Congress was launched at the
Portsmouth Navy Yard on August 16, 1841 and placed in commission under Captain
Philip Voorhees on May 7, 1842. Her first cruise, starting on July 15, took her to the
Mediterranean for service with the Squadron of Commodores
Charles W. Morgan and
Charles Morris. In December 1843, Voorhees joined Commodore
Daniel Turner's Brazil Squadron blockading
Montevideo in safeguarding U.S. trade during the
Uruguayan Civil War. On September 29, 1844, Voorhees captured an armed Argentine
schooner that delivered a mail to the Argentine commanding officer. This overreaction damaged the US-Argentina relation and resulted in a court martial for Voorhees. His impetuosity resulted in a few months suspension, for Voorhees, but did little damage to his career.
Congress remained active in the theatre until January 1845. She was then placed in ordinary at Norfolk, Virginia in March.
Congress was recommissioned on September 15, 1845, as
flagship of Commodore
Robert F. Stockton and sailed for the Pacific Ocean in late October. After landing the U.S. Commissioner to the
Sandwich Islands at
Honolulu, Hawaii on June 10, she proceeded to
Monterey Bay where she joined the
Pacific Squadron. Captain
Elie A. F. La Vallette assumed command on July 20 and employed her along the west coast during the
Mexican–American War. Large detachments of her crew participated in
battles on Rio San Gabriel and the
plains of La Mesa, and in the occupation of
Los Angeles. She assisted in the
bombardment and capture of Guaymas in October 1847, and in November furnished a detachment that aided in the
occupation of Mazatlán. On August 23, 1848, she departed
La Paz, Baja California Sur for
Norfolk, Virginia, arriving the following January to be placed in ordinary. In May 1850, she was assigned a threefold mission; protect U.S. interests between the mouth of the Amazon River and
Cape Horn, prevent the use of the American flag to cover the
African slave trade, and maintain neutral rights during hostilities among the South American countries. Departing
Hampton Roads, Virginia on June 12, she arrived at
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on September 1 and assumed duty as flagship of the Brazil Squadron under Commodore
Issac McKeever until June 1853. She returned to New York City on July 20 for decommissioning. On June 19, 1855,
Congress sailed for the Mediterranean and there followed two years as flagship of Commodore
Samuel Livingston Breese. Sailing from
Spezia, Italy on November 26, 1857, she arrived at
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 13, 1858, and was placed out of commission. In 1859,
Congress was reassigned as flagship of Commodore
Joshua R. Sands and the Brazil Squadron, remaining in that area until the Civil War precipitated her return to
Boston, Massachusetts on August 22, 1861.
American Civil War service On September 9, 1861, she was ordered to duty under command of Capt.
Louis M. Goldsborough in the
Atlantic Blockading Squadron, later to serve under
commanding officer W. Smith, and
executive officer Lieutenant Joseph B. Smith.
Congress was anchored off
Newport News, Virginia, as part of the
Union blockade of that port on March 8, 1862, when she fell under attack by the Confederate
ironclad,
CSS Virginia (ex-
USS Merrimack) and five other small ships. Serving aboard
Congress at this time was McKean Buchanan, brother of the commanding officer of the
Virginia,
Franklin Buchanan. After exchanging broadsides with
Virginia,
Congress slipped her moorings and ran aground in shallow water. The ironclad and her consorts attacked from a distance and inflicted great damage on the ship, killing 120, including the commanding officer,
Joseph B. Smith. Executive officer
Austin Pendergrast assumed command. Ablaze in several places and unable to bring guns to bear on the enemy,
Congress was forced to strike her colors and raise a white flag. Heavy shore batteries prevented
Virginia from taking possession. Instead she fired several rounds of hot shot (red-hot cannonballs) and
incendiary causing
Congress to burn to the water's edge, and her
magazine to explode. Lt. Smith, having been in command at the time, died in the action. Eventually, during the battle,
Congress sank by the stern. In September 1865,
Congress was raised and taken to the
Norfolk Navy Yard where she was later sold. She later was stripped for the valuable wood and metal near her mast. The sails later were used to make a flag in memory of the ship. ==See also==