The first ship in the United States Navy named "Fortune," for the word that means chance or luck, was a screw steamer that was launched on 25 March 1865 by James Tetlow at Boston, Massachusetts. The vessel was commissioned on 19 May 1871 with Mate (Warrant Officer) L. G. Cook in command.

When commissioned, USS Fortune was 137 feet in length overall, had an extreme beam of 26 feet, and had a displacement of 450 tons. At that weight, the vessel drew 9 feet 6 inches of water. Armament included two 3-pounder guns. The steam engine could drive the ship at 10 knots at speed.

During her long career, USS Fortune provided a variety of highly useful services to the United States Navy. During her first period of commissioned service, which lasted until 1 January 1873, the vessel was assigned to towing and freight transport services along the east coast of the United States...then berthed at the Washington Navy Yard at Washington, D. C., until recommissioned on 1 June 1873.

During the next three years, she trained cadet engineers at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland; cruised in the Caribbean Sea and in the Gulf of Mexico on survey duty...and conducted drills; and carried men from the east coast of the United States to New Orleans, Louisiana...as well as serving on harbor duty at many ports.

The ship was again out of commission between 23 June 1876 and 21 September 1877. She was berthed at the Washington Navy Yard during that period of time.

Again, in commission until 7 June 1879, USS Fortune steamed out of the Norfolk Navy Yard at Portsmouth, Virginia...and carried cargo to our nation's capital city, did harbor duty, and, on occasion, served as an icebreaker.

USS Fortune was recommissioned on 30 March 1887...to carry cargo between ships and stations along the east coast of the United States, until decommissioned at Newport, Rhode Island, on 22 April 1891.

During 1898, the United States and Spain were at war with each other. That conflict was called "the Spanish-American War."

USS Fortune was recommissioned, and stayed in commission, from 15 December 1899 to 6 June 1901...to serve as a gunnery training vessel for naval apprentices (read "boots") at the naval training station at Newport, Rhode Island. The ship also operated as a gunnery tug out of Newport, New York, and Boston.

Again recommissioned on 23 October 1902, USS Fortune steamed to join the South Atlantic Fleet for operations around Puerto Rico, and, on 20 May 1903, reached San Diego, California, for duty with the Pacific Squadron...and operated out of the Puget Sound Navy Yard at Bremerton, Washington State, during part of that summer. Of note is that that transit from the east coast of the United States to the west coast of the United States was made prior to the opening of the Panama Canal.

On 2 August 1903, USS Fortune arrived at the Mare Island Navy Yard at Vallejo, California, to serve as a submarine tender to submersibles. The ship participated in target practices and other fleet operations...until going out of commission on 10 April 1907.

Back in commission from 22 January 1908 to 29 May 1909, and, again, from 9 June 1909 until placed "in reserve" on 28 June 1912, USS Fortune continued her pioneering work of service to submarines.

The First World War commenced in Europe in 1914. At that time, the United States proclaimed her neutrality. In 1917, the United States became an active participant in that conflict on the side of the Allies. On 11 November 1918, the Armistice went into effect and the fighting portion of that war officially ended.

Placed in full commission for the last time, on 22 May 1915, USS Fortune served as the station ship at Tutuila, Samoa...and used Pearl Harbor in the Territory of Hawaii as her home yard.

USS Fortune was classified "YT-11" (Harbor Tug-11) on 17 July 1920.

USS Fortune (YT-11) decommissioned at Tutuila on 7 May 1922.

The former naval vessel was sold fifteen days later to commercial interests.