USS Portsmouth (1843)

USS Portsmouth in 1896 (John S. Johnston, photographer)
History
Union Navy Jack United States
NameUSS Portsmouth
BuilderPortsmouth Navy Yard, its namesake navy yard
Launched23 October 1843
Commissioned10 November 1844
Decommissioned14 July 1878
Stricken17 April 1915
FateSold, and destroyed, 6–7 September 1915
General characteristics
TypeSloop-of-war
Tonnage1,022
Length151 ft 10 in (46.28 m)
Beam37 ft 3 in (11.35 m)
Draft16 ft 6 in (5.03 m)
PropulsionSail
Complement200 Naval officers and enlisted, 27 Marines
Armament
  • 18 × medium 32-pounder guns
  • 2 × Paixhans 64-pounder shell guns

The second USS Portsmouth was a wooden sloop-of-war in the United States Navy in service during the mid-to-late 19th century. She was designed by Josiah Barker on the lines of a French-built privateer, and built at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, directly across the Piscataqua River from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She was described as an improvement over USS Saratoga built in the same shipyard a year earlier. Portsmouth was launched on 23 October 1843 and commissioned on 10 November 1844, with Commander John Berrien Montgomery in command.