USS Miantonomoh ( 1863 ) The first USS Miantonomoh was the lead ship of her class of double - turreted , twin - screw , wooden - hulled , ironclad monitor s built for the United States Navy during the American Civil War . " Miantonomoh " was laid down at the New York Navy Yard , Brooklyn , New York , in 1862 ; launched 15 August 1863 ; and commissioned 18 September 1865 , Commander Daniel Ammen in command . Service history . North Atlantic Squadron , 1865 – 1870 . Assigned to the North Atlantic Squadron , " Miantonomoh " cruised for a short time along the east coast , thence steamed to the Washington Navy Yard where she remained until April 1866 . In late April she sailed to New York and there prepared for an extended cruise to European waters . Under the command of Comdr . John C . Beaumont , she sailed with steamers and on 6 May . After touching at Halifax , Nova Scotia , she reached St . John ' s , Newfoundland , 23 May . There she embarked the Assistant Secretary of the Navy , Gustavus Fox , who arrived 3 June en route to undertaking special assignments in Europe . Upon the order of President Andrew Johnson , Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles instructed Fox to deliver Alexander II , Emperor of Russia , a copy of a Joint Resolution of Congress which expressed " deep regret " at the recent attempt on the Czar ’ s life and congratulations on his escape from harm . In addition , and of greater importance , Welles requested Fox to visit important naval stations and collect : Departing St . John ' s on 5 June , the three ships crossed the Atlantic in less than 11 days . Fox described the first ocean crossing of an ironclad monitor as " a pleasant trip . " During much of the voyage she was towed by " Augusta " " as a matter of convenience and precaution rather than necessity . " After reaching Queenstown on 16 June , " Miantonomoh " steamed via Portsmouth to Cherbourg , France , where Fox debarked on 29 June for talks with Napoleon III . She returned to the English coast on 7 July and a week later received visitors including British royalty , government officials , and members of the press , all of whom viewed her with wonderment and amazement . Her departure in naval design caused considerable comment in the English press , and the Times exclaimed : " The wolf is in our fold ; the whole flock at its mercy . " The success of her reception in England typified her subsequent visits to other European nations during the next several months . Departing 15 July , " Miantonomoh " steamed to Denmark where she was inspected by King Christian IX and the royal family ; thence , on 31 July , she entered the Baltic Sea en route to Russia . Eleven ships of the Russian Navy , including four monitors of the " Uragan " class , met her at Helsingfors ( Helsinki ) and escorted her to Kronshtadt where she arrived 5 August . She remained at that important Russian naval base for more than a month . During that time she was viewed with interest and attention by the Czar , his family , and leading Russian naval officers . Commenting on the success of the naval mission to Russia , Captain Alexander Murray later wrote : " We were the victims of a hospitality which I did not believe had an existence out of America , and . . . of a generosity which does not often fall to the lot of navy officers anywhere ; . . . " From Russia " Miantonomoh " continued her triumphant visit to European ports . With Assistant Secretary Fox embarked , she visited Stockholm , Sweden , in mid - September ; thence , she arrived Kiel , Prussia , 1 October amidst " a great number of the Prussian ships of war . " The monitor left Fox to complete his duties on 3 October and steamed to Hamburg where she arrived the 6th . " Here we remained a week , " wrote Captain Murray , " and experienced the full flood of that tide of visitors to the ‘ monitor ’ which had been increasing ever since we left the United States . . . " " Miantonomoh " called at French , Portuguese , Spanish , and Italian ports during the next six months . Her mission of showing both the flag and herself proved wholly successful . The " tide of visitors , " reported Captain Murray , " wherever we went , overwhelmed us . " In company with " Augusta " , " Miantonomoh " departed Gibraltar on 15 May 1867 . Steaming via the Canary and Cape Verde . Islands , Caribbean ports and the Bahamas , she anchored off League Island , Philadelphia , 22 July , thus completing a cruise of more than 17 , 700 miles . Captain Murray concluded his report to Secretary of the Navy Welles : " The vessels themselves [ are ] in such a condition as to be readily enabled to repeat the service just performed . " " Miantonomoh " , however , decommissioned at Philadelphia 26 July 1867 and was laid up at League Island . " Miantonomoh " recommissioned 15 November 1869 , Comdr . R . W . Shufeldt in command . She steamed to New England and served with the funeral fleet that escorted the British ship " HMS Monarch " carrying the body of George Peabody , noted American philanthropist , back to Massachusetts for burial . She continued her operations in the North Atlantic station until 28 July 1870 when she decommissioned at Boston . Reconstruction , 1874 . As part of Secretary of the Navy George M . Robeson ' s ambitious plans to overhaul and modernize ships of the Navy , " Miantonomoh " was taken to Chester , Pennsylvania , in 1874 , ostensibly for " repairs " at the yard of John Roach . On 23 June 1874 Congress authorized funds for the purpose of " completing the repairs " of four double - turreted monitors including " Miantonomoh " . However , the " repairs " consisted of the constructing of new vessels under the guise of repairing the old ones . She was broken up in 1875 and but few of her materials were used in the building of the larger , more heavily armored , iron - hulled “ New Navy ” monitor which became the second " Miantonomoh " .