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USS Valley City (1859)
Encyclopedia
USS Valley City (1859) was a 190-ton steamer
acquired by the Union Navy
for service in the American Civil War
.
Valley City was outfitted as a gunship
and served blockade duty as well as performing surveillance duty.
, in 1859 -- was purchased by the Union Navy
at New York City
on 26 July 1861; and commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 13 September 1861, Lt. James C. Chaplin in command.
commanded by Capt. Thomas T. Craven. She arrived in the Potomac River
off Occoquan Creek
, Virginia
, on the 17th and began patrol and reconnaissance duties. She exchanged gunfire with a Confederate
battery at Freestone Point, Virginia, on 25 September.
in October but first put into the Baltimore Navy Yard, Maryland
, for emergency repairs to her funnel. After a brief stop in Hampton Roads
late in December, the repaired steamer was deployed with the blockade off Hatteras Inlet
, North Carolina
, on 4 January 1862.
Valley City remained off Hatteras Inlet
for one month and then participated in the successful amphibious assault upon Roanoke Island
, North Carolina, on 7 and 8 February. The victory closed supply lines to the Confederate-held Norfolk Navy Yard and was largely responsible for the evacuation of that vital naval facility three months later. Following the capture of Roanoke Island, Valley City assisted in the capture of Elizabeth City, North Carolina
, on the 10th.
. When Lt. Chaplin and others went below to extinguish the fire, they found Quarter Gunner John Davis seated calmly above an open barrel of powder to keep the fire out, while passing powder to the upper deck. For his incredible valor on this occasion, Davis received the Medal of Honor
.
Valley City remained in the North Carolina sounds and participated in the capture of New Berne
on 13 and 14 March and the subsequent clearing of the Neuse River
. She returned to Baltimore, Maryland, for repairs on 2 June.
. She was reassigned to Plymouth, North Carolina
, on 25 October to protect Union troops stationed there. On the evening of 2 November, she led a reconnaissance expedition up the Roanoke River
to Hamilton
which she left a week later and returned to New Berne.
In January 1863, the vessel returned to the Norfolk Navy Yard for a new propeller and underwent further repairs and alterations at Baltimore, Maryland, before deploying off Washington, D.C.
, in April. Valley City fired upon Confederate positions near Blounts Creek
, North Carolina, on 15 April, then left to join Lt. Charles W. Flusser
's command at Plymouth on 19 April.
Valley City performed routine patrol and reconnaissance duties off Plymouth through July. On the 26th, the steamer helped to protect Union forces ashore during a joint expedition up the Chowan River
, North Carolina.
Later, while serving as a mail steamer, the vessel collided with the U.S. transport Vidette on 21 September and suffered one fatality. Valley City sailed for Hampton Roads
on 27 November and proceeded on to Baltimore for repairs and did not return to New Berne until 19 February 1864, when she resumed her now familiar patrol and reconnaissance activities.
, Pungo
, and Scuppernong
rivers of North Carolina.
On 28 October, Valley City plucked Lt. William Barker Gushing from the Roanoke River after his daring, successful torpedo attack upon the Confederate ram CSS Albemarle
at Plymouth and, from 29 October to 1 November, assisted in the recapture of Plymouth itself. While on an expedition up the Roanoke River on 20 December, the vessel suffered two casualties in a surprise attack by hidden Confederate shore batteries at Poplar Point, North Carolina.
, in January 1865, and participating in a reconnaissance patrol up the Chowan River to Winton, North Carolina
, in early April.
In May, , Valley City, and a picket boat captured a motley collection of small Confederate watercraft during a sweep of the Roanoke River and also dragged the bottom for sunken guns and unexploded torpedoes (mines).
on 15 August 1865. She was redocumented for merchant service on 28 December and was lost at sea off Cape San Blas
, Florida
, on 30 January 1882.
was identified in September of 2009 by Michael C. Barnette
and divers from the Association of Underwater Explorers.
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 service in 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...
.
Valley City was outfitted as a gunship
Gunship
The term "gunship" is used in several contexts, all sharing the general idea of a light craft armed with heavy guns.-In Navy:In the Navy, the term originally appeared in the mid-19th century as a less-common synonym for gunboat.-In military aviation:...
and served blockade duty as well as performing surveillance duty.
Constructed at Philadelphia in 1859
Valley City -- a wooden-hulled screw-steamer built at 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,...
, in 1859 -- was purchased 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...
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 26 July 1861; and commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 13 September 1861, Lt. James C. Chaplin in command.
Assigned to the Potomac Flotilla
The next day, Valley City left New York to join 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...
commanded by Capt. Thomas T. Craven. She 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 Occoquan Creek
Occoquan River
The Occoquan River is a tributary of the Potomac River in northern Virginia, in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The river is long, and its watershed covers about . It is formed by the confluence of Broad Run and Cedar Run in Prince William County; Bull Run enters it east-southeast of...
, 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...
, on the 17th and began patrol and reconnaissance duties. She exchanged gunfire with a 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...
battery at Freestone Point, Virginia, on 25 September.
Reassigned to the North Atlantic Blockade
Valley City was reassigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron under Flag Officer Louis M. GoldsboroughLouis M. Goldsborough
Louis Malesherbes Goldsborough was a rear admiral in the United States Navy during the Civil War. He held several sea commands during the Civil War, including the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron...
in October but first put into the Baltimore Navy Yard, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, for emergency repairs to her funnel. After a brief stop in Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
late in December, the repaired steamer was deployed with 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 :...
, 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 4 January 1862.
Valley City remained 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 :...
for one month and then participated in the successful amphibious assault upon 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, on 7 and 8 February. The victory closed supply lines to the Confederate-held Norfolk Navy Yard and was largely responsible for the evacuation of that vital naval facility three months later. Following the capture of Roanoke Island, Valley City assisted in 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 the 10th.
Gunner wins Medal of Honor for sitting on an open barrel of gunpowder during a fire
During the attack, a shot passed through the steamer's magazine and exploded in a locker containing fireworksFireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
. When Lt. Chaplin and others went below to extinguish the fire, they found Quarter Gunner John Davis seated calmly above an open barrel of powder to keep the fire out, while passing powder to the upper deck. For his incredible valor on this occasion, Davis received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
.
Valley City remained in the North Carolina sounds and participated in the capture of New Berne
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 and the subsequent clearing of 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,...
. She returned to Baltimore, Maryland, for repairs on 2 June.
Patrol and reconnaissance duties
In September, Valley City was assigned patrol and reconnaissance duty in Virginia's York RiverYork River (Virginia)
The York River is a navigable estuary, approximately long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. It ranges in width from at its head to near its mouth on the west side of Chesapeake Bay. Its watershed drains an area including portions of 17 counties of the coastal plain of Virginia north...
. She was reassigned 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...
, on 25 October to protect Union troops stationed there. On the evening of 2 November, she led a reconnaissance expedition up the Roanoke River
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
to Hamilton
Hamilton, North Carolina
Hamilton is a town in Martin County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 516 at the 2000 census. The current mayor is Gil Matthews.-Geography:Hamilton is located at ....
which she left a week later and returned to New Berne.
In January 1863, the vessel returned to the Norfolk Navy Yard for a new propeller and underwent further repairs and alterations at Baltimore, Maryland, before deploying off 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....
, in April. Valley City fired upon Confederate positions near Blounts Creek
Blounts Creek
Blounts Creek is a small unincorporated rural community in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States near a creek with the same name. The Boy Scouts have the Bonner Scout Reservation in the area. It is also the home of Ephesus Free Will Baptist Church....
, North Carolina, on 15 April, then left to join Lt. Charles W. Flusser
Charles W. Flusser
Charles Williamson Flusser was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
's command at Plymouth on 19 April.
Valley City performed routine patrol and reconnaissance duties off Plymouth through July. On the 26th, the steamer helped to protect Union forces ashore during a joint expedition up 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....
, North Carolina.
Later, while serving as a mail steamer, the vessel collided with the U.S. transport Vidette on 21 September and suffered one fatality. Valley City sailed for Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
on 27 November and proceeded on to Baltimore for repairs and did not return to New Berne until 19 February 1864, when she resumed her now familiar patrol and reconnaissance activities.
Evacuation of Washington, D.C.
Valley City was present at the evacuation of Washington, D.C., in May and captured the schooner M. O'Neill there on 5 May. During the summer months of May through September 1864, the steamer played an important role in support of Union forces ashore and afloat in scattered operations in the Roanoke, Chowan, PamlicoPamlico River
The Pamlico River is a tidal river that flows into Pamlico Sound, in North Carolina in the United States of America. It is formed by the confluence of the Tar River and Tranters Creek....
, Pungo
Pungo River
The Pungo River is a river in eastern North Carolina, USA. It originally began in the Great Dismal Swamp in Washington County, North Carolina; the upper part of the river has since been supplanted by the Pungo River Canal, dug in the 1950s to improve drainage of local farmland. The river flows...
, and Scuppernong
Scuppernong River (North Carolina)
The Scuppernong River is a blackwater river that flows through Tyrrell County and Washington County, North Carolina into the Albemarle Sound. It is a tributary of the Pasquotank River Basin...
rivers of North Carolina.
On 28 October, Valley City plucked Lt. William Barker Gushing from the Roanoke River after his daring, successful torpedo attack upon the Confederate ram CSS Albemarle
CSS Albemarle
CSS Albemarle was an ironclad ram of the Confederate Navy , named for a town and a sound in North Carolina and a county in Virginia...
at Plymouth and, from 29 October to 1 November, assisted in the recapture of Plymouth itself. While on an expedition up the Roanoke River on 20 December, the vessel suffered two casualties in a surprise attack by hidden Confederate shore batteries at Poplar Point, North Carolina.
End-of-war activity
Valley City remained active during the last few months of the war, rendering assistance to a Union Army expedition to Colerain, North CarolinaColerain, North Carolina
Colerain is a town in Bertie County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 201 at the 2008 census.-Geography:Colerain is located at ....
, in January 1865, and participating in a reconnaissance patrol up the Chowan River to Winton, North Carolina
Winton, North Carolina
Winton is a town in Hertford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 956 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hertford County.-Geography:Winton is located at ....
, in early April.
In May, , Valley City, and a picket boat captured a motley collection of small Confederate watercraft during a sweep of the Roanoke River and also dragged the bottom for sunken guns and unexploded torpedoes (mines).
Decommissioning
Early in the summer, the steamer returned north and was sold at public auction 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 15 August 1865. She was redocumented for merchant service on 28 December and was lost at sea off Cape San Blas
Cape San Blas
Cape San Blas is part of a peninsula in Gulf County, Florida extending westward from the mainland of Florida, separating St. Joseph Bay to the north from the Gulf Of Mexico to the south. The St. Joseph Peninsula extends northward from the west end of Cape San Blas. It is approximately 10 miles...
, Florida
Florida
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...
, on 30 January 1882.
Shipwreck
The shipwreckShipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
was identified in September of 2009 by Michael C. Barnette
Michael C. Barnette
Michael C. Barnette is an accomplished diver, author, photographer founder of the Association of Underwater Explorers.-Background:Barnette was born on September 7, 1971 in Fredericksburg, VA. He attended Stafford Senior High School where he graduated in 1989...
and divers from the Association of Underwater Explorers.