USS Nashville (PG-7)

USS Nashville (PG-7), a gunboat, was the only ship of its class. It was the first of three ships of the United States Navy to hold the name Nashville.

Nashville (PG-7) was laid down on 9 August 1894 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newport News, VA; launched on 19 October 1895; sponsored by Miss Maria Guild, and commissioned on 19 August 1897, Commander Washburn Maynard in command.

Spanish-American War
Upon commissioning, Nashville joined the North Atlantic Fleet; and, as war with Spain became imminent after the sinking of the armored cruiser USS Maine (ACR-1), she was ordered to the Caribbean. She captured four Spanish vessels from 22 April-26 July 1898, and assisted in cutting the undersea telegraph cable just off the shore of Cienfuegos, where many of her sailors and Marines were honored with Medals of Honor. Nashville remained on duty off Cuba until the war's end.

Pre-World War I
The gunboat departed the Caribbean for duty in the Philippines on 14 October 1899, arriving at Manila on 31 December via the Suez Canal. Nashville provided gunfire support for American troops in campaigns against Filipino insurgents until June 1900. When the Boxer Rebellion erupted in China, Nashville departed Cavite on 8 June for China with a Marine detachment embarked. She arrived at Taku on 18 June, disembarked the Marines assigned to the International Relief Expedition, and remained until the allied forces lifted the siege of Peking. After patrol duty off China, Nashville arrived at Cavite on 3 February 1901, where she based until July.

Transferred to the Mediterranean, the gunboat arrived at Genoa, Italy on 22 September. After a year's patrol duty, Nashville left Gibraltar on 1 November 1902, arriving at Boston, MA on 16 January 1903. On the Caribbean Station from 26 May 1903-4 March 1904 the Nashville was instrumental in preventing Columbian troops in Colon using the Panama railway thereby ensuring the success of the revolutionary Junta in Panama and securing a treaty with the United States in building the Panama canal. She returned to Boston on 18 June and decommissioned on 30 June.

Recommissioned on 8 August 1905 at Boston Navy Yard, Nashville sailed on 8 September for Santo Domingo, operating off Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Santo Domingo until 26 June 1906, when she returned to Boston to decommission on 23 July.

After three years in reserve, Nashville was assigned to the Illinois Naval Militia on 29 April 1909. From May 1909-July 1911, she trained militiamen on the Great Lakes, homeported at Chicago.

USS Nashville caused an incident in 1909 when she was sent to the Great Lakes through the Canadian canal system unarmed, and was then later armed in contravention of the Rush-Bagot Treaty of 1817

After extensive overhaul and sea trials, she departed Boston on 7 January 1912, arriving Santo Domingo on 31 January to begin five years of patrol operations in the West Indies and off Central America, protecting United States interests. The ship participated in the blockade of Mexico, proclaimed in April 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson, after the overthrow of the Mexican government by Victoriano Huerta. After a short period of reduced commission status from 10 May-8 July 1916 in New Orleans, LA, the gunboat returned to Tampico, Mexico, where she remained until the U.S. entered World War I on 6 April 1917.

World War I
After temporary duty off Tampico, Nashville sailed from Norfolk on 2 August 1917, arriving Gibraltar on 18 August to patrol off the Moroccan coast. After serving as convoy escort off North Africa and in the western Mediterranean until 15 July 1918, Nashville departed Gibraltar, arriving on 1 August at Charleston, South Carolina.

Fate
Nashville decommissioned on 21 October 1918 at Charleston, and was sold on 20 October 1921 to J. L. Bernard and Company, Washington, D.C.