USS Sabine (1855)

Of the original six frigates of the United States Navy, the three designed to carry 44 guns achieved early success during the War of 1812. In response, Congress authorized the construction of six additional 44-gun heavy frigates, which became known as the Java class in 1813. However, their wartime construction proved detrimental; in the rush to complete the ships quickly, the quality of materials and craftsmanship suffered. Only two vessels of the class entered service, both of which had short operational careers due to issues regarding their hurried development.^{[1]: 10–12}

Four years later, Congress authorized the construction of nine additional frigates as part of a peacetime "gradual increase" of the Navy. In an effort to avoid a repeat of the Java class, the Navy emphasized a deliberate construction process, which allowed time to source high-quality materials and ensure quality craftsmanship. Congress did not allocate sufficient funding to complete all of the newly authorized frigates. Instead, the Navy adopted a strategy of constructing the ships nearly to completion, after which they were laid up in shipyards under protective structures. This approach was intended to preserve the hulls, as launching the ships prematurely would have led to rapid deterioration and would have been costly. The plan was to launch and complete each vessel in the event of war, thus retaining the quality vessels without the high cost associated with maintaining them during peacetime.^{[1]: 12–13}

The new Potomac-class frigates were based on the older Java design. The new ships had a length between perpendiculars of 175 ft (53 m), a beam of 45 ft (14 m), and a depth of 14.3 ft (4.4 m).^[2]: 66 They were rated to carry 44 guns, although the exact number and shot of each gun varied between each ship and over time. They displaced 1,726 tons 1,726 short tons (1,541 long tons) and had a complement of 480 sailors and officers.^{[3]: 35–36}

The ships of the class entered service over a span of 40 years, with the first laid down in 1820 and the last commissioned in 1861. The long delay between their initial design and commissioning meant that the later ships were outdated by the time they were finished.^{[1]: 13 [3]: 35–36} Sabine and her sistership Santee were the last of the class to be launched. Sabine was finally completed in 1858, nearly 40 years after she was laid down. She was considered obsolete upon entering service^[1]: 13 and was one of the last sail-only warships of the Navy's inventory as the technology had been eclipsed by the steam engine. The Navy considered converting the two vessels into steamships, but instead chose to lengthen each ship by 15 ft (4.6 m). The two ships are sometimes are also known as the Sabine-class frigate.^{[1]: 13 [3]: 35–36}