USS Decatur (1839)

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USS Decatur
History
United States
Laid down	date unknown
Launched	1838
Acquired	1839 at New York Navy Yard
Commissioned	circa 16 March 1840
Decommissioned	20 June 1859
In service	March 1863
Out of service	1865
Stricken	1865 (est.)
Fate	Sold, 17 August 1865
General characteristics
Displacement	566 tons
Length	117 ft (36 m)
Beam	32 ft (9.8 m)
Draft	depth of hold 15' draft 15' 8"
Propulsion	sail
Speed	10 knots
Complement	150 officers and men
Armament	fourteen 32-pounder guns two 12-pounder rifles

USS Decatur was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy during the mid-19th century. She was commissioned to protect American interests in the South Atlantic Ocean, including the interception of ships involved in the African slave trade. Decatur served in both the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War.

The sloop-of-war was named in honor of Commodore Stephen Decatur (1779–1820), one of the United States Navy's greatest heroes and leaders of the first two decades of the 19th century.