USS Rosalie (1863)
Encyclopedia
USS Rosalie (1863) was a captured Confederate sloop
acquired by the Union Navy
from the prize court
during the American Civil War
.
She was put into service by the Union Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy
to prevent the South from trading with other countries. She served primarily as a ship's tender
, but, occasionally, she served as a gunboat
to capture blockade runners she encountered.
while attempting to run cargo from Bermuda
into the besieged port of Charleston, South Carolina
. Sent to Key West, Florida
, for adjudication, she was purchased by the Navy on 6 May 1863; fitted out as a tender; and commissioned in June 1863, Acting Ensign Charles P. Clark in command.
, until December 1864, Rosalie arrived at Charlotte Harbor in mid-June. On 6 July she sighted her first large blockade runner
, the schooner
Ann accompanied by a small sloop
; and a 3-day chase up Peace Creek
ensued.
On the 7th, Rosalie, frequently grounding in shallow waters, was joined by two cutters from Restless
. On the 8th, the American seamen took their cotton
-laden quarry.
By 18 July Rosalie had added one sponging vessel and another small sloop to her list of captures. On 1 August she took the British schooner Georgie into custody after spotting her, deserted and empty of cargo, hidden up the Caloosahatchee River
. On the 7th, she intercepted a small sailboat; took the three occupants prisoner on suspicion of espionage; and sent them to Key West, Florida
. On 30 September she captured another British schooner and in October added patrols at Estero Bay
to her mission.
. Such missions, however, primarily involved transportation of scouts or protection of refugees and seldom took her far from Charlotte Harbor.
On 9 June 1864, Rosalie seized her only prize steamer, Emma, as that wood burner attempted to smuggle coal to Rebel forces. Four months later she took her last prize, another sponging vessel.
on the 28th to a Mr. Benjamin Roberts.
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
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...
from the prize court
Prize court
A prize court is a court authorized to consider whether or not a ship has been lawfully captured or seized in time of war or under the terms of the seizing ship's letters of marque and reprisal...
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 put into service by the Union Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy
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...
to prevent the South from trading with other countries. She served primarily as a ship's tender
Ship's tender
A ship's tender, usually referred to as a tender, is a boat, or a larger ship used to service a ship, generally by transporting people and/or supplies to and from shore or another ship...
, but, occasionally, she served 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:...
to capture blockade runners she encountered.
Captured by the Union Navy and fitted out as a Union Navy tender
The sloop Rosalie, commanded by Master W. R. Postell, was intercepted and seized on 16 March 1863 by OctoraraUSS Octorara (1861)
USS Octorara was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries....
while attempting to run cargo from Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
into the besieged port of Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. Sent to Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, for adjudication, she was purchased by the Navy on 6 May 1863; fitted out as a tender; and commissioned in June 1863, Acting Ensign Charles P. Clark in command.
Assigned to blockade duty off Florida
Assigned duty as tender to the blockading vessel at Charlotte Harbor, FloridaCharlotte Harbor, Florida
Charlotte Harbor is a census-designated place in Charlotte County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,647 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Punta Gorda Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, until December 1864, Rosalie arrived at Charlotte Harbor in mid-June. On 6 July she sighted her first large blockade runner
Blockade runner
A blockade runner is usually a lighter weight ship used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait, as opposed to confronting the blockaders to break the blockade. Very often blockade running is done in order to transport cargo, for example to bring food or arms to a blockaded city...
, the schooner
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....
Ann accompanied by a small sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
; and a 3-day chase up Peace Creek
Peace River (Florida)
The Peace River is a river in the southwestern part of the Florida peninsula, in the U.S.A.. It originates at the juncture of Saddle Creek and Peace Creek northeast of Bartow in Polk County and flows south through Hardee County to Arcadia in DeSoto County and then southwest into the Charlotte...
ensued.
On the 7th, Rosalie, frequently grounding in shallow waters, was joined by two cutters from Restless
USS Restless (1861)
USS Restless was a barque acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.She was used as a gunboat by the Union Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries....
. On the 8th, the American seamen took their 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....
-laden quarry.
By 18 July Rosalie had added one sponging vessel and another small sloop to her list of captures. On 1 August she took the British schooner Georgie into custody after spotting her, deserted and empty of cargo, hidden up the Caloosahatchee River
Caloosahatchee River
The Caloosahatchee River is a river on the southwest Gulf Coast of Florida in the United States, approximately long. It drains rural areas on the northern edge of the Everglades northwest of Miami...
. On the 7th, she intercepted a small sailboat; took the three occupants prisoner on suspicion of espionage; and sent them to Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
. On 30 September she captured another British schooner and in October added patrols at Estero Bay
Estero Bay (Florida)
Estero Bay, Florida, is an estuary located on the west coast of the state southeast of Fort Myers Beach. The bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, is long and very shallow, and covers about . Estero Bay is bordered on the west by a chain of barrier islands: Estero Island, Long Key, Lovers Key,...
to her mission.
Supporting Union Army operations along the Florida coast
During the winter of 1863-64, and into the spring and summer of the latter year, Rosalie supported Army operations along the west coast of central FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Such missions, however, primarily involved transportation of scouts or protection of refugees and seldom took her far from Charlotte Harbor.
On 9 June 1864, Rosalie seized her only prize steamer, Emma, as that wood burner attempted to smuggle coal to Rebel forces. Four months later she took her last prize, another sponging vessel.
End-of-war operations and decommissioning
In December 1864, Rosalie departed Charlotte Harbor for the last time and took up guard vessel duty at Boca Chica, Florida. She remained on that duty through the end of the Civil War and at the end of May 1865 was designated for disposal through sale at Key West. Decommissioned in June, she was sold at public auctionPublic auction
A public auction is an auction held on behalf of a government in which the property to be auctioned is either property owned by the government, or property which is sold under the authority of a court of law or a government agency with similar authority....
on the 28th to a Mr. Benjamin Roberts.