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Wednesday 9 October 2019

American paddle steamship USS De Soto visited Willemstad according to the Dutch newspaper De Curacaosche courant dated 23 May 1868

An item reported the departure from Willemstad, Curacao by the American steam warship USS De Soto commanded by Wilson towards St. Thomas.(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. The island Sankt Thomas is part of the of the United States Virgin islands.