Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the discoverer of America. The capital city of Ohio.

(SL: t. 2,480; 1. 191'10"; b. 53'6"; dr. 25'; cpl. 780; a. 68 32-pdr., 24 42-pdr. car.)

Illustration for manning the yards, photographed from Watch, Quarter and Station Book, Ship-of-the-Line Columbus. Illustrations were in color, drawn by an unnamed ship's yeoman, in 1847.

Ship-of-the-line Columbus

The second Columbus, rated a 74-gun ship-of-the-line, was launched 1 March 1819 by Washington Navy Yard and commissioned 7 September 1819, Master Commandant J. H. Elton in command.

Clearing Norfolk, Va., 28 April 1820 Columbus served as flagship for Commodore W. Bainbridge in the Mediterranean until returning to Boston 23 July 1821. Serving as a receiving ship after 1833, she remained at Boston in ordinary until sailing to th e Mediterranean, 29 August 1842, as flagship for Commodore C. W. Morgan. On 24 February 1843, she sailed from Genoa, Italy, and reached Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 29 July to become flagship of the Brazil Squadron, Commodore D. Turner. She returned to New Yor k 27 May 1844 for repairs.

After embarking Commodore J. Biddle, Commander East Indies Squadron, she sailed 4 June 1845, for Canton, China, where on 31 December, Commodore Biddle exchanged ratified copies of the first American commercial treaty with China. Columbus remained t here until April 1846 when she sailed for Japan to attempt opening Japan to American commerce. She raised Tokyo Bay 19 July in company with Vincennes but achieved no success. Recalled at the outbreak of the Mexican War Columbus reached Valpa raiso, Chile, in December and arrived off Monterey Calif., 2 March 1847. Too large to be useful in the California operations the ship sailed from San Francisco 25 July for Norfolk, arriving 3 March 1848.

At Norfolk Navy Yard, Columbus lay in ordinary until 20 April 1861 when she was sunk by withdrawing Union forces to prevent her falling into Confederate hands.