USS Memphis (1862)

USS Memphis (1862)

The second USS "Memphis" was a 7‑gun screw steamer, built by William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton, Scotland, in 1861, which briefly served as a Confederate blockade runner before being captured and taken into the United States Navy during the American Civil War.

"Memphis", while running the Union blockade of Confederate ports on June 22, 1862, ran aground while attempting to enter Charleston harbor, South Carolina. Efficient work by Southern troops got her partially unloaded on the following day, and she was towed to safety before Federal warships could hit her with shell fire. "Memphis" was captured by side wheel gunboat USS "Magnolia" outbound from Charleston with a cargo of cotton on July 31, 1862, and purchased by the U.S. Navy from a prize court at New York City on September 4, 1862. "Memphis" was commissioned on October 4, 1862, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Pendleton G. Watmough in command.

Assigned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, "Memphis" sailed for Charleston and began service on October 14 with the capture of British steamer "Ouachita" bound for Havana, Cuba. She continued patrol through 1862 into 1863. On January 4, 1863 she joined side wheel steamer USS "Quaker City" in taking Confederate sloop "Mercury" with a cargo of turpentine for Nassau, Bahamas. On January 31, Confederate ironclads CSS "Palmetto State" and CSS "Chicora" made a dash out of Charleston Harbor into the midst of the blockading ships. Screw steamer USS "Mercedita" was rammed and disabled by "Palmetto State" while side wheel steamer USS "Keystone State" was next attacked and left for "Memphis" to take in tow. The two rams then retired.

By March of the following year, "Memphis" was operating in the North Edisto River. On March 6, 1864 Confederate torpedo boat CSS "David" attempted a run on the Union blockader. The spar torpedo struck "Memphis"' port quarter but did not explode. After her second torpedo misfired, "David" retreated upstream out of range of her foe's heavy guns. "Memphis", uninjured, continued her blockading duties to the end of the Civil War.

On May 6, 1867 "Memphis" was decommissioned and sold to V. Brown & Co., at New York on May 8, 1869. Renamed "Mississippi", the screw steamer operated as a freight ship until May 13, 1883 when she was gutted by a dock fire at Seattle, Washington, and her wreck abandoned.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m8/memphis-ii.htm


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