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 It seems that all but three of her boats had been lost in a typhoon earlier and had not yet been replaced by the Navy, one of the three on board was destroyed in the collision which left only two boats for almost 200 men.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

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

To submit a photo, biographical information or correction please email the webmaster.

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

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