USS Congress

History of the United States Congress

Frigate battleships have been an integral part of naval warfare for centuries, and before the steely, steam-powered beasts of the 20th century, war planners relied on sailing fleets of frigates. Although their size and role in fleet operations generally vary, the type is generally larger than the other classes and has powerful weapons.

Her size also allows for a large crew, including a detachment of Marines armed for boarding operations.

The United States Navy (USN) USS Congress was launched on August 16, 1841, at the Portsmouth Naval Dockyard, Maine. She was officially drafted into the Army on May 7, 1842, and began an active career in the early 1860s, when she was ultimately doomed by the events of the American Civil War (1861-1865).

At the time of her service, she was the fourth ship to be named "Congress" for the U.S. Navy.

From 1850 to 1853, the warship was used to combat the human slave trade in the waters of the South Atlantic, mainly around South America. On July 20, 1853, she arrived in New York waters and was decommissioned. In 1855, the ship resumed sailing service and sailed to the Mediterranean, returning to the east coast of the United States in November 1857.

In 1859 she rejoined the fleet and served until August 1861.

USS Capitol was still a viable warship when the "War between Nations" broke out in 1861, and was forced to remain in service when she returned to active duty in September. She was a member of the Allied Navy's Atlantic Blockade Squadron, in charge of denying supplies to and from Europe for the Southern cause. Her last high-profile act was a conflict with the ironclad Confederate CSS Virginia - rebuilt from the wreckage of the USS Merrimack. The battle, which took place near Newport News, Virginia, on March 8, 1862, caused the USS Congress to run aground in excitement. This provided the enemy with an excellent opportunity to advance on the disabled ship - resulting in the loss of 120 lives in Congress.

The rest of the crew eventually surrendered, but Union inshore artillery kept the ship from capture.

Severely damaged and burning, the USS Capitol spewed thick smoke and burned until her magazine supply exploded and sank. No attempt was made to raise her until after the war in 1865 - which happened in September of the same year, when her body was removed and the rest sold.

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