Jefferson was part of an early experiment to learn how steam propulsion should best be incorporated into ship design.

Screw propellers were new at the time, and it was unclear what design provided the best efficiency and how their mechanical reliability might vary.

[2] The iron hull plates and frames were produced at the firm's Fort Pitt shipyard across the Allegheny River from Pittsburgh.

In a calm sea she achieved a speed of 7.9 mph (12.7 km/h), albeit while suffering two mechanical breakdowns, over the course of two hours sailing.

Two days later, with all sails set and the steam engine running full throttle, she achieved a speed of 10.6 mph (17.1 km/h) while burning 600 pounds (270 kg) of coal per hour.

[8] She sailed in consort with USRC Dallas, another troublesome vessel found unsuitable for the Revenue Cutter service.

[10] Jefferson had a small triumph on September 22, 1848, when she demonstrated to the pilots and ship owners of New York Harbor that Buttermilk Channel was navigable.

With Secretary of the Treasury Robert J. Walker aboard, Porter ran the ship through the channel and up the East River demonstrating the usefulness of the waterway.

[12] A strong gale came up, and after the storm blew through, Jefferson found the brig Benjamin Carver dismasted and drifting toward shore.

[13] She sailed from New York on August 30, 1849, to survey portions of the Virginia, Delaware, and North Carolina shores.

To exploit the commercial opportunities of the new territory, shippers needed aids to navigation, starting with charts.

Murray ordered all sheets let go to allow the ship to right herself, but this action proved inadequate because of the force of the wind on the loose sails, rigging, and spars.

As water came over the bulwarks threatening to sink the ship, Murray ordered the foremast and mainmast cut down and thrown overboard.

[21] Sailing under her mizzen alone, it took Jefferson three days to reach Port Desire, Argentina on the east coast of Patagonia.

Given the ship's poor performance and the practical difficulties and cost associated with repairing her in Patagonia, Jefferson was abandoned.

Reporting the abandonment, a newspaper in Buffalo which knew her from her Lake Ontario service, opined, "...she is gone without costing any lives."