From: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships

A gay occasion.

(SwStr: dp. 880; l. 230'; b. 26'; dr. 11' 8"; s. 12 k.; cpl. 107; a. 4 24-pdr. how. sb., 1 20-pdr. how. r.)

The second Frolic, a side wheel steamer, was built in 1862 at Greenock, Scotland as Lord Clyde; captured 10 September 1864 as Advance while running the blockade by Santiago de Cuba; purchased from the prize court the same month; and commissioned 28 October 1864, Lieutenant Commander J. H. Upshur in command. She was known as Advance until 22 June 1865.

Reporting to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, Advance patrolled off the North Carolina coast at Wilmington, searching for blockade runners out of Nassau. On the 24th, 25th, and 26th of December, she took part in the first assault on Fort Fisher, on the 25th drawing the fire of the Half Moon battery in preparation for the landing of troops. During the second assault of Fort Fisher, in mid-January 1865, Advance's boats landed stores and ammunition from ships of the squadron for the troops put ashore, whose landing she had covered. Upon the fall of Fort Fisher, 16 January, Advance's boats were used to carry prisoners out to transports. After 2 months of duty transferring passengers, messages, and mail among the ships of the squadron, Advance returned to New York 14 March, and was out of commission between 16 March and 12 June 1865.

Assigned to the newly formed European Squadron, Frolic arrived at Flushing, Netherlands, 17 July 1865. During the next 4 years she took part in the ceremonial visits to many European ports, including those in the Mediterranean, which marked the squadron's operations, particularly during 1867 and 1868, when Admiral David G. Farragut commanded the squadron. She returned to New York 30 April 1869, and was out of commission there from 8 May to 24 September 1869.

Frolic patrolled the fishing grounds off Nova Scotia from April to October 1870, then was out of commission at Washington Navy Yard from 11 November to 18 January 1872. For 5 months she patrolled the New England coast, then became station ship at New York. Several times she put to sea as flagship for Vice Admiral Stephen C. Rowan. Once more decommissioned between 30 April 1874 and 18 August 1875, Frolic next served on the South Atlantic Station, cruising the coasts of Uruguay and Argentina and their rivers. She returned to Washington where she was decommissioned 31 October 1877, and lay in ordinary until sold 1 October 1883.

Transcribed by Yves HUBERT (hubertypc@aol.com)