US-Danish War of 1855

just what is the state of the Danish navy at this time? The USA, as usual back then, had not much of anything, IIRC. If the Danes have a real navy and the US doesn't at the start of the war, then the US is going to get smacked down pretty badly at the beginning....

Should be something like:
6 ships-of-the-line
8 40-gun frigates
8 12-26 gun schooners and brigs.
Usually one of the smaller ships were on station at the West Indies.
In times of war or war approaching half of the navy were usually mobilized.
The navy did well in both 1848-50 (except in Eckernförde Fiord:eek:) and 1864 so expect it to do so in this scenario. It was the senior arm, pride of the nation and its senior commanders had served with the French navy from 1826 onwards in a number of major engagements. They knew their trade!
And Government could and would be damanded mobilizing the navy.

The Danish government would try to come to terms with the US to avoid war, but don't be mistaken - we did win 1850 (that was the popular perception!!!) and who is this US in comparison with the Prussian army???

Following the original post any US squadron would be welcomed by the Danish navy - if they'd be able to pass the RN!
The situation in the West Indies is another matter - the naval vessel there would probably recieve another, maybe even a frigate, as reinforcement and merchant ships be requested for fitting out with guns to repel a US invasion. Much would depend on the Governors actions and will to act.

Any action on the Western Hemisphere would be in the West Indies - I don't really see the Danish navy doing anything like a "Copenhagen" on their US adversary.
How aggressive is the US going to be to aquire the West Indies or force their issue?

If the war bogs down due to US unwillingness to force the issue - OTL result with perhaps a little larger reparations for Denmark abolishing the Sound Toll.
Loss of West Indies or forcing of the Sound by US navy - first probable second not! Look up Oddball's post on that.
 

67th Tigers

Banned

MrP

Banned
If the navy is expanded, why would any of it end up in Southern hands? OTL, the South got almost no ships. While an army officer could simply quit the army and go south to join a new unit, a southern Navy officer couldn't sail south with his ship, not when the majority of any crew is likely to be Northerner. An expanded fleet in better shape than OTL just means the Northern blockade would be more than a joke earlier. In any case, I think many Southern naval officers remained loyal anyway, being less sympathetic to the plantation slavers than army officers who tend to come from that class.

Exactly. While about 40% of Army officers from southern states stayed with the Union, IIRC, over 60% percent of Navy officers stayed with the Union. and as pointed out, they couldn't exactly take thier ships with them.

An expanded navy from a US-Danish War means the blockade will be more effective than in OTL's Civil War. Any conquests in the Caribbean will not delay the war. One of the major bones of contention was slavery in the territories. Many southern leaders saw adding slave states in Mexico and/or the Caribbean as a remedy for the border states showing less and less support for slavery.

I'd expect the former-Danish Virgin Islands to at best be another version of bleeding Kansas, with pro-slavery advocates trying to pack the vote and the occasional extremist on both sides indulging in a little murder.

More likely the mass of immigration, like in the American west, would come from the north and/or Europe. Southern leadership would be left with a territory that they believe is naturally suited to slavery, yet does not allow it. That's not going to reduce the chance of war.

I'm not envisaging a giant Rebel fleet, chaps, calm down. ;)

However, if the USN is larger overall, then there's more potential for ships to end up with the villainous Southrons. That's all. :)
 

Redbeard

Banned
Gentlemen - USA is doomed - and don't bother to repent!

By 1855 the Royal (Danish) Navy is relatively strong, and even with a certain blue ocean capacity. I haven't got a complete navy list of 1855, but from I've got it appears there would be at least 5 SoL, 10 frigattes and a similar number of steam padlers as well as corvetts and brigs (some on the West Indian station)

For green water use a number of smaller vessels is available as well as strong forifications at Elsinore and Copenhagen.

The steam padlers and the frigattes might be useful in raiding, but I doubt any heavy expedition would be sent across the Atlantic - what on earth should they do there? A US expedition to Denmark propper would stand no chance. The USA might try an expedition to the Danish West Indies, but I doubt much will be done from Danish side to keep them - to little to gain and having the main fleet so far away too risky.

So the war of 1855 goes on rather eventless, but when we come to the US Civil War Denmark happily support the Confederates, and make big money bringing arms to the south and cotton back to Europe (much to the joy of British merchants and industrialists). US attempts to blocakde southern ports are met with a declaration of war and Danish warships operate from southern ports and a army expedition corps is sent as well. As Denmark is now involved in war with USA there is no annexation of Slesvig into the Kingdom and so no war of 1864 with Prussia and Austria.

The (OTL) armoured schooners Absalon and Esberen Snare cause havoc among US ships from 1862 as do a number of (OTL) screw powered wooden frigattes with rifled guns. By 1864 the (OTL) big ironclads (Dannebrog, Danmark and Peder Skram of 3000, 4750 and 3400 tons respectively) meet the (OTL) USN Ironclad USS New Ironsides (3500 tons) at Charlesston and sink her.

With this vanish the US hopes of cutting off the south from imports and exports and as the war at land has not yet produced any conclusive results (the Union Army at Gettysburg got smashed by CSA rifled artillery imported from mainly UK) the Union in 1865 accept the independence of the Southern states. The next decades are followed by internal unrest and trouble in the remaining USA, with politicians in general being mistrusted and industrialists and the like being even more powerful than in OTL.

In Europe the Slesvig-Holstein question is not forgotten and in August of 1868 the Danes declare Slesvig part of the Kingdom, but only after comprehensive army reforms based on the experiences of the ACW, including breechloading rifles and more importantly rifled artillery firing shells.

Politically this is however THE chance of the very ambitious German Chancelleor von Bismarck. Together wiith a reluctant Austria and a number of smaller German states he declares war on Denmark for breaking earlier treaties about the unseparable status of Slesvig and Holstein.

The Danish Army initially take up position at the ancient defence wall Dannevirke at Slesvig town, but reinforced with modern field fortifications, and rifled artillery. When the Prussian led German army shows up in october 68 there is no ice on the Slesvig fjord (as in OTL 1864) and they have to attack the Danish position frontally. The Germans have rifled artillery too, but the field fortificatioons are made according to the last experiences with rifled artillery in America and the Danes just await the storm in their earthworks while their own rifled artillery perform counterbattery fire on the Germans.

When the storm finally start it is met by a murderous fire from rifles, canister, shrapnel and even from a few of the new Gatling guns aquired from a greedy producer in Indianapolis. The storm fails, but Bismarck will not give up. New forces are raised while German ports are blocked and a CSA expedition Corps of 30.000 men arrives in Denmark to pay back their old allies - "The Dixies are coming!" goes the singing in the streets of Copenhagen.

By feburary 1869 the Slesvig Fiord however freezes over and the Danish Army withdraws to a prepared position at Dybbøl further north at Sønderborg. The Germans do not repeat the costly storm at Dannevirke, but occupy a blocking position opposite Dybbøl while sending forces out across Jutland.

By April however arrive the shocking news that a large army of CSA and Danish troops has landed near Kiel. Half the German troops are scattered out over Jutland but before they can be gathered the main German army is anihilated by a hammer and anvil operation by the Danish-CSA armies.

With this defeat Austria and the smaller German states hurriedly make peace while Bismarck is forced back to his estate for ever, but not in time to prevent Russia from jopining in and occupying East Prussia. At the London peace conference Prussia renounces all claims on S-H and looses East Prussia to Russia. Austria take up her rightful position as the main German power.

In the next decades the European monarchs are busy combatting both nationalists and the new socialists. Many flee to USA and in 1917 it comes to the 2nd American Revolution. In disgust the Europeans watch how the revolutionaries burn and pillage. Photoes of lynched American factory owners send shock waves all over the planet.

By 1918 CSA and a number of European nations intervene and send in troops from the south and from Canada. After two years of hard fighting peace and order is resurrected, but USA is for ever gone. CSA and Canada each take big chunks and a number of small independent states are formed inbetween.

See - got USA and Prussia/German too - not bad for a single post :D

Regards

Steffen Redbeard
 
Given the relative strength of the Danish Navy at the time, I'm tempted to say Denmark wins or at least it's a draw.

There is a good danish military history site milhist.dk but unfortunately (for me at least) it no longer appears to have an English section. It does have good sections on the Danish Navy and ships and did (might still do) have details of the Danish garrison in the Virgin Islands in the mid 19th Century. I don't think it was large but perhaps sufficient enough to dissuade an actual invasion?

Oh, just for Thande ;), how about a Danish victory and Denmark demanding freedom for New England

:D
 
Might the US also demand control of Greenland? For that matter, if you really want something interesting, the US could demand freedom for Iceland leading to some kind of protectorate status, similar to Cuba after the Spanish American War. This may redirect some Icelanders to the USA (OTL many went to Canada).

I'm also thinking that it gives the USN some interesting forward bases for any potential conflict against Britain. The acquisition of the Danish Virgin Islands might provoke some kind of movement to acquire Haiti, Cuba, or buy other of the Carribean Islands. It may come to no effect, but it may slightly alter the dynamics of the Civil War, since it will unite Northerners, fighting a war to defend their trading rights, and Southerners, who will get more claim to Carribean conquests.

What would they want to do with Iceland.

I think at this time USA isn't an all that imperialist mode. Having West indies is acceptable as it gives money, Iceland isn't all that profitable and there is something very colonish about owning an island that far away.

The war also seems a bit expensive and pointless.

I mean, how much worth is the baltic trade to USA?

But I must admit that it's an intriguing affair.

Jeg vil gerne ha mere.
 

Redbeard

Banned
I, for one, am chomping at the bit for the release of this: http://www.avalanchepress.com/gameHearts.php

Mainly because I've already a "Trent War" campaign planned....

Edit: This as well, although a hate the ridiculous number of counters (I have Gettysburg): http://www.avalanchepress.com/gameBattles1866.php

But wonder where the game designers got this:

"The Austrians fought the Danes at the Battle of Helgoland, winning a strategic victory by breaking the blockade."

The Austrian-Prussian squadron was forced to withdraw back to Cuxhaven (with the flagship on fire) and the blockade remained in force. If there was any failure on Danish side it would be by not destroying the enemy squadron. But perhaps the game designers have been at Heeresgeschichtliches Museum in Vienna, here a caption below a painting of the battle says it was an Austrian victory. Could only be if avoiding destruction equals victory.

Regards

Steffen Redbeard
 
The US might get the Danish virgin islands. They'd have to buy them of course.
I don't think they'd be able to manage anything with Greenland though- not that they would really want to.
Iceland certainly not.

I'd imagine Britain and France step in and tell the two cute little nations to stop being so silly.



Didn't we have this a few months back? I'm getting deja vu here...
 
Does anyone have a list of U.S. Navy strength at the time? From the numbers bandied about for the Danes, I would say the USN could probably take them, certainly in the West Indies. The USN actually got quite a bit of new construction and modernization in the early to mid 1850s, including half a dozen big 5000 ton steam frigates capable of 12-13 knots under steam and armed with ~40 8, 9, and 10 inch shell-guns. It was also in this period that the Potomac class frigates were being rebuilt into 24 gun heavy sloops.

I believe all the new construction and modernization was due to a war scare of some sort with Britain, so once that went away, Congress cut the funding again and the new ships sat around rotting until the Civil War. However, their modern shell guns would completely rip apart older ships whose guns have neither the range nor firepower to compete.
 

67th Tigers

Banned
I have a paper on US Naval Construction, essentially (largely copy and paste, the dates are those of authorisation. Any implication of completion dates should be avoided, 10 years after the 1816 act, not all of them had been laid down, at 2 of the 10 1816 frigates weren't finished in 1853. None of the Sail of the Line were ever finished as warships).

1816 act: Sail of the Line Alabama, Columbus, Delaware, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Virginia; and frigates Brandywine, Columbia, Cumberland, Potomac, Raritan, Sabine, St. Lawrence, Santee, and Savannah. (see 1826 for the 10th frigate)

1820 act: schooners Alligator, Dolphin, Grampus, Porpoise, and Shark

1822 act: steam gallion Sea Gull, schooners Beagle, Fox, Greyhound, Ferrett, Jackell, Terrier, Weazel, and Wildcat, and barges Mosquito, Gallinipper, Gnat, Midge, and Sandfly

1825: All ships on the Great Lakes except New Orleans and Chippewa (both on the stocks) are disposed of, Boston, Concord, Fairfield, Falmouth, Lexington, Natchez, St. Louis, Vandalia, Vincennes and Warren acquired. Sloops John Adarns and Peacock rebuilt

1826: Authorises the purchase rather than construction of 1 of the 10 1816 act frigates (as a private construction's buyer had fallen through), becoming the Hudson.

1830: schooners Enterprise, Experiment, and Boxer authorised

1831: money to reconstruct frigates Java and Macedonian and sloop Cyane
authorised. The request to build 2 steam gunboats rejected

1834: request for timber for a new frigate, to be called Paul Jones, and a new sloop-of-war, Levant, along with authority to purchase or build two shore-ships. The act of June 30, 1834, authorized procuring of timber for the frigate, and sloop, and the building of a store-ship and two small
vessels. Small brigs Dolphin and Porpoise and store-ship Relief resulted from this act, but Paul Jones was never built and Levant authorized later. A second act of June 30 authorized rebuilding of frigate Congress.

1836: authorization for the President to purchase small vessels for the proposed South Seas Exploring Expedition. Brigs Pioneer and Consort and schooner Pilot were built for the expedition but found unsatisfactory and replaced by purchased schooners Flying Fish and Sea Gull.

1837: The Act of April 3, 1837, authorized building of sloops Cyane and Levant using frames already provided as well as six additional ten to eighteen gun warships. The latter became the five Dale class brigs and
screw sloop Princeton. The latter became famous as [America's] first screw man-of-war.

1839: The Naval Appropriation Act of March 3, 1839, authorized three steam warships "on such models as shall be most approved." The impetus for this act is obscure but it seems to have come from outside the Navy Department since the 1838 Annual Report contains no such request. The three vessels were Mississippi, Missouri, and Union. The next act, March 3, 1841, provided for three medium size steamers. Only one was completed,
Southnmpton, and she came out as a sailing storship. September 9 of that year Congress appropriated $100,000 for the construction of Great Lakes steamers." Only one was built, the iron hulled gunboat Michigan.

1842: Steven's Battery authorised

1844: authorisation of Alleghany built at Pittsburgh to test further Lieutenant William W. Hunter's idea of horizontal paddle wheels.

1846: On May 11, 1846, the United States took possession of the remnants of the Texas Navy, a sloop-of-war, two brigs, and a schooner. Inspection showed none worth repairing and all were sold although sloop-of-war
Austin lasted until 1848 as the Pensacola receiving ship. Hunter, Iris, Scorpion, Scourge, Spitfire, and Vixen; bomb brigs Etna, Hecla, Stromboli,
and Vesuvius; schooners Bonito, Petrel, and Reefer; and store-ships Electra, Fredonia, and Supply added by purchase.

1847: Secretary Mason included a recommendation for four steamers in his December 5, 1846, Annual Report and Congress concurred in the Act of March 3, 1847. The four were the highly successful and useful Powhatan,
Sun Jacinto, Saranac, and Susquehanna.

1849: Two years later the Naval Appropriation Act of March 3, 1849, transferred to the Navy all the surplus and unwanted Army steamers left over from the war. Only two, Massachusetts and Edith, were kept; the
others were either sold or returned to the War Department.

1853: In 1853, the Navy purchased the small steamer John P. Kennedy and schooner Fenimore Cooper for use by the Ringgold North Pacific Exploring Expedition. The appropriation covering their purchase was contained in the Naval Appropriation Act of August 31, 1852.

In his 1853 Annual Report Secretary James C. Dobbin added his voice to the call for an enlarged navy. He stressed the lack of large steamers and the poor condition of many of the older vessels. Dobbin recommended construction of six screw frigates and conversion of Franklin to a seventh. Congress responded with the Act of April 1854, authorizing the six screw frigates and completion of the last two 1816 sailing frigates, Sabine and Santee. These screw frigates were Colorado, Merrimack, Minnesota, Niagara, and Wabash. The sixth, Niagara, was built as an oversized screw sloop.

So, one half decent steamer (Princeton), some coastal ships and a lot of dubious 1810's era sailing ships....
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
The U.S. in 1855 was launching the Merrimack class (yep, that Merrimack). They were generally accepted as being, at minimum, equal to the strongest steam frigates on the seas (actually, most sources indicate that they were the "best' steam frigates at the time, but these are also mostly U.S. sources, so...).

The Crimean War demonstrated that any non-steam powered warship was effectively wreckage waiting to happen if it engaged a steam powered vessel (the Russian fleet, which was fairly impressive on paper, was utterly destroyed by an inferior sized force of British ships that were steam powered) http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/steam.htm

When reviewing the relative strength of any fleet of this era it is critical to make the distinction between stem vessels and sail powered. Steam vessels with 8" shell guns could kill any pure sailing vessel, regardless of size or broadside weight with virtually no threat to themselves. It is closely akin to the modern situation between stealth and non-stealth fighters, which USAF pilots, in the normal charming way of warriors, refer to as "clubbing baby seals".
 
Depends on American will and European politics

Even back then, IF the rest of Europe stayed out of the war, the USA had the resources to build whatever navy it might need to control this half of the Atlantic, and seize Danish overseas territories. In this case, the outcome depends on weahter the USA is willing to fight a long war, or if it chooses to settle after a short skirmish to make the point...adn if Denmark is willing to negotiate.

Of course, Europe won't stay out of it, and I can see the tendency of various nations to look to take sides making the USA wanting peace fairly quickly...the last thing any American government wanted until fiarly recently was alliances, and getting entangled in European affairs.

I can see the first offer of support for the USA for any reason being matched by support for Denmark, and an immeadiate popular reaction, "Stay out of Europe!"
 

67th Tigers

Banned
The U.S. in 1855 was launching the Merrimack class (yep, that Merrimack). They were generally accepted as being, at minimum, equal to the strongest steam frigates on the seas (actually, most sources indicate that they were the "best' steam frigates at the time, but these are also mostly U.S. sources, so...).

Their qualities aside (Lambert points out they were another incarnation of the battlecruiser gambit that failed by dint of only steaming at half the speed of the vessels they were supposed to keep away from), Merrimac is finally Commissioned in Feb 1856, with the others following at ca 6 month intervals, because they absorbed the entire heavy gun manufacturing capability of the US (i.e. 2 of that class per year).

Dahlgren has an interesting (if flawed) analysis comparing them to the British 51's (in the appendices of this).

The Crimean War demonstrated that any non-steam powered warship was effectively wreckage waiting to happen if it engaged a steam powered vessel (the Russian fleet, which was fairly impressive on paper, was utterly destroyed by an inferior sized force of British ships that were steam powered) http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/steam.htm

When reviewing the relative strength of any fleet of this era it is critical to make the distinction between stem vessels and sail powered. Steam vessels with 8" shell guns could kill any pure sailing vessel, regardless of size or broadside weight with virtually no threat to themselves.

This was demonstrated to Denmark in 1854, as the Anglo-French force steamed through the sound and their fleet watched....

The shell gun is not the major advance trumpeted (statistical analysis at Annapolis has shown shell guns delivered less combat power than normal shot guns, in defiance of the then perceived wisdom*), but steam was. It completely altered the tactical systems of the day, finally dispensing with the Line of Battle, resulting in melees were the ships were trying to get raking (end on) fire against each other.


* Although of course we also have the Martin shell, which doomed wooden ships. Normal shell needs to explode while inside something for any effect, and hence the vast majority of shells were ineffective, hence the dropping of muzzle velocities on shell guns, giving the shell as much time as possible inside the ship prior to exit (or even better, getting stopped during penetration), maximising the chance the shell would detonate internally. The Martin shell was filled with molten iron, and broke open against the sidewalls, reliably setting the hull aflame.
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
I have a paper on US Naval Construction, essentially (largely copy and paste, the dates are those of authorisation. Any implication of completion dates should be avoided, 10 years after the 1816 act, not all of them had been laid down, at 2 of the 10 1816 frigates weren't finished in 1853. None of the Sail of the Line were ever finished as warships).

1816 act: Sail of the Line Alabama, Columbus, Delaware, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Virginia; and frigates Brandywine, Columbia, Cumberland, Potomac, Raritan, Sabine, St. Lawrence, Santee, and Savannah. (see 1826 for the 10th frigate)

1820 act: schooners Alligator, Dolphin, Grampus, Porpoise, and Shark

1822 act: steam gallion Sea Gull, schooners Beagle, Fox, Greyhound, Ferrett, Jackell, Terrier, Weazel, and Wildcat, and barges Mosquito, Gallinipper, Gnat, Midge, and Sandfly

1825: All ships on the Great Lakes except New Orleans and Chippewa (both on the stocks) are disposed of, Boston, Concord, Fairfield, Falmouth, Lexington, Natchez, St. Louis, Vandalia, Vincennes and Warren acquired. Sloops John Adarns and Peacock rebuilt

1826: Authorises the purchase rather than construction of 1 of the 10 1816 act frigates (as a private construction's buyer had fallen through), becoming the Hudson.

1830: schooners Enterprise, Experiment, and Boxer authorised

1831: money to reconstruct frigates Java and Macedonian and sloop Cyane
authorised. The request to build 2 steam gunboats rejected

1834: request for timber for a new frigate, to be called Paul Jones, and a new sloop-of-war, Levant, along with authority to purchase or build two shore-ships. The act of June 30, 1834, authorized procuring of timber for the frigate, and sloop, and the building of a store-ship and two small
vessels. Small brigs Dolphin and Porpoise and store-ship Relief resulted from this act, but Paul Jones was never built and Levant authorized later. A second act of June 30 authorized rebuilding of frigate Congress.

1836: authorization for the President to purchase small vessels for the proposed South Seas Exploring Expedition. Brigs Pioneer and Consort and schooner Pilot were built for the expedition but found unsatisfactory and replaced by purchased schooners Flying Fish and Sea Gull.

1837: The Act of April 3, 1837, authorized building of sloops Cyane and Levant using frames already provided as well as six additional ten to eighteen gun warships. The latter became the five Dale class brigs and
screw sloop Princeton. The latter became famous as [America's] first screw man-of-war.

1839: The Naval Appropriation Act of March 3, 1839, authorized three steam warships "on such models as shall be most approved." The impetus for this act is obscure but it seems to have come from outside the Navy Department since the 1838 Annual Report contains no such request. The three vessels were Mississippi, Missouri, and Union. The next act, March 3, 1841, provided for three medium size steamers. Only one was completed,
Southnmpton, and she came out as a sailing storship. September 9 of that year Congress appropriated $100,000 for the construction of Great Lakes steamers." Only one was built, the iron hulled gunboat Michigan.

1842: Steven's Battery authorised

1844: authorisation of Alleghany built at Pittsburgh to test further Lieutenant William W. Hunter's idea of horizontal paddle wheels.

1846: On May 11, 1846, the United States took possession of the remnants of the Texas Navy, a sloop-of-war, two brigs, and a schooner. Inspection showed none worth repairing and all were sold although sloop-of-war
Austin lasted until 1848 as the Pensacola receiving ship. Hunter, Iris, Scorpion, Scourge, Spitfire, and Vixen; bomb brigs Etna, Hecla, Stromboli,
and Vesuvius; schooners Bonito, Petrel, and Reefer; and store-ships Electra, Fredonia, and Supply added by purchase.

1847: Secretary Mason included a recommendation for four steamers in his December 5, 1846, Annual Report and Congress concurred in the Act of March 3, 1847. The four were the highly successful and useful Powhatan,
Sun Jacinto, Saranac, and Susquehanna.

1849: Two years later the Naval Appropriation Act of March 3, 1849, transferred to the Navy all the surplus and unwanted Army steamers left over from the war. Only two, Massachusetts and Edith, were kept; the
others were either sold or returned to the War Department.

1853: In 1853, the Navy purchased the small steamer John P. Kennedy and schooner Fenimore Cooper for use by the Ringgold North Pacific Exploring Expedition. The appropriation covering their purchase was contained in the Naval Appropriation Act of August 31, 1852.

In his 1853 Annual Report Secretary James C. Dobbin added his voice to the call for an enlarged navy. He stressed the lack of large steamers and the poor condition of many of the older vessels. Dobbin recommended construction of six screw frigates and conversion of Franklin to a seventh. Congress responded with the Act of April 1854, authorizing the six screw frigates and completion of the last two 1816 sailing frigates, Sabine and Santee. These screw frigates were Colorado, Merrimack, Minnesota, Niagara, and Wabash. The sixth, Niagara, was built as an oversized screw sloop.

So, one half decent steamer (Princeton), some coastal ships and a lot of dubious 1810's era sailing ships....

Not quite correct.

The U.S. had the following side wheel steam frigates: the USS Mississippi, USS Missouri, USS Powhatan, USS Sun Jancinto, USS Saranac & USS Susquehanna. As you note, in 1855/56 the U.S. launched six screw/steam frigates. These were followed by the USS Roanoke (1857)

http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/
 
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