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The USS ''Mississippi'' was a US Navy steamship which traveled to Japan in [[1853]]-[[1854]] as part of the fleet commanded by [[Commodore Matthew Perry]]. During this mission, the ''Mississippi'' was captained by [[Sydney Smith Lee]]. US Navy Purser (i.e. financial officer) [[J.C. Eldridge]] and his clerk [[William Speiden]] were based on the ''Mississippi'' during this voyage.<ref>"[https://www.loc.gov/collections/william-speiden-journals/about-this-collection/ About this Collection, William Speiden Journals, Digital Collections]," Library of Congress.</ref>
Along with the ''[[USS Susquehanna|Susquehanna]]'', ''[[USS Plymouth|Plymouth]]'', and ''[[USS Saratoga|Saratoga]]'', the ''Mississippi'' departed Norfolk, Virginia for Japan 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 on the [[Japanese calendar]]), departing Ryûkyû more than a month later, on 5/26.
Roughly one month later, on 6/19 (July 24), a member of the crew named [[Hugh Ellis]] died. He was buried at the [[Tomari International Cemetery]] in Naha the following day. The fleet left Ryûkyû again shortly afterwards, traveling to [[Hong Kong]] and elsewhere before returning once again to Naha on on 12/22 (Jan 20, 1854), this time with a total of ten ships, and then moving on to [[Edo]] and [[Yokohama]], where the [[Convention of Kanagawa]] would eventually be signed.
Another member of the crew, US Marine Private Robert Williams, died 1854/2/8 (March 6) while the fleet was at Yokohama and was buried at [[Zotoku-in|Zôtoku-in]] in Yokohama; his body was later moved to [[Gyokusen-ji]] in [[Shimoda]].
Once the port of [[Hakodate]] was opened by negotiations following the signing of the Convention, Perry sent several ships from the fleet to inspect the location. Perry then traveled to Hakodate himself aboard the [[USS Powhatan|USS ''Powhatan'']], accompanied by the ''Mississippi'', arriving in Hakodate on 4/21. They then departed Hakodate on 5/8 to return to Shimoda (near Edo).<ref>Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 1 (1937), 584, 589, 599.</ref>
When the fleet departed Japan for the final time, Perry sailed aboard the ''Mississippi''.
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==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Ships|Mississippi]]
[[Category:Bakumatsu|Mississippi]]
