Daily Event for January 24, 2008

Just outside Yokohama Bay on the night of January 24, 1870 the USS Oneida was run down by the P&O liner
Bombay. Oneida was a 1,488 ton three masted screw sloop launched at the New York Navy Yard on Nov. 20, 1861. She was 201' long with a beam of 33' 10" and could make 12 knots.

Soon after commissioning she joined Farragut's West Gulf Blockading Squadron and sailed for New Orleans,
her duty in the war between the States had begun. She served in the Gulf and on the Mississippi River for the
rest of the war sinking two enemy ships and helped to capture a third. In 1865 she was decommissioned at
New York. In May 1867 the Oneida was recommissioned and sent to Asia to serve with the Asiatic Squadron, it was during this duty that she was lost.

She sailed from Yokohama, Japan on the evening of January 24, 1870 when a 18:30 the SS Bombay rammed her on the starboard quarter. The Bombay continued on her voyage failing to stop to render assistance to the stricken Oneida. Oneida blew her whistle and even fired her guns to get the Bombay to stop, but the Bombay sailed on, her officers and crew claiming never to have heard any of the signals, however reports state that the gunfire was heard in Yokohama some twenty miles away. Captain Eyre of the Bombay later claimed that he thought that little damage had been done to the Oneida and he felt that his ship was in danger of sinking.

On the Oneida time was short and there was an additional problem, lifeboats. It seems that all but three of her boats had been lost in a typhoon earlier and had not yet been replaced by the Navy, one of the three on board was destroyed in the collision which left only two boats for almost 200 men. USS Oneida sank in less than 15 minuets taking one hundred and eleven men or more with her.
© 2008 Michael W. Pocock
MaritimeQuest.com



Roll of Honor
In memory of those who lost their lives in
USS Oneida
"As long as we embrace them in our memory, their spirit will always be with us"

Name
Rank / Rate
Notes
Allen, Wallace W.
Landsman
Baptiste, Benjamin
Landsman
Barnes, Hugh
Fireman
 
Barstow, Haviland
1st Assistant Engineer
Bliss, Joseph
Landsman
Blunt, Miles
Ordinary Seaman
Boston, Richard
Landsman
Botsford, Anthony W.
Warrant Officer's Steward
Boyle, James
Coal Heaver
Boyle, John
Coal Heaver
Boynton, William
Chief Quartermaster
Brower, George K.
Ensign
Brown, John
Seaman
Brown, Charles E.
Ensign
Burr, James W.
Landsman
Bustin, William H.
Landsman
Cannon, James
Fireman
Cannon, John
Boy
Carey, James
Coal Heaver
Center, John B.
Seaman
Chambers, George
Unknown
Chinese Boy (unknown)
Unknown
Chinese national
Chung
Unknown
Chinese national
Clark, James I.
Yeoman
Clark, William
Quartermaster
Cooper, John
Seaman
Cowie, James W.
Ensign
Cronan, Daniel
Coal Heaver
Dale, John
Master at Arms
Deckert, Earnest
Unknown
Dolphin, William D.
Unknown
Donnelly, Hugh
1st Class Fireman
Fallon, Thomas
Ordinary Seaman
Farrell, William
Captain of Forecastle
Ferguson, James
Carpenter's Mate
Fitzpatrick, Edward
Landsman
Fornance, John
2nd Assistant Engineer
Fox, Henry
Seaman
Frothingham, Edward
Assistant Surgeon
Hall, James C.
Ensign
Hassenburg, William
Unknown
Hawkins, James
2nd Class Fireman
Hayden, Frank
Seaman
Herwig, Charles
Coal Heaver
Hill, John
1st Class Fireman
Jacobsohn, Israel
Shipwriter
Jansen, Carl
Seaman
Jeffries, Joseph
1st Class Boy
Jevens, John E.
Boatswain's Mate
Johnston, Robert M.
2nd Class Boy
Keating, Thomas
Ordinary Seaman
Kopp, Charles A.
Ensign
Kuhn, George
Cooper
Langman, George
Gunner's Mate
Lavelle, Patrick
Coal Heaver
Leonard, Ezra
Lieutenant
Lewis, William C.
Nurse
Lines, Shelden C.
Ordinary Seaman
Littig, Nicholas B.
1st Assistant Engineer
Low
Unknown
Chinese national
Lynch, Mathew
Seaman
Mahoney, Jeremiah
Seaman
Mahoney, William
2nd Class Fireman
Mawhey, Cornelius
Landsman
McCloskey, John
Coal Heaver
McEwen, William
2nd Class Boy
McFillen, James
Ordinary Seaman
McGlincoy, James
Coal Heaver
McGrade, Patrick
Ordinary Seaman
Mooney, Hugh
2nd Class Fireman
Mooney, John D.
Armorer
Moran, John
Quartermaster
Morgan, John
Carpenter
Muldaur, Alonzo W.
Lt. Commander
Navigation Officer
Murphy, Alfred
Coal Heaver
Murphy, John
2nd Class Fireman
Murry, Hugh
Apothecary
O'Brien, James
Ordinary Seaman
Olsen, John
Seaman
Pettigrew, John
Coal Heaver
Phelan, John R.
Master
Pinnes, Josiah D.
Carpenter
Pomeroy, William
Landsman
Price, John R.
1st Class Fireman
Reddy, Thomas
1st Class Fireman
Rickerts, William
Sailmaker's Mate
Sargent, Walter
Master
Schoning, Charles
Coxswain
Seng
Unknown
Chinese national
Senter, Charles W. C.
2nd Assistant Engineer
Shorter, George
Landsman
Sidney, David
Landsman
Stanley, James
Captain of Forecastle
Stanton, Thomas
2nd Class Fireman
Stewart, William F.
Lt. Commander
Executive Officer
Stone, George A.
Unknown
Sturgis, Louis
Unknown
Thomas, W. C.
Paymaster's Clerk
Thompson, John
Captain Hold
Tong
Unknown
Chinese national
Townsend, David
Landsman
Tullock, Thomas L.
Paymaster
Uhler, William E.
Ensign
White, Thomas
Landsman
White, William
Warrant Officer's Steward
Whooley, Thomas
Quartermaster
Wren, Charles
Wardroom Cook
Williams, Edward P.
Commander
Commanding Officer
Wong
Unknown
Chinese national
Wren, Charles
Wardroom Cook
Yong
Unknown
Chinese national
       
This list contains the names of 111 known casualties of USS Oneida.


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Sketch of the sinking of the Oneida made by one of the survivors.



Commander Edward P. Williams, Oneida's commanding officer.