USS Fredonia ( 1845 ) USS " Fredonia " ( 1845 ) was an 800 - ton bark that served the U . S . Navy as a transport and as a storeship . After several voyages to California by way of Cape Horn , she became the station warehouse in Arica , Chile , where she was destroyed by an earthquake . " Fredonia " , built in 1845 at Newburyport , Massachusetts , was purchased at Boston , Massachusetts , 14 December 1846 for $ 52 , 000 . The vessel was fitted out as a storeship and on 5 January 1847 was placed in commission under command of Lieutenant C . W . Chauncey . Operations during the Mexican - American War . Assigned to the Home Squadron , " Fredonia " sailed from Boston 9 January 1847 for the east coast of Mexico . On 16 February she arrived off Anton Lizardo where she remained until October , rendering assistance to vessels in distress and performing duty as guard ship while dispensing provisions , wood , water , ordnance equipment , and ammunition to the squadron of Commodores David Conner and Matthew C . Perry engaged in the bombardment and occupation of Vera Cruz , Tuxpan , and Tabasco , Mexico . Before sailing for home on 8 October " Fredonia " embarked invalids from the squadron and men whose enlistments had expired for transportation to New York City , where she arrived 22 November . The storeship made one more trip to the Gulf of Mexico with supplies for the squadron before the end of the Mexican - American War , departing New York 9 January 1848 and arriving off Sacrificios 9 February . She sailed for home in June , via Pensacola , Florida , to land hospital supplies from Salmadina , and on 23 July arrived at Norfolk , Virginia , to disembark a battalion of U . S . Marines and invalids from the Gulf Squadron . Assigned to take cargo to the U . S . West Coast . " Fredonia " proceeded to New York City in October 1848 to take on a cargo destined for the west coast . She sailed from New York 11 December and on 31 July 1849 arrived in San Francisco Bay , after stopping at Rio de Janeiro , Brazil , Valparaíso , Chile , and Callao , Peru . She remained on the west coast a year , departing San Francisco , California , 4 July 1850 , stopping at Valparaíso for urgent repairs and arriving at New York City 7 January 1851 . She was decommissioned on the 18th and placed in ordinary at the New York Navy Yard . Ordered to carry troops from New York City to California . In 1852 " Fredonia " transported troops of the 4th Infantry , with equipment and supplies to California . She sailed from New York on 21 November and arrived at San Francisco 19 June 1853 . Converted to a permanent storeship at Valparaíso , Chile . She then proceeded to Valparaíso , Chile , arriving 12 September , and was converted to a permanent storeship for the Pacific Squadron . She served in this capacity fifteen years , stationed at Valparaíso until 1862 when she was towed to Callao , Peru , by . " Fredonia " caught up in an earthquake and is destroyed . In 1868 , owing to yellow fever at Callao , " Fredonia " was moved to Arica , in the southern coast of Peru , where on 13 August she was destroyed by a violent earthquake . The first severe shock occurred about 5 : 05 p . m . , followed by successive shocks and a tremendous tsunami . , also anchored in the harbor of Arica , was washed ashore , while the storeship was completely broken up with a loss of 27 lives . Only five of " Fredonia ' s " complement survived — three officers , who were on shore , and two enlisted men who were rescued the following morning from a portion of the wreck . The earthquake , reported to be the most devastating and extensive that ever occurred in South America , destroyed not only Arica but a number of other large cities on the west side of the Peruvian Andes Mountains . The United States Squadron comes to aid of earthquake victims . The officers and men of the United States Squadron , under command of Rear Admiral T . Turner , immediately rushed assistance to the stricken inhabitants of Arica , providing food , clothing and medicines from the ships ' supplies and conveying surgeons , nurses , provisions and other necessities from Callao and Valparaíso .