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USS Underwriter (1852)
Encyclopedia
USS Underwriter (1852) was a 341-ton steamer
acquired by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
.
Underwriter was outfitted as a gunboat, whose primary task was to prevent ships from penetrating the Union blockade
of Southern ports.
on 23 August 1861; and commissioned there on 22 August, Lt. James M. Prichett in command.
, Underwriter arrived in the Potomac River
off Aquia Creek
, Virginia
, ill prepared for active duty, and proceeded to the Washington Navy Yard
on 28 August for extensive repairs and alterations. While laid up, she was transferred to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.
The vessel sailed for Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 3 October and joined the blockade
off Hatteras Inlet
, North Carolina
, on 9 October.
on 14 November and proceeded southwest to Ocracoke Inlet
. There, they scuttled three stone-filled hulks, effectively closing the inlet to Confederate
shipping.
The three vessels also participated in the capture of Confederate works on Roanoke Island
, North Carolina
, on 7 and 8 February 1862, and saw action during the capture of Elizabeth City, North Carolina
, on 10 February.
On 13 February, Underwriter, , , and proceeded up the North River
, North Carolina
, and placed obstructions at the mouth of the Albemarle
and Chesapeake Canal.
Underwriter also assisted in the capture of New Bern, North Carolina
, on 13 and 14 March, knocking out a Confederate battery along the Neuse River
during the attack. After additional support duties in both Albemarle and Albemarle Sounds, the vessel returned to Baltimore, Maryland, on 1 June for repairs.
Underwriter sailed to Plymouth, North Carolina
, in August and towed the prize schooner
Young Rover to New Bern on 13 August. She was ordered to report to Plymouth for reconnaissance duty on 4 December and sailed from there to Hatteras Inlet
on 17 December. On 4 January 1863, she sailed down the Chowan River
15 miles beyond Winfield, North Carolina, and destroyed Confederate supplies.
Underwriter evacuated Union forces from Winfield during the siege and threatened capture of Plymouth in April. She was stationed in Albemarle Sound later that month and returned to Plymouth in May. Underwriter stood down the Neuse River in June and was ordered to report to the blockade off Hatteras Inlet
on 16 December. She returned to New Bern on 10 January 1864.
, grandson of President Zachary Taylor
and nephew of President Jefferson Davis
.
Wood and his men caught Underwriter by surprise and took her in hand-to-hand combat, killing Acting Master Jacob Westervelt and capturing most of the vessel's officers and crew. The gunboat did not have steam up, forcing the Confederates to burn her as they were under heavy fire from surrounding Union batteries. Underwriter burned to the waters' edge. However, her boilers and engines survived relatively unscathed and were later salvaged.
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...
.
Underwriter was outfitted as a gunboat, whose 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.
Built in Brooklyn, New York, in 1852
Underwriter -- a side-wheel steamer built in 1852 at Brooklyn, New York -- was purchased by the Navy at New York CityNew 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 23 August 1861; and commissioned there on 22 August, Lt. James M. Prichett in command.
Assigned to the Potomac River Flotilla
Assigned 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...
, Underwriter arrived 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...
off Aquia Creek
Aquia Creek
Aquia Creek is a tributary of the tidal segment of the Potomac River and is located in northern Virginia. The creek's headwaters lie in southeastern Fauquier County, and it empties into the Potomac at Brent Point in Stafford County, south of Washington, D.C....
, 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...
, ill prepared for active duty, and proceeded to the Washington Navy Yard
Washington Navy Yard
The Washington Navy Yard is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy...
on 28 August for extensive repairs and alterations. While laid up, she was transferred to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.
The vessel sailed for Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 3 October and joined the 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...
off Hatteras Inlet
Hatteras Inlet
Hatteras Inlet is a estuary in North Carolina, located along the Outer Banks, separating Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. It connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pamlico Sound. Hatteras Inlet is located entirely within Hyde County.- History :...
, 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...
, on 9 October.
Transferred to the North Atlantic Blockade
Underwriter, , and left Hatteras InletHatteras Inlet
Hatteras Inlet is a estuary in North Carolina, located along the Outer Banks, separating Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. It connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pamlico Sound. Hatteras Inlet is located entirely within Hyde County.- History :...
on 14 November and proceeded southwest to Ocracoke Inlet
Ocracoke Inlet
Ocracoke Inlet is an estuary located in the Outer Banks, North Carolina, United States that separates Ocracoke Island and Portsmouth Island. It connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pamlico Sound. It is the southern terminus of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It is the northern terminus of the...
. There, they scuttled three stone-filled hulks, effectively closing the inlet to 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...
shipping.
The three vessels also participated in the capture of Confederate works on Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island is an island in Dare County near the coast of North Carolina, United States. It was named after the historical Roanoke Carolina Algonquian people who inhabited the area in the 16th century at the time of English exploration....
, 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...
, on 7 and 8 February 1862, and saw action during the capture of Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County and Camden County in the State of North Carolina. With a population of 18,683 at the 2010 census, Elizabeth City is the county seat of Pasquotank County....
, on 10 February.
On 13 February, Underwriter, , , and proceeded up the North River
North River (North Carolina)
The North River is a tidal river, approximately 18 miles long, in eastern North Carolina, the United States. It forms the boundary between Currituck and Camden counties....
, 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...
, and placed obstructions at the mouth of the Albemarle
Albemarle Sound
Albemarle Sound is a large estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers, including the Chowan and Roanoke. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a long barrier peninsula upon which the town of Kitty Hawk is located,...
and Chesapeake Canal.
Underwriter also assisted in the capture of New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...
, on 13 and 14 March, knocking out a Confederate battery along the Neuse River
Neuse River
The Neuse River is a river rising in the Piedmont of North Carolina and emptying into Pamlico Sound below New Bern. Its total length is approximately , making it the longest river entirely contained in North Carolina. The Trent River joins it at New Bern. Its drainage basin, measuring in area,...
during the attack. After additional support duties in both Albemarle and Albemarle Sounds, the vessel returned to Baltimore, Maryland, on 1 June for repairs.
North Carolina operations
Underwriter left Baltimore in late July 1862 and returned to New Bern. She remained in the Neuse River off New Bern performing various reconnaissance and dispatch assignments -- occasionally moving to different points in the North Carolina sounds.Underwriter sailed to Plymouth, North Carolina
Plymouth, North Carolina
Plymouth is the largest town in Washington County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,107 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...
, in August and towed the prize 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....
Young Rover to New Bern on 13 August. She was ordered to report to Plymouth for reconnaissance duty on 4 December and sailed from there to Hatteras Inlet
Hatteras Inlet
Hatteras Inlet is a estuary in North Carolina, located along the Outer Banks, separating Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. It connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pamlico Sound. Hatteras Inlet is located entirely within Hyde County.- History :...
on 17 December. On 4 January 1863, she sailed down the Chowan River
Chowan River
The Chowan River is a blackwater river formed with the merging of Virginia's Blackwater and Nottoway rivers near the stateline between Virginia and North Carolina. According to the USGS a variant name is Choan River....
15 miles beyond Winfield, North Carolina, and destroyed Confederate supplies.
Underwriter evacuated Union forces from Winfield during the siege and threatened capture of Plymouth in April. She was stationed in Albemarle Sound later that month and returned to Plymouth in May. Underwriter stood down the Neuse River in June and was ordered to report to the blockade off Hatteras Inlet
Hatteras Inlet
Hatteras Inlet is a estuary in North Carolina, located along the Outer Banks, separating Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. It connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pamlico Sound. Hatteras Inlet is located entirely within Hyde County.- History :...
on 16 December. She returned to New Bern on 10 January 1864.
Captured by Southern forces during a surprise attack
While lying at anchor off New Bern, Underwriter was captured by a Confederate boat crew early on the morning of 2 February. The Southerners were led by Commander John Taylor WoodJohn Taylor Wood
John Taylor Wood was an officer in the United States Navy who became a "leading Confederate naval hero" as a captain in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, grandson of President Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
and nephew of President Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
.
Wood and his men caught Underwriter by surprise and took her in hand-to-hand combat, killing Acting Master Jacob Westervelt and capturing most of the vessel's officers and crew. The gunboat did not have steam up, forcing the Confederates to burn her as they were under heavy fire from surrounding Union batteries. Underwriter burned to the waters' edge. However, her boilers and engines survived relatively unscathed and were later salvaged.