She was built as a corvette for the Confederacy by Astilleros Jollet Babier & Th. Dubigeon at Nantes France for the navy of the Confederacy States of America.
06 June 1863 ordered as the SAN FRANCISCO, her intended name was CSS GEORGIA when in service. Why she was not taken in the Confederacy Navy I could not find, but in 1864 still under construction was she sold to Peru and renamed UNION.
June 1864 laid down.
November 1864 bought by Peru.
December 1864 launched as the UNION.
Displacement 2,016 ton, dim. 74.07 x 11.12 x 5.34m. (draught)
Powered by a 3-cyl. steam engine, 2,700 hp, one shaft, speed 13 knots.
Armament when built: 12 Voruz 162mm guns and 1 Whitworth 9 pdr. gun.
Brig rigged.
Teak hull, copper sheated.
Crew 137.
January 1865 commissioned.
She sailed from France to Plymouth, England under command of Miguel Grau together with her sister the AMERICA to enlist crew, before heading to Peru.
06 – 26 May 1865 the two ships stayed in Rio de Janeiro for storm damage, after leaving the port again she were running in a other storm of the Brazilian coast were the UNION damaged her masts and rigging and she returned to Rio de Janeiro for repair towed by the AMERICA. The AMERICA continued the voyage alone.
06 July the UNION arrived in Peru, where she was incorporate in the rebellious navy during the Civil War in Peru 1856-1858, who ended when the rebel forces took on 06 November 1865 Lima.
During the Spanish-American War the UNION was send to Chile with some other ships in the fleet to form an Allied Squadron under command of Manuel Villar to fight the Spanish fleet in the Pacific.
After war was declared with Spain the Allied squadron, under which the UNION got in combat with the Spanish frigates REINA BLANCA and VILLA MADRID in the battle the UNION lost 12 men. After the battle the Allied squadron sailed to Huito.
06 June 1865 the Allied squadron joined the INDEPENDENCE and HUASCAR in Ancud where after the fleet sailed to Valparaiso five days later.
Command was taken over in Valparaiso by Juan Guillermo More Ruiz.
After a new Civil War in Peru in 1867 the UNION supported the forces of General Prado del Callao a Mellendo. After a truce was signed with Spain in 1871 the corvette UNION was ordered to sail to England to change her boilers, the voyage almost entirely made under canvas took three and half months with calls at Punta Arena and Bahia.
The repairs were carried out on a yard in Greenhithe, Kent. The UNION was back in Peru 11 July 1873. After a passage of 94 days and many calls at ports during the voyage.
After a revolt broke out on board the HUASCAR on 06 May 1877 a new squadron was formed by the Government of Peru to bring back the HUASCAR under government control. 11 May the squadron sailed from Callao and a battle took place with the HUASCAR at Punta Pichalo in which the HUASCAR escaped, at least on 31 May the HUASCAR was captured.
During the Campaign in the Pacific War the UNION became a unit of the Second Navy Squadron under command of Captain Nicolas Portal.
In the first expedition the squadron sailed from Callao on 07 April 1879 and sighted the Chilean gunboat MAGALLANES and in the Battle of Chipana on 12 April which resulted in a draw the UNION had to return to Callao for boiler repairs which took almost three months.
When returned to service she carried war supplies to Arica, where after she raided shipping on the Chilean coast. 17 July she left Arica in company of the HUASCAR with the intention to capture some Chilean transports. On 19 July the UNION sighted the frigate ADELAIDA ROJAS in Mejillones which was loading 1,700 tons of coal. After capture the frigate was send as a prize with the cargo to Callao.
Early in the morning of 20th July the brigantine SAUCY JACK was captured, she was loaded with copper, she was also send to Callao.
21 July the two ships were off Huasco were they destroyed the mobile units. 22 July she were back in Chanaral were they captured the ADRIANA LUCIA loaded with copper. The prize was sent to Callao. On 23 July she captured the steamer RIMAC, returning to Arica on 25 July.
In papers found on the RIMAC they had learned that another steamer the GLENEG was underway to Chili loaded with weapons and ammunition, the UNION was ordered on 31 July to sail south to the Strait of Magellan and intercept the ship. 13 August the UNION entered the Strait of Magellan and steamed to Punta Arenas arrived there on the 16th. . The arrival of the UNION at Punta Arenas causing huge alarm under the population of the town which was afraid that it was bombarded by the UNION. But the commander informed the town that it not was bombarded while the town did not have any guns to defend. From the people the commander of the UNION learned that the GLENEG had arrived but left on 4 August. UNION after taken on board coal and provision left and returned to Arica. Mostly sailing under canvas it took a while before she on 14 September arrived in Arica.
The UNION and HUASCAR travelled then to Callao escorting the RIMAC which carried a large load of war material and troops to Southern Peru, in Arica some material was unloaded. 30 September 1879 the convoy left ARICA reached Iquique the same day, disembarking 1,500 men under command of General Bustamante. The next day the UNION and HUASCAR sailed south while the RIMAC returned to Callao.
08 October 1879 both ships were sighted by the Chilean Navy and in the Battle of Angamos the HUASCAR was captured by the Chilean Navy while the UNION escaped north and went to Callao for maintenance.
After the repair and maintenance which took one month the UNION sailed under command of Nicolas Portal from Callao and arrived at Arica escorting the Peruvian transport CHALACO who carried war supplies.
17 November the UNION, CHALACO and PILCOMAYO sailed north, when dawn came on the 18th she were sighted by the Chilean BLANCO ENCALADO who captured the PILCOMAYO.
17 December 1879 the UNION sailed from Callao bound for Mollendo where she the 20th arrived, discharging there 1,500 rifles and uniforms for the troops who were quartered in Arequipas.
12 March 1880 under command of Captain Manuel Antonio Vilavicencio Frevre together with the TALISMAN a transport who carried a cargo of supplies to Quilca and the UNION towards Arica.
17 March at dawn the UNION very near to the shore sailed to Arica, outwitting the blockade squadron. When she was unloading her supplies she came under fire of the Chilean blockade squadron but did not much harm to the UNION.
The UNION left the port after 5 pm under full speed and not set course north as was expected by her enemies but south and escaped the blockade but in hot pursuit of the Chilean warships, but she escaped and arrived save in Callao on 20 March. She had many wounded men but only one dead.
10 April 1880 the port of Callao was blockaded by the Chilean navy and the GUACOLDA tried to torpedo the UNION but was not successful.
As a result of the blockade the UNION could not sail out again, she was also in need of repairs, in the mid-1880 her guns were removed and used to strengthen some shore positions.
16 January 1881 she was beached together with other Peruvian navy ships in the port of Callao to prevent that she were falling in Chilean hands. The UNION was beached north of the bay of Callao, burned partly its stern and her engines were destroyed.
Her mainmast was later removed and placed in the courtyard of the main entrance of the Naval School of Peru.
Peru 1979 25s sg1442, scott689.
Source: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uni%C3%B3n_(corbeta)
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