USS Heliotrope (1863)
Encyclopedia
USS Heliotrope (1863) was a wooden steamer
acquired by the Union Navy
for use during the American Civil War
. In addition to patrol duty, Heliotrope performed other services, such as towing and dispatch running.
Heliotrope, a wooden steamer, was originally named Maggie Baker, and was purchased by the Navy from her owner, Stacey Pitcher, at New York City
on 16 December 1863. Renamed Heliotrope, she commissioned at New York Navy Yard 24 April 1864.
23 January 1865.
to Fredericksburg, Virginia
. In cooperation with Army units, Heliotrope and the other gunboats succeeded in destroying railroad facilities, a large quantity of track, and a depot of army supplies. Returning to routine patrolling in the Potomac River
, she embarked with other gunboats on another expedition 16 March, sending her small boats with about 50 men up Mattox Creek
. Three schooners and various types of supplies were captured or destroyed on this 2-day foray.
supplies in the Potomac River area until mid-April, when she steamed for New York City
, arriving 20 April. Heliotrope decommissioned 12 January 1865 and was sold 17 June to the Department of the Treasury
for use with the Lighthouse Service.
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...
for use 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...
. In addition to patrol duty, Heliotrope performed other services, such as towing and dispatch running.
Heliotrope, a wooden steamer, was originally named Maggie Baker, and was purchased by the Navy from her owner, Stacey Pitcher, at 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...
on 16 December 1863. Renamed Heliotrope, she commissioned at New York Navy Yard 24 April 1864.
Assigned to the North Atlantic Blockade
Heliotrope was assigned initially to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, and sailed soon after her commissioning to Hampton Roads, Virginia, where she served as a tug and ordnance boat. She continued this duty with occasional patrols up the James River, until her transfer to 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...
23 January 1865.
A destructive mission up the Rappahannock
Heliotrope reported for her new duties early in February, and participated 6-8 March in a joint expedition up the Rappahannock RiverRappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.An important river in American...
to Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
. In cooperation with Army units, Heliotrope and the other gunboats succeeded in destroying railroad facilities, a large quantity of track, and a depot of army supplies. Returning to routine patrolling in the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
, she embarked with other gunboats on another expedition 16 March, sending her small boats with about 50 men up Mattox Creek
Mattox Creek
Mattox Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River in the Washington District of Westmoreland County, Virginia, near the colonial stagecoach stop of Oak Grove. The creek is long, and the lower of the creek is navigable...
. Three schooners and various types of supplies were captured or destroyed on this 2-day foray.
Decommissioning
The small gunboat continued her vital work of choking off ConfederateConfederate 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...
supplies in the Potomac River area until mid-April, when she steamed for 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...
, arriving 20 April. Heliotrope decommissioned 12 January 1865 and was sold 17 June to the Department of the Treasury
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
for use with the Lighthouse Service.