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USS Howell Cobb (1861)
Encyclopedia
USS Howell Cobb (1861) was a schooner
acquired on an emergency temporary basis by the Union Navy
from the U.S. Coast Survey during the start of the American Civil War
.
She was placed into service as a cargo ship
assigned to support the Union Navy Potomac River
fleet protecting Washington, D.C.
, from military forces of the newly formed rebellious Confederate States of America
located across the river in Virginia
.
, was taken over by the Union Navy 10 June 1861 by Comdr. J. H. Ward, commanding Potomac Flotilla. Her first commanding officer
was Acting Master's Mate
A. J. Frank.
as a convoy
ship, assisting the Union Army
to insure smooth movement of supplies. This was vital service at a time when rail traffic north of Washington had been cut off by riots in Baltimore, Maryland.
, 9 July 1862, and did not return to active service in the Civil War. She was later returned to the U.S. Coast Survey.
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....
acquired on an emergency temporary basis 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...
from the U.S. Coast Survey during the start of 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 placed into service as a cargo ship
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
assigned to support the Union Navy 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...
fleet protecting Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, from military forces of the newly formed rebellious Confederate States of America
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...
located across the river in Virginia
Virginia
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...
.
Howell Cobb borrowed by the Union Navy
Howell Cobb, a U.S. Coast Survey schoonerSchooner
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....
, was taken over by the Union Navy 10 June 1861 by Comdr. J. H. Ward, commanding Potomac Flotilla. Her first commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
was Acting Master's Mate
Master's mate
Master's mate is an obsolete rating which was used by the Royal Navy, United States Navy and merchant services in both countries for a senior petty officer who assisted the master...
A. J. Frank.
Assigned to supply runs on the Potomac River
Howell Cobb was actively employed on the Potomac RiverPotomac 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...
as a 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...
ship, assisting the 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...
to insure smooth movement of supplies. This was vital service at a time when rail traffic north of Washington had been cut off by riots in Baltimore, Maryland.
Her role in suppressing illegal trade
She was also engaged, in Breton's Bay and vicinity, in suppressing illegal trade on the shores of the waters controlled by the Union.Deactivated in Philadelphia and returned to the Coast Survey
Sent to Philadelphia Navy Yard for repairs, she arrived Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, 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,...
, 9 July 1862, and did not return to active service in the Civil War. She was later returned to the U.S. Coast Survey.