East India Squadron, 1850–1855 After completing her trials, which she began in January 1851, the side-wheel frigate sailed on 8 June for the Far East to become flagship of the
East India Squadron under the command of Commodore
John H. Aulick. Aulick's orders included instructions to visit Japan and negotiate a treaty opening diplomatic relations with that country. However, before he could carry out his mission, he was forced to give up his command as result of quarrels during the first leg of his journey with Captain
Franklin Buchanan, the captain of the flagship and due to an incident with a Brazilian diplomat on board.
Susquehanna joined Commodore
Matthew Perry's
expedition as his flagship at
Canton and entered
Edo Bay with his squadron on 8 July 1853. After Perry had presented his demands and official letter from President
Millard Fillmore to the Japanese government on 14 July, the American warships departed on 17 July. On 12 February 1854,
Susquehanna returned with the squadron to Japan as part of Perry's show of force, resulting in the signing of the
Convention of Kanagawa on 31 March 1854. The frigate departed Japanese waters on 24 March; and, after operating on the China coast, headed home via the Indian Ocean and the
Cape of Good Hope. She arrived at
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 10 March 1855 and was decommissioned on 15 March.
Mediterranean Squadron, 1856–1861 Recommissioned on 5 May 1856, the ship joined the
Mediterranean Squadron in July under the command of
Joshua R. Sands. After serving as flagship, she returned and was laid up on 18 April 1858. Reactivated at the
New York Navy Yard on 17 August 1860, the ship sailed for
Veracruz, a week later and thence sailed to the Mediterranean. On the outbreak of the
American Civil War, she departed
La Spezia, Italy, on 5 May 1861 and reached
Boston, Massachusetts, on 6 June.
American Civil War, 1861–1865 The ship was assigned to the
Atlantic Blockading Squadron and sailed for
Hampton Roads. Late in August,
Susquehanna participated in the
joint Army-Navy expedition to
Hatteras Inlet,
North Carolina, which captured
Fort Clark and
Fort Hatteras on 29 August. During September, she captured two British schooners:
Argonaut on 13 September and
Prince Alfred on 28 September. In the same month, she also took two
Confederate schooners as well:
San Juan on 28 September and
Baltimore the following day. All four ships were laden with contraband. Late in October,
Susquehanna joined Flag Officer
Samuel Francis DuPont's expedition to
South Carolina waters which captured
Port Royal Sound on 7 November; took possession of
Beaufort, South Carolina, on 9 November; and established a blockade at the mouth of the
Broad River the same day. These operations provided the Union Navy with an important base for the future operations of the
South Atlantic Blockading Squadron.
Susquehanna served in this important squadron until the following spring, operating primarily on blockade duty off
Charleston, South Carolina. There, she took British schooner
Coquette on 3 April 1862, attempting to slip into Charleston from the
Bahamas. On 27 April,
Susquehanna was ordered to
Hampton Roads to strengthen the
North Atlantic Blockading Squadron which was then making every effort to support Major General
George B. McClellan's drive up the peninsula toward
Richmond, Virginia. The Union forces in the area were then threatened by ironclad
CSS Virginia, the former USS
Merrimack.
Susquehanna and four other Union warships acting under orders from President of the United States
Abraham Lincoln bombarded Confederate batteries at
Sewell's Point, Virginia, on 8 May. Three days later,
Virginia was blown up by her crew, ending her threat to Union shipping in the Hampton Roads area and freed
Susquehanna for duty elsewhere. Late in May, the ship was assigned to the
West Gulf Blockading Squadron, and she carried dispatches for Flag Officer
David Farragut to the
Gulf of Mexico. En route, she captured Confederate schooner
Princeton on 11 June, and sent the prize to
Key West, Florida. On 29 June, she and
Kanawha seized British steamer
Ann trying to get into
Mobile Bay with a cargo of arms and ammunition.
Susquehanna continued to operate in the
Gulf of Mexico until ordered to New York for repairs in the spring of 1863. While proceeding north, the warship captured schooner
Alabama off the Florida coast on 18 April. She was decommissioned at the
New York Navy Yard on 14 May 1863. Recommissioned on 20 July 1864,
Susquehanna was assigned to the
North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and participated in the
abortive attacks on
Fort Fisher, North Carolina, on Christmas Eve 1864. However, in mid-February 1865, the double-ender was in the mighty force which finally
took that Confederate stronghold and closed
Wilmington, North Carolina, the
Confederate States of America's last major port. At that time, she was under command of Rear Admiral
Sylvanus William Godon. One of her crewmen, Landsman
Henry S. Webster, was awarded the
Medal of Honor for his actions in the Second Battle of Fort Fisher. The USS Susquehanna also sailed for Brazil and operated on the Atlantic coast of South America until returning home and decommissioning on 30 June 1866. Recommissioned on 2 November 1866, the ship ended her active service as flagship of the North Atlantic Squadron. ==Decommissioning and disposal==