THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408120307
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Alan Flanders
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
During the evening of July 8, 1853, the Powhatan nosed its way into Tokyo Bay. Accompanied by the Susquehanna, the Mississippi and the Saratoga, the Portsmouth-built steam frigate was about to make history by simply dropping anchor.
Hundreds of sailors and Marines from Gosport already had manned their battle stations on the Powhatan and its sister ships in preparation for the worst. The air was tense as a guard boat drew ever closer to the Americans. Written in French, the banner held aloft from the sentry carried a clear message: ``Depart immediately and dare not anchor!''
Inside his cabin, the squadron's commanding officer, 59-year-old Matthew Calbraith Perry, was adamant. U.S. naval forces would not retreat as was the case seven years earlier when Commodore James Biddle's ships were threatened at the mouth of the bay.
According to Perry, they had the might and as far as he was concerned, the right to bring the American flag into the interior waters of an island nation forbidden to foreigners for centuries.
No doubt having such a considerable firepower from his ships trained on the shoreline gave Perry additional confidence to carry out his demands.
That his ships were ready and had such a formidable presence in Tokyo Bay in large measure was attributable to the reconditioning they had received nearly seven years earlier on the Elizabeth River.
With the end of the Mexican War, and Gosport nearly out of business, it had been good news to hear that Hampton Roads was chosen as the staging area for Perry's expedition to Japan, and that the local shipyard, with its 1,200-man work force, would be assigned to prepare the squadron.
The arrival of the Mississippi was reported in the Feb. 4, 1846, edition of the Beacon. The Feb. 19 edition announced that the side-wheel steamer had left the dry dock in a completely reconditioned state.
Refitted as Commodore Perry's flagship, the Mississippi deployed for the Mexican War, subsequently returning to Portsmouth in 1851 for a complete overhaul in preparation for its voyage to Japan.
After extensive repairs, the Saratoga, with Commander David G. Farragut as commanding officer, followed the Mississippi down the Elizabeth.
Flying its pennants proudly, a Portsmouth-built warship from bow to stern, was the Powhatan. Immediately after the Powhatan's launch on a blustery and rainy Feb. 14, 1850, the Southern Argus reported a good omen as it entered the Elizabeth. ``The rain ceased to descend, and a brilliant rainbow made its appearance in the heavens, spanning as it were the sister towns of Norfolk and Portsmouth, in one loving and fraternal embrace.''
One of the largest side-wheel steamers of its class, the Powhatan was 253 feet long, 45 feet wide, and weighed 2,500 tons.
On this frame of wood and iron it could easily support one 11-inch gun, 10 nine-inch guns and five 12-pounders in addition to a crew of 289. Making city fathers especially proud was the credit A. Mehaffey of the Gosport Ironworks received for building its two steam engines, four copper boilers and other internal machinery.
Unfortunately, the steam side-wheeler Susquehanna would not visit Hampton Roads until the Civil War when it made an impression as a blockader from the Union fleet. Called ``Kurofune,'' or black ships, by the Japanese, no doubt they made quite an impression as they entered Tokyo Bay.
Perry was allowed to finally land and meet some of the leaders.
It's a good thing Perry's ships were ready. For he was not about to accept any refusal to his request to deliver a letter from President Millard Fillmore. It demanded that, first, the United States have access to local coal markets and, secondly, that the mistreatment of American sailors shipwrecked in Japanese territorial waters be stopped.
Underscoring everything else, however, was the real reason Perry wished to meet with high ranking officials. He demanded a personal audience to discuss the opening of Japanese trade centers with the United States.
Indeed the Perry mission was a success and this area has a right to boast a large claim in opening the doors of trade between the United States and Japan as the Powhatan served as Perry's flagship when the treaty was finally signed.
But things have never been quite right between the two nations.
Just 90 years after Perry's mission, the two countries were at war with one another. The ripple effect since the first time the Powhatan and its sister ships dropped their anchors into Tokyo harbor hasn't stopped yet. by CNB