USS Savannah (1798)

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

The first USS Savannah was a coastal galley that served in the U.S. Navy from 1799 to 1802.

History
United States
Name	USS Savannah
Namesake	Savannah, a city in Georgia
Ordered	4 May 1798
Builder	John Patterson, Savannah, Georgia
Completed	1799
Commissioned	20 March 1799
Fate	Sold February 1802
General characteristics
Type	row galley
Length	51 ft 9 in (15.77 m)
Beam	15 ft 0 in (4.57 m)
Draft	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Complement	28
Armament	1 × long 24-pounder gun 5 or 6 x howitzers

Savannah was one of a number of small vessels authorized by an Act of Congress, approved 4 May 1798, to be used as Naval Militia training craft and for harbor defense. The Savannah class was designed by Joshua Humphreys and built at Savannah, Georgia, by John Patterson.

Savannah was placed in service on 20 March 1799, with "Captain of a Galley" John F. Randolph in command. The galleys were placed under the immediate command of Major General Charles C. Pinckney on 19 April 1799.

Savannah was sold out of service in February 1802.

References

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