USS Congress at Venice in 1872

USS Congress at Venice, Italy in 1872 or 1873

USS Congress at Venice in 1872 or 1873 when she served on the European station. In November 1872, the ships of the European Station were USS Wabash (flag), USS Brooklyn, USS Congress, USS Shenandoah, USS Plymouth, and US Wachusett.

If you look beyond the bow of Congress, you will see the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore. (The photo may be found on the National Archives website here: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/353696453

I believe this photo was taken from the Viale Giardini Pubblici in the vicinity of the monument to Giuseppe Verdi. Have a look at the embeded Google Maps view bellow and see what you think.

This photo is labeled by the National Archives as "USS Congress (1855)." It is, of course, not the USS Congress of 1842 sunk by CSS Virginia in 1862. It is likely USS Congress which was laid down in 1863 but not commissioned until 1870.

It is a nice photo of one of the spar-decked cruisers designed during the Civil War with an eye towards what would be needed following the war. Armed with fourteen 9-Inch Dahlgrens on their gun deck and two 60-Pounder Parrotts (likely one as a pivot at either end of the spar deck), Congress and her sisters were relatively fast cruisers. Unfortunately she and most of her sisters were built with substandard wood and she went out of service in 1876 and was sold in 1883.

Illustration of USS Congress circa 1871

Above Illustration: USS Congress in 1871 - Naval History and Heritage Command

Illustration of Several sailing and steam ships of the US Navy on the European Station in 1872

Illustration - Ships of the US Navy European Station in 1872. Naval History and Heritage Command