transferred 18 men — including a surgeon — and a 30 - pounder Parrott rifle to the erstwhile merchantman . Price admonished Pearson to Operations in Japan . Attacking the Nagato batteries . On the next day , 29 August , " Ta - Kiang " departed Yokohama in company with the Dutch steam sloop " Djambe " and arrived at the rendezvous point , Hime Shima , on the evening of 1 September . The following day , the remainder of the allied fleet arrived , " making a total of 18 sail . " At 1000 on 4 September , the naval force got underway for Shimonoseki , in three columns , with " Ta - Kiang " bringing up the rear of the French column . The allied ships anchored in sight of the batteries on the shores of Nagato at 1600 that afternoon and , 24 hours later , moved in closer and commenced fire on the forts . By 1730 on the first day of the engagement , all of the batteries within sight had been silenced . During the night , British sailors and marines landed and spiked the guns of one battery . The Japanese commenced the action on 6 September , opening fire on the allied ships at 0600 . During that action , " Ta - Kiang " towed a landing boat from the French steam sloop " Dupleix " , steaming close to the first battery . By noon , a mixed force of British , French , and Dutch troops had taken the batteries . The Westerners repulsed enemy counterattacks with ease ; and , before nightfall , " the land forces returned to their vessels . " On 7 and 8 September , " Ta - Kiang " took on board 23 wounded Britons , as well as a surgeon and attendants , and ultimately returned to Yokohama on the evening of 21 September . During the attacks on the Shimonoseki forts , " Ta - Kiang " had fired 18 shells from her Parrott gun " thus identifying herself in this respect with the expedition . " Return of " Ka - Kiang " to owners . On 22 September 1864 , " Ta - Kiang " was returned to her agents for a resumption of mercantile service . Records concerning the ultimate fate of this ship indicate that she was sold to the Japanese government in 1864 , becoming " Oye Maru " ( or " Ooe Maru " ) . Some evidence indicates that , in 1869 , the ship was returned to the United States flag under Consular documents and was renamed " Peiho " .