The first USS Greyhound was a U.S. Navy, two masted schooner which displaced 65 tons, was armed with three guns, and was in commission from 1822 to 1824. Greyhound was one of several ships the U.S. Navy purchased in 1822 to augment Commodore David Porter's (1780-1843) "Mosquito Fleet" combating piracy in the West Indies. With Master Commandant John Porter in command, she joined the West Indies Squadron in early 1823 and almost immediately was dispatched to Puerto Rico to seek Puerto Rican aid in suppressing the pirates. Returning from this mission, Greyhound was placed under the command of Lieutenant Lawrence Kearny (1789-1868) and sent to patrol the coast of Cuba.