USS Fairy (1861)
Encyclopedia
USS Fairy (1861) was a steamer purchased by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
.
She was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat
assigned to patrol Confederate
waterways. Post-war she was temporarily employed as an ammunition ship
before finally being decommissioned.
, as Maria; purchased by the Navy 10 February 1864; and first sailed 10 March 1864, Acting Master H. S. Wetmore in command.
, Fairy patrolled and had convoy
duty in the Mississippi
, White
, and Tennessee River
s, often providing transportation and firepower to Union Army
expeditions, and shelling Confederate troop concentrations and batteries ashore. Although she normally operated in the northern section of the Mississippi River
, she sailed down river to carry high ranking Union Army officers from Memphis, Tennessee
, to New Orleans, Louisiana
, in June 1864.
, in December 1864 and January 1865, she convoyed Union Army transports from Clifton
to Eastport, and carried out other operations in the concerted attack on troops under General John Bell Hood
, preventing them from crossing the river near Florence
. Her last duty, following the war, was transporting ordnance stores to Jefferson Barracks
, Missouri
.
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 as a gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
assigned to patrol Confederate
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...
waterways. Post-war she was temporarily employed as an ammunition ship
Ammunition ship
An ammunition ship is a warship specially configured to carry ammunition, usually for Navy ships and aircraft. Their cargo handling systems, designed with extreme safety in mind, include ammunition hoists with airlocks between decks, and mechanisms for flooding entire compartments with sea water in...
before finally being decommissioned.
Built in Ohio in 1861
Fairy was built in 1861 at Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, as Maria; purchased by the Navy 10 February 1864; and first sailed 10 March 1864, Acting Master H. S. Wetmore in command.
Assigned patrol duties on the Mississippi, White and Tennessee Rivers
Based at Mound City, IllinoisMound City, Illinois
Mound City is a city located along the Ohio River in Pulaski County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 692. It is the county seat of Pulaski County.-Geography:Mound City is located at ....
, Fairy patrolled and had convoy
Convoy
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...
duty in the Mississippi
Mississippi 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...
, White
White River (Arkansas)
The White River is a 722-mile long river that flows through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Missouri.-Course:The source of the White River is in the Boston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest southeast of Fayetteville...
, and Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
s, often providing transportation and firepower to 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...
expeditions, and shelling Confederate troop concentrations and batteries ashore. Although she normally operated in the northern section of the Mississippi River
Mississippi 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...
, she sailed down river to carry high ranking Union Army officers from Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, to New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, in June 1864.
Supporting operations against General J. B. Hood
On patrol in the Tennessee RiverTennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
, in December 1864 and January 1865, she convoyed Union Army transports from Clifton
Clifton, Tennessee
Clifton is a city in Wayne County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,699 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Clifton is located at ....
to Eastport, and carried out other operations in the concerted attack on troops under General John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness...
, preventing them from crossing the river near Florence
Florence, Alabama
Florence is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the northwestern corner of the state.According to the 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 36,721....
. Her last duty, following the war, was transporting ordnance stores to Jefferson Barracks
Jefferson Barracks Military Post
The Jefferson Barracks Military Post, located on the Mississippi River at Lemay, Missouri, which is just south of St. Louis, Missouri,was, at first owned land by the DeGamache's then borrowed by military leaders, but after war, the land was not returned. It was an important and highly active U.S....
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.