Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Mackinaw's Dahlgren Cannons-- Part 3: USS Hartford Commissioned in 1859, Decommissioned in 1926, Sank in 1956

 By the end of the Civil War, a battery of 26 nine-inch Dahlgrens were on the deck of the USS Hartford.  The Hartford was a steam sloop of war with a top speed of approximately 13.5 knots when both steam and sail were used.

Commissioned  27 May 1859 and decommissioned  20 August 1920, making it one of the oldest Civil War ships to serve.  It was 225 feet long with a 44 foot beam and had a complement of 310 officers and men.  It was decommissioned on 20 August 1926.

Sadly, after decommissioning, she was classified as a relic, towed to Norfolk Navy Yard where she deteriorated and eventually sank at her berth on 20 November  1956.  So sad.  This would have been a great ship to keep with its Farragut history from the Battle of Mobile Bay.

You Know, "Damn the Torpedoes...."  --Old B-Runner


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