HARTFORD IX 13

Ship Name and Designation History

This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.

Screw Sloop-of-War
Keel Laid December 9 1857 - Launched November 22 1858


1. USS HARTFORD (Screw Sloop)
   Commissioned May 27 1859 - Decommissioned December 13 1864
   Recommissioned July 1865 - Decommissioned 1868
   Recommissioned October 9 1872 - Decommissioned January 14 1887
   Recommissioned October 2 1899
   
   
2. USS HARTFORD IX-13
   Designated Miscellaneous Unclassified (IX) July 17 1920
   Decommissioned August 20 1926
   Moved to Washington D.C. Navy Yard October 18 1938
   Towed to Norfolk Navy Yard October 19 1945
   Reclassified as relic
   Sank at her berth November 20 1956

 

Naval Covers

This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).

Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.

1. Covers Page 1     (1911-24)

 

Postmarks

This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
 
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the existing example.

 

Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Date From to Date To	Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image	Thumbnail Link To Cover Image

 

Picture Postcard

Unused

No Image

U.S. TRAINING SHIP "HARTFORD" DISPLACEMENT 2700 TONS
LENGTH 226 FEET MAIN BATTERY 9 GUNS

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1st Commissioning May 27 1859 to December 13 1864

 

Unpostmarked

c1863

Mail from HARTFORD to USS KATAHDIN

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3rd Commissioning October 9 1872 to January 14 1887

 

Old Point Comfort VA CDS

1877-02-03

N/A

Printed corner card "U.S. Flagship Hartford". Courtesy of the Jim Myerson collection.

 

Old Point Comfort VA CDS

1877-06-05

N/A

Printed corner card "U.S. Flagship Hartford". Ship's marking enhanced for better viewing. Courtesy of the Jim Myerson collection.

 

Old Point Comfort VA CDS

1877-06-09

Printed corner card mailed from Old Point Comfort, VA
Back...carrier 06-11

 

Old Point Comfort VA CDS

1877-06-11 to 1877-06-12

Printed corner card mailed from Old Point Comfort, VA
Back...carrier 06-12

 

Portsmouth VA CDS

1877-09-26

No Image

Printed corner card mailed from Portsmouth, Va. No year date in the cancel, although the 3-cent Banknote stamp tells us probably in the 1870s. Fortunately it's docketed (writing on the face about when received, or the contents): "Received Wednesday Afternoon Sept. 26th, 1877."

 

Postage due

1878-04-09 to 1877-04-20

Mail collect 32 cents
Back...London BC 04-09, New York 04-20

 

US Charge / To Collect 32 cents

1878-05-14 Manuscript

Ship's marking enhanced for better viewing. Courtesy of the Jim Myerson collection.

 

Newport R.I. Valparaiso, Chile postage due

1882-12-14 to 1883-03-14

Back...New York 12-20, Valparaiso Chile 01-22, Callao Chile 03-14

 

Brooklyn NY Duplex

1884-04-03

No Image

Mail to the ship from Brooklyn, Apr. 3, 1884, addressed to the ship at the Navy Pay Office, San Francisco and readdressed to Mare Island. Backstamped San Francisco Apr. 9 and Vallejo Apr. 10.

 

Brooklyn NY Duplex

1884-04-16

No Image

Incoming mail to the ship from Brooklyn, Apr. 16, 1884, addressed to Chief Engineer John W. Moore and readdressed to Mare Island.

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4th Commissioning October 2 1899 to August 20 1926

 

Port of Spain Trinidad CDS

1900-12-06

No Image

Mail from the crew.

 

Locy Type 1

1911-12-06

Christmas picture postcard

 

Locy Type 1

1911-12-06

Christmas picture postcard

 

Locy Type 3 (BC) "NAVY YARD / S.C."

1914-12-20

Note:

 

Locy Type 3 (AC) "NAVY YARD / CHARL.S.C."

1916-05-09

Picture postcard from Charleston, SC

 

Locy Type 3 (AC) "NAVY YARD / CHARL.S.C."

1916-05-09

Picture postcard from Charleston, SC

 

Locy Type 3s

1924-11-28

Note:

 

Other Information

NAMESAKE - Named for the city of Hartford, Connecticut.

Historical Note - After she sank at her berth, raising and repairing her was out of the question, but they did salvage a lot. Her wheel and rail are in the Washington Navy Yard museum, her bell (minus the clapper) hangs in downtown Hartford, while her figurehead is in the state capitol. One of her anchors is at the entrance to the University of Hartford, while the other is at the entrance to Mystic Seaport.

 

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