The sidewheeler Hermann was built in 1847 by Westervelt & McKay in New York City for the Ocean Steam Navigation Company. She was of wooden construction and had a clipper stem. She was 234' long and 1,734 gross tons and could make 9 knots in the best conditions. There was room for 188 passengers in two classes, the accommodations were later increased to 340 passengers. Hermann was one of the first U.S. transatlantic steamers. Until 1857 she made the Atlantic her home working the lanes between New York and Bremen, Germany stopping at Southampton along the way.

In 1858 she was moved to the west coast and by 1866 had been bought by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company and sent to Yokohama, Japan. On February 13, 1869 the ship, carrying over 400 people, was wrecked a mile off the coast of Japan near Kwatzu, Japan with the loss of about 275 lives.