Pencil drawing by Ron van Maanen
Ordered on 26 May 1862, laid down in the same year at the Continental Iron Works, Greenpoint at New York, launched on 29 July 1863, sponsored by Miss Sally Sedgwick, commissioned on24 March 1864 at the New York Navy Yard, decommissioned at Philadelphia on 8 June 1865 and sold on 7 March 1867 to her builder G.W. Quintard who resold her to France. She was commissioned in the French navy on 7 March 1867 keeping her own name, was stricken on 2 December 1904 and sold to be broken up.
With a displacement of 2,592 tons were her dimensions 226 x 49’3”x 13’2”. The steam engine allowed a speed of 9 knots. Her crew numbered in United States service 150 men. The original armament consisted of 2-15” Dalgren smooth bore guns and 2-150pdr rifled Parrott guns. The French replaced this armament by 9’4” rifled guns. The hull was protected by 5.5”, the deck 1”, the gun turrets and the pilothouse both by 11.75”.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Onondaga_60211.jpg. The photo is made by an American sailor at Brest, France, circa the later 1860s or the 1870s.
The American annual cyclopaedia and register of important events of the year 1862. D. Appleton, New York, 1867, Volume 2, page 611: “The Onondaga, built at New York, is of 1,250 tons burden, and carries 4 guns. This also, known as the Quintard battery, is a modification of the Ericsson pattern, having 2 turrets, length 226 ft, breadth 48 ft., depth of hold 13 ft., and the construction of which is expected to give unusual buoyancy. She has two screw propellers, for use in manoeuvring, as in turning on her centre, &c.”
The Mechanic’s magazine and journal of engineering, agricultural machinery, manufactures and shipbuilding. Volume X, new series, July-December 1863, page 597: “The iron-clad battery “Onondaga,” says the Scientific American, Was launched from the Continental Works, at Green point, L. I., at half-past eight o’clock on the morning of the 29th ult. The “Onondaga” is known in naval circles as the “Qaintard battery,” so called from the gentleman who contracted for her, Mr. George W. Quintard, proprietor of the Morgan Iron Works. She is 230 ft. long, 52 ft. wide, and will have two turrets on the “Monitor” pattern, with the exception that a part of the turret is composed of heavy plates, instead of consecutive layers of thin ones, as in all the other “Monitors.” The “Onondaga” is also peculiar in her side armour, which consists of heavy single plates 4½ in. thick, faced with timber 13 in. thick, which is in turn covered with an iron plate 1 in. thick. The deck is laid with plating amounting to 2 in. in thickness; and the rest of the vessel is very similar in general arrangement to others of the same class. The propelling power is two pair of horizontal back-acting engines, each driving a screw under the quarter. The “Onondaga” has no overhang forward and but little aft, and it is thought will prove a good sea-boat. The vessel was launched very successfully, going down the ways with great rapidity, and running far out into the river. The turrets are not yet placed on board, but are ready for erection. The rest of the machinery is all on board.”
