The USS Piscataqua, a screw steamer, was launched 11 June 1866 by Portsmouth Navy Yard; and commissioned 21 October 1867 with Captain Daniel Ammen in command. On 16 December 1867, she sailed for the East Indies via the Cape of Good Hope, arriving Singapore 18 April 1868. Serving as flagship for the Asiatic Station, she visited ports in China, Japan, and the Philippines. From 1868 to 1869, a civil war raged in Japan; during the course of this war, Piscataqua protected the lives of United States citizens and American interests.