Washington (1837)

USS Washington at left and La Amistad
History
United States
NameWashington
NamesakePeter G. Washington
Ordered6 July 1837
Christened1 August 1837
Completed1837.
Commissionedbefore November 1837
Decommissionedafter June 1861
Fate
General characteristics
Displacement190 tons
Length91 ft 2 in (27.79 m)
Beam21 ft 2 in (6.45 m)
PropulsionSail.
Sail planTopsail schooner; re-rigged as a brig in 1838
Armament10 guns (pre-1860); 1 × 42-pound pivot (1860)

Washington was a revenue cutter that served in the United States Revenue-Marine and in the United States Navy.[1] She discovered, boarded, and captured La Amistad after the slaves on board had seized control of that schooner in an 1839 mutiny.

USS Washington (1837)

Washington was the second cutter of that name to serve in the U.S. Navy and was named after Peter G. Washington, who had served as a clerk in the United States Department of the Treasury, as chief clerk to the 6th Auditor, as First Assistant Postmaster General of the United States, and as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.[2]

  1. ^ Between 1838 and 1848 Washington was transferred from the United States Revenue-Marine to the United States Navy, see: Howard I. Chapelle, "The history of the American sailing navy", Norton / Bonanza Books New York 1949, ISBN 0-517-00487-9
  2. ^ "NOAA History - Peter G. Washington". National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. 2013. Archived from the original on 15 January 2009. Retrieved 3 August 2013.