Morning Light

An extreme clipper ship built in 1853 by William Cramp, Kensington, PA, as Yard No. 67. Dimensions 172'×34'3"×19' and tonnage 938 tons.

1853 August 15: Launched at the shipyard of William Cramp, Kensington, PA, for Stilman S. Bishop & Co., Philadelphia, PA. Later owned by Bucknor & McGammon, Philadelphia, PA.
1853 September 25 - February 9: Sailed from Philadelphia to San Francisco in 136 days in command of Captain Benjamin Johnson.
1854 February 24: Sailed from San Francisco to Iquique in 46 days.
1854 May 18: Sailed from Arica to Philadelphia in 89 days.
1854 November 13 - March 14: Sailed from Philadelphia to San Francisco in 121 days.
1855: Sailed from Sand Heads, Calcutta, to Delaware Capes in 104 days.
1856 March 17 - August 12: Sailed from Philadelphia to San Francisco in 148 days [144 days claimed] under command of Captain Johnson.
(1856): Sailed from San Francisco to Callao 49 days.
1859: Sold at auction for $26.000.
1860 January 17 - June 7: Sailed from Philadelphia to San Francisco in 140 days under command of Captain Johnson.
1861 September 2: Sold to the United States Government for $37.500 and equipped as a cruiser armed with eight 32-pounder guns and one rifled Butler gun.
1861 November 21: Commissioned and assigned to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron.
1863 January 21: Capture by the two armed cotton-clad Confederate steamers, Uncle Ben and Josiah A. Bell off the coast of Texas.
1863 January 23: Burned off the Sabine Pass.

Updated 1998-12-09 by Lars Bruzelius