Home Squadron, 1852 After shakedown out of the Norfolk Navy Yard,
Powhatan joined the
Home Squadron as
flagship of Commodore
John T. Newton and sailed for New York where she was visited by the
Secretary of the Navy,
John P. Kennedy. She departed New York on 16 October 1852 for
Vera Cruz with the new Minister to
Mexico, Judge
Alfred Conkling, on board and returned to Norfolk on 27 November via
Havana and
Pensacola.
East India Squadron, 1853–1860 Powhatan, under Comdr.
William J. McCluney, was next assigned to the
East India Squadron and arrived on station via
Cape of Good Hope on 15 June 1853. Her arrival in Chinese waters coincided with an important phase of Commodore
Matthew C. Perry's
expedition to open commercial relations with the Japanese. She was Perry's flagship during his November visit to
Whampoa. On 14 February 1854 she entered
Edo Bay with the rest of the squadron, remaining until the
Convention of Kanagawa was signed on 31 March 1854 as part of Perry's show of force. After the signing of the treaty, the squadron moved to
Shimoda, one of the ports opened by the treaty and the site of a future American consulate to conduct surveying operations. While at Shimoda,
Yoshida Shoin came aboard and unsuccessfully requested to be taken to the United States. During August 1855,
Powhatan accompanied in a successful
battle against Chinese pirates off
Kowloon, and reached the U.S. on 14 February 1856 with the new treaty. The
US-Japan Treaty of Amity and Commerce was signed on her deck on 29 July 1858 (19 June in the old Japanese calendar). The U.S. Minister,
Gen. Ward came to
Penang on the steamer
Ganges and was transferred to the
Powhatan for his journey onto
Pekin in May 1859. The American government also at the same time chartered the steamer
Hong Kong accompany Ward into the north and to return the remains of
Ye Mingchen's for interment in
Canton, 13 May 1859. On 13 February 1860, the
Powhatan accompanied by a Japanese capital ship, that departed on 9 February (18 January in the old Japanese calendar), left
Yokohama, Japan, en route to San Francisco as part of the
first official embassy of the Empire of Japan to the United States of America. The Japanese embassy was formally composed of three men: Ambassador Shinmi Masaoki (新見正興), Vice-Ambassador Muragaki Norimasa (村垣範正), and Observer Oguri Tadamasa (小栗忠順).
Civil War, 1860–1865 Powhatan remained active throughout the Civil War. She served as Flag Officer
Garrett J. Pendergrast's flagship at Vera Cruz during October 1860. In April 1861, while under the command of Lt.
David Dixon Porter, she assisted in the relief of
Fort Pickens, Florida. President
Abraham Lincoln had attempted to countermand the order sending the
Powhatan to Fort Pickens and send the ship to assist in the relief expedition to
Fort Sumter instead, but because Secretary of State
William H. Seward signed the order "Seward" rather than "Lincoln," the order was not obeyed. The
Powhatan assisted in the establishment of the blockade of
Mobile, Alabama on 26 May, capturing
schooner Mary Clinton on 29 May. During July and August
Powhatan joined the blockade of the Southwest Pass of the
Mississippi River, retaking schooner
Abby Bradford on 15 August. From late August to October she pursued
CSS Sumter throughout much of the
West Indies.
Powhatan operated off
Charleston, South Carolina from October 1862 to August 1863, captured schooner
Major E. Willis on 19 April and sloop
C. Routereau on 16 May, and deployed for a second time to the West Indies from November 1863 to September 1864 as flagship of Rear Admiral
James L. Lardner. She participated in the
successful reduction of Fort Fisher, 24–25 December 1864 and in
its capture on 13–15 January 1865.
South Pacific Squadron, 1866–1869 After the war, in October 1865, she sailed from Boston with and , escorting
monitor to California via
Cape Horn. She arrived at San Francisco on 22 June 1866.
Powhatan was the flagship of the
South Pacific Squadron 1866–1869, commanded by Rear Admiral
John A. Dahlgren from 12 December 1866 to 14 July 1868. In March 1866 she was sent to
Valparaíso to protect U.S. interests during the
Chincha Islands War. On 13 August 1868,
Powhatah sustained damaged to one of her paddle wheels at
Callao, Peru during the
Arica earthquake.
North Atlantic Squadron, 1869–1886 From 1869 to 1886, she was attached to the North Atlantic Squadron and was flagship from 15 September 1869 until 30 December 1870. She served as flagship again from 4 July 1877 until 10 December 1879. During this period, three
Powhatan crewman earned the
Medal of Honor for rescuing fellow sailors from drowning: Landsman
George W. Cutter at
Norfolk, Virginia, on 27 May 1872; Seaman
Joseph B. Noil at Norfolk on 26 December 1872; and Coxswain
William Anderson on 28 June 1878. The ship ended her long and conspicuous career by making numerous cruises in
Cuban waters to protect American commerce: July–August 1880, February–May 1882, January–May 1883, January–May 1885, and January–February 1886.
Powhatan was decommissioned on 2 June 1886 and was sold on 30 July 1886 to
Burdette Pond of
Meriden, Connecticut, and scrapped 5 August 1887. ==See also==