USS Charlotte (1862)
Encyclopedia
USS Charlotte (1862) was a schooner
captured by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
. She was used by the Union Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy
to prevent the South from trading with other countries.
, was captured off Mobile, Alabama
, 10 April 1862 by Kanawha
; condemned by the prize court
at Boston, Massachusetts; purchased by the Navy 6 November 1862; placed under command of Acting Master E. D. Bruner; and assigned to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron.
, from which on 27 December 1862 she sailed up river to capture the steamer Bloomer
. The ship had been laid up since the beginning of the War, and Charlotte's men repaired her engines so that she could sail to Pensacola, Florida
.
, performing reconnaissance
through which she was able to report movements of Confederate troops and act as a tender. She was later joined on station by Bloomer, which had been taken into the Navy.
Although the Dictionary of American Fighting Ships does say that the Charlotte guarded the East Pass of the Mississippi River, the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies of the War of the Rebellion lists her as being posted, along with the at the East Pass of Choctawhatchee Bay
, also known as the East Pass of Santa Rosa Island, which is near the present day city of Destin, Florida.
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
captured 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...
. She was used by the Union Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy
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...
to prevent the South from trading with other countries.
Schooner Charlotte captured by the Union Navy
Charlotte, a schooner used as a blockade runnerBlockade runner
A blockade runner is usually a lighter weight ship used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait, as opposed to confronting the blockaders to break the blockade. Very often blockade running is done in order to transport cargo, for example to bring food or arms to a blockaded city...
, was captured off Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, 10 April 1862 by Kanawha
USS Kanawha (1861)
USS Kanawha was a built for the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.- Commissioned at New York City :...
; condemned by the prize court
Prize court
A prize court is a court authorized to consider whether or not a ship has been lawfully captured or seized in time of war or under the terms of the seizing ship's letters of marque and reprisal...
at Boston, Massachusetts; purchased by the Navy 6 November 1862; placed under command of Acting Master E. D. Bruner; and assigned to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron.
Assigned to the West Gulf Blockade
Charlotte's first station was in Choctawhatchee Bay, AlabamaChoctawhatchee River
The Choctawhatchee River is a river in the southern United States, flowing through southeast Alabama and the Panhandle of Florida before emptying into Choctawhatchee Bay in Okaloosa and Walton counties...
, from which on 27 December 1862 she sailed up river to capture the steamer Bloomer
USS Bloomer (1856)
USS Bloomer was a stern-wheel steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat with orders to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.- An unofficial acquisition of a...
. The ship had been laid up since the beginning of the War, and Charlotte's men repaired her engines so that she could sail to Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
.
Guarding the East Pass of the Mississippi
The schooner continued to blockade off the East Pass of the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, performing reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
through which she was able to report movements of Confederate troops and act as a tender. She was later joined on station by Bloomer, which had been taken into the Navy.
Although the Dictionary of American Fighting Ships does say that the Charlotte guarded the East Pass of the Mississippi River, the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies of the War of the Rebellion lists her as being posted, along with the at the East Pass of Choctawhatchee Bay
Choctawhatchee Bay
Choctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of 129 mi2...
, also known as the East Pass of Santa Rosa Island, which is near the present day city of Destin, Florida.