USS Edith (1849)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Edith.

History
United States
Name	USS Edith
Acquired	3 March 1849
Fate	Ran aground, 24 August 1849
General characteristics
Type	Screw steamer
Displacement	400 long tons (406 t)
Length	120 ft (37 m)
Beam	26 ft (7.9 m)
Depth of hold	14 ft (4.3 m)
Propulsion	Steam engine
Complement	25
Armament	2 guns

USS Edith, a screw steamer, was transferred from the War Department to the U.S. Navy under congressional legislation of 3 March 1849, and turned over to Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Squadron, at San Francisco, California. On 16 June Lieutenant James McCormick was ordered to report on the condition of the steamer; subsequently, he was placed in temporary command with orders to transport representatives to the California State Constitutional Convention.

USS Edith departed Sausalito, California on 23 August 1849 en route to Santa Barbara, California, but encountered dense fog which made accurate observations impossible. On the morning of 24 August she grounded on an uninhabited part of the coast and was lost. A court of inquiry held in January 1850 exonerated her commander and his crew from any guilt.

The warship may appear on the Seal of California, although there is no scholarly consensus on the matter.

References

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.