Miss Emma Thompson, also from Nashville, christened the ship, with Joseph E. Washington standing in for Mayor Guild.

[2] The gunboat departed the Caribbean for duty in the Philippines on 14 October 1899, arriving at Manila on 31 December via the Suez Canal.

She arrived at Taku on 18 June, disembarked the Marines assigned to the International Relief Expedition, and remained until the allied forces lifted the siege of Peking.

After a year's patrol duty, Nashville left Gibraltar on 1 November 1902, arriving at Boston, Massachusetts on 16 January 1903.

After a short period of reduced commission status from 10 May-8 July 1916 in New Orleans, the gunboat returned to Tampico, Mexico, where she remained until the U.S. entered World War I on 6 April 1917.

After serving as convoy escort off North Africa and in the western Mediterranean until 15 July 1918, Nashville departed Gibraltar, arriving on 1 August at Charleston, South Carolina.