Spanish–American War service (1898)
On 25 April 1898, Congress declared war on Spain, beginning the Spanish–American War.[15] An immediate objective was to defeat Spain in the Caribbean, taking Cuba and Puerto Rico. At the time, the United States had few overseas possessions, and thus its military had limited ocean-capable sealift to support such an offensive. American political leaders preferred to acquire American ships to support the war effort, rather than enrich foreigners and rely on foreign crews. There were also legal constraints on using neutral-flagged vessels in American military operations. Through some quirks in the Congressional funding of the war, the US Navy was able to charter transport ships prior to the declaration of war and tied-up the best of the American merchant fleet for its use. When the US Army was able to begin acquiring ships after the declaration of war, fewer domestic options remained. While the Atlantic Transport Line was British-flagged, it was American owned, making it a more attractive option.[16]
Army Colonel Frank J. Hecker approached the Atlantic Transport Line to charter its fleet, and was refused. He then offered to buy the vessels he sought and a deal was struck, subject to the approval of the Secretary of War Russel Alger. In addition to Massachusetts, the Atlantic Transport Line sold Manitoba, Mohawk, Mobile, Michigan, Mississippi, and Minnewaska.[6] These ships were placed under the Quartermaster's Department of the US Army. The Army reckoned Massachusetts' capacity to be 80 officers, 1,000 men, and 1,000 horses. Massachusetts arrived in New York from London on her last trip for the Atlantic Transport Line on 11 July 1898.[17] She was unloaded and turned over to the government on 14 July 1898. The purchase price of the ship was $660,000.[4]
Massachusetts underwent little conversion for military use. She was ordered to sail from New York for Newport News to begin embarking troops on 19 July 1898, just five days after her purchase.[18] By that time the fighting was all but over. Hostilities ceased on 12 August 1898.[19] She arrived in Newport News on 23 July 1898[20] and began embarking troops to reinforce the American offensive on Puerto Rico. The transport departed on 28 July 1898 for Ponce.[21] Aboard were the Philadelphia City Troop, Troops A and C of the New York Volunteer Cavalry, and a number of other units totaling 805 men, 454 horses, and 426 mules.[22]
Massachusetts arrived off Ponce on 3 August 1898 and promptly went aground on the Cabeza de Muerte reef.[23][24] The men and livestock were lightered ashore, some 700 men aboard USS Prairie (AD-5),[25] while the ship was still on the reef.[26] An incipient mutiny was quelled when captain John Findley, who had done good service for the Atlantic Transport Line, proved unequal to running Massachusetts as a troopship and was put ashore in Ponce.[27] The ship was pulled off the reef by USS Saturn (AG-4) on 6 August 1898.[28][29] Once in deep water again, the ship sailed to Arroya to discharge her cargo.
Upon her return to New York, Massachusetts went into dry dock for repairs.[33] Her ill luck continued, however, and she hit an uncharted reef in New York Harbor in December 1898.[34] She went back to the shipyard for repairs and for conversion to a troopship capable of supporting the Army in the Pacific.[35]
Preparation for Pacific service (1899)
Having taken Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, the Army had a permanent need for transport to overseas bases. The annexation of Hawaii in 1898 also required new ocean transport. The Army Transport Service chose the best vessels acquired during the war to become a permanent sealift capability. Massachusetts and her three sister ships were retained for this purpose. To mark their transition to permanent military service, they were renamed in January 1899. Massachusetts became United States Army Transport Sheridan, named for Civil War General Phillip Sheridan.[2]
On 19 February 1899, Sheridan sailed from New York, bound for Manila, via the Suez Canal.[36] She had a full load, including the 12th Infantry Regiment, the 3rd battalion of the 17th Infantry Regiment,[37] 2,300 shells for field artillery, several hundred thousand rounds of small arms ammunition, and tons of other cargo.[38]
Philippine Insurrection (1899–1900)
Sheridan had a quick shipyard visit in San Francisco to repair boiler problems,[51] and then began preparing for her next trip to Manila. There was an urgent need for troops and supplies in the Philippines to prosecute American goals in the Philippine-American War. Sheridan was in almost constant motion in a variety of roles. In November 1899, for instance, she acted as an assault transport, landing troops at Lingayen Gulf to cut off an insurgent retreat.[52] Details of Sheridan's trans-Pacific trips during this period are shown in the table below.
Pacific service (1900–1918)
In April 1900, Sheridan was pulled out of service to undergo a substantial refit at the Fulton Iron Works in San Francisco. The electric light and refrigeration plants were rebuilt, decks were rebuilt and strengthened, staterooms were added for both passengers and ships' officers, the dining salon was extended, and numerous other improvements accomplished.[62] The cost of this work was $339,169.[63] Her first sailing after the overhaul left San Francisco on 17 November 1900 with roughly 400 personnel bound for Manila.[64]
Sheridan began a regular shuttle service between San Francisco, Honolulu, Guam, and Manila. The Army Transport Service maintained a roughly monthly schedule of sailings from San Francisco using Sheridan, USAT Logan, USAT Sherman, and USAT Thomas. The ships carried supplies, cash,[65]
Hawaii grounding
Sheridan's routine trans-Pacific trip came to an abrupt end on 31 August 1906 when she was returning to Hawaii from Manila. The ship ran hard aground off Barber's Point, Oahu.[82] Her passengers and cargo were taken ashore by smaller vessels, but she remained firmly on the rocks.[83] After several days, flooding exceeded the ship's pumping capacity and her boiler fires were extinguished, leaving the ship without power.[84] Sheridan was refloated on 1 October 1906 and taken under tow by USAT Buford. She began to take on more water, however, and was beached to prevent her sinking.[85] Steam-engine-powered pumps were installed on Sheridan's deck, and with their aid the ship was pulled off the beach on 6 October. She was listing to port and there was concern that she might capsize. To improve her stability, she was lashed to a barge on her port side and the scow Melanchthon on her starboard side. She was taken under tow by USS Iroquois (AT-46) which finally brought her to a dock in Pearl Harbor.[86]
Alaska Service
Sheridan had a break from her usual trans-Pacific sailings when she left San Francisco on 2 June 1912 with the 30th Infantry Regiment aboard. After a stop in Seattle, she sailed to Fort William H. Seward in Haines, Alaska. Men of the 30th relieved four companies of the 16th Infantry Regiment, who took their places on Sheridan. The ship next called at Fort Liscum, near the present site of Valdez, Alaska, where she relieved men of the 16th with companies G and H of the 30th.[95][96] Her next port of call was to be Fort St Michael near the mouth of the Yukon River. She had to bypass it because the sea ice was too thick to reach the shore. In attempting to reach Nome, her northernmost destination, the ship was caught in sea ice for six days. She finally was able to anchor off Fort Davis on 28 June 1912, and did reach Fort St Michael on her southbound trip. She returned to San Francisco on 22 July 1912 with the 16th Infantry regiment aboard.[97]
Upon returning from Alaska, Sheridan was in need of maintenance and sailed only once, and that just to Honolulu and back,[98]
Allied Expeditionary Force Siberia (1918–1920)
The revolutionary Bolshevik government of Russia made a separate peace with the Central Powers in March 1918, ending Russian participation in World War I. Sheridan's first trip to Siberia evacuated Maria Bochkareva, who led a Russian military unit fighting the Bolsheviks, from Vladivostok on 18 April 1918.[100][101] In July 1918, President Wilson sent U.S. troops to Siberia as part of an Allied Expeditionary Force to safeguard American interests threatened by Russia's withdrawal from the war. Sheridan and sister-ship USAT Logan reached Vladivostok on 29 September 1918. They disembarked 3,682 troops, which brought the previously landed 27th and 31st Infantry Regiments to full strength.[102] Sheridan also brought to Siberia 600 cases of Russian ruble notes printed by the American Bank Note Company at the request of provisional government. United States authorities refused to hand over the cash to local officials for fear of destabilizing the local economy. Sheridan carried the money back to Manila, leaving bad feelings amongst the Russians.[103]
