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The USS ''Susquehanna'' was one of the ships in fleet led by [[Commodore Matthew Perry]] to Japan in [[1853]]-[[1854]]; in 1854, it served as Perry's flagship.
Perry and his fleet of four ships (''Susquehanna'', ''[[USS Mississippi|Mississippi]]'', ''[[USS Plymouth|Plymouth]]'' and ''[[USS Saratoga|Saratoga]]'') departed Norfolk, Virginia, on 1852/10/13 (Nov 24). Before arriving in Japan proper in July of 1853, they first called at [[Naha]], the chief port of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]], on May 26 (4/19), departing Ryûkyû on 5/3 to survey the [[Ogasawara Islands]] and returning again on 5/17;<ref>Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 1 (1937), 412.</ref> following their return, Perry and his men banqueted Ryukyuan court officials aboard the ''Susquehanna'' on at least one occasion<ref>Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 1 (1937), 414.</ref> before departing Ryûkyû again on 5/26, this time for Edo.
The ''Susquehanna'' and three other ships arrived at [[Uraga]] on 1853/6/3.<ref>Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 1 (1937), 417.</ref>
Perry returned to Naha in January 1854 (the 12th month of the previous year, on the Japanese calendar) with a fleet of ten ships. Eli Crosby, 2nd assistant engineer aboard the ship, died several days later on Kaei 6/12/26 (Jan 24, 1854) and was buried at the [[Tomari International Cemetery]] on [[Okinawa Island]].
Seven of these ships then returned to mainland Japan, dropping anchor outside Edo Bay on 1854/1/14 (Feb 11).<ref>Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 1 (1937), 530.</ref>
On 1854/2/16, the ship's chaplain, Edmund Bittinger, wandered from [[Kanagawa-juku|Kanagawa]] to [[Kawasaki]], and caused a notable disturbance; he was found by Japanese officials and returned to the ship before anything worse happened.<ref>Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 1 (1937), 556.</ref>
On 2/26, the ''Susquehanna'' then left for [[Macao]], captained by a Captain Buchanan, while Perry and other members of the embassy (along with much of the fleet) remained in Japan.<ref>Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 1 (1937), 562.</ref>
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==References==
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[[Category:Ships]]
[[Category:Bakumatsu]]
