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NavSource Online: Cruiser Photo Archive

USS CHARLESTON (Cruiser No. 2)



Drawing courtesy of Robert Jensen


CLASS - CHARLESTON
Displacement 3,730 Tons, Dimensions, 320' (oa) x 46' x 21' 9" (Max)
Armament 2 x 8"/30, 6 x 6"/30, 4 x 6pdr, 2 x 3pdr, 2 x 1pdr.
Armor, 3" Shields, 3" Deck, 2" Conning Tower.
Machinery, 7,500 IHP; 2 Horizontal, Compound engines, 2 screws
Speed, 18 Knots, Crew 300.
Operational and Building Data
Launched by Union Iron Works, San Francisco, CA 19 JUL 1888
Commissioned 26 DEC 1889
Decommissioned 27 JUL 1896
Commissioned 05 MAY 1898
Fate: Grounded on an uncharted reef near Camiguin Island north of Luzon on 2 NOV 1899 and abandoned.


Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal - Spanish Campaign Medal - Philippine Campaign Medal

Click On Image
For Full Size Image
Size Image Description Contributed
By And/Or Copyright
Charleston 89k Painting of USS Charleston (Cruiser No. 2) D. Dunham
Monongahela
094691519
656k

Mare Island Navy Yard, September-October 1889. Ships present:

USS Monongahela, outboard of,
USS Monadnock (under construction),
USS Albatross,
USC&GS Carlisle P. Patterson,
USS Charleston(C-2) (being outfitted),
Floating dry dock and
USS Independence (Receiving Ship)
Ships in the channel (left to right)
USS Alert and
USS Thetis.

US Navy photo from the collections of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum

Darryl Baker and Robb Johnson
Charleston
c0206
249k Stern view at Mare Island, circa 1890. Darryl Baker
Baltimore 90k

USS Charleston (Cruiser No. 2), at left, and USS Baltimore (Cruiser No. 3) at Tacoma, Washington, circa 1892. Photographed by French, Tacoma. Donation of Captain R.R. Law, USN, 1972.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph #NH 75894

USNHC
Charleston
c0224
 

Starboard bow view while at anchor on 4 February 1893, possibly Boston Harbor.

Historic New England Nathaniel L. Stebbins Collection, Photo No. PC047.02.1580.04297

Mike Green
Charleston
c0220
162k

Men running an obstacle race, during Thanksgiving Day celebrations on board USS Charleston (Cruiser No. 2) at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 1893. Courtesy of Captain Henry F. Picking, 24 December 1893. 

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Photo #: NH 52451.

Robert Hurst
Charleston
c0223
95k

A three-legged race on board Charleston during Thanksgiving Day celebrations at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 1893. Participants include British and German sailors. The onlookers appear to be of mixed nationalities, as well. Courtesy of Captain Henry F. Picking, 24 December 1893.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Photo #NH 52452.

Robert Hurst
Charleston 59k Starboard side view, at anchor, 1895. Colin P. Varga
Charleston
c0214
124k View of the main deck aboard USS Charleston (Cruiser No. 2) at Mare Island in 1898. Darryl Baker
Charleston
c0215
110k Photo of one of USS Charleston's deck guns with a sailor showing a manual sewing machine at Mare Island in 1898. Darryl Baker
Charleston
c0216
143k Group photo of USS Charleston's officers at Mare Island in 1898. Darryl Baker
Charleston
c0211
286k Photos of installation of USS Charleston's aft gun mounts at Mare Island in March 1898. Darryl Baker
Charleston
c0213

169k

Photos of installation of USS Charleston's aft gun mounts at Mare Island in March 1898. Darryl Baker
Charleston
c0210
119k Night photo of the USS Charleston (Cruiser No. 2) in dry dock #1 at Mare Island in March 1898. Darryl Baker
Charleston
c0207
146k Stern view of USS Charleston (Cruiser No. 2) in dry dock #1 at Mare Island in April 1898.

Darryl Baker

Charleston
c0208
197k Bow view of USS Charleston (Cruiser No. 2) in dry dock #1 at Mare Island in April 1898. Darryl Baker
Charleston
c0209
175k Port bow view of USS Charleston (Cruiser No. 2) in dry dock #1 at Mare Island in April 1898. Photo taken from top of dry dock. Darryl Baker
Charleston
c0212
219k Port bow view of USS Charleston (Cruiser No. 2) in dry dock #1 at Mare Island in April 1898. Photo taken from inside the dock. Darryl Baker
Charleston
c0221
83k USS Charleston (Cruiser No. 2) - Halftone photograph of a group of the ship's officers, taken in May-June 1898 while in passage from Honolulu to Guam. Those present include:

Seated at right, left to right:
Lieutenant (Junior Grade) George R. Slocum
Assistant Engineer James B. Henry, Jr.

Standing, left to right:
Ensign William A. Moffett
Assistant Engineer Charles L. Leiper
Paymaster James S. Phillips
Surgeon Henry T. Percy
Pay Clerk Phillips (or Middleton?)
Assistant Engineer Albert W. Marshall
Lieutenant Commander Gottfried Blocklinger
Passed Assistant Engineer Josiah S. McKean
Passed Assistant Surgeon Ammen Farenholt
Ensign Waldo Evans
Second Lieutenant John T. Myers, USMC

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Photo #NH 54146

Robert Hurst
Charleston
c0222
92k

USS Charleston (Cruiser No. 2) - Halftone photograph, from a contemporary publication, showing Brigadier General Thomas B. Anderson, U.S. Army, and his staff visiting the cruiser at Honolulu, 2 June 1898. Anderson was in command of the first expedition of troops sent to the Philippines, convoyed by Charleston from Honolulu to Manila. He was a son of Major General Robert Anderson, who had commanded Fort Sumter at the beginning of the Civil War. Note breech of 6-inch gun and carved wooden entryway sideboard at left, and boat stowage overhead.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Photo #NH 55562.

Robert Hurst
Charleston
c0217
890k

An undated photo shows Sailors of USS Charleston (Cruiser No. 2) manning one of the ship's guns during the Spanish-American War. Naval History and Heritage Command photo archives staff members are scanning a wooden box containing approximately 150 glass plate photographs depicting scenes from the Spanish-American and Philippine Wars.

U.S. Navy photo #140211-N-ZZ999-002 courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command

Robert M. Cieri
Charleston 99k

USS Charleston (Cruiser No. 2) Off Hong Kong in 1898, wearing grey "war paint".

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Fred Weiss
Charleston 66k

USS Charleston (Cruiser No. 2) At Manila, Philippines, in 1898. She had convoyed the first U.S. troops to Manila in May-June of that year, capturing Guam while en route. Collection of Rear Admiral Ammen Farenholt, USN(MC).

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Fred Weiss

Commanding Officers
Name/Rank Class Final Rank Dates
Remey, George Collier, CAPT 1859 RADM 12/26/1889 -
Picking, Henry F., CAPT 1891   03/10/1892 -
Coffin, George William, CAPT 1864   02/27/1894 - 07/27/1896
Decommissioned     07/27/1896 - 05/05/1898
Glass, Henry E., CAPT 1863 RADM 05/05/1898 - 12/12/1898
Whiting, William Henry, CAPT 1864   12/12/1898 - 11/02/1899

(Courtesy of Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves - Photos courtesy of Bill Gonyo)


USS CHARLESTON (Cruiser No. 2) History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry on the U.S. Navy Historical Center website.

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Not Applicable To This Ship

Additional Resources
Hazegray & Underway Cruiser Pages By Andrew Toppan.
Back To The Main Photo Index Back To The Cruiser Photo Index Page

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