USS Connecticut (1861)
Encyclopedia
USS Connecticut (1861) was a large steamer
acquired by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
. Her primary task was to prevent ships from penetrating the Union blockade
of Southern ports.
Connecticut, a side wheel steamer, was built in 1861 by William Webb, New York City
; purchased by the Navy 18 July 1861; and commissioned 23 August 1861, Commander M. Woodhull in command.
along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts as far as Galveston, Texas
, and returned to New York 29 September. Following two patrols, from 16 to 24 October and from 10 November to 17 December in search of CS cruiser CSS Nashville
, Connecticut returned to cargo duty, making five voyages similar to her first between 7 January and 15 November 1862. She also captured four schooners with valuable cargo during this period.
and tow ship off Aspinwall, Panama, until returning to New York 6 June 1863.
and North Carolina
. She captured five vessels and drove a sixth ashore, abandoned and burned by its crew. Included were the English steamer Minnie, captured 9 May 1864 with a cargo of cotton
, tobacco
, turpentine
, and gold
, one of the most valuable prizes taken during the war; and the British steamer Greyhound, taken on 10 May, which carried in addition to her cargo of cotton, tobacco, and turpentine, the famous Confederate spy Belle Boyd
.
Following another cruise carrying men to the fleet between 30 July and 5 October 1864, Connecticut was placed out of commission at Boston, Massachusetts, from 7 October 1864 to 17 February 1865. Her last cruise from 21 February to 3 August 1865 was in the West Indies and on the U.S. East Coast, searching for Confederate privateers and towing monitors from Port Royal, South Carolina
, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. Connecticut was decommissioned 11 August 1865 at Philadelphia Navy Yard and sold 21 September 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...
. Her primary task was to prevent ships from penetrating the Union blockade
Blockade
A blockade is an effort to cut off food, supplies, war material or communications from a particular area by force, either in part or totally. A blockade should not be confused with an embargo or sanctions, which are legal barriers to trade, and is distinct from a siege in that a blockade is usually...
of Southern ports.
Connecticut, a side wheel steamer, was built in 1861 by William Webb, New York City
New 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...
; purchased by the Navy 18 July 1861; and commissioned 23 August 1861, Commander M. Woodhull in command.
Supplying the Union blockade vessels
Connecticut sailed on her first voyage 25 August 1861, delivered men and supplies to ships on the blockadeBlockade
A blockade is an effort to cut off food, supplies, war material or communications from a particular area by force, either in part or totally. A blockade should not be confused with an embargo or sanctions, which are legal barriers to trade, and is distinct from a siege in that a blockade is usually...
along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts as far as Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, and returned to New York 29 September. Following two patrols, from 16 to 24 October and from 10 November to 17 December in search of CS cruiser CSS Nashville
CSS Nashville
Two ships in the Confederate Navy were named CSS Nashville in honor of Nashville, Tennessee.*CSS Nashville was a steamer, seized in 1861. She was a blockade runner, renamed Thomas L. Wragg and later commissioned as the privateer Rattlesnake and destroyed in 1863*CSS Nashville was a large...
, Connecticut returned to cargo duty, making five voyages similar to her first between 7 January and 15 November 1862. She also captured four schooners with valuable cargo during this period.
Panama operations
Out of commission for repairs at New York from 24 November to 15 December 1862, Connecticut left in tow of 24 December for duty as convoyConvoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
and tow ship off Aspinwall, Panama, until returning to New York 6 June 1863.
Assigned to the North Atlantic Blockade
During Connecticut's next cruise, from 10 August 1863 to 25 July 1864, she operated most successfully with the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron off VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and 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...
. She captured five vessels and drove a sixth ashore, abandoned and burned by its crew. Included were the English steamer Minnie, captured 9 May 1864 with a cargo of cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, turpentine
Turpentine
Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene...
, and gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, one of the most valuable prizes taken during the war; and the British steamer Greyhound, taken on 10 May, which carried in addition to her cargo of cotton, tobacco, and turpentine, the famous Confederate spy Belle Boyd
Belle Boyd
Isabella Marie Boyd Isabella Marie Boyd Isabella Marie Boyd (May 9, 1844 – June 11, 1900, best known as Belle Boyd or Cleopatra of the Secession, was a Confederate spy in the American Civil War...
.
Following another cruise carrying men to the fleet between 30 July and 5 October 1864, Connecticut was placed out of commission at Boston, Massachusetts, from 7 October 1864 to 17 February 1865. Her last cruise from 21 February to 3 August 1865 was in the West Indies and on the U.S. East Coast, searching for Confederate privateers and towing monitors from Port Royal, South Carolina
Port Royal, South Carolina
Port Royal is a town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Largely because of annexation of surrounding areas , the population of Port Royal rose from 3,950 in 2000 to 10,678 in 2010, a 170% increase. As defined by the U.S...
, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. Connecticut was decommissioned 11 August 1865 at Philadelphia Navy Yard and sold 21 September 1865.