USS William G. Anderson (1859)
Encyclopedia
USS William G. Anderson (1859) was a barque
used by the Union Navy
during the American Civil War
. She was assigned by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy
to prevent the South from trading with other countries.
William G. Anderson -- a fast sailing bark built in 1859 at Boston, Massachusetts, by C. F. and H. D. Gardiner—was initially owned by Edmund Boynton of Boston and acquired at Boston by the Navy on 23 August 1861. William G. Anderson was commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard
on 2 October 1861, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant William C. Rogers in command.
bear away with the British flag at the main masthead. At 0930, the Union vessel succeeded in bringing the stranger to, and discovered her to be the Confederate privateer Beauregard, seven days out of Charleston, South Carolina
. William G. Anderson sent over an officer to board the prize, who found that the crew had gotten drunk and was engaged in spiking the privateer's sole 12-pound pivot gun and cutting her rigging and sails. A prize crew took over the erstwhile privateer, and the Confederate crew was placed in irons on board William G. Anderson.
, on 19 November, William G. Anderson
set sail a week later. She cruised off Puerto Rico
, Cuba
, Bermuda
, and the Windward Islands
into the spring of the following year. She sighted 210 vessels, boarded 66, and had found Confederate privateers, in her commander's words, "rare during that time." She concluded that cruise at the Boston Navy Yard
on 16 April 1862.
. On 14 June, Acting Master William Bailey and 30 men left the ship under cover of darkness, crossed Mississippi Sound
, and sailed about 15 miles up the Jordan River. Penetrating Confederate territory by night, the Union raiders escaped notice by encamped Confederate cavalry and seized the 60-ton Confederate schooner Montebello, a ship used by local forces to transport troops across Mississippi Sound. The raiders managed to tow Montebello out into the sound before they were noticed by the Confederate forces in the vicinity.
before she took up a blockade
station off Galveston, Texas
, on 6 July. At the end of August, while on station off Galveston, William G. Anderson bagged her second prize—the English-owned schooner Lilly. The cargo manifest for Lilly showed that she was apparently carrying only salt, drugs, and quinine
. Closer investigation, however, revealed 350 kegs of gunpowder
and a consignment letter authorizing the British skipper to turn the material over to the first Confederate Army commander he encountered.
William, G. Anderson placed a prize crew
of six men, under Acting Master C. W. Harriman, on board Lilly and sent her to Key West, Florida
, while the bark resumed her patrols. On 4 September, she intercepted and captured the schooner Theresa, laden with cavalry carbines. Two weeks later, the Union bark bagged another blockade runner, the schooner Reindeer (ex-Jeff Davis) laden with 288 bales of cotton en route to Havana.
, Florida
, on 3 October and remained there on station, protecting the navy yard until the next spring. Underway on 10 April 1863, the bark resumed blockade duties off the coast of Texas
soon thereafter. On 15 April, she captured the cotton-laden schooner Royal Yacht after a six-hour chase. Seven days later, William G. Anderson teamed with Rachel Seaman
to capture the schooner Nymph which was attempting to run the Union blockade off Pass Cavallo
.
Just eight days later, William G. Anderson spotted a sloop
trying to run the blockade and gave chase. About six miles north of the lighthouse
at St. Joseph's Island, Texas, the sloop ran aground and was deserted by her crew. The rough seas that day made it impossible for the Union ship to send men to board the prize; but, on 3 May, the weather had abated enough to permit an expedition shoreward.
from the prize. Two of the boats were just in the edge of the breakers as the gig's bow grounded on the beach. At that juncture, Confederate soldiers, under the command of Capt. Edward E. Havvy, CSA, charged down the hill nearby, firing as they advanced. The launch and the second cutter managed to clear the beach although hit several times by rifle fire; but the enemy captured the ship's gig and the five men that had been in it. William G. Anderson fired five shots from her pivot gun in an attempt to drive off the enemy, but the ship was beyond effective range.
After cruising off Galveston, Texas
, William G. Anderson departed that vicinity on 17 September and took station off New Orleans, Louisiana
. She remained there until 30 November, when she sailed back to Galveston and another stint of blockading off the Texas coast. William G. Anderson shifted to Pensacola Bay
, Florida
, on 19 February 1864 and served there protecting the navy yard until 1 April 1865. Entering Mobile Bay
on 3 April 1865, William G. Anderson was there six days later when Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House
, Virginia
, assuring the speedy end of the Civil War.
William G. Anderson remained in Mobile Bay
into the late summer and was then once more stationed at Pensacola Bay
, this time from 13 September to 25 November. Alternating between that port and New Orleans until mid-June 1866, the bark set course north from Pensacola on 15 June 1866, bound for the New York Navy Yard.
on 28 August 1866 to A. A. Low and Brother; her subsequent fate is unrecorded.
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
used 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...
. She was assigned by the 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.
William G. Anderson -- a fast sailing bark built in 1859 at Boston, Massachusetts, by C. F. and H. D. Gardiner—was initially owned by Edmund Boynton of Boston and acquired at Boston by the Navy on 23 August 1861. William G. Anderson was commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
on 2 October 1861, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant William C. Rogers in command.
Assigned to the West Gulf Blockade
Standing out to sea on 11 October, William G. Anderson joined the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, searching for Confederate privateers in the sea lanes of the West Indies. At daybreak on 12 November, lookouts on the bark made out a sail running before the wind in the Bahama channel and tacked to give chase. When within four miles, those in William G. Anderson saw the 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....
bear away with the British flag at the main masthead. At 0930, the Union vessel succeeded in bringing the stranger to, and discovered her to be the Confederate privateer Beauregard, seven days out 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...
. William G. Anderson sent over an officer to board the prize, who found that the crew had gotten drunk and was engaged in spiking the privateer's sole 12-pound pivot gun and cutting her rigging and sails. A prize crew took over the erstwhile privateer, and the Confederate crew was placed in irons on board William G. Anderson.
Searching for blockade runners in the Gulf and the Caribbean
After bringing her prize into Key West, FloridaKey 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 19 November, William G. Anderson
William G. Anderson
William G. Anderson D.O., , was the first African-American who was a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Osteopathic Association for twenty years where he also served as president...
set sail a week later. She cruised off Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, 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...
, and the Windward Islands
Windward Islands
The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles, within the West Indies.-Name and geography:The Windward Islands are called such because they were more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds in the...
into the spring of the following year. She sighted 210 vessels, boarded 66, and had found Confederate privateers, in her commander's words, "rare during that time." She concluded that cruise at the Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
on 16 April 1862.
Towing away a 60-ton ship while the guards are asleep
William G. Anderson departed Boston on 8 May and joined Rear Admiral David G. Farragut's West Gulf Blockading Squadron at Ship Island, Mississippi, off the mouth of the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. On 14 June, Acting Master William Bailey and 30 men left the ship under cover of darkness, crossed Mississippi Sound
Mississippi Sound
The Mississippi Sound is a sound along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It runs east-west along the southern coasts of Mississippi and Alabama, from Waveland, Mississippi, to the Dauphin Island Bridge, a distance of about 145 kilometers...
, and sailed about 15 miles up the Jordan River. Penetrating Confederate territory by night, the Union raiders escaped notice by encamped Confederate cavalry and seized the 60-ton Confederate schooner Montebello, a ship used by local forces to transport troops across Mississippi Sound. The raiders managed to tow Montebello out into the sound before they were noticed by the Confederate forces in the vicinity.
Stopping a ship with 350 kegs of gunpowder hidden in her hold
Departing the Ship Island station on 25 June, the bark patrolled the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
before she took up a 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...
station off Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, on 6 July. At the end of August, while on station off Galveston, William G. Anderson bagged her second prize—the English-owned schooner Lilly. The cargo manifest for Lilly showed that she was apparently carrying only salt, drugs, and quinine
Quinine
Quinine is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic , antimalarial, analgesic , anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste. It is a stereoisomer of quinidine which, unlike quinine, is an anti-arrhythmic...
. Closer investigation, however, revealed 350 kegs of gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
and a consignment letter authorizing the British skipper to turn the material over to the first Confederate Army commander he encountered.
William, G. Anderson placed a prize crew
Prize crew
Prize crew is a term used to indicate a number of crew members of a ship chosen to take over the operations of a captured ship.In the early days of sailing and up into the American Civil War, capturing enemy ships was quite common...
of six men, under Acting Master C. W. Harriman, on board Lilly and sent her 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...
, while the bark resumed her patrols. On 4 September, she intercepted and captured the schooner Theresa, laden with cavalry carbines. Two weeks later, the Union bark bagged another blockade runner, the schooner Reindeer (ex-Jeff Davis) laden with 288 bales of cotton en route to Havana.
Continued patrols seeking blockade runners
William G. Anderson arrived at Pensacola BayPensacola Bay
Pensacola Bay is a bay located in the northwestern part of Florida, United States, known as the Florida Panhandle.The bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, is located in Escambia County and Santa Rosa County, adjacent to the city of Pensacola, Florida, and is about 13 miles long and 2.5 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 3 October and remained there on station, protecting the navy yard until the next spring. Underway on 10 April 1863, the bark resumed blockade duties off the coast of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
soon thereafter. On 15 April, she captured the cotton-laden schooner Royal Yacht after a six-hour chase. Seven days later, William G. Anderson teamed with Rachel Seaman
USS Rachel Seaman (1861)
USS Rachel Seaman was a wooden schooner purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.Rachel Seaman was armed as a gunboat and assigned to the Union blockade of the ports and waterways of the Confederate States of America...
to capture the schooner Nymph which was attempting to run the Union blockade off Pass Cavallo
Pass Cavallo (Texas)
Pass Cavallo, alternately known as Cavallo Pass, is one of five natural water inlets which separate the Gulf of Mexico and Matagorda Bay, in the U.S. state of Texas. René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle came ashore in Texas at this point. Matagorda Island Lighthouse was originally built on...
.
Just eight days later, William G. Anderson spotted a 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....
trying to run the blockade and gave chase. About six miles north of the lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
at St. Joseph's Island, Texas, the sloop ran aground and was deserted by her crew. The rough seas that day made it impossible for the Union ship to send men to board the prize; but, on 3 May, the weather had abated enough to permit an expedition shoreward.
Union Navy crew ashore attacked by Confederate cavalry
William G. Anderson sent in her launch, second cutter, and gig to take off the cottonCotton
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....
from the prize. Two of the boats were just in the edge of the breakers as the gig's bow grounded on the beach. At that juncture, Confederate soldiers, under the command of Capt. Edward E. Havvy, CSA, charged down the hill nearby, firing as they advanced. The launch and the second cutter managed to clear the beach although hit several times by rifle fire; but the enemy captured the ship's gig and the five men that had been in it. William G. Anderson fired five shots from her pivot gun in an attempt to drive off the enemy, but the ship was beyond effective range.
Resuming her Gulf Coast blockade duties
Stationed off Pilot Town, Louisiana, between 27 May and 24 June, William G. Anderson subsequently resumed her blockading operations off the Texas coast. On 25 August, she captured the schooner Mack Canfield laden with 133 bales of cotton—off the mouth of the Rio Grande River. Two days later, the armed Union bark bagged the cotton-laden schooner America; and, although the prize capsized while under tow, William G. Anderson's crew retrieved 40 bales of cotton from the sea.After cruising off Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, William G. Anderson departed that vicinity on 17 September and took station off New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. She remained there until 30 November, when she sailed back to Galveston and another stint of blockading off the Texas coast. William G. Anderson shifted to Pensacola Bay
Pensacola Bay
Pensacola Bay is a bay located in the northwestern part of Florida, United States, known as the Florida Panhandle.The bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, is located in Escambia County and Santa Rosa County, adjacent to the city of Pensacola, Florida, and is about 13 miles long and 2.5 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 19 February 1864 and served there protecting the navy yard until 1 April 1865. Entering Mobile Bay
Mobile Bay
Mobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. The Mobile River and Tensaw River empty into the northern end of the...
on 3 April 1865, William G. Anderson was there six days later when Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House
Appomattox Court House
The Appomattox Courthouse is the current courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia built in 1892. It is located in the middle of the state about three miles northwest of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, once known as Clover Hill - home of the original Old Appomattox Court House...
, 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...
, assuring the speedy end of the Civil War.
William G. Anderson remained in Mobile Bay
Mobile Bay
Mobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. The Mobile River and Tensaw River empty into the northern end of the...
into the late summer and was then once more stationed at Pensacola Bay
Pensacola Bay
Pensacola Bay is a bay located in the northwestern part of Florida, United States, known as the Florida Panhandle.The bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, is located in Escambia County and Santa Rosa County, adjacent to the city of Pensacola, Florida, and is about 13 miles long and 2.5 miles ...
, this time from 13 September to 25 November. Alternating between that port and New Orleans until mid-June 1866, the bark set course north from Pensacola on 15 June 1866, bound for the New York Navy Yard.
Post-war decommissioning and sale
Arriving there on 30 June, William G. Anderson was decommissioned on 21 July 1866. The erstwhile blockade ship 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 28 August 1866 to A. A. Low and Brother; her subsequent fate is unrecorded.