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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS Mohican


Galena Class Steam Sloop of War:
  • Laid down, 4 September 1872, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.
  • Launched, 27 December 1883
  • Commissioned USS Mohican, 25 May 1885, CDR. Benjamin F. Day in command
  • USS Mohican was initially assigned to the Pacific Squadron
  • Decommissioning, 16 September 1895, at Mare Island Navy Yard
  • Recommissioned, 8 February 1898
  • Following the end of the Spanish-American War USS Mohican was assigned duty as a school ship for landsmen at Mare Island
  • Reassigned as station ship at Naval Station, Olongapo, Subic Bay, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 4 February 1905
  • Assigned to additional duty as tender submarine divisions, Asiatic Fleet, 30 December 1909, at Naval Station Cavite, Philippine Islands, 30 March 1910
  • Designed Receiving Ship at Cavite and stationary tender, 1st Submarine Group, Torpedo Flotilla, Asiatic Fleet, 17 March 1913
  • Decommissioned at Cavite, 21 October 1921,
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 4 March 1922, to A. E. Haley of Manila
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1.900 t.
    Length 216'
    Beam 37'
    Draft 17' 6"
    Speed 10 kts.
    Complement 230
    Armament
    one 60 pdrs.
    eight 9" Parrot guns
    Propulsion steam and sail

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    New Hampshire 950k USS Mohican ready for launching at Mare Island on September 4, 1872. File name: Mohican 34858-7-57, Navy Photo, 1957 reprint. Darryl Baker
    New Hampshire 3154k Model of the USS Mohican and Mare Island's dry dock #1 taken in August 1880. File name: Mohican Aug 1880, Navy Photo Darryl Baker
    New Hampshire 136k The Old Navy", photograph taken by Assistant Surgeon H.W. Whitaker, U.S.N., on board USS Mohican at sea in the Pacific, 1888. The four men, with a brief transcript of their services, are:
    1. Gilbert H. Purdy, who is standing addressing the others. Purdy was born in 1828, and therefore was 60 years old when the picture was taken. He was a physically powerful man and was remarkably well preserved, as is shown by the photograph. He died December 24, 1912, at San Diego, California, at the age of 84, being at the time of his death the oldest man on the retired list of the Navy. During the Civil War he served as sergeant in Battery K, 4th U.S. Artillery, and as a seaman on board several Naval vessels. He, also, had the honor of serving under Admiral Dewey on the Olympia during the Spanish-American War. He was transferred to the retired list on February 7, 1900. Purdy served as captain of the hold on board the Mohican from May 25, 1885 to August 28, 1888.
    2. David Ireland, seated with arms folded. Ireland was born in 1833, and was, therefore, 55 years old when the picture was taken. He first enlisted in the Navy on April 8, 1850, so he had seen 38 years of service ... He served on many ships in all parts of the world and died at the Mare Island Hospital on January 16, 1894, aged 61 years. He served on board the Mohican from May 25, 1885, to November 20, 1890, as captain of the forecastle, seaman, and captain of the hold.
    3. John King, seated on ditty box. King was born in England in 1834, so at the time the picture was taken was 54 years old. He followed the sea in merchant ships for a number of years before enlisting in the Navy, which he first did on April 9, 1875, he then being in his 42nd year. He was finally discharged on April 2, 1896, and admitted to the Naval Home at Philadelphia. He served on board the Mohican from May 25, 1885, to January 25, 1889, as chief gunner's mate. The exact date of his death is not known.
    4. John T. Griffith, seated with hands behind his head. Griffith was born at Albany, New York, December 25, 1826, being 62 years of age when the picture was taken, and the oldest man of the group. The record of his first enlistment is not at hand, but he last enlisted on October 18, 1888, and was finally discharged on December 10, 1889. He served on board the Mohican as chief carpenter's mate from June 3 to June 30, 1888. The date of his death is not known.
    Caption from the "U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings", Vol. 47, Number 215, January 1921. (as reproduced on a typescript filed with the photograph).M
    US Navy photo # NH 2889 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
    US Navy Historical Center
    New Hampshire 132k "The Old Navy" ("Spinning a Yarn" aboard USS Mohican, 1888).
    Oil on canvas, 37" x 49", by Rufus F. Zogbaum (1849-1925). Painting signed and dated by the artist, 1923. It was inspired by the photograph seen in Photo # NH-2889. Painting in the US Naval Academy Museum Collection. Gift of Rear Admiral George C. Reiter, 1924.
    US Navy photo # KN 10866 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
    US Naval Historical Center
    New Hampshire 44k The men behind the guns- USS Mohican, 1988.
    US Naval Institute Proceedings photo, August, 1923.
    Michael Mohl
    New Hampshire 1853k USS Mohican in the Mare Island channel in November 1894. File name: Mohican Nov 1894, Photo by James G. Smith. Darryl Baker
    New Hampshire 1843k USS Mohican in Navy Yard Mare Island dry dock #1 (you can see her masts and bow) with USS Pensacola moored at the quay wall mid photo, USS Philadelphia (C-4) moored in the channel, and USS Independence is aft of Pensacola. File name: Mohican 1897-01, Navy Photo, November 1987 Darryl Baker
    New Hampshire 1658k USS Mohican in the Mare Island channel between 1901-03. File name: Mohican 1901-03, Navy photo, circa 1901-03 Darryl Baker
    New Hampshire 1768k USS Mohican officers, circa 1901-03. File name: Mohican Officer 1901, Navy Photo Darryl Baker
    New Hampshire 1470k USS Mohican's boats hang from Mare Island Navy Yard's 40 ton rail crane circa 1902. It appears that they may have been or are going to be tested in dry dock. Ship in dry dock #1 in the background appears to be USS Philadelphia (C-4) Photo dating based on shipyard journals and the fact that the building (Building 112) was constructed in 1900. File name: Mohican 1902-01, Navy Photo, Circa 1902 Darryl Baker
    New Hampshire 490k View of galley aboard USS Mohican, 17 July 1902, taken from the starboard side. File name: Mohican 453a-7-1902, Navy Photo, 7/17/1902 Darryl Baker
    New Hampshire 357k View of the wardroom bath aboard USS Mohican, 7 July 1902. File name: Mohican 453b-7-1902, Navy Photo, 7/17/1902 Darryl Baker
    New Hampshire 3244k USS Mohican at anchor in Yokohama, Japan harbor in 1903. File name: Mohican Japan-1903, Photo by Karl Lewis Darryl Baker
    Moccasin 122k The bow of USS Mohican (at left, with an anchor suspended from her starboard cathead) along with submarines
    USS A-6 (Submarine # 7) ex-USS Porpoise,
    USS A-4 (Submarine #5) ex-USS Moccasin and
    USS A-2 (Submarine #3) ex-USS Adder
    in the dock of USS Dewey (Dry Dock # 1) at Olongapo Naval Station, Luzon, Philippine Islands, circa 1912. USS Mohican was serving as submarine squadron tender at the time.
    US Navy photo # NH 90185 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center
    US Naval Historical Center
    Mohican 87k USS Mohican along with submarines
    USS A-6 (Submarine # 7) ex-Porpoise ,
    USS A-4 (Submarine # 5) ex-Moccasin and
    USS A-2 (Submarine # 3) ex-Adder
    in the dock of USS Dewey (Dry Dock # 1) at Olongapo Naval Station, Luzon, Philippine Islands, circa 1912.
    US Navy photo # NH 90181 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center
    US Naval Historical Center

    View the USS Mohican
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and heritage Command
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association

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    Last Updated 8 August 2008