Spanish–American War Frolic departed
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on 23 July 1898 with
mail for ships of the
North Atlantic Station on Spanish–American War duty off
Cuba and
Puerto Rico. The war ended in August 1898 while she was performing these duties. She arrived at
Norfolk Navy Yard at
Portsmouth, Virginia, on 17 September, and was
decommissioned there on 27 September.
Post-war Frolic was recommissioned on 25 October 1900. Assigned to the
Asiatic Station, she cleared
Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 30 December bound for the
Mediterranean Sea, the
Suez Canal, and finally
Cavite on
Luzon in the
Philippine Islands, where she arrived on 24 April 1901. Cooperating with the
United States Army in the
Philippine–American War,
Frolic patrolled the southern Philippines, serving primarily off
Samar. Several times during the next year, she aided ships in distress, and from October 1902 made
hydrographic surveys. She performed a variety of other duties in establishing American control in the Philippines, including investigation of possible
telegraph sites and
transport duty. In February 1904,
Frolic added patrols and target practice in
Chinese waters to her operating schedule at intervals.
Frolic was decommissioned on 31 March 1906. After repairs, was placed in reduced commission on 19 December 1906 for service as a
yard craft at Cavite.
Frolic was decommissioned for the last time on 31 July 1907. ==Final disposition==