USS Cactus (1863)
Encyclopedia
USS Cactus (1863) was a steamer
acquired by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
for service with the Union blockade of the ports and waterways of the Confederate States of America
.
She was used by the Union Navy primarily as a supply ship and as a ship's tender
; but she was also equipped with heavy guns to be used as a gunship
if the need occurred.
9 December 1863; and commissioned 4 May 1864, Acting Master N. Graham in command.
until 28 May 1864. She was then ordered up the York River
to guard the Union Army
's lines of communication.
On 20 June, with Morse
, she fought an engagement with Confederate batteries along the Pamunkey River
. After assisting in covering the withdrawal of the Army from White House, Virginia
, the steamer returned to Hampton Roads 23 June.
towing launches and supply schooners.
until placed out of commission at the Washington Navy Yard
8 June 1865. Cactus was transferred to the Light House Board
20 June 1865.
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
acquired by the Union Navy
Union Navy
The Union Navy is the label applied to the United States Navy during the American Civil War, to contrast it from its direct opponent, the Confederate States Navy...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
for service with the Union blockade of the ports and waterways of the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
.
She was used by the Union Navy primarily as a supply ship and as a ship's tender
Ship's tender
A ship's tender, usually referred to as a tender, is a boat, or a larger ship used to service a ship, generally by transporting people and/or supplies to and from shore or another ship...
; but she was also equipped with heavy guns to be used as a gunship
Gunship
The term "gunship" is used in several contexts, all sharing the general idea of a light craft armed with heavy guns.-In Navy:In the Navy, the term originally appeared in the mid-19th century as a less-common synonym for gunboat.-In military aviation:...
if the need occurred.
Built in Brooklyn in 1863
Cactus, an armed side-wheel steamer, was built during 1863 in Brooklyn, New York, as Polar Star; purchased at New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
9 December 1863; and commissioned 4 May 1864, Acting Master N. Graham in command.
Assigned to the North Atlantic Blockade
Assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron with its task of isolating the Confederacy from overseas sources of supply, Cactus served as a supply ship and tender in Hampton RoadsHampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
until 28 May 1864. She was then ordered up the York River
York River (Virginia)
The York River is a navigable estuary, approximately long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. It ranges in width from at its head to near its mouth on the west side of Chesapeake Bay. Its watershed drains an area including portions of 17 counties of the coastal plain of Virginia north...
to guard the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
's lines of communication.
On 20 June, with Morse
USS Morse (1861)
USS Morse was a ferryboat acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. Ferryboats were of great value, since, because of their flat bottom and shallow draft, they could navigate streams and shallow waters that other ships could not....
, she fought an engagement with Confederate batteries along the Pamunkey River
Pamunkey River
The Pamunkey River is a tributary of the York River, about long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. Via the York River it is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay.-Course:...
. After assisting in covering the withdrawal of the Army from White House, Virginia
White House, Virginia
White House is an unincorporated community in New Kent County, Virginia, United States, on the south shore of the Pamunkey River. White House Plantation, for which it is named, was the home of Martha Dandridge Custis in the 18th century, who as a widow, there courted her future husband, Colonel...
, the steamer returned to Hampton Roads 23 June.
Assigned towing duties in the Chesapeake Bay area
Until April 1865, Cactus operated in Hampton Roads and Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
towing launches and supply schooners.
Final operations and decommissioning
She then served in the Potomac FlotillaPotomac Flotilla
The Potomac Flotilla, or the Potomac Squadron was a unit of the United States Navy created in the early days of the American Civil War to secure Union communications in the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River and their tributaries, and to disrupt Confederate communications and shipping in the...
until placed out of commission at the Washington Navy Yard
Washington Navy Yard
The Washington Navy Yard is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy...
8 June 1865. Cactus was transferred to the Light House Board
United States Lighthouse Board
The United States Lighthouse Board was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States...
20 June 1865.