USS ''Falmouth'' was a

sloop of war During the 18th and 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship of the Royal Navy with a single gun deck that carried up to 18 guns. The rating system of the Royal Navy covered all vessels with 20 or more guns; thus, the term encompassed all ...

in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

during the mid-19th century. ''Falmouth'' was launched on 3 November 1827 by

Boston Navy Yard The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. It was established in 1801 as part of the recent establishment of t ...

, and declared ready for sea 19 January 1828, Commander

C. W. Morgan C. or c. may refer to: * Century, sometimes abbreviated as ''c.'' or ''C.'', a period of 100 years * Letter C, the third letter in the alphabet. * Cent (currency), abbreviated ''c.'' or ''¢'', a monetary unit that equals of the basic unit of man ...

in command. Between 1828 and 1840, ''Falmouth'' made two cruises with the West Indies Squadron and two with the

Pacific Squadron The Pacific Squadron of the United States Navy, established c. 1821 and disbanded in 1907, was a naval squadron stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Developing from a small force protecting United States commerc ...

. Between cruises, she was

in ordinary ''In ordinary'' is an English phrase with multiple meanings. In relation to the Royal Household and public officials more generally, it indicates that a position is a permanent one (in contrast to positions that are extraordinary). In naval matt ...

for repairs and refittings at either New York or

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

Norfolk Navy Yard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a United States Navy, U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest ...

. Recommissioned after such a period

16 December 1841, ''Falmouth'' joined the recently organized

Home Squadron The Home Squadron was part of the United States Navy in the mid-19th century. Organized as early as 1838, ships were assigned to protect coastal commerce, aid ships in distress, suppress piracy and the Atlantic slave trade, make coastal surveys ...

. ''Falmouth'' cruised from the Banks of

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...

to the mouth of the

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and in the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

and

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

with this squadron until 1846, aside from necessary repair periods. She operated chiefly in the Gulf of Mexico, carrying messages and government officials, convoying Army transports to Texas, and protecting American interests in

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. From September 1845 to March 1846, she was

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

for the squadron's commander,

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David Conner. During the opening months of the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

, from April to September 1846, she blockaded Mexican ports, then sailed north for repairs. She lay

at Boston from 22 November 1846 until recommissioned on 26 April 1849. Sailing for the Pacific on 16 May 1849, ''Falmouth'' protected the new American settlements on the west coast, and voyaged to various Pacific islands before returning to Norfolk on 29 January 1852. Again she lay

, from 4 February 1852 until 18 November 1854. Between 16 December 1854 and August 1855 ''Falmouth'' cruised through the

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

in an unsuccessful search for news of , missing since September. Returning to New York, she was

until 12 January 1857, when she was recommissioned for service on the

Brazil Station The Brazil Squadron, the Brazil Station, or the South Atlantic Squadron was an overseas military station established by the United States in 1826 to protect American commerce in the South Atlantic during a war between Brazil and Argentina. When t ...

. ''Falmouth'' joined in the Paraguay expedition to

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

late in 1858, when relations with the United States were strained, and cruised in the

Paraná River The Paraná River ( ; ; ) is a river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina for some ."Parana River". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. ...

and the

Río de la Plata The Río de la Plata (; ), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda, Colonia, Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and ...

until tension eased. She sailed into New York Harbor on 19 May 1859, and on the 24th was decommissioned. Fitted out as a stationary storeship, ''Falmouth'' departed New York on 1 April 1860 for Aspinwall,

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

, the port later known as Colón. She served there as store ship for operating in the Gulf of Mexico, until sold in October 1863.

Narrative Accounts

* Lars Gustaf Sellstedt described his life onboard from 1837-1840 in his autobiography (1904
''From Forecastle to Academy: Sailor and Artist.''
Buffalo, NY: Matthews-Northrup Works, pp 131-203.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Falmouth Sloops of the United States Navy Ships built in Boston Mexican–American War ships of the United States Ships of the Union Navy 1827 ships