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Thursday 24 July 2014

American paddle steamship USS De Soto visit Willemstad, Curacao according to the Dutch newspaper De Curacaosche courant dated 24 November 1866

An item reported the arrival at Willemstad, Curacao in the morning of the 23rd of the USS De Soto (1) commanded by commodore Charles S. Boggs coming from Aspinwall, USA. The edition dated 15 December reported the departure  on Saturday the 8th towards St. Croix.(2)

Notes
1. Wood-built side-wheel steamship launched on 25 June 1859 at the shipyard of Lawrence&Foulks, Brooklyn, New York, purchased by the US navy in 1861, stricken in 1868, sold to Livingston, Fox&Co. (her original owners) and on 25 December 1870 destroyed by fire. Displacement 1.675 tons and as dimensions 77 x 12 x 4,9 metres or 253’x 38’x 16’. Her crew numbered in naval service 130 men. Speed 12 knots. Her armament was originally 8-32pd guns and 1-30pd Parrott rifle, replaced in 1863 by 1-11” Dahlgren, 1-30pd Parrott rifle, 6-32pd rifles and 2-12pd smoothbores.
2. 1. Danish colony sold on 12 December 1916 to the USA and nowadays part of the United States Virgin Islands.