USS Yankee (1861)
Encyclopedia
USS Yankee (1861) was a steam powered side-wheel tugboat
acquired by the Union Navy
just prior to the outbreak of the American Civil War
.
built in 1860 at New York City
-- was one of three steam tugs chartered early in April 1861 at New York City
for use on the expedition to provision Fort Sumter
, South Carolina
. She departed New York on April 8, 1861 and arrived off Charleston Bar
on the 15th, a few hours after Major Robert Anderson's command had evacuated the fort and embarked in Federal transport Baltic. On the 20th, Yankee assisted in the evacuation of the Norfolk Navy Yard, Norfolk, Virginia
, towing to safety. She then returned to the New York Navy Yard.
, and Havre de Grace, Maryland
. On April 30, 1861, she received orders to Hampton Roads
for reconnaissance duty between the Rip Raps
and Cape Henry, Virginia. Batteries manned by Virginia forces that had not yet been formally incorporated into the Confederate States Army
at Gloucester Point, Virginia
, fired upon Yankee on May 7, 1861, doing little damage but reportedly wounding two Union sailors. Yankee returned fire with four shots and two shells but the crew could not elevate its guns high enough to reach the shore batteries and Yankee broke off the action and returned to Hampton Roads. After further reconnaissance duty along the eastern shore of Virginia
and the James River, Yankee proceeded to the Washington Navy Yard
on May 25, 1861 to deliver prize schooners General Knox and Georgeanna. She sailed for Hampton Roads on the last day of May 1861 and arrived on June 2, 1861 but was sent north a week later for major repairs at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
On July 2, 1861, Yankee departed Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, bound via the Washington Navy Yard for Hampton Roads. However, Confederate activity along the Potomac River
necessitated that the vessel remain at Washington; and she was formally attached to the Potomac Flotilla on the July 9, 1861.
, Virginia
. On July 29, she and engaged a Confederate battery at Marlborough Point, Virginia. Yankee destroyed the sloops T. W. Riley and Jane Wright near Smith's Island, Virginia, on August 16, 1861 and captured the schooner Remittance near Piney Point, Maryland
, on August 28, 1861. A landing party from and Yankee destroyed abandoned Confederate entrenchments and batteries at Cockpit Point
and Evansport, Virginia, on March 9, 1862, the day of the engagement between the Union ironclad USS Monitor
and the Confederate armored ram CSS Virginia
.
During brief service with the James River Flotilla supporting General George B. McClellan
's beleaguered army at Harrison's Landing in July and August 1862, Yankee assisted in the capture on July 27, 1862 of J. W. Sturges in Chippoak Creek, Virginia. She returned to the Potomac Flotilla on August 30, 1862 and guarded the water approaches to the Federal capital until the following spring.
and duty with the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron in April 1863. Yankee participated in the capture of the strong Confederate position at Hill's Point, Virginia, on the Nansemond River
on April 20, 1863, even though the armed tug's length and draft impaired her maneuverability. She returned to the Rappahannock River
on May 1, 1863.
During duty on the Rappahannock, Yankee captured the schooner Cassandra and her cargo of whiskey and soda on July 11, 1863. She took the schooner Nanjemoy in the Coan River
, Virginia, on July 15, 1863; and captured the sloop Clara Ann on August 1, 1863. Yankee assisted in landing Union cavalry and infantry under General Gilman Marston
on the Potomac-Rappahannock peninsula
on January 12, 1864 and helped destroy a Confederate encampment under construction at Carter's Creek, Virginia, on April 29, 1864.
. The force destroyed a train depot, a railroad bridge, 28 loaded freight cars, and a Confederate army wagon train. Moreover, she made prisoners of 30 Confederates as well.
. Yankee was decommissioned there on May 16, 1865 and was sold at public auction
on September 15, 1865 to George B. Collier.
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
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...
just prior to the outbreak 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...
.
Provisioning Fort Sumter, evacuating Norfolk
The Yankee -- a side-wheel steamerSteamboat
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...
built in 1860 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...
-- was one of three steam tugs chartered early in April 1861 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...
for use on the expedition to provision Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. She departed New York on April 8, 1861 and arrived off Charleston Bar
Charleston Harbor
The Charleston Harbor is an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean at Charleston, South Carolina. The inlet is formed by the junction of Ashley and Cooper rivers at . Morris and Sullivan's Island, shelter the entrance...
on the 15th, a few hours after Major Robert Anderson's command had evacuated the fort and embarked in Federal transport Baltic. On the 20th, Yankee assisted in the evacuation of the Norfolk Navy Yard, Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, towing to safety. She then returned to the New York Navy Yard.
Performing reconnaissance duty
Yankee left the navy yard on the April 26, 1861 for duty as a dispatch and escort vessel between Annapolis, MarylandAnnapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, and Havre de Grace, Maryland
Havre de Grace, Maryland
Havre de Grace is a city in Harford County, Maryland, United States. Located at the mouth of the Susquehanna River and the head of the Chesapeake Bay, Havre de Grace is named after the port city of Le Havre, France, which was first named Le Havre de Grâce, meaning in French "Harbor of Grace." As...
. On April 30, 1861, she received orders to 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...
for reconnaissance duty between the Rip Raps
Rip Raps
Rip Raps is a small 15 acre artificial island at the mouth of the harbor area known as Hampton Roads in the independent city of Hampton in southeastern Virginia in the United States.-History:...
and Cape Henry, Virginia. Batteries manned by Virginia forces that had not yet been formally incorporated into the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
at Gloucester Point, Virginia
Gloucester Point, Virginia
Gloucester Point is a census-designated place in Gloucester County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,429 at the 2000 census. It is also home to The College of William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science, a graduate school for the study of oceanography.-Geography:Gloucester...
, fired upon Yankee on May 7, 1861, doing little damage but reportedly wounding two Union sailors. Yankee returned fire with four shots and two shells but the crew could not elevate its guns high enough to reach the shore batteries and Yankee broke off the action and returned to Hampton Roads. After further reconnaissance duty along the eastern shore 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...
and the James River, Yankee 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 May 25, 1861 to deliver prize schooners General Knox and Georgeanna. She sailed for Hampton Roads on the last day of May 1861 and arrived on June 2, 1861 but was sent north a week later for major repairs at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
On July 2, 1861, Yankee departed Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, 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,...
, bound via the Washington Navy Yard for Hampton Roads. However, Confederate activity along 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...
necessitated that the vessel remain at Washington; and she was formally attached to the Potomac Flotilla on the July 9, 1861.
Operating in the Virginia area
In ensuing months, Yankee was busy operating against Confederate vessels in the Potomac and Southern forces along its banks. On July 18, 1861, she captured the Confederate schooner Favorite in the Yeocomico RiverYeocomico River
The Yeocomico River is a tidal tributary of the southern portion of the Potomac River in Virginia's Northern Neck. The Yeocomico forms the boundary between Westmoreland and Northumberland counties...
, 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 July 29, she and engaged a Confederate battery at Marlborough Point, Virginia. Yankee destroyed the sloops T. W. Riley and Jane Wright near Smith's Island, Virginia, on August 16, 1861 and captured the schooner Remittance near Piney Point, Maryland
Piney Point, Maryland
Piney Point is an unincorporated community in St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States. It is known for the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, a popular seafood restaurant, beautiful houses along the beach, a lighthouse, and a "Museum." The Piney Point post office also...
, on August 28, 1861. A landing party from and Yankee destroyed abandoned Confederate entrenchments and batteries at Cockpit Point
Battle of Cockpit Point
The Battle of Cockpit Point, the Battle of Freestone Point, or the Battle of Shipping Point, took place on January 3, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the blockade of the Potomac River during the American Civil War....
and Evansport, Virginia, on March 9, 1862, the day of the engagement between the Union ironclad USS Monitor
USS Monitor
USS Monitor was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She is most famous for her participation in the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, the first-ever battle fought between two ironclads...
and the Confederate armored ram CSS Virginia
CSS Virginia
CSS Virginia was the first steam-powered ironclad warship of the Confederate States Navy, built during the first year of the American Civil War; she was constructed as a casemate ironclad using the raised and cut down original lower hull and steam engines of the scuttled . Virginia was one of the...
.
During brief service with the James River Flotilla supporting General George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
's beleaguered army at Harrison's Landing in July and August 1862, Yankee assisted in the capture on July 27, 1862 of J. W. Sturges in Chippoak Creek, Virginia. She returned to the Potomac Flotilla on August 30, 1862 and guarded the water approaches to the Federal capital until the following spring.
Assigned to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron
, , , and Yankee left the Potomac Flotilla for Hampton RoadsHampton 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...
and duty with the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron in April 1863. Yankee participated in the capture of the strong Confederate position at Hill's Point, Virginia, on the Nansemond River
Nansemond River
The Nansemond River is a tributary of the James River in the U.S. state of Virginia. The Nansemond River Bridge crosses the river near its mouth. Both it and the former State Route 125 bridge, demolished in 2008, were once toll bridges. The river begins at the outlet of Lake Meade north of...
on April 20, 1863, even though the armed tug's length and draft impaired her maneuverability. She returned to the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.An important river in American...
on May 1, 1863.
During duty on the Rappahannock, Yankee captured the schooner Cassandra and her cargo of whiskey and soda on July 11, 1863. She took the schooner Nanjemoy in the Coan River
Coan River
The Coan River is a river in Virginia's Northern Neck region. It is a tributary of the Potomac River. It flows from its source in Heathsville through Northumberland County and into the Potomac between Lewisetta and Walnut Point....
, Virginia, on July 15, 1863; and captured the sloop Clara Ann on August 1, 1863. Yankee assisted in landing Union cavalry and infantry under General Gilman Marston
Gilman Marston
Gilman Marston was a United States Representative, Senator, and United States Army general from New Hampshire.-Early life:...
on the Potomac-Rappahannock peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
on January 12, 1864 and helped destroy a Confederate encampment under construction at Carter's Creek, Virginia, on April 29, 1864.
Raiding Hamilton’s Crossing
Yankee's last major operation of the war occurred on March 7, 1865, when the tug joined , , and Army troops in a raid upon Hamilton's Crossing near Fredericksburg, VirginiaFredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
. The force destroyed a train depot, a railroad bridge, 28 loaded freight cars, and a Confederate army wagon train. Moreover, she made prisoners of 30 Confederates as well.
Decommissioning
On May 5, 1865, Yankee sailed to the Washington Navy YardWashington 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...
. Yankee was decommissioned there on May 16, 1865 and was sold at public auction
Public 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 September 15, 1865 to George B. Collier.