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USS Cherokee (1864)
Encyclopedia
The USS Cherokee was a 606 ton screw steam gunboat in the US Navy during the American Civil War
ship. The ship later served in the Chilean Navy
.
. Prior to delivery to the Boston Prize Court on 7 July, she was used in the search for the Confederate raider CSS Tacony
.
Cherokee sailed from Boston 11 May 1864, bound for duty off the coast of North Carolina
with the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. In addition to contributing to Union victory by cutting the Confederacy off from overseas sources of supply, this squadron repeatedly bombarded coastal defenses, and cooperated with the Army in amphibious expeditions up the many bays, inlets, and rivers of the serrated coast.
Cherokee's operations included the capture of blockade runner Emma Henry 8 December 1864, and bombardments at Fort Fisher, North Carolina in December and January 1865. She participated in the two assaults that finally captured Fort Fisher, thus closing the port of Wilmington, N.C., to blockade-running.
On 30 January she was ordered close inshore at New Inlet to reconnoiter the Half Moon Battery, where she discovered a large party of Confederates approaching the fortifications recently secured by Union troops. Cherokee threw heavy fire ashore, which drove the Confederates away after three determined rushes at the Union lines.
In February 1865, Cherokee joined the East Gulf Blockading Squadron, and patrolled against blockade runners between Key West
and Havana
until the close of the war. Cherokee was sent north after the conclusion of the Civil War and was decommissioned at Boston 23 June 1865, and sold there 1 August 1865.
an Government. She served Chile's Navy for a decade under the name Ancud
and spent another decade as a merchant vessel. The former Cherokee was wrecked at Chiloé Island
, Chile, on 25 August 1889.
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...
ship. The ship later served in the Chilean Navy
Chilean Navy
-Independence Wars of Chile and Peru :The Chilean Navy dates back to 1817. A year before, following the Battle of Chacabuco, General Bernardo O'Higgins prophetically declared "this victory and another hundred shall be of no significance if we do not gain control of the sea".This led to the...
.
Captured blockade runner
The ship was built in 1859 at Renfrew, Scotland, for commercial employment. Under the name Thistle she successfully ran through the Federal blockade into Charleston, South Carolina, in late January 1863. She ran aground while attempting to leave port a month later.The ship was salvaged, sold to another owner and renamed Cherokee. On 8 May 1863, she again attempted to an outbound passage, but was captured by USS CanandaiguaUSS Canandaigua
USS Canandaigua has been the name of four ships of the U.S. Navy. was a screw sloop in service from 1862 until 1875., a minelayer, which served from 1918 until 1919. an auxiliary vessel which only served for 2 months in 1945 before sinking., a submarine chaser in service from 1943 until 1947. ...
. Prior to delivery to the Boston Prize Court on 7 July, she was used in the search for the Confederate raider CSS Tacony
CSS Tacony
CSS Tacony was originally a bark captured by the Confederate cruiser CSS Clarence during the American Civil War and converted into a Confederate cruiser for commerce raiding.The CSS Clarence, commanded by Lt. Charles W...
.
US Navy Service
After condemnation, Cherokee was purchased by the Government, outfitted at Boston Navy Yard, and commissioned 21 April 1864, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant J. F. Nickels in command.Cherokee sailed from Boston 11 May 1864, bound for duty off the coast of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
with the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. In addition to contributing to Union victory by cutting the Confederacy off from overseas sources of supply, this squadron repeatedly bombarded coastal defenses, and cooperated with the Army in amphibious expeditions up the many bays, inlets, and rivers of the serrated coast.
Cherokee's operations included the capture of blockade runner Emma Henry 8 December 1864, and bombardments at Fort Fisher, North Carolina in December and January 1865. She participated in the two assaults that finally captured Fort Fisher, thus closing the port of Wilmington, N.C., to blockade-running.
On 30 January she was ordered close inshore at New Inlet to reconnoiter the Half Moon Battery, where she discovered a large party of Confederates approaching the fortifications recently secured by Union troops. Cherokee threw heavy fire ashore, which drove the Confederates away after three determined rushes at the Union lines.
In February 1865, Cherokee joined the East Gulf Blockading Squadron, and patrolled against blockade runners between Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
and Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
until the close of the war. Cherokee was sent north after the conclusion of the Civil War and was decommissioned at Boston 23 June 1865, and sold there 1 August 1865.
Chilean Navy
In 1866 Cherokee returned to civilian trades. In 1868 the steamer was sold to the ChileChile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an Government. She served Chile's Navy for a decade under the name Ancud
Ancud
Ancud is a city in southern Chile located in the northernmost part of the island and province of Chiloé, in Los Lagos Region .-Geography:...
and spent another decade as a merchant vessel. The former Cherokee was wrecked at Chiloé Island
Chiloé Island
Chiloé Island , also known as Greater Island of Chiloé , is the largest island of the Chiloé Archipelago off the coast of Chile, in the Pacific Ocean...
, Chile, on 25 August 1889.