USS Powhatan (1850)

USS Powhatan
History
United States
Name	USS Powhatan
Namesake	Powatan
Builder	Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia
Cost	$785,000
Laid down	6 August 1847
Launched	14 February 1850
Commissioned	2 September 1852
Decommissioned	2 June 1886
Fate	Scrapped, 5 August 1887
General characteristics
Type	steam frigate
Tonnage	2415
Displacement	3,765 long tons (3,825 t)
Length	253 ft 8 in (77.32 m)
Beam	45 ft (14 m)
Draft	18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
Propulsion	Steam engine, 1,500 hp (1,119 kW), side paddlewheels
Speed	11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Complement	289 officers and enlisted
Armament	1 × 11 in (280 mm) Dahlgren smoothbore gun 10 × 9 in (230 mm) Dahlgren smoothbore guns 5 × 12-pounder guns (5.4 kg)

The first USS Powhatan was a sidewheel steam frigate in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was named for Powhatan, a Native American chief of eastern Virginia. She was one of the last, and largest, of the United States Navy's paddle frigates.

Powhatan was built by Samuel Hartt and her keel was laid on 6 August 1847 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, then Gosport Shipyard, at Portsmouth, Virginia. Her engines were constructed by Mehaffy & Company. She cost $785,000. She was launched on 14 February 1850 by the Norfolk Navy Yard and commissioned on 2 September 1852, Captain William Mervine in command.